Transcript Slide Title Here

Transitioning Youth: Tips for
Successful Employment
Professionals In Brain Injury Conference
03-30-12
© 2007, PACER Center
Who Are We?
Sean Roy
PACER Center
[email protected]
Abbie Wells-Herzog
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
[email protected]
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Session Agenda
1. Why is Employment Important
2. What you need to know about
employment: Preparing Youth
3. Vocational Rehabilitation Services
4. Common Challenges and
Accommodations in Employment for
Persons with a Brain injury
5. Closing thoughts, questions, and
evaluations
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Why Is Work Important?
• Feeling of worth in contributing to
society
• “Meaningful days”
• Learn social skills and responsibility
• Combats isolation and depression
• It’s what adults do
• Others?
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It All Begins with Self-Awareness
• Many youth don’t know what their
disability is, or haven’t practiced telling
others about it.
• It is crucial that youth know how their
disability affects them in school and
employment.
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Leveraging the IEP
• Beginning at 9th Grade the IEP must contain
transition goals
• High school is the time to work on functional
academic and interpersonal skills
• Career exploration
• Identification of possible job
accommodations or postsecondary
academic accommodations
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The Employer Perspective
Employers are looking for:
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A good attitude about working
Honesty
Punctuality
Good communication skills
Reliability
Appropriate behavior
Willingness to learn new things
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Work Skills
Your youth can become better prepared for
work by building strengths in these core work
skills:
•Solving problems and making decisions
•Using technology
•Reading and doing math at a basic level
•Understanding the employer’s goals
•www.iseek.org
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“Soft Skills”
Employers also seek employees who have
strong interpersonal communication and
responsibility skills. Does your youth:
•Maintain personal appearance?
•Communicate so others can understand?
•Show personal responsibility, including
showing up for work on time?
•Take work direction?
•Have enthusiasm and a good attitude?
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Using Personal Networks
• Relationships, not Want Ads, yield the
most job opportunities
• Your first job?
• Everyone has a network within the
community they can utilize
• This is a great role for families
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The Resume
• Do we expect youth with disabilities to
follow the same process to find
employment?
• Every job seeker needs a resume.
• Beware of gaps…red flag for employers
• Be creative with what’s listed. Paid
employment is not the only example of work
experience and skills
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Volunteering
Use volunteer experiences to build work skills
and to enhance resume.
• Volunteering is not a long-term solution to
paid employment
• If there is not a job, show volunteer
experience for every 6 months on resume
• Shows employers that youth want to work
despite lack of paid employment
• Vary experiences to explore different types
of jobs
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Disability Disclosure
• It may be necessary for a youth to disclose a
disability during the interview process
• Only necessary if accommodation is needed
• Disclosure is a personal choice
• Youth should role play answering questions during
interview, especially if asked something illegal
• 411 On Disability Disclosure (NCWD-Youth)
http://www.ncwdyouth.info/resources_&_Publications/411.html
2006 | PACER | 13
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Keeping the Job
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Show up
Take direction and work well with others
Teach flexibility
Build support system at work
Communicate regularly with employer and
service staff
• Sometimes it just doesn’t work, that’s OK
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Closing Thoughts
• Practice Applications
• Transportation
• Disability Management
• Postsecondary Education
• First job should not be the last job.
Never stop expecting great things!!
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Putting Possibilities to Work
Career Services for Students and
Young Adults with Disabilities
Minnesota’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services
What is Vocational Rehabilitation
Services?
• Vocational Rehabilitation
Services is Minnesota’s
individualized employment
service for persons with
significant disabilities.
• Vocational Rehabilitation
Services works with youth
transitioning from high
school as well as adults at
any age.
Putting Possibilities to Work
• A Vocational Rehabilitation Services counselor
is assigned to every high school in the state.
– A directory is available at:
www.PositivelyMinnesota.com/vrs
Which Students Should be Referred?
High school students with
disabilities that affect
their ability to prepare for,
secure, retain, or regain
employment will have the
opportunity to learn about
WorkForce Center and
Vocational Rehabilitation
Services.
When Should Students be Referred?
In general, the best time
for a Vocational
Rehabilitation
Services referral is
about two years
before graduation.
Eligibility is Based on:
• Documentation of a physical or
mental condition which causes a
substantial impediment to
employment.
