County Supervisors Propose Hiring Pilot to Support People with Neurodiversity

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors April 2 approved a motion authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn and co-authored by Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell to explore the feasibility of increasing employment opportunities for individuals with neurodiversity. The county’s Department of Human Resources will work with the Departments of Aging and Disabilities, Economic Opportunity, Library, County Counsel, the Chief Executive Office as well as other relevant county departments and the Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities to present a feasibility report on a potential Neurodiversity Hiring Pilot Program. The pilot program will align candidate skills with job requirements to help county departments appropriately match situations and solutions.

“If we want LA County to really be a place of equal opportunity for all, we have to close this gap for people with neurodiversity. Many of them have immense potential and valuable skills to offer but have simply been overlooked in the hiring process,” said Supervisor Hahn, who authored the motion. “This program is going to help us better put the county jobs they are qualified for within their reach.”

Neurodiversity describes the concept that people have different ways of thinking, learning, and behaving. It includes a broad range of conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD, Dyslexia, Cerebral Palsy, Tourette Syndrome, Down Syndrome, speech or language impairment, and hearing loss, among others.

This motion directs the county departments to present a report to the board in 180 days that will include five categories:

1. Findings related to the development of a pilot program, including best practices for implementing programs targeted at increasing employment opportunities for individuals with neurodiversity and with intellectual or developmental disabilities
2. Assessment of reasonable accommodations needed to support neurodivergent individuals in county jobs, and conduct a cost analysis
3. Identification of necessary resources, including internal county resources (e.g., staff and budget) and external support from partner organizations
4. Sourcing and Recruitment of Job Applicants: In addition to collaboration between the county departments named in the motion, the supervisors are calling on them to work with external partners including community-based organizations, colleges, and vocational programs that work with individuals with neurodiversity to identify and inform potential applicants about job opportunities within the county
5. Development of success metrics

By including a requirement for county departments to assess the effectiveness of reasonable accommodations for people with neurodiversity and disabilities of different kinds, the program is expected to also identify how they can make county employment more inclusive of people with physical disabilities.