Supported Employment 2.0: Let's Talk Turkey!

Most people expect that on Thanksgiving, there will be a nice turkey at the table. Similarly, VR expects that most people with a most significant disability (MSD) will need to use supported employment (SE) services to reach stabilization. When you request SE, you’re not asking for ice cream (or hot dogs or kimchee) at the Thanksgiving table. This service is a part of the employment services process for most people with an MSD. Since we’re in order of selection, we think that’s probably the majority of your caseload. 

That being said, we know that not everyone has turkey on Thanksgiving. There are vegetarians who eat lentils on Thanksgiving, or perhaps a nice pasta dish works for your family. Not everyone needs supported employment services, but we expect that most people with an MSD will need SE services, just like most people will eat turkey this Thanksgiving.

Last month, we talked about what supported employment is, isn't, and should be. Now let’s flesh out that turkey.

Who 

VR participants with an MSD are eligible to receive supported employment (SE) hourly. Refer to last month’s post for more details.

What 

Employment professionals may bill for SE hourly to support any skills the participant needs in order to become as independent as possible on the job and reach stabilization.  

When 

From an Indiana VR perspective, you use this service after 4 weeks on the job (Milestone 2 or M2) and before stabilization, OR during M2 if more than 45 hours of support are already used. Want to learn more? Refer to the supported employment decision graphic. 

Use supported employment hourly when the supported employee needs assistance for skill development, coordination, or other kinds of support to work towards stabilization. It’s important to remember that being successful at work includes much more than the job tasks a person is paid to complete. There is all of this other stuff: fitting in and becoming a part of the team, knowing what to do when you need help, and building those relationships up so that when the employment specialist is gone, they can still get the support they need. 

Each situation is different, and there is no exhaustive list of the ways this service can be used. However, here are a few examples:

• Learning core job tasks and episodic job tasks
• Using a new type of technology, like a software system, copier, or sanitizer
• Communicating effectively with coworkers
• Developing the skills to get to work on time (perhaps setting an alarm, having a uniform ready the night before, calling the Uber)
• Dealing with difficult situations
• Building natural supports
• Coordinating with paid staff and unpaid supports
• Building self-management skills

And almost always, unanticipated challenges arise. Bosses or coworkers change, people have medical events, or perhaps changes in home life. All of these events can impact a person’s success at work and lead to the loss of a job if appropriate supports are not provided. Finally, think back to why the person was referred to VR. If a person has a mental illness and experiences symptoms every 4-6 months, they may be very successful for the first few months but may need additional services several months into work. This is precisely why we shouldn’t be in a rush to declare that an employee has reached stabilization. Stuff (stuffing?) happens!

Where 

You can provide SE hourly at a job site or off a job site, depending on what makes sense.  Consider the most discrete and supportive way to deliver the training or other job support. Be as unobtrusive as possible and provide supports in the most natural environment. For example, if a supported employee is working to develop coping strategies for stressful situations, it may be more appropriate to work on this in a private place, like a person’s house or at your office, rather than at the job site. If you’re helping the supported employee learn how to clock in for the day, then at the job site is probably your best bet. Where you provide support influences how people will perceive the supported employee. 

How 

Providing quality SE services is both a skill and an art. The details are important. The way you provide supported employment can really impact the success of a supported employee. You must identify the areas a supported employee needs help in, figure out what skill to teach, how to teach it, and monitor progress. While doing all of these different things, you need to be building natural supports at work and work yourself out of a job. That is, when providing SE services, you are working to phase yourself out of the mix while you facilitate a relationship between the SE and those who he or she could rely on at work. 

This sounds simple, but it requires a lot of training and skills. Learn from seasoned experts at your organization, seek out training, and use what you already know to be successful. Dust off that Discovery profile to review successful support strategies! Facilitating can be an art, but we know you’re up for the challenge.

Why 

Because it works! You can’t just eat the turkey and walk away from the table. There are dishes to load, pots to wash, leftovers to stash. Similarly, effective SE is often the work you do after you find employment for your job seeker. Establishing the right supports can ensure long-term success for an employee—even after you’ve faded your supports, gobbled the pumpkin pie, and said your goodbyes.

Resources & Training

Thanksgiving leftovers! Yummy! Here again, are some of the resources we referenced in last month’s intro to supported employment.  