• Evidence that the individual
requires vocational rehabilitation
services in order to prepare for,
secure, retain, or regain
employment.
• The presumption that the individual
is able to benefit from Vocational
Rehabilitation Services in terms of
an employment outcome.
Also must have “serious functional
limitations” in at least 1 of 7 areas:
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Mobility
Self-Direction
Self-Care
Interpersonal Skills
Communication
Work Tolerance
Work Skills
*Not every student with a disability will require,
benefit, or even be interested in Vocational
Rehabilitation Services.
Documenting a Disability:
• School assessment
• Psychological report
• Medical provider’s statement/records
– If the student is not able to provide this
documentation, the Vocational Rehabilitation
Services counselor will obtain it with written
consent.
The IEP/IIIP and 504 Plans:
• Are critically important to Vocational
Rehabilitation Services in the career
planning process.
• Vocational Rehabilitation Services
staff should be included on IEP/ IIIP/
504 planning for their eligible
students.
Services Can Include:
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Counseling and guidance
Interest and ability testing
Help getting and keeping a job
Advocacy at school and work
Training and education
Job seeking skills education
Equipment/assistive technology
What Do Services Cost?
• There is no charge for:
– Determining a student’s eligibility
– Counseling
– Job placement
– Interest and ability assessment
– Many other services
• For some purchased services, a schedule of
financial participation, based on family income,
may apply.
Can Vocational Rehabilitation Services Pay for Transition
Services While a Student is Still in High School?
• The needs of the student and the terms of the
IEP/IIIP/ 504 plan and Vocational Rehabilitation
Services employment plan should drive service
decisions.
– Vocational Rehabilitation Services does not typically
fund services until the student graduates.
– However, in some cases, it may be appropriate to
provide Vocational Rehabilitation Services before
graduation.
– Sharing of such costs can be discussed.
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Transition Services
For more information:
www.PositivelyMinnesota.com/vrs
1.800.328.9095, or 651.259.7366
TTY 1.800.657.3973
Is a TBI a disabilities under the ADA?
• The ADA has a general definition of
disability that each person must meet.
• Under the ADA a person has a disability if
he/she has a physical or mental
impairment that substantially limits one or
more major life activities.
• Some individuals with a TBI will have a
disability under the ADA and some will not.
Disclosing TBI’s to Employers
• Employees or applicants with a disability
are not required to disclosed their disability
to their employers.
• Applicants who have a TBI may
want to disclose their disability
if they need an accommodation
to complete a job application or
during an interview.
Disclosing TBI’s to Employers
• Employees need only to disclose their TBI
if they require an accommodation to
perform the essential functions of the job.
• Some people with TBIs will need
accommodations to perform their job and
many others may need few or no
accommodations.
Common Limitations as a result of TBI
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Working with supervisor
Attendance
Difficulty handling change
Problem solving
Memory deficits
Concentration
Common Limitations as a result of TBI
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Handling stress
Visual problems
Physical Limitations
Stamina
Assessing the employee’s need for
accommodations
• What barrier to employment is the
employee with TBI experiencing?
• How do these obstacles affect the
employee and his/her job performance?
• What specific job tasks are effected as a
result of the barriers?
Assessing the employee’s need for
accommodations
• What accommodations are available to
reduce or eliminate these obstacles to
employment?
• Has the employee with TBI been
consulted about the obstacles and the
need for accommodations?
Assessing the employee’s need for
accommodations
• Once the accommodations are in place,
would it be valuable to meet with the
employee to evaluate the effectiveness of
the accommodations? Are additional
accommodations needed?
• Do co-workers and supervisors need
training about TBI?
Accommodation Ideas
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Flexible scheduling
Longer or more frequent breaks
Divide large tasks into smaller steps
Daily checklists and to-do lists
Written as well as verbal instructions
Assign a co-worker to be a mentor
Provide positive praise and feedback
Accommodation Ideas
• Provide picture diagrams of problem
solving techniques
• Write clear explanations of responsibilities
and consequences of not meeting those
responsibilities
• Prepare the worker for changes in job
duties or supervisors
• Utilize Assistive Technology
TBI and Accommodations
• For more information visit
http://AskJAN.org/corner/vol05iss04.htm