Vocational Options

1. Vocational Options • Day Program or Activity Center • Rehabilitation Facility/Sheltered Workshop (indiv. Pays to go to wkshp) • Supplemental Staffing • Telework • Customized Employment • Supported Employment • Competitive Employment • Self-Employment

2. Day Program or Activity Center • In the U.S. today, approximately 5000 adult activity/day programs serve people with mental, physical, and emotional disabilities (Braddock, Rizzolo, & Hemp, 2004) • Studies have repeatedly shown that people who are placed into these centers do not leave them and never graduate to workshops or into competitive employment

3. Traditional Day Program or Adult Activity Center (Services) • Adults with severe disabilities • They learn skills in a facility setting • Theories of independent skills are taught (w/some hands-on practice) • Aimed at fixing someone’s disability

4. Traditional Day Programs or Adult Activity Center (Reality) • Generalizations across settings can be difficult for individuals w/disabilities to make • Funding drawbacks/issues • Most agree that these programs should be shut down or phased out & funding transferred to providing support to people in more productive & dignified community pursuits (DiLeo, Rogan, & Geary, 2000; Murphy, Rogan, Handley, Kincaid, & Royce-Davis, 2002; Wehman, Revell, & Brooke, 2003)

5. Sheltered Workshops • Segregated vocational & non-vocational programs • Employment component • Activity Centers/Classes (Daily Living) • Day Treatment Center (Working w/counselors) • Generally differ in mission, services provided, & funding

6. Sheltered Workshop (Positives) • Gives individuals w/more severe disabilities a place to go • Socialization purposes • May teach greater overall Life Responsibilities

7. Sheltered Workshops (Negatives) • Fails to provide meaningful employment outcomes • Low earnings – remain system dependent • Isolates individuals from public sector • Allows little to no advancement • Little to no future positive impact on individual (Wehman, 2006)

8. More Evidence Against… • The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) released a report on sheltered and segregated work environments for people with disabilities. The report titled, Segregated and Exploited: The Failure of the Disability Service System to Provide Quality Work identifies the barriers to employment that people with disabilities face and dispels myths about their capability to be a fully employed, equally compensated, and integral member of American workplaces and communities.  Read the report at http://www.responsetrack.net/lnk/ndrn/1cn7c/?175ES0D46DE

9. Kregel & Dean, 2000 (Sheltered Workshop vs. Supported Employment Study • 877 individuals w/intellectual disabilities (different levels) • Compared aspects of those individuals in sheltered workshop to those in supported employment FINDINGS: 1. Folks in SE earned $1500-$1600/year more than SW individuals

10. Kregel & Dean, 2000 Study FINDINGS (cont’d.) 2. Folks in SE earned 30%-40% more than folks in SW, over the course of the study 3. Mean cumulative earnings: SE = $18,945/year; SW = $8,364/year 4. Mild = most $; Severe = Least $ * Larger differentiation amongst SW (levels of functioning), as opposed to SE (levels of functioning)

11. Competitive Employment (individuals w/disabilities) • Community-based employment (traditional settings) • Assistance from others to help find and maintain employment (usually not as intensive as Supported Employment) • Teachers, V.R. Counselors, Employment Specialists may assist

12. Competitive Employment (Positives) • Individuals w/disabilities have a sense of being a productive part of their society • Brings disability awareness to workplaces • May help to dispels disability-related myths • May create natural supports at work • Cohesiveness of community/workplace

13. Competitive Employment (Negatives) • Individuals assisting in finding and maintaining employment may have large caseloads (too little time &/or effort) • More intensive support may be necessary per the individual • Natural supports may not be in place (breakdown in potential structure) • General overall acceptance of the individual at work is not prevalent

14. Self-Employment • Individuals w/ disabilities going in to business for themselves • Possibility have someone assisting them in getting started (structurally/financially/etc.) • Possibility of having qualified individuals follow along with self-employment venture for a set time (V.R., Employment Specialists, etc.) • V.R. in FL. currently pushing for more funding and supports in this area of employment

15. Self-Employment (Positives) • Able to avoid the need for acceptance by employers/workplace • Workplace challenges are limited/reduced (transportation, accessibility, accommodations, etc.) • Accumulation of assets (profits) • Different types of employment compared to traditional community settings (Wehman, 2006)

16. Self-Employment (Negatives) • The supports that are currently in place may not be enough • Self-motivation may fade (business goes south) • Social isolation • Important life (social) skills opportunities may be missed due to lack of chances (Wehman, 2006)

