Lesson 5: Supported Employment


Attention

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Sometimes people with disabilities need help learning and maintaining acceptable performance levels on the job in order to keep the job.  We all need help with some things sometimes.


Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

  • Identify and describe the current and evolving research regarding evidence-based practices in employment of individuals with psychiatric disabilities, including supported employment.
  • Identify the potential benefits of supported employment to the employer .

Teaching

Click HERE to read the article titled "Supported Employment: Critical Issues and New Directions"

Instructors Comment

There are multiple sources for information about evidence based practice.  Evidence based practice essentially is a scientific method of effectively using the best research evidence available and integrating it with clinical expertise, cultural competence and the values of the persons receiving the services. This approach should have consistent scientific evidence showing improved outcomes for consumers.  Non evidence practices rely on other sources for decision making and while these methods may bring immediate gratification to the consumer or program, in the long run evidence based programming demonstrates more stability and transformational change in consumers.  For the purposes of this course evidence based practice refers to the documented success with Supported Employment helping individuals identified with mental health problems  (including co-occurring disorders and substance abuse), as the best approach to helping consumers reach their full potential including employment. The US Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy website (http://www.dol.gov/odep/) describes supported employment as follows.

What is Supported Employment?

Supported employment facilitates competitive work in integrated work settings for individuals with the most severe disabilities (i.e. psychiatric, mental retardation, learning disabilities, traumatic brain injury) for whom competitive employment has not traditionally occurred, and who, because of the nature and severity of their disability, need ongoing support services in order to perform their job. Supported employment provides the use of job coaches, transportation, assisted technology, specialized job training, and/or individually tailored supervision.

Supported employment is a way to move people from dependence on a service delivery system to independence via competitive employment. Recent studies indicate that the provision of on-going support services for people with severe disabilities significantly increases their rates for employment retention. Supported employment encourages people to work within their communities and increases self-efficacy, social interaction, and integration.

Click here to view the video by Denise Bissonnette

Definitions

A job coach is a person who is hired by the placement agency to provide specialized on-site training to assist the employee with a disability in learning and performing the job and adjusting to the work environment.

Natural supports are support from supervisors and co-workers, such as mentoring, friendships, socializing at breaks and/or after work, providing feedback on job performance, or learning a new skill together at the invitation of a supervisor or co-workers. These natural supports are particularly effective because they enhance the social integration between the employee with a disability and his/her co-workers and supervisor. In addition, natural supports may be more permanent, consistently and readily available, thereby facilitating long-term job-retention.

Basic Components

Supported employment services should achieve the following outcomes: opportunity to earn equitable wages and other employment-related benefits, development of new skills, increased community participation, enhanced self-esteem, increased consumer empowerment, and quality of life. The types of supported employment services used depend on the needs of individual consumers. The following are the basic components of supported employment:

Paid Employment

Wages are a major outcome of supported employment. Work performed must be compensated with the same benefits and wages as other workers in similar jobs. This includes sick leave, vacation time, health benefits, bonuses, training opportunities, and other benefits. 

Integrated Work Sites

Integration is one of the essential features of supported employment. Individuals with disabilities should have the same opportunities to participate in all activities in which other employees participate and to work alongside other employees who do not have disabilities.

Ongoing Support

A key characteristic which distinguishes supported employment from other employment programs is the provision of ongoing support for individuals with severe disabilities to maintain employment.

Supported Employment Models

Several supported employment models are being used to provide the benefits of work for people with severe disabilities. They are listed below. 

Click HERE to read the article cited below:

Henry, A.D., Petkauskos, K., Stanislawzyk, J., & Vogt, J. (2014). Employer-recommended strategies to increase opportunities for people with disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation. 41(3). 237-248

  • Individual Placement Model

A person with a disability is placed in a job which best suits his/her abilities and preferences. Training is provided on the job site in job skills and work related behaviors, including social skills, by a job coach. As the employee gains skills and confidence, the job coach gradually spends less time at the work site. Support may or may not be completely removed. The private or public vocational rehabilitation agency furnishing the job coach is always available to the employer for retraining for new assignments, assisting in dealing with challenging behaviors, supplying periodic consultations with co-workers and employer, giving orientation and training for co-workers. Off-site job coaching is also available. This is where the employee and job coach meet off site (away from the work site) to discuss how work is going. It is during these meetings that a job coach may pick up on issues that may be going on such as interpersonal difficulties with co-workers or probable issues developing. These off site meetings may be followed up with an on site meeting with the employer. 

  • Enclave Model

A small group of people with disabilities (generally 5-8) is trained and supervised among employees who are not disabled at the host company's work site. Persons in the enclave work as a team at a single work site in a community business or industry. Initial training, supervision, and support are provided by a specially trained on-site supervisor, who may work for the host company or the placement agency. Another variation of the enclave approach is called the "dispersed enclave." This model is used in service industries (e.g., universities, restaurants, and hotels). Each person works on a separate job, and the group is dispersed throughout the company.

  • Mobile Work Crew

A small crew of persons with disabilities (up to 6) works as a distinct unit and operates as a self-contained business that generates employment for their crew members by selling a service. The crew works at several locations within the community, under the supervision of a job coach. An example of this work could be within janitorial or grounds keeping positions. People with disabilities work with people who do not have disabilities in a variety of settings, such as offices and apartment buildings.

  • Small Business Model

Within a small business, there may be up to six employees with disabilities, but not more than the number of employees without disabilities. The small business operates like any business, generating work and paying employees from revenues received. The small business is located within the community.


Assessment

Possible Class Discussion

Discuss the ways in which you might approach an employer regarding the benefits of hiring your client. (Watch the video included in this lesson).

Lesson 5 Assignment

For this assignment I want you to role play that you are presenting to an employer who has never hired individuals with disabilties in their workplace before. Record your speech (audio only) as you would do it if the employer said "You have two minutes to convince me that I should hire individuals with disabilities."

You can record audio on your iPad quite easily. There are some choices in terms of how you want to record audio on your iPad.of

For more information on recoring audio on your iPad click HERE.

Submit the recording or a link to the recoring (you can upload audio files to YouTube) in the drop box.

Lesson 5 Quiz

  1. Write a paragraph that identifies and describes the role of the MHRT/C as a community based rehabilitation professional in the delivery of an evidence based supported employment program.