“Supported Employment Resources,” VCU Rehabilitation Research and Training Center. 

“Strategies for Effective Supported Employment,” (formerly Advanced Supported Employment). Watch your inbox and the CCLC Employment Training webpage for news about two opportunities to participate in 2019!  

• Winter training begins with online modules, January 14 through March 15, with face-to-face meetings at Easterseals Crossroads in Indianapolis on February 27 & 28.  
• Summer training runs online June 28 through July 26, with face-to-face meetings, at Easterseals Crossroads on July 11-12. 

Supported Employment: What It Is, What It Isn't, What It Should Be

This month’s post returns to supported employment basics. 

Under order of selection, Indiana VR must first serve individuals who are most significantly disabled (MSD). That means that most, if not all, of your job seekers will be individuals designated as MSD and, as such, they will need supported employment. From the Indiana VR Manual of Employment Services: “For individuals with a MSD, it is best practice for VR to routinely provide an authorization for SE upon job placement.”

It’s vital, then, that as an employment specialist or VR counselor you understand what supported employment is and what it isn’t, and that you know how and when to use supported employment for your job seekers.

Tom-ay-to, Tom-ah-to? Nope!

Let’s start here: Supportive employment is NOT the same thing as supported employment. "Supported employment" is actually set forth in federal law, but you won’t find the term "supportive employment" in employment law or a waiver manual of services. Supported employment is a tool of your trade as an employment specialist, so it’s important that you use the right terminology.  (Okay, so glad we got that pet peeve off our chests.)

Need a reminder as to just what supported employment actually is?  According to the Office of Disability Employment Policy, supported employment is “assistance such as job coaching, transportation, assistive technology, and specialized job training that enables individuals with significant disabilities to obtain and retain employment.” Supported employment facilitates competitive work in integrated settings for job seekers with significant disabilities: 1) who aren’t usually selected for competitive employment, and 2) who, because of the nature and severity of their disability, need ongoing support services in order to perform their job.

It bears repeating that integrated and competitive are both key components of the supported employment definition. Supported employment does not take place in segregated, enclave environments or on mobile work crews comprising only workers with disabilities.

For more information on how the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 and the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 define supported employment, refer to p. 17 of The Hoosier Orientation Handbook on Employment.

Putting Supported Employment to Work

So now that you know what supported employment is, here are a few pointers on how to ensure success.

Point #1:  Talk about supported employment to make it available.

As an employment specialist or consultant, you will be communicating with your VR counselor throughout the Discovery process about the support needs of your job seeker, which will include conversations about appropriate supported employment services.  When you, the VR counselor, and your job seeker meet, you’ll list supported employment as a service on the individual plan for employment (IPE).  Keeping supported employment at the forefront of your discussions paves the way to authorization.

Point #2: Supported employment doesn’t mean someone can’t.

Don’t jump to the conclusion that an individual’s need for ongoing supports means he or she is not suited for or capable of doing that job. Skills acquisition and supportive workplace and offsite supports require time. For an employment specialist, this means developing a strategy for effective instruction, natural supports, and ample staffing. For a VRC, this means providing additional authorized hours based upon training needs established in the Employment Support and Retention Plan. Don’t give up simply because a person needs help. Remember why they knocked on your door in the first place.

Point #3: Give it time.

Skills acquisition and supportive workplace supports take time. Indiana VR advises (Manual, p. 13), “this initial authorization for SE services should generally be, at minimum, 30-60 hours, covering a time period of no less than 3 months.” Supported employment is not a rush to “place-train-and-close.” Remember, Indiana VR’s current employment service model can provide funding for supporting a worker for up to 24 months.

You should provide additional hours of supported employment until the new employee achieves stabilization, and this doesn’t always occur in the first three months. Some new workers, for instance, experience a honeymoon period for several weeks. Everything seems fine until a co-worker becomes annoyed with your client’s constant on-the-job chatter, and suddenly there’s a blow-up. Or, your new hire is having problems picking up skills until, three months after her start date, you find the right combination of supports and your new hire blossoms and becomes a star employee. Be patient.

Point #4: Supported employment also works with other challenges.

