Discovery: A path to customized employment

Transcription

1 Discovery: A path to customized employment An initiative of The Arc of Pennsylvania and Marc Gold & Associates

2 What is Discovery Discovery is an alternative vocational assessment. It provides the information needed to determine the strengths, conditions for success, and interests of any person. The outcome of our Discovery is a customized profile of a person that represents the best qualities and qualifications of the person to help in the job seeking process. It differs from traditional vocational assessments in that: It uses positive, descriptive language Shows relevant skills, conditions for success, and interests that you would find on any resume Is straightforward and easy to understand for employers and support agencies 2

3 History The Arc of Pennsylvania began its Discovery program in 2012 due to the need for transition aged services seen from our Include Me program. Include Me is a program that increases a school s capacity for inclusive practices and education from preschool to high school. In 2012 The Arc of PA recognized the need for services for transition aged students as many students leaving high school were left with few opportunities for employment or higher education. As a result, The Arc of Pennsylvania partnered with Mike Callahan, president of Marc Gold & Associates to offer several presentations on Discovery. Due to the high interest of our presentations across the state, The Arc of Pennsylvania partnered with Marc Gold & Associates, a nationally recognized leader in customized employment services, to offer the first-ever training and certification program for Discovery consultants. 3

4 Initial Class In The Arc of Pennsylvania and Marc Gold & Associates started training the first class of Discovery Consultants. Over the course of several months in , the initial class of Discovery consultants trained and completed their first profiles for students across the state. Consultants completed 30 hours of classroom training, ongoing consultation, facilitated completion of Discovery for a participant with complex conditions for success, and completed profile documents to the standards set by Marc Gold & Associates to receive national certification in the Discovery process. Consultants started a process to become mentors to others who are seeking certification in Discovery in June. 4

5 Discovery process Step 1 Training Step 2 Discovery Step 3 Profiles Step 4 Outcomes 5

6 Discovery Training The Arc of PA and Marc Gold & Associates train new individuals in the unique skills and language that Discovery uses to develop profiles. Training occurs at The Arc of Pennsylvania over several sessions where trainees learn the ins and outs of the Discovery Process and how to craft the profiles from Mike Callahan, president of Marc Gold & Associates and pioneer of Discovery. The trainees are learning about the various aspects of Discovery and how to perform each process using the correct language and mindset. Upon successful completion of our training program, Discovery consultants will become nationally certified by Marc Gold & Associates. Our certification process is the only one of its kind and demonstrates the rigorous performance standards expected by The Arc of PA and Marc Gold & Associates. 6

7 Discovery Discovery is the first step in the process of developing profiles. Consultants meet the participant and his or her family and other individuals to learn as much as possible. The consultant observe and interact with the participant from the classroom and internships to time in the community and at home. In this stage of the process, consultants learn as much as they can about the individual to better express their strengths, conditions for success and interests in the profile. 7

8 Profiles The profile is the outcome of the initial Discovery process. Consultants use the information gathered from Discovery to develop profiles. Profiles serve as a tool to describe the individual s strengths, conditions for success and interests to help in finding gainful employment. The profiles are broken down in to three parts. Each part serves to provide a complete story of the individual s life, education, conditions for success, skills, job history, etc. The profile clearly states the conditions for employment, interests for employment, effective coaching strategies, and contributions for employment so that employers and transitional services can easily understand the capabilities of the individual. The profile differs from other assessments because it doesn t focus on what the individual cannot do. Discovery already knows that the participant is capable and instead focuses on those qualities and how to effectively bring them out in a work environment. 8

9 Outcomes The entire Discovery process takes approximately hours from start to finish. The end result is a complete profile of the individual to be used by the participant, family, transition service providers, adult support service providers, and employers. The profile is updated as the participant gains new job experience and skills. After completing the profile, consultants follow up by participating in planning meetings and customized employment planning to ensure that the profile is used effectively. Several pilot participants are currently employed based on their interests, possible contributions and conditions for success, and doing very well in the customized employment model. Several younger students in the Pilot (who are still attending high school) have IEP teams that will use information from the Discovery profile to build transition plans. Consultants have been trained to work with the student/family to electronic portfolios for the students to share their interests/strengths at IEP and team planning meetings. 9

10 Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different Albert Szent-Gyorgyi (Nobel Prize winner) 10

11 A brief history of the problem Marc Gold could ve told us so 35 years ago. 11

12 Putting a human face on the challenge is a working life for Jenni? 12

13 She was employed at a logistics company for a year and a half 13

14 Jenni now works at a local gas company using customized supported employment 13 years on the job 14

15 The Role of Discovery Discovery provides an alternative to comparative assessment in a non-traditional, common-sense form to determine the conditions for success, the interests towards certain aspects of the job marker and the potential contributions of students and youth with significant disabilities. This is accomplished by simply addressing the question, Who is this person? 15

16 The Focus of Discovery Conditions for Success Interests toward an aspect of the Labor Market Potential Contributions to Employers 16

17 Life Activities Challen ges Interests Who is this person? 17

18 This is who I am. Discovery finds the pieces and puts them together 18

19 The Who of Discovery The person of concern Their family and loved ones Close and trusted friends Neighbors with good relationships Professionals who care Counselors Teachers Case managers Service providers 19

