While the concept of supported employment had been around for decades, it’s only in recent years that a future including fulfilling work in an integrated setting has been the expectation large numbers of parents have for their children with disabilities.
Public school transition programs for individuals with developmental disabilities have responded both to parents’ desires to prepare their children for meaningful employment and to newer national-level standards that make old-style sheltered workshops and segregated programs ineligible for federal funds. Sheltered workshops and segregated programs kept those with different abilities separated from typical employees in the workplace and prevented the positive benefits of blending all employees in the work environment.
Over the past decade, many states including California have adopted “employment first” policies, which simply means that competitive, integrated employment will be the first option considered by planning teams for every working-age adult served.
This is great news. However, as the labor market has tightened up and made it difficult for many employers to fill open positions, adults with disabilities still face significant challenges finding jobs that are a good match for their talents, abilities and interests. Here are some tips for parents as they plan for their children’s futures.
What is Supported Employment?
In our experience, even those with very severe disabilities can be successful in the workplace. The key is to follow person-centered principles (explained below) when approaching employment planning and identifying the right services and supports to enable the individual to succeed in a competitive work environment.
We have found that “supported employment” is the most frequently used service for employed individuals and receives high marks for its effectiveness among employers and their employees with disabilities.
Service providers that offer supported employment services typically offer a range of services that include needs assessment and job training, locating or developing suitable jobs, and onsite job coaching. Job coaching can include full-time assistance, helping the individual to learn and perform their job tasks, part-time support, troubleshooting, facilitating communication with supervisors, and/or basic periodic check-ins to help identify accommodation needs, and if needed, resolving workplace or performance issues.
Follow Person-Centered Principles
We believe the best outcomes for individuals come from taking a person-centered approach to planning, whether it’s related to employment, a living situation or other aspects of daily life.
Person-centered planning is a process that helps the person we serve look at their hopes and dreams for the future. It takes a positive perspective on the person’s abilities, strengths, preferences, and capacities for acquiring new skills versus an outdated perspective that emphasizes what a person cannot do or assumes that others always know what’s best for that individual.
With this positive vision in mind, it’s then possible to map out a strategy for the types of work environments and job roles that would be a good match for that individual, and figure out the support that’s needed from family, friends, community, and service organizations, to achieve the desired result.
One example I like to share is that of Jeffrey Baek, a young man with autism. He had been successfully employed for six years at a grocery store. However, Jeffrey’s family understood that he had other career interests that he wanted to pursue in film and video. He wanted to get into a line of work where he could make more money and that would allow him to travel more with his family.
Jeffrey’s mother, Jinsook Baek, located the ideal opportunity for him with a local Korean-owned filmmaking company, and persuaded them to bring Jeffrey on as a paid intern through the RCOC-funded Paid Internship Program. What began as a three-month trial worked out so well that Jeffrey continued the internship for a year, giving him excellent work experience. He learned how to use CGI, transitions, effects, and cinematic experiences, and also greatly benefitted from learning how to better engage with co-workers.
Identify the Appropriate Level of Employment Support
While Jeffrey’s family was able to provide much of the support he needed to be successful in his film internship job, many individuals require additional assistance from a supported employment service provider. However, when the job match is successful, the amount of support a person needs from a job coach can often taper off significantly over time.
A good example of this is Marcell Bassett, who has autism. He is an expert recovery associate, processing and repacking returned items at a home furnishings store. He started in a cart retrieval role before transferring to his current position after four years with the company.
He likes what he does, and repacking is his specialty. He also determines whether to sell or trash a returned product. Now well-established in his role for more than 28 years, Marcell also serves as a mentor to new hires. He helps young coworkers learn skills for the job and fosters a role-model, team-building atmosphere that his supervisor appreciates and applauds.
See resources below for organizations that have implemented person-centered approaches to employment.
Person-Centered Approaches to Employment : Where to Get More Information
Many social services agencies and organizations have made great strides in recent years with implementing person-centered approaches to employment and other services for those with disabilities. There are many other resources available to parents and others who want to learn more.
The Learning Community
An international hub for sharing and promoting person-centered practices, with a website that has a wide range of resources about person-centered thinking, as well as training and workshops for individuals, family members, professionals, and organizations.
www.tlcpcp.com
The Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE)
A membership organization, with chapters across the U.S. that offers many learning events and resources aimed at facilitating full inclusion for people with disabilities in the workplace and community.
www.apse.org
Griffin-Hammis Associates
www.griffinhammis.com
Marc Gold and Associates
www.marcgold.com
Well-regarded consultant organizations that primarily focus on providing direct training and technical assistance, but their websites also share many useful resources for families.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Arturo Cazares is Director of Community Services for Regional Center of Orange County, the private, nonprofit organization contracted by the State of California to coordinate lifelong services and supports for more than 26,000 Orange County, California residents with developmental disabilities and their families. The Regional Center is the first stop for those seeking to obtain local services and supports to help them live safely and with dignity in the community. Developmental disabilities include intellectual disabilities, autism, epilepsy and cerebral palsy. Learn more at www.rcocdd.com
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