Providing supports to employees experiencing mental health issues?  There has been substantial research about models that successfully use supported employment for people with a variety of mental health challenges (schizophrenia, bipolar, depression). Scroll through the IPS Employment Center’s website, which describes the eight principles of the Individual Placement and Support model.  Or, read through the positive stories of real-life people in “Work is Recovery,” from the Center for Evidence-Based Practices from Case Western Reserve University.

Additional Resources, References & Trainings

“Supported Employment Resources,” VCU Rehabilitation Research and Training Center. 

“Supported Employment: What Is It?” (2012). Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation

“Supported Employment: A Conceptual Overview,” (1988). The Center on Human Policy at Syracuse University

Since we’ve only scratched the supported employment surface here, we’ve decided we need to do a “Supported Employment 2.0,” follow-up post. In that one, we’ll explore the nitty-gritty how-tos of providing employment supports both on and off the job. Watch your inbox.

Our Employment Training webpage will also have news about “Strategies for Effective Supported Employment,” (formerly Advanced Supported Employment).  We’re planning to offer two Strategies trainings in 2019!  

• Winter training begins with online modules, January 14 through March 15, with face-to-face meetings at Easterseals Crossroads in Indianapolis on February 27 & 28.  

• Or, if you’d rather wait until Summer, join us online June 28 through July 26, with face-to-face meetings, at Easterseals Crossroads on July 11-12. 

Save the dates, and we’ll keep you posted!

…………………………………………………

It’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month  

On August 11, 1945, President Harry S. Truman approved a Congressional resolution declaring the first week in October “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1962, the word "physically" fell off to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. Congress expanded “National Employ the Handicapped Week” to “National Disability Employment Awareness Month,” which is recognized now each October. To learn more about the NDEAM’s mission and activities, click this link: https://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/ndeam/

Resource Ownership Basics

You get a FREE learning module! You get a FREE learning module!  Everyone gets a FREE online learning module! This holiday season, our gift to you is an online learning module on Resource Ownership. We know: It was the first thing on your list this year! (Santa told us!)


via GIPHY

Resource Ownership is a customized employment, job creation technique. By owning machinery, equipment, tools, or other types of capital, individuals can produce products or offer services of value to other businesses or to consumers, leading to the creation of a business-within-a-business strategy.

This short module introduces the concept and process, offers several examples, gives you tips on negotiation with employers, and includes an activity that will walk you through creating an employer agreement. Griffin-Hammis and Associates and the Center on Community Living and Careers created this training with funding from Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services.

You can get started with “Resource Ownership Basics” here: http://expand.iu.edu/browse/cclc/courses/resource-ownership-basics. For additional instructions on how to access the module, click here: IU Expand/Resource Ownership Basics Instructions

The “Resource Ownership Basics” training will take 1.5 hours to complete: 30 minutes of instruction through the module and an hour for the associated exercises. After completing the entire module, you will also receive a Certificate of Completion, which you can use if you need to demonstrate training hours!

We encourage you to work with your supervisor or a colleague to consider if Resource Ownership is an avenue you could pursue for a job seeker on your caseload. If it is, use the process you’ve learned here as a roadmap.

The VR Technical Assistance and Training team appreciates you and all that you and your agencies do to support positive employment outcomes for job seekers across Indiana. We hope you enjoy the holidays, and we wish you the best in the coming year.  We look forward to seeing you then!

Work It!

This month’s Shared Solutions is all about work experiences--not to be confused with Trial Work Experiences! You may have seen the September 2017, webinar focusing on Trial Work Experiences and…this is not that! Work experiences and Trial Work Experiences are very different activities meant for very different outcomes. 

Employment specialists, job seekers, and Vocational Rehabilitation counselors can use work experiences throughout the Discovery process. Are you confused yet? Read on for more information about the use and benefit of work experiences. 

Nuts and Bolts 

Work experiences, which are often underused, offer your job seekers the opportunity to explore varying interests through first-hand learning and real work exposure in an integrated, competitive, community-based employment setting. They can be invaluable for those job seekers who have little to no work history as a means to honing in on preferences, skills and support strategies for success. As vocational themes emerge during Discovery, work experiences can help refine employment interests and guide future job development. In fact, a work experience can often result in a formal offer of employment or pave the ground for the development of a customized position. 