17. Supported Employment (SE) A rehabilitation method that has created over 150,000 jobs for people with cognitive, physical, and psychiatric disabilities. The critical elements of SE are performance of meaningful work for pay, working in integrated community-based settings, and the use of ongoing supports tailored to the needs of the worker and the business - (Federal Register, 1987)

18. Brief History of Supported Employment – (Wehman & Bricout, 2001) • 1960’s: 1,000,000 individuals with disabilities in over 5,000 segregated settings across the U.S. – Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) emerging as important training technology. • 1970’s: Placement of selected individuals with MR into research/demonstration model university-based competitive settings. “Job Coach”“Normalization” terms used.

19. SE Brief History (cont’d.) • 1980’s: National Acceptance of SE Models. 3000 programs in U.S. 100,000 individuals w/disabilities participating in SE. Still close to 1,000,000 individuals in Segregated Settings. • 1990-2000: Consumer Empowerment & ADA emerge as primary disability philosophies. SE concepts begin to grow larger internationally. Community businesses and natural supports gain a much greater emphasis as a whole.

20. Where is Supported Employment Heading? • Continuing to gain notoriety as a valid employment option for individuals w/more severe disabilities (as opposed to sheltered environments) • More funding sources available today to support this employment option as opposed to the past • Due to SE’s increased popularity & status, it continues to gain layers of support for those individuals who are involved in these employment-related programs

21. Supported Employment Work Supports • Agency-Mediated • Business-Mediated • Government-Mediated • Consumer/Family/Community-Mediated

22. Agency-Mediated Supports • Able to coordinate supports through various agencies, if necessary • Job coach support • Compensatory strategies • Assistive Technologies • Specialized Agency Services

23. Business-Mediated Supports • Workplace Accommodations • Co-Worker & Employer Supports • Employer-Sponsored Programs & Policies

24. Government-Mediated Supports • Social Security Initiatives • Tax Breaks for Businesses/Companies (Targeted Job Tax Credit) • Allowing individuals participating the ability to retain Medicaid/Medicare Health Eligibility • Americans w/Disabilities Act (ADA)

25. Consumer/Family/Community Mediated Supports • Family Supports - as facilitators - as skill trainers • Consumer, Friend, & Peer Support - as co-workers - as social supports - as mentors

26. Tenants of Supported Employment • Assessment of individual’s preferences • Assessment of individual’s skills • Community Business Needs • Establishing employers willingness to work w/ the SE program/individual • Placement of SE individual • Learning on-the-job skills (w/job coach) • Creating Natural Supports • Maintaining follow-up services • Fade supports to Independence of the individual

27. Job Finding • Also known as “Job Development” • The process of assisting others in locating/finding jobs • Individuals helping to find jobs are usually called, “Employment Specialists” (w/variations) • Individuals who help others learn on-the-job skills/tasks &/or how to navigate the work environment are generally referred to as a “Job Coach”

28. Americans w/Disabilities Act (ADA) • Title I: Makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against applicants or workers who have a “known” or “documented” disability. - Does not require employers to hire individuals w/disabilities, just allows these individuals an opportunity to compete for jobs & be provided reasonable accommodations for on-the-job success.

29. ADA (Continued) - Only applies to individuals who are qualified to perform the job in question’s duties. - ADA Title I is generally enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) &/or State Human Rights Commissions.

30. Job Finding Process (8 Steps) • Target Candidates w/Range of Skills and Support Needs • Develop an Ideal Job Match Vision to Guide Job Development • Target Businesses that Might Match Hypotheses • Use Referrals to Access More Receptive Employers • Meet w/Employer to Learn Their Need & Gauge Their Interest • Observe & Interview Operations Staff to Identify Duties • Match Duties to Candidates • Develop & Present Hiring Proposal - (Nietupski & Nietupski, 2001)

31. 1. Target Candidates w/a Range of Skills & Support Needs • Target more than one potential candidate • Target higher and lower functioning individuals • Target individuals who can perform one job’s specific duties • Target individuals who can share one job’s overall duties

32. 2. Develop an Ideal Job Match Vision to Guide Job Development • Use “Person-Centered Career Planning” - (Callahan & Garner, 1997) • Include all who work closely w/individual (parents, siblings, friends, staff, etc.) • Use Career-life Planning to help construct a lifestyle envisioned by individual

