Alabama

Below are archives from the Fall 2017 Building Capacity for Community-Based Employment sponsored by the Alabama Department of Mental Health’s Division of Developmental Disabilities and State Employment Leadership Network.   

Session 1: Foundational Understanding of Individualized Supports (September 29, 2017)
Making Employment First a reality for individuals with IDD requires that we embrace employment practices that are individualized to meet the needs of each job seeker. This session will provide an overview of the employment process with a focus on strategies that are person centered and strengths based, opening up new doors for the individuals we support. Participants are encouraged to state with this session in the series as content will build over the four consecutive events.
Session recording (temporarily unavailable)

Handouts & Resources
Presentation handout
Visual resume resource tool
Mandy - sample visual resume

Session 2: Getting to know the Job Seeker (October 6, 2017)
With an understanding of individualized supports, the second session will review strategies employment-related staff and other team members can use to get to know individuals. Examples of learning through observation, communication and interaction will be shared and discussed with participants. This information is then used to develop a 30-day plan of action with the team. Think you already know your job seekers? Join us to see whether there are new tricks and tips you can integrate in to your day to day work, or the work of those you supervise or oversee.

Session recording
MP3 recording

Handouts:
Presentation slides
Positive profile (blank) form
Tilson Developing a Positive Personal Profile
ICI The 30-Day Placement Plan: A Road Map to Employment

Session 3: Customized and Negotiated Job Development (October 27, 2017)
Once you have established a solid understanding of the individual's employment goals, the process of identifying good jobs options begins. It is also important to understand local businesses, assess their culture, acknowledge employer engagement myths and fine tune your outreach strategies. The answers to these questions factor heavily in to your organization's customer service considerations and partnership development work, and may not be completed by the same staff person. This session will provide guidance on how to integrate these activities and begin customizing or negotiating jobs for people depending on what you have learned about the job seeker and the business.

Handouts:
Presentation Slides
Disclosure Decision
When existing jobs don'r fit: A guide to job creation
Networking: Your guide to an effective job search

Session 4: Strategies for Success on the Job (November 3, 2017)
Once a job has been identified and an individual is on their way to achieving their employment goals, that's when you start to think about long-term supports, right?  No!  You begin to think about the long-term very early in the job search process.  In this session, the presenters will review points made throughout the series on strategies to help individuals be successful long-term, assure your services add value to a business's operations, the roles you may be able to get a business to play, and when to discuss natural supports and fading.  The goal is helping individuals reach their employment goals and empowering the paid supports staff to be top performers.


Handouts: 
Presentation slides (PDF)
10 things you can do to support a person with difficult behaviors (PDF)
Job coach self evaluation (PDF)
Systematic Instruction: The Key to Successful Employment (PDF)
Placement Support Plan-blank (Word)
Task analysis recording sheet-blank (PDF)
Task analysis recording sheet-example (PDF)