Keep in mind, a work experience:

• is completed individually with a 1:1 employment specialist to job seeker ratio
• may last for as long as 12 weeks in total
• may be developed across a variety of businesses during those 12 weeks
• may be paid or unpaid, depending upon agency decision making 
• requires the provider to be onsite 75% of the time over the course of the work experience

And Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services includes necessary time for work experience development, reimbursed at an hourly rate. 

A work experience can be a win-win proposition for all parties, including the business community. Leveraged with attention to job seeker strengths, a work experience is a way to introduce job seeker contributions, discern needed support strategies, and build business relationships. In other words, it can be used as a positive introduction for the job seeker who might otherwise struggle with competition among other applicants. 

VR offers flexibility by offering three work experience levels: 

• Work Experience A (1-5 hours work per week) reimburses the provider at a rate of $200 per week
• Work Experience B (6-10 hours work per week) reimburses the provider at a rate of $325 per week
• Work Experience C (11 + hours work per week) reimburses the provider at a rate of $450 per week

'Liability?' You Ask

Proposing a work experience with local employers can become tricky when those employers begin expressing concerns about liability issues. Employment specialists, armed with the appropriate information, can easily allay these concerns.

When VR has authorized a work experience (A, B or C) and both you and your job seeker have a clear vocational interest area in mind, the work experience can provide additional guidance and valuable learning. When you talk to an employer, you'll propose a "work assessment" or "work try out," a condition that does not represent a hiring relationship. work experiences occur while Discovery is still ongoing. As such (not a hiring relationship), the employer faces no more liability than they would otherwise face when any visitor is at their worksite. (Note that this is the same situation for students involved with Pre-Employment Transition Services.) 

Community rehabilitation providers can also side-step the issue of employer liability by offering to pay the wages of your job seeker during a work experience. The job seeker in this instance may be covered by the provider's workers compensation and general/catastrophic liability coverage. If, however, the provider decides not to pay the job seeker during a work experience, the job seeker may still be covered under the provider's general liability insurance. Consult your agency's human resources department for guidance. They may also be able to provide you with proof of insurance coverage, which you can, in turn, show to the potential employer willing to host a work experience. For more information on liability, see the article from the State Employment Leadership Network, listed below under "Resources."

The Benefits of Work Experiences 

Work experiences can be an additional, effective tool in your toolkit. It is another option during Discovery and before jumping into formal job development. Immersing your job seeker in these opportunities provides an abundance of benefits including: 

• a way to “try out” vocational themes and related work skills
• a lens into support and teaching strategies likely to help your job seeker succeed
• business relationships across a wide variety of community stakeholders
• self-confidence

Using work experiences also helps you, as an employment specialist, “warm up” to job development activities as you practice negotiation skills.

Resources

The Manual of Employment Services from Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services. (Find the entry for Work Experiences on p. 8.)

Unpaid Work Experiences, Volunteering, and Internships: What's Allowed a fact sheet from the State Employment Leadership Network, updated in February 2017. 

Get your work experience groove on and get out there!

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Meeting Your Employment Training & Technical Assistance Needs

Effective September 1, 2017, Indiana community rehabilitation providers and agencies can obtain customized, programmatic training and technical assistance as part of the VR Establishment grant training plan. Or, providers—in Indiana or out of state—can pay for technical assistance with private funding. 

The Center on Community Living and Careers (CCLC) is now offering customized technical assistance and training to address the specific needs of your employment program or agency.

This is not a one-size-fits-all training approach. Training and consultation, delivered by CCLC’s Technical Assistance & Training Team, can include guided practice, field-based mentoring, hands-on skills practice, virtual technology, and one-to-one support--you name it! We’ll work with you to develop the right training plan for your agency. 

Find more information in our Employment Training & Consultation flyer.  Call us! We look forward to hearing from you!

The Visual Resume: Helping Your Job Seeker Compete

The visual resume, sometimes called a presentation portfolio, might just be your job seeker’s leg up, that boost that gets them over the wall or in the door. Combined with your efforts to individualize job opportunities and negotiate “good fit,” the visual resume can help your job seeker compete and get that job! 