33. “PERSON-CENTERED PLANNING” (Issues/Info. Generated) • Suitable Job Tasks • Desirable Social Climate • Degree of Sameness/Variety in Duties • Extent of judgement Skills • Optimal Work Pace • Desired Degree & Type of Co-worker involvement • Preferred Job Location • Optimal Training/Support Strategies - (Everson, Reid, Marrone, Huff, & Helm, 1997)

34. 3. Target Businesses that Might Match Hypotheses • Get to know the local business market • Join local business-related groups/associations • Establish local business-related relationships • Visit with local business owners/companies • Get to know individual business operations & needs

35. 4. Use Referrals to Access More Receptive Employers • Satisfied Past Employers • Parents of Past Job Seekers • Past Job Seekers Themselves • Agency Contacts (Local Org. contacts) • Friends, Family, Co-workers • Social-related Contacts

36. 5. Meet w/Employer to Learn Their Need & Gauge Their Interest • View the Potential Employer as a customer • Listen to Their Business/Company Needs • Help Employers Trouble Shoot • Make Positive Suggests as to How You Can Help Their Business • (Once Repoire is Established) Ask Employer if you can Observe Business Operations

37. 6. Observe & Interview Operations Staff to Identify Duties • Meet w/Key Staff in Each Area of Interest • Help Staff to Breakdown Job Tasks (Task Analysis) if necessary • Document Important Interview Information for Later Reflection &/or Possible Candidate Job Matching Purposes

38. 7. Match Duties to Candidates • Begin comparing duties to possible candidates • Decide on whether one or more candidates may be a good fit into job duties • Decide on whether it may be a straight placement or job carve • Make a proposal to the potential employer

39. 8. Develop & Present Hiring Proposal • Present a written Proposal – gives businesses time to react, reflect, and decide - (Bissonnette, 1994; Nietupski & Hamre- Nieptupski, 2000) • Present positive info. on individual(s) selected, desired hours & wages, timelines of potential face to face mtg. & start potential • If accepted by potential employer, set up a face to face mtg./interview between them and individual candidate

40. Job Carving • Defined by determining the job seeker’s skills, interests, & contributions, matching these to a set of duties found in a local workplace – (Griffin & Targett, 2006) • Job Carving simply means that the job is being broken down into key components. The key components are then being reassigned to the designated employees

41. Why use Job Carving? • Works best w/those imperfect job descriptions &/or matches • For employers who have diverse job duties &/or sites • For those worksites/businesses that have increased their product or service demand quickly (or more quickly than expected) ie. production co., agricultural sites

42. Job Carving Steps • YOU CAN USE THE SAME 8 STEPS THAT ARE USED FOR “JOB FINDING” • Plus: - Teach & Refine Work Tasks - Build Natural Supports - Fade Job Coaching supports - Maintain a Consultative Role Job Carving= for more significantly impaired compared to job development or supported employment=competitively paid, min. wage)

43. 3 Methods of Job Carving: • Cut & Paste • Fission • Fusion

44. Cut & Paste Method • Involves trading duties between an existing position & a current employee, maximizing the talents of both (Multiple positions trading) ADVANTAGES: • May work best when an opening already exists & a filled position contains entry-level duties that could be traded away for more advanced duties from the vacant position

45. Cut & Paste Advantages (cont’d.) • May better allow existing employees to maximize their time spent on the job • May afford more freedom so that employees may take on unexpected items

46. Fission Method • Involves dividing a single position into two or more jobs (Single position divided) split ADVANTAGES: • May work best when growth in a business makes it difficult for a single employee to perform all previously assigned duties • May allow for greater task efficiency & effectiveness

47. Fission Method Advantages (cont’d.) • May afford lighter workloads for individuals involved in the work plan, thus creating more productivity as a whole.

48. Fusion Method • The re-assignment of similar functions from several employees to a newly created position (1 position helping multiple existing) paste a job together ADVANTAGES: • May work best when the type & amount of routine work, currently distributed across employees, could be more efficiently performed by 1 or more supported employees

49. Fusion Method Advantages (cont’d.) • May allow for greater time management for all employees • May allow for greater overall business productivity (due to time management-related issues)

50. Overall Job Carving Advantages • Job Seeker is not judged directly against other applicants • May not be any (or many) comparisons to previous job performance standards &/or past employees • Due to this position being a potentially new position, the company/employer may be more cognizant of how the employee contributes value to the organization - (Hagner & DiLeo, 1996)