Effective Career Planning for Job Seekers with Disabilities

Identify Yourself !

DISABILITY What does it mean to you?

Disability n Includes wide range of conditions n Impact on people’s lives varies n Often not apparent

Be careful of blanket assumptions about disability and people with disabilities Disability is individualized and idiosynchratic

One-Stop Customers n Job Seekers n Employers

Marketing as Education Every conversation you have with an employer about an individual with a disability contains both implicit and explicit disability awareness education.

Job Seekers with Disabilities n People who have an apparent disability and/or disclose their disability to you n People who have a non-apparent disability and choose not to disclose n People who are not aware they have a disability

Getting to Know You: Current One-Stop Assessment Practices n Interest inventories n Achievement tests n Aptitude tests n Personality assessments n Intelligence Testing

Shortcomings of Testing for People with Disabilities n When modified, scores are uncertain n Tests that reflect disability do not provide info about potential n Predictive assessments used in a different environment are limited n Norm-referenced difficulties: most pen/paper tests were standardized on people without disabilities

What motivates them? HOW DO WE FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE WANT? What interests them?

Individualized Career Planning n Rally the troops –Tap into those resources! –Who knows them well? Who can help identify skills/abilities? n Develop a Vocational Profile –Likes and dislikes –Past experiences –Skills and abilities –See “Job Development Planning Tool” n Identify Employment Outcomes –Job choice –Environment of choice n Develop Placement Plan -Matching interests & supports

Critical Elements of Career Planning n Customer Driven n Focus on Desires, Strengths, Abilities n Get to Know Him/Her: Ask, “Why?” n Ongoing Process n Respecting Preferences and Choices

Job Seeker Planning Tool n A good job is a good match. n What’s your profile?

Alternative Methods of Exploration and Assessment n What are they? n Who sets them up? n What can they tell you or your customer?

Alternative Assessments n Situational assessments n Job shadowing n Tours n Informational interviews n Volunteering n Taking a class

How to… n Use existing employer relationships n Use job development techniques n Use your customer’s and your networks n Be considerate of employer’s time and restrictions n Be clear about purpose and role

Employer/Career Research n Information about labor market trends n Job requirements and environments n Level of education and experience n Availability of jobs

Research Resources n Job listings n Newspaper articles n Employer web sites n

Long Term Employment Success Requires that potential support needs and barriers be identified and addressed, prior to placement

Anticipating Needs n Individual support needs vary n Anticipate and address support needs during job search n Focus on needs on the job as well as external needs (e.g., housing) which can impact employment n Focus on concrete (e.g., transportation) & personal supports (e.g., need for supportive co-worker)

Potential Job Support Issues n Transportation n Child care n Non-work meetings/appointments/obligations n Benefits management n Money management n Personal organization skills n Housing n Clothing/uniform

Support on the Job: Two Areas to Look At n Accomplishing job tasks n Fitting into work culture & understanding social rituals

Addressing Support Needs n Identify and provide assistance in accessing resources (transportation, benefit planners) n Focus on potential placements which are good skill & work culture match with sufficient level of on- the-job supports n Accommodations: identify & arrange n Determine need for post placement support (job coach, counseling, peer support post-placement, etc.) and identify source