Implementation of Indiana’s Order of Selection for VR services will begin August 1. That means your agency and staff will partner with those job seekers who VR regards as having a “most significant disability.” People with the most significant disabilities, including physical and communication challenges, often experience additional barriers to employment, because they have difficulty representing themselves and demonstrating competence or their ability to contribute when meeting employers. Visual resumes allow job seekers to show an employer what they’ve accomplished and what they can do.

Breaking Down Barriers & Making Your Job Easier

A visual resume not only assists your job seeker, it can also give job developers a competitive edge. If you’re responsible for job development, you’ll need to balance the use of sales and marketing strategies with the need to represent people as individuals who have unique contributions and skills. The gap between sales and individual representation is the visual resume. 

Placement can be a daunting task that is sometimes even more complicated when a job seeker has behaviors or traits of disability that are obvious. Sometimes it’s difficult for people to see beyond those obvious impacts of a disability. Humans tend to categorize people when they are very different from “typical,” and employers are humans. The visual resume can help counter employer resistance and bring about understanding: “Different” is not a liability, but an asset!  

Visual resumes hold so much potential, in fact, that Wisconsin is the latest state whose Vocational Rehabilitation system pays an outcome fee for its development. That’s because a visual resume can be the means of helping an employer see both what a job seeker can do as well as how that person might be able to meet the business’s employment needs, the crux of customized employment. How exciting is that?!

When Demonstration Beats Conversation

So, what is a visual resume? It’s a customized, visual presentation of your job seeker – that’s it! You can use PowerPoint or another type of presentation software or video to introduce your job seeker to an employer and to “show off” your candidate at his/her best. 

How people are represented to employers frequently makes a difference in whether a person gets a job or not. According to Marc Gold & Associates, “When the visual resume was pilot tested in 20 states across the country, the feedback from employers was that it increased their comfort level with hiring someone with a disability and enabled them to see a person with a disability within their business.” 

Visual resumes can be especially helpful for job seekers who have:

• little to no formal work experience.
• clearly obvious and overt impacts of disability. 
• difficulty expressing themselves in conversation.

With pictures, video, and text, the visual resume highlights and demonstrates:

• strengths
• work experiences (both formal and informal)
• tasks performed and skills demonstrated during these work experiences
• interests 
• work-related skills 
• a customized task list of potential contributions (used as the basis for negotiating a customized job description)
• certificates, recommendations

Visuals are important! You should collect pictures and videos throughout the Discovery process and pull them together as a wrap-up or summary of what you’ve learned about your job seeker. If you remember to take pictures and discrete videos throughout Discovery, visual resume development doesn’t take much time! 

Resource Time!  

Start with this Visual Resume Builder guide. Keep in mind, while you may use a standard template (PowerPoint), each visual resume will be as unique as each job seeker.

Next, watch this video to get an idea of how an Indiana employment specialist uses a visual resume for her client, Mark. And listen as Mark describes how a visual resume can help a potential employer understand who he is and what he can do. 

For reference, here's Mark's complete visual resume.

And finally, there are lots of examples of visual and video resume examples on the internet. Do a search to find inspiration. We thought you might enjoy Elizabeth J.'s creative video resume. 

Getting to Know You: Talking with People Who Know Your Job Seeker

“Getting to know you. Getting to know all about you.” 

Let’s all channel our inner Julie Andrews as we introduce you to interviewing people who know your job seeker well. (Okay, so technically she never played Anna in The King and I , but you get the picture!*)

Gertrude Lawrence as Anna in 1951

If you are a regular Shared Solutions reader (and we certainly hope you are), you’ve seen our two previous posts about two other types of Discovery interviewing: 1) meet and greet interviews and 2) informational interviews with potential employers. This post refers to a third type of interview, this time with people who can help you get a better picture of your job seeker’s interests and strengths.

This critical step in the Discovery process helps you learn more about the job seeker. Oftentimes, you can find out a lot more about a person’s strengths and skills from people who care about them or who have known them for a long time. As you get to know your job seeker, he or she may mention people they are close to or relationships that are important. Sometimes, you will have to ask your job seeker questions to identify these important people. Frequently, the people mentioned as being close to your job seeker are staff (paid); sometimes they are friends and relatives (unpaid). The next step in the process is to contact these individuals (with the job seeker’s permission). 

