The Suggestion Box is Now Open

If you’re like us, sometimes it’s hard to remember what you had for breakfast, let alone that resource you saw somewhere (Darn! Was it online/in an email/in a journal/during a presentation/on the back of the cereal box??) that you meant to bookmark but, of course, didn't, and was it two months ago or two weeks ago? 

To jog that mushy memory a little, we thought we'd give you a reminder of what’s here on the blog. Note that on the right side of your screen, we've started creating on ongoing list of resources we've shared--cheat sheets, videos, fact sheets. (Sure, go ahead. You can look now; we'll wait.) Please take these resources, share them with your colleagues, and use them to help make your job easier! 

And now that Shared Solutions has been popping up in your email for the past several months, we wanted to check in to get your input. Here are the past posts:

• Charting Your Course: Employment Services Activities Guide and Discovery Translation Chart
• Don’t Work for Free! Maximizing Billing
• Informational Interviewing: Another Tool in Your Discovery Toolbox
• Job Ready, Set, Go! Job Readiness Training
• The Art of the Ask: Obtaining Authorizations for Supported Employment and Short-Term Services
• Bubbling Up New COLA Info
• ‘What’s up?’ An In-Depth Look at the Meet and Greet

We want to hear from you! What can we do for you?  Please take this quick (we promise!) survey and share what you’ve loved, what hasn’t been your cup of tea, and what would be most helpful to you.  http://go.iu.edu/1v3X

‘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!

Bubbling Up New COLA Info

Every year, usually in October, the federal government announces the latest Cost of Living Adjustment, fondly referred to as COLA. The new rates are based on the Consumer Price Index, which is really a measure of the average change in prices for the nation’s goods and services. 

Ah, but why should you or your consumers care? 

It’s because Social Security’s substantial gainful activity (SGA) level and many of its work incentives are based on the annual COLA rate. In 2017, for instance, that means a consumer eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) earning less than $1,170 per month may still be eligible for benefits after his or her Trial Work Period. The new 2017 SGA level for workers who are disabled is $1,170; it’s $1,950 for workers who are blind.

The recent COLA increase led to a modest increase in the SGA, which means your consumer can now earn $40 more per month ($480 per year) and still qualify for benefits. The bottom line: When the SGA increases, many consumers can earn more and continue to be eligible for benefits.

COLA also affects recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In 2016 the maximum SSI payment did not increase, but for 2017 it rose a modest .3%, to $735, due to the new cost-of-living rate. 

Students with disabilities who are working make up another group affected by COLA if they’re using the Student Earned Income Exclusion. In 2017, Social Security ensures that working students can keep more of their SSI check by not counting up to $1,790 per month ($7,200 annually) of earned income when calculating a student’s monthly SSI payment. 

Why, you ask, is the rate increase so small if the economy has improved? Okay, let’s get a little benefits nerdy here. COLA is based on “quarters of coverage” and is averaged over two years. In October 2016, when they set the new rate, it was based on the third quarter of 2014 through the third quarter of 2016. Improvements to the economy (and therefore increasing prices for goods and services) that have occurred more recently won’t be reflected in the COLA rates until 2018 or 2019. 

We get it: It’s complicated. That’s why Indiana has resources for workers with disabilities and the people who support them. That means you!  

Benefits Information Resources

• 2017 Changes to Social Security (including COLA)
• 2017 Work Incentive Fact Sheets
• Need a refresher on all-thing-benefits?  Check out the Center on Community Living and Career’s Benefits Information Network trainings page. There you’ll find a save-the-date flyer for all of our 2017 certified BIN trainings and a link to registration for our February 22-23 workshop, “Social Security and Other Federal and State Benefits: Learning the Basics.” 

Have more questions? Contact a Benefits Information Network (BIN) liaison. There are now certified BIN liaisons in place at 62 of Indiana’s 96 community rehabilitation providers. For a referral to a BIN liaison, contact the Center on Community Living and Career’s Kelley Land (our benefits guru) at kelland@indiana.edu. 

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.

Informational Interviewing: Another Tool in Your Discovery Toolbox

Informational interviews, according to employment consultants Griffin-Hammis Associates, Inc., are a great way to: 

• develop Discovery activities that make sense for the job seeker, like a situational assessment or a work experience; 
• build a job placement network; 
• discover new kinds of jobs;
• introduce yourself and your services to employers; and
• build the mental database that all of us rely on for employment ideas before beginning a job search with someone. 

Fabulous. So why is it that employment specialists aren’t doing more of them?  Probably because the gift of gab doesn’t come easily to some of us, and we feel as if we’re imposing on an employer, asking for their time. This post is all about moving out of your comfort zones and learning to ask questions!

In the Indiana Employment Services Model, informational interviews fall under Discovery. Since Discovery activities should be targeted and purposeful, based on each consumer’s individualized needs and informed choice, you won’t need to conduct an informational interview with an employer for every person on your caseload.

Why, then, would you conduct an informational interview? 

Griffin-Hammis trainer Patty Cassidy says an informational interview can:

• help refine vocational themes.
• reveal skills and tasks found in workplaces.
• reveal conditions of employment.
• serve as a warm-up to job development.
• keep you thinking in different ways.
• provide INFORMATION!

Informational Interview Graphic. Click here to see larger view.

Keep in mind, says Cassidy: No selling occurs; an informational interview is only a conversation with someone with similar interests. Let the opportunities evolve from the conversation. Employment specialists should help guide the initial interaction, watch for opportunities, and highlight mutual interests. The client should be present during the interview with the employer and be a part of the conversation.

How do you conduct an informational interview?

• Set up the interview. Ask for 20-30 minutes. Keep it casual. 
• Prepare your client; do your homework.
• Use "smooth listening" with the employer (you're there to learn).
• Observe everything.
• Ask for advice--find warm leads. 

What questions should you ask?

Here's a simple list of sample questions (and a few you should avoid). Informational Interview Questions

Need more information? Flip through this presentation from Patty Cassidy, of Griffin-Hammis, who talked with us about informational interviewing in a 2015 Check & Connect webinar.  Informational Interviews

              

               

Don't Work for Free!

In our travels across the state, we've discovered something. Among many community employment providers, "billing" is a seven-letter word. If supported employment invoicing were depicted in a Sunday comic, it would look something like: #$$!@*!

It seems the new Indiana Employment Services Model has taken some getting used to in your accounting departments. To put it mildly. This post is all about getting paid for the services your hard-working employment specialists render to your job seekers with disabilities.

In keeping with that theme, today's resource is a new fact sheet designed to answer a few of your more pressing billing questions:

• What's considered allowable for on-job-site and off-job-site time spent with a client?
• Can we invoice VR for hours an ES spent setting up a Discovery service--even if the client wasn't present at the time?
• Our specialists are in the car a lot. When can we bill for mileage or time?

Download Get Paid for What You Do! A Billing Fact Sheet for the Employment Services Model.

Next month, we'll begin facilitating several new Check and Connect webinars. Heads up, community employment provider program managers and CEOs: This series is for you! Here's the Check and Connect flyer in case you missed it in your inbox.  Note that the second webinar in the series, on November 3, is, indeed, "Don't Work for Free!" In it, we'll go into depth about all-things billing. Save the date!

And in the meantime, take your accounting department staff out to lunch!