Work Experiences or Trial Work Experiences? Hands on Your Buzzers!

[Cheesy narrator voice:] Welcome to this installment of “What’s the Difference?” where we clear up your confusion and bring order to the VR world. 
Ready contestants? Hands on your buzzers, and let’s play!
Today’s topic centers on the confusion and haze surrounding work experiences and trial work experiences? Okay, audience, join in: “What’s. The. Difference?”
….[crickets]
Contestants? Anyone? Anyone?...

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The lack of response from our contestants isn’t too surprising. We’re still hearing questions and confusion from some of you in the field. “Aren’t work experiences and trial work experiences the same thing?” (Answer: No!) With this Shared Solutions, we’ll delve deeper into both work experiences and trial work experiences so you know exactly what’s what when you finish playing our game. And let’s acknowledge from the get-go that the terminology is downright confusing.
   

Trial Work Experiences Help Evaluate

Let’s start there, with the term trial work experiences (TWEs). You can think of TWEs as a form of pre-eligibility assessment.

That’s where the “trial” comes in; they take place before VR has determined whether a person is eligible for VR services (e.g., before Discovery) and are only used when there’s a question about eligibility. According to the Indiana Administrative Code, TWEs are: 

"…the exploration of an individual's abilities, capabilities, and capacity to perform in realistic work situations in order to determine whether or not there is clear and convincing evidence to support a determination that an individual with a disability is incapable of benefiting from vocational rehabilitation services in terms of an employment outcome."

Indiana Administrative Code. Article 14. Rule 3: Definitions. 77 (460 IAC 14-3-1 Definitions)

If a VR counselor is unsure whether an applicant will benefit from receiving VR services, VR must conduct trial work experiences to explore the applicant’s ability to perform in realistic work situations. In other words, TWEs are set up to help a VR counselor answer the question: “With the right supports, could this person benefit from services that would help them attain competitive, integrated employment?”  

As the employment specialist supporting an individual during a TWE, VR may ask you to provide or obtain assistive technology, transportation services, personal assistance services, or other supports. You, the VR counselor, and the applicant will work as a team. 

To answer the question of whether the applicant can benefit from VR services and would, therefore, be eligible, the VR counselor should set up clear and specific expectations as to what you need to evaluate during the TWE. If you’re not sure what information you need to provide to VR, don’t hesitate to ask the VR counselor. Remember that your job is to provide your observations on the set criteria VR identifies. It’s NOT your job to determine whether or not someone will benefit from VR services, or if they can work in the community. Also, keep in mind that VR does not provide TWEs to “weed out” or discourage applicants. 

TWEs are not a one-and-done service. They must be “of sufficient variety and over a period of time” (within 30-60 days) so that the VR counselor has enough evidence and is able to determine either that the individual is eligible for services or, due to the severity of their disability, will be unable to benefit from services and is therefore ineligible. 

TWE Resources

Some of you may have had the opportunity to join VR for the Trial Work Experiences webinar in summer 2017. If not, take a look! The Trial Work Experiences presentation slides include examples of a trial work plan, trial work experiences, and appropriate documentation for reporting your findings. 

Work Experiences Allow for Exploration

Now, let’s head into Discovery territory with your VR participant. 

Work experiences are mini job activities that a VR-eligible job seeker participates in to further explore her/his interest in a type of employment, a specific environment, or a career. Work experiences are first-hand learning and real-work exposure in an integrated, competitive, community-based employment setting. Shared Solutions readers know that work experiences are a Discovery tool. We talked about them in November 2017 in the post “Work It!”  

Fully described in the VR Manual of Employment Services, pages 8-9, work experiences offer a unique spin to the Discovery experience. VR authorizes them as a separate and distinct Discovery activity. Note: You can bill for development of a work experience. The hours for development should be included in the authorization.

Work experiences benefit 1) you, in your role as employment specialist; 2) the job seeker; and 3) the employer. They offer your job seeker a “real world/real work” opportunity to gain additional experience and insights into skills, tasks, workplace preferences, workplace cultures, social skills, and job-related issues. They offer you insights and clues into ideal supports and teaching strategies for that same job seeker. And they offer employers a connection to an under-tapped employee resource. It’s a win, win, win!

Things to remember:

• VR will support up to 12 total calendar weeks of work experience (combined total of A,B and C. See chart below.).
• Work experiences must take place in competitive, integrated work settings in the community.
• Work experiences should be reflective of the type(s) of work the job seeker has indicated an interest in
• Job seekers may participate in work experience as little as one hour per week and as many as 11 or more hours per week.

Characteristics:	Work Experience A CC-DC code 53-06	Work Experience B CC-DC code 53-07	Work Experience C CC-DC code 53-08
1-to-1 staff/job seeker ratio	Required	Required	Required
At one or more worksite locations	1 or more	1 or more	1 or more
Hours per week	1-5	6-10	11 or more
May be paid or unpaid by employer	Either	Either	Either
ES must be on-worksite at least 75% of the time	Required	Required	Required
Authorization includes work experience development time (CC-DC code 53-05)	Usually 5-10 hours each	Usually 5-10 hours each	Usually 5-10 hours each
Payment to provider	$200 per week	$325 per week	$450 per week
Documented in Discovery Profile	Required	Required	Required

Need more work experience guidance?

Gleaning information

• Ask yourself: Is this experience likely to teach the job seeker something new? Or will it give me new information about supporting the job seeker?

Planning for a work experience

• Discovery leads to work site selection.
• Be intentional with your planning—connect the work site with the job seeker’s developing interests and skills.
• Be individualized with your planning—seriously, avoid using the same, same, and same worksites for every job seeker. Keep this about your job seeker―not about your convenience.
• Avoid jumping to a work experience prematurely―first, give Discovery time to evolve. 

Working with employers

• Use the job seeker's connections to identify a potential work experience business.
• Use the identified skills of your job seeker to find businesses that can use those skills. 
• Use your own connections to identify a work experience business.
• Use your agency's leadership for connections to a potential business.
• Ask yourself: Is this an employer whose work culture might match my job seeker's preferences? 
• Ask yourself: Is this an employer whose teaching styles might match my job seeker's learning styles?

Work Experience Resources

Establishing Quality Work Experiences 

Fair Labor Standards Act Advisor: Trainees

Unpaid Work Experiences, Volunteering, and Internships

Ready for the Final Round?

[Cheesy narrator voice:]  …aaaaand we’re back!  Contestants, get those hands on your buzzers again. First question!  Tell us one thing that trial work experiences and work experiences have in common (besides the term “work experiences”). 

Ding, ding, ding, ding!  Oh my goodness, everyone is buzzing in!  And yes, you’re right!  Both TWEs and work experiences take place in integrated employment environments. 

Second question!  When do you complete a work experience? Yes!! During Discovery!  And a follow-up, related question: When might VR ask you to provide a trial work experience? Very nice, contestants!! The answer is, of course, only in certain cases, before VR determines eligibility. 

Nice job! Johnny, tell them what they’ve won!  

[Even cheesier narrator voice:] Enlightenment, contentment, and the knowledge that they’re right. What more can a contestant want? Oh, and resources, we always have resources! For playing this installment of “What’s the Difference?” you’ve earned access to all of the links included in this Shared Solutions post.  

Thanks for playing!