Choose both paid and unpaid individuals in the job seeker’s life. You will learn different attributes and hear about different experiences from these types of relationships. Also, make sure that these are positive people in the job seeker’s life, who have a vested interest in the job seeker. 

The following chart shows you guiding questions and quality indicators of interviews with people who know the job seeker well. You can find the entire Discovery Quality Indicators document at https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/styles/iidc/defiles/CCLC/Discovery%20translation%20chart_updated%20August%202016.pdf 

Guiding Questions

Quality Indicators

·        Those who are interviewed have a vested interest (positive) in the job seeker ·        ES identifies “lifelines,” both paid and non-paid people who are important in the job seeker’s life, and includes these people in interviews.

·        ES interviews people who know the job seeker well. These interviews should include those who are identified by the job seeker, as well as those who are not paid to support the job seeker. ·        ES engages in “Smooth Listening,” and asks questions at the appropriate time. ·        ES uses interviews to gain positive information including job seeker strengths and successes. ES does not capture negative or unhelpful information. ·        ES frames challenging needs in a positive supportive manner. ·        Unhelpful information is not kept or included in documentation (Discovery Profile). ·        ES finds or identifies skills and interests to use as a jumping off point for planning future activities.

How can you get the most out of an interview? 

Here are some tips:

• Do your homework. Think about the questions you want to ask ahead of time. This may be related to why you are interviewing the person to begin with. Are you trying to learn about a particular interest or skill? Or just trying to learn more?
• Ask open-ended questions.
• Let the person you’re interviewing take the lead in the conversation.
• Ask clarifying questions to learn more about specific skills and strengths.
• Meet the person at a time and location that’s convenient for them. Sometimes this might mean meeting someone after they finish work for the day, or for coffee on their way into work! 

And, of course, we have a video example for you!
     

(Special thanks to Sherri Negri from Easterseals Crossroads and Wayne Soehnlin from Special Olympics for taking time to work on the video.)

What happens after you interview someone?

Document it! After each interview, take what you learn and complete the different sections that make sense in the Discovery Profile. For example, in the video Sherri verified that basketball and coaching are interests. She also identified skills and support strategies she will need to learn more about. You may also learn about barriers or non-negotiables that the person you are interviewing has identified. 

Interviewing others who know the job seeker well is billable through the Employment Services Model, so make sure you’ve captured that information in the Discovery Profile.

Use the information to plan next steps! 

Each Discovery activity should be building on what you learned from the last activity. Use what you learn in your interviews to inform future activities. For example, Sherri and Corbin may want to go and speak with coaches and people involved with basketball to learn more about what it takes to be a coach, and how to get paid to do it. (Note: These are great opportunities for informational interviews!) It would also be great if Corbin could demonstrate some of his skills in these areas, perhaps in a situational assessment. (Spoiler Alert: This will be the topic of our next Shared Solutions.)



*Okay, you musical geeks, yes Julie Andrews sang the part of Anna in The King and I for a 1992 Hollywood Bowl concert that co-starred Ben Kingsley.  And now you know. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j2DZ7_xTJQ 

‘What’s up?’ An In-Depth Look at the Meet and Greet

Hi. How are you? Nice to meet you. Tell me about yourself. 

Come on, dive in; the water’s great! The Meet and Greet, also known as a home visit, is

your “jumping off point.” During that first visit with a new job seeker, you may find or identify skills and interests to use as an initial starting point for planning future Discovery activities. If you’re able to establish a rapport and go deeper, the things you learn in a Meet and Greet may also prevent you from jumping to conclusions and help you avoid premature job identification and selection.  

In this post we’re going to find out how to get the most bang for your buck with a Meet and Greet.

Home Sweet Home

When beginning Discovery, we strongly recommend starting the process at your job seeker’s home, especially if that’s where he or she is most comfortable. Anytime a person feels more at ease, they will be more willing to share about themselves! You’ll also have the advantage of observing the job seeker’s surroundings, which can reveal how they spend their time and can help you learn about interests and strengths. Making these observations can be a great way to start a conversation. You may learn about things that the job seeker might not think to mention and that you’d never discover while sitting in your office!  