20 The How of Discovery Interview and conversations with individual, family, friends, professionals (25% of total time*) Observations of activities of life (40% of total time*) Participation in activities of life (25% of total time*) Participation in familiar and novel activities (5% of time*) Review of records and other materials (5% of time*) 20

21 The Where of Discovery Home/Living Context: Discovery starts where relationships start where we live Neighborhood Local Community Ethnic group/peer group School Church Places where the person is most who they are 21

22 The What of Discovery: Identifying the Best Aspects of the Person Routines Relationships Responsibilities Challenges Associations Friendships Shops and Services Tasks Solutions Connections Education Location Life performance Community inventory 22

23 Discovery and Schools Discovery in the classroom Group Discovery Discovery in school activities Discovery in the student s life outside the school, including home Discovery in work experiences 23

24 Purpose of Work Experience Provide a foundation for the expectation of employment for all students Provide an array of experiences from which specific interests might emerge Provide increasing insight into necessary conditions for success and discrete contributions Provide information to guide curricular content in classrooms 24

25 Types of Work Experiences and Paid Employment in Schools 1. Volunteering 2. Job Shadowing 3. Service Learning/Internships 4. General Work Experience 5. Matched Work Experience 6. Customized Work Experience 25

26 Work Experience as Expanded Discovery Expanded Discovery involves utilizing either additional strategies such as internships, work experiences, etc. to gain additional information to enhance initial discovery or ultimate living environments to assure that Discovery findings reference the person s living situation following a life transition. 26

27 Volunteering Volunteering involves encouraging and supporting students to participate in existing school and community services that offer support to others in the community. Volunteering should start for students as young as ten (or younger) and may continue throughout the school experience. Outcomes for volunteering include participation and inclusion in community and school activities, general task performance and general responsibilities and work skills. 27

28 Focus for Volunteering Try to connect with student s interests Activity should be seen as one in which others volunteer Target specific tasks with volunteer leader Provide supports, as necessary Notice interactions, interests (or lack), specific skills, pace, focus, endurance 28

29 Presenting at Tech Expo Volunteering at community exposition 29

30 Job Shadowing Job shadowing involves short term observations of various types of job tasks and employment settings in the community. Job shadowing can start with students as young as ten years old and throughout the school experience, as needed. The time spent on shadowing experiences range from an hour or two for younger students to as much as two days for older adolescents. Students should not perform work tasks during shadowing. 30

31 Focus for Job Shadowing Primarily concentrates on student s interests Start with discovery and target direction for possible jobs to shadow based on student s interests Assist student to identify discrete tasks performed during shadowing Timeframe per job shadow up to three hours 31

32 Focusing on correctness Job shadowing at county courthouse 32

33 Service Learning/Internships Service Learning involves assisting students with disabilities to participate in the array of contributive activities that are typical for students who seek to purposefully build a resume for access to secondary education. Similar to volunteering, service learning mirrors the existing activities used by students, often with connections through the school. 33

34 Service Learning Focus Utilizes features of typical service learning activities and can involve inclusion with other students Examples: school clubs such as Jr. Achievement, DECA; Candy-Stripers; 4-H; advanced scouting Time frame: episodically, throughout school year 34

35 Editing the School Yearbook Service Learning 35

36 General Work Experiences General Work Experiences involve having students perform specific job duties in school and in workplaces the community without pay. These experiences start at about age 14 and may continue until 16, or older as needed. General work experiences give students a broad sense of the types of employment in their community. General experiences should be for up to two days per week for up to six weeks and regulated by DOL guidelines. 36

37 General Work Experience Focus Often utilizes an array of pre-developed community sites that represents the variety of local economy Students may rotate through on a set timeframe two or three months max. Facilitators should focus on conditions, interests, and skills Time frame: 1 or 2 days per week, 2-3 hours per day 37

38 Delivering mail in school General Work Experience 38

39 Matched Work Experiences Matched Work Experiences refer to unpaid work experiences in community workplaces that are matched to the student s interests regarding employment. These matched experiences serve to clarify and affirm interests and also serve to identify the conditions necessary for success and provide an opportunity for specific skill development and exploration. Time and duration must be consistent with DOL guidelines. 39

40 Focus for Matched Work Experiences Experience is defined by matching for interests and focusing on conditions and potential contributions Developed uniquely for each student Needs supervision or facilitation by educator in order to identify discrete findings Timeframe: 2 4 months; 6 8 hrs. wk. 40

41 Filing for State Highway Department Matched Work Experience 41

42 Areas of Employer Benefit Unmet Workplace Needs: This area focuses on tasks that need to get done but are not getting done in the way the employer would like. It also can include tasks that have not been performed but need to be. Tasks better performed by others: This area focuses on aspects of jobs that might better be performed by others at a lower pay grade. This option can directly save money for employers. Specific benefit to enhance business: This area focuses on workplace needs for additional productivity in specific tasks. It must be matched with job seeker s specific competencies. 42

43 Next Step for The Arc of PA and Discovery Seeking continued financial support from state and federal agencies and private funders. Pilot the program throughout local chapters of The Arc across Pennsylvania. Collect data on rate of employment among participants in Discovery Program. Continue training additional Discovery consultants. 43

44 Questions?