1. A TRIP AROUND USA: POCKETS OF EXCELLENCE IN EMPLOYMENT 1

2. What Do We Know? It’s about jobs.... No one approach will work for all Good supported employment and customized employment strategies are needed regardless of the approach Network, network, network.... Connect, connect, connect... We all play a role 2

3. Examples of Corporate Initiatives- Disability and Inclusion Pepsi Office Max: Maxing Out Diversity Mercy Hospital in St. Louis – changing corporate culture Best Buy Walgreens Lowes Direct Employers Association 3

4. Coalition of Employment Providers Around Employers Louisville, KY and Indianapolis, IN Coalition of Providers Use of Business Account Managers or Single Points of Contacts (SPOC) Dual Customer Approach 4

5. 6/1/2012Grossi-Emmett 5

6. Sample of Lowe’s Pre-Screening Required Orientation Prior to Application: Applicant has appropriate vocational goal Applicant has completed the virtual tour on Lowes Career website Applicant has reviewed the Lowes Mission Statement, Values and History on Lowes Career website Applicant has reviewed the job description for Lowes Distribution Center Team Member 6/1/2012Grossi-Emmett 6

7. Sample of Lowe’s Pre-Screening Required Orientation Prior to Application: Applicant understands the physical nature of the work Applicant has no sensitivity to loud noises, lights, smells associated with Distribution Center Applicant has appropriate transportation plan in place Applicants Work Readiness Screening Score Applicant has signed and received Outreach Program Information/Release 7

8. Lowe’s Criminal History / Job Loss If applicant has a criminal history, including any offenses or charges other than traffic violations, attached a detailed explanation of the date, nature and resolution of the charges. If the applicant has ever been terminated from employment, attach a detailed explanation of the reason for termination, beginning and ending dates of employment and employer contact information. If the applicant has ever left employment, attach a detailed explanation of the reason for leaving, beginning and ending dates of employment and employer contact information. 8

9. Lowes Work Evaluation GENERAL WORK SKILLS: — Staying on task/working hard — Gets all work done as assigned — Works at acceptable speed — Follows oral instructions — Follows written instructions — Lifting/Carrying ability 9

10. Evaluation WORK HABITS: — Attendance — Punctuality — Ask for clarification or help as needed — Judgment — Attention to detail WORK ATTITUDES: — Accepts criticism well — Responsibility/Dependability — Enthusiasm/Motivation 10

11. Evaluation (cont) PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Cleanliness/Hygiene Appearance GETTTING ALONG WITH OTHERS: With Supervisor With Co-Workers With Public Positive and Friendly Personality 11

12. Resources Direct Employers Association http://www.directemployers.org/ http://www.directemployers.org/ http://www.directemployers.org/partners/disability/ Business Leadership Network – http://www.usbln.org/ Kessler Foundation - http://kesslerfoundation.org/ Association for People Supporting EmploymentFirst www.APSE.Org www.APSE.Org James Emmett - emmettx4@aol.comemmettx4@aol.com Council on State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) - http://www.rehabnetwork.org/ 12

13. Self-Employment as an Employment Outcome Self employment is the fastest growing career option today in the U.S. (approximately 79 percent success rate) Business Within a Business model Once Example from Montana - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-QHpTN0P9g#t=63 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-QHpTN0P9g#t=63 13

14. Self-Employment Resources Griffith-Hammis Associates - http://www.griffinhammis.com/ Small Business Administration’s (SBA) web site (www.sba.gov)www.sba.gov Virginia Commonwealth University – Workplace Supports http://www.worksupport.com/ http://www.worksupport.com/ Institute On Community Inclusion – http://www.realworkstories.org/self-employment University of Montana Rural Institute – http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/ Griffin, C.C. & Hammis, D. (2003). Making Self Employment Work for People with Disabilities. Baltimore: Brookes Publishing. 14

15. Individualized Services – Supported Employment and Customized Employment POW$R – Autism Services 15 http://www.delautism.org/AdultServices/AboutPOWR.aspx

16. Interagency Collaboration: Schools, VR and Employment Providers Working Together Project SEARCH – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWks_yc5P hw&feature=youtu.be Maryland Seamless Transition Collaborative (MSTC) Washington’s School to Work Think College (www.thinkcollege.net) Indiana’s School-to-Work Collaborative 16

17. Unique Aspects of the Collaborative Employment resources from providers are embedded in the school focusing on quality work experiences and quality employment outcomes Single point of contact immersed in the school – e.g., Career Coach Coalition of providers (including VR) working together and serving as a local Collaborative 17

18. Key Elements of Local Collaborative Collaborative of Community employment providers Single Point of Contact Personal Profile- Discovery process Immersed Internship Student Empowerment Training Benefits Planning Family Training 18

19. A Win-Win for All: Working More Collaboratively School perspective: Teachers have been instructed to spend the majority of their time improving student academic performance, with little or no time and/or skill set and experience in adult employment outcome There is limited time to learn the employer’s needs. Teachers know the students and families Can improve their Indicator 14 or post-school outcome data 19

20. A Win-Win for All Community Employment Provider Perspective: Source of referrals and customers Employment providers have one focus: developing relationships with businesses and to assist the job seeker with disabilities in securing type of employment. Community rehabilitation providers have the expertise to offer schools and can reduce the duplication of services. 20

21. A Win-Win for All Employers perspective: Having both school and community employment providers approaching employers for potential jobs becomes time-consuming from an employer perspective. When employers are aware of the disability resources, there is often confusion due to the “silo-ization” (Luecking, 2008 ) of programs serving distinct disability groups. 21

22. A Win-Win for All Students/Families: Students and families are making connection earlier Overlap of services with schools for a “safety-net” Jobs!!!!!!!!! The Goal is for the “last day of school to look like the day after” Vocational Rehabilitation: Identifying transition-age youth Providing more counseling/guidance/consulting Outcomes – 26s 22

23. Resouces Project SEARCH - http://www.projectsearch.us/http://www.projectsearch.us/ Washington Initiative on Supported Employment – www.gowise.org www.gowise.org Indiana – www.iidc.indiana.edu/cclcwww.iidc.indiana.edu/cclc TransCen – www.transcen.orgwww.transcen.org 23

24. Changing Day Services TransCen -WorkLink program, San Francisco, CA www.transcen.orgwww.transcen.org  Braided funding  Collaboration between Developmental Disabilities and Vocational Rehabilitation  Employment outcomes 24

25. North Carolina’s Pockets of Excellence 25

26. The Best of “Best Practice” The job is a match between student/individual and job site analyses— esp. non-negotiables The job is extraordinarily typical The relationships are interdependent The language reflects equity and capacity The strategies flow from the assessment The job is one you’d like for a loved one 26

27. The Best of “Best Practice” Cont. The employment consultant (transition coordinator) has probe data and ongoing communication with job site The job is non-seasonal, in a stable or growing industry and allows for evolution The job has enhancing features The expectations of performance are clearly defined and stable The employer is committed to diversity 27

28. THANK YOU Teresa Grossi, Ph.D., Director Center on Community Living and Careers Indiana Institute on Disability and Community Indiana University tgrossi@indiana.edu 812-855-4070 28