If your Meet and Greet can’t be at the job seeker’s home, choose a location in the job seeker’s community where they’d prefer to talk, such as a library, coffee shop, or church. While you won’t get the benefits of observing where the job seeker spends a lot of time, you will still be in a space that’s more comfortable to the job seeker. For many people, a visit to your office feels like visiting the doctor or dentist!  And that makes us all a little uneasy, right?

Whether you meet the job seeker at their home or somewhere else that they choose, it can be helpful if the job seeker invites important people in their lives. This will vary from person to person, of course. Sometimes we can learn a lot about a person’s strengths and interests from their partner, parent, or sibling!  This could happen at that first meeting, or down the road when you all get to know each other a little better.

Let’s see what a Meet and Greet looks like in action:  

Video 1: Intro 

Frank, the job seeker, and Dawn, his employment consultant, are just sitting down to begin the conversation. Pay careful attention to how Dawn asks questions, to her body language, and to how she responds to Frank. You will be able to see the following:

• The employment consultant asks permission to take notes.
• They’ve completed intake prior to this meeting.
• The employment consultant uses the visit(s) to establish and build rapport and trust.

Video 2: What are you most proud of?  

Dawn lets Frank lead the conversation by confirming what Frank has to say, and by encouraging Frank to expand on what he’s sharing. Dawn does not lead the discussion or structure the meeting as an interview. Rather, she’s promoting an open-ended conversation.

Video 3: Expanding on an interest 

Here, Dawn is observing and learning from Frank. She’s capturing likes, preferences, dislikes, and what makes Frank tick. Notice that Dawn continues to engage with Frank in a way that puts him in charge, and that encourages him to share what he’s passionate about.  

These videos illustrate what it looks like to really build a relationship, and they demonstrate the specific skills Dawn engages in to be successful. 

Okay, we hear you saying, “Easier said than done!” You’re right. But if you’re still nervous, here's a handy dandy Tips and Tricks resource to help guide your conversation. 

The Meet & Greet Home Visit: Tips and Tricks for Making You and Your Job Seeker More Comfortable


Many thanks to Frank and to Dawn from Sycamore Services for sharing their conversation with us!

The Art of the Ask:

Obtaining Authorizations for Supported Employment and Short-Term Supports

As we visit with employment specialists and community employment providers around Indiana, we’re hearing a common question: “Why aren’t our clients receiving authorizations for supported employment or on-the-job supports short-term hours?”

Sometimes we hear variations on the theme, with varying degrees of desperation, depending on the circumstances. 

• “We have to stabilize people right away because we don’t have an authorization for SE hours!”
• “He’s not stable, he needs more support, but I’ve called the VRC and asked for hours and am not getting them!” 
• “We can’t go on providing services for free!”

After a bit of investigation, we think we have some answers for you. If your supported employee has been on the job for four weeks, you may have to ASK, and not just via phone call or email. Using the Employment Support and Retention Plan (ESRP) is the only way to obtain authorizations for additional supported employment or short-term job support hours. 

Need some help on how to do that? This post covers the intricacies (not really—we’ll walk you through it) of using the ESRP to obtain authorization from your vocational rehabilitation counselor for supported employment or short-term support hours. (If you need a refresher on how to use the ESRP, watch this video: https://youtu.be/iP-EQ9oYqVM)

Requesting supported employment hours

The VR Manual now states that it’s best practice for VR counselors to authorize between 30-60 hours of supported employment at the time of job placement for supported employees who have an MSD (Most Significant Disability) designation. The 30-60 hours is for the first three months of employment. If, however, your supported employee who has an MSD designation is NOT receiving supported employment, use the ESRP to request authorization. 

As an employment specialist or consultant, your best practice should include completing the ESRP to request supported employment hours or on-the-job supports short-term so that there isn’t a gap in services for the employee you’re supporting. In other words, don’t rely on an automatic authorization even if your employee has an MSD designation. Fill out the ESRP! It’s not only your key to authorizations, it’s also required for completion of Milestone 2. 

The following chart illustrates three different supported employment scenarios, each of which requires an ESRP request. It’s important to remember that supported employment is available for ALL job seekers whose severity level is designated as MSD. For job seekers whose severity level is designated as NSD (Non-Significant Disability) or SD (Significant Disability), you will request on-the-job supports short term. Take a look:

Supported Employment Authorization Decision Graphic. Click on the link to see a larger view. 

How do I ask for supported employment hours or on-the-job supports short-term hours?

Simple answer: by completing the Employment Support and Retention Plan! All authorizations for supported employment or short-term support hours must be requested through the ESRP (as stated in the VRS Manual). There is no discretion around this document’s use: It is a formal requirement for access to authorized support services.

*For more information on providing additional supports within the first four weeks on the job, consult pages 13-16 of the VR Manual.

**Short-term job supports typically last for 3-6 months, whereas supported employment supports can remain up to 24 months.  

Print-and-save resources!

• With this post, we’re giving you the handy-dandy little reference graphic above, so you’ll know which of your supported employees need supported employment and which might need short-term supports. Download the Supported Employment Decision Guide here. 
• And beyond the what-to-ask-for-who decision, we know you also want to know how and where to make your requests as well as what to say when you DO make the request. We’ve got you covered there too. Download our quick reference guide, Using the Employment Support and Retention Plan to Request Authorization for Supported Employment, here. 
• We’re also including a sample of a completed ESRP showing how to fill out the Plan of Services, Request for Authorization, and monthly Summary of Plan report section. Download the Sample Employment Support and Retention Plan Form, here.

And one more suggestion: Create a mobile, supported employment resource file, where you can keep copies of each of these guides, so you can capture information and complete your ESRP on the road and as you meet with clients. Avoid a service gap: Fill out the form as you go and don’t wait until that first four weeks has flown by!

Take pity on your VRC; they really do need to have it in writing!

Job Ready, Set, Go!

Many people struggle with some level of challenge. Some challenges, though, can be a barrier to successful employment. In those cases, a job seeker will need some additional help. Job Readiness Training to the rescue! A new an underused service offered by Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Job Readiness Training can help consumers work on:

• getting to work on time; 
• appropriate dress and grooming; 
• increasing productivity; 
• soft skills development; and 
• social skills development. 

Taking a job seeker through the Job Readiness process before any training or job development begins, can help identify specific need(s) as well as the teaching techniques and strategies that you and the job seeker can use to develop essential skills. The job seeker gains insights about how to manage challenges related to his or her impairment as well as strategies for: 

• improving interactions;
• building meaningful work relationships; 
• influencing others’ perceptions of them; and 
• demonstrating ways to improve communication, teamwork, and interpersonal relationships. 

Skills to Pay the Bills: One Tool to Use with Job Readiness Training

You might find Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success helpful as you develop a Job Readiness Plan. This curriculum, developed by ODEP, focuses on teaching "soft" or workforce readiness skills to youth, including youth with disabilities. The curriculum is an introduction to workplace interpersonal and professional skills, and is targeted for youth, ages 14 to 21, in both in-school and out-of-school environments. However, it can be adapted to work one-on-one and with any age group. It’s also an excellent resource to help you plan for and organize content in any Job Readiness Plan.
The program provides engaging activities focused on six key skill areas:

• communication; 
• enthusiasm and attitude, 
• teamwork; 
• networking; 
• problem solving and critical thinking; and 
• professionalism.  

The activities are a great way to help individuals think about how they would react or respond to various workplace situations. Curriculum users will begin to recognize that these crucial skills are necessary for success both within and outside the workplace. Skills to Pay the Bills can be found at: https://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/youth/softskills/

Example: Working with A.J.

Employment specialist Warren Swanson is working with A.J., a young man participating in the Discovery process. Warren has discovered that A.J. is extremely shy and lacks self-confidence. Warren thinks this might be a significant barrier to successful employment and discusses the need for improvement with A.J. and the VR counselor. They decide a Job Readiness Plan, with a focus on improving A.J.’s soft skills, especially in the area of confidence, could be helpful. Warren decides the strategy is to adapt Lesson #10 “Turning Benefits into Features” from the Skills to Pay the Bills Communication Curriculum- Skill # 2 —“Enthusiasm and Attitude.”  

Just so you can see it in action, we staged a brief scene of Warren working through Skill #2 with A.J. 

And take a look at an initial Job Readiness Plan sample for A.J. 

If a consumer requires Job Readiness Training, you must identify it as a needed service on the IPE. Reach out to your VRC and job seeker to the discuss the possibility of Job Readiness Training.