OTAC JOB DEVELOPMENT SERIES

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FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS AND TRANSITION PLANNING

• OTAC JOB DEVELOPMENT SERIES
• 10/30/2008
• MORNING SESSION PRESENTER
• DAVID ABRAMOWITZ

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• AGENDA
• PART 1
• OVERVIEW OF LIFE SKILLS NETWORK(LSN) APPROACH
• PART 2
• PROCESS TO ASSIST FAMILIES IN LEARNING ABOUT AND
  ACCESSING TRANSITION RESOURCES
• PART 3
• VOCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE STUDENT
• PART 4
• DETAILED PROCESS OF VOCATIONAL PROVIDER SELECTION
  AND OVERLAP WITH SCHOOL PROGRAM
• PART 5
• EXAMPLES OF THE VOCATIONAL JOURNEY OF STUDENTS
  INTO PAID EMPLOYMENT WITH ADULT SERVICE SUPPORTS
  IN PLACE

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• PART 1
• OVERVIEW OF LIFE SKILLS NETWORK (LSN) APPROACH
• STUDENT PREPARATION
• PARENT PREPARATION
• INTER-AGENCY COLLABORATION

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• PART 1 OVERVIEW OF LSN
• A. STUDENT PREPARATION
• LIFE SKILLS NETWORK CURRICULUM FOCUSES ON
• THE SKILLS OF DAILY LIVING
• DEVELOPMENT OF EMPLOYABILITY
• 3. DEVELOPING APPROPRIATE SOCIAL AND
  COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• 4. DEVELOP SKILLS OF SELF ADVOCACY
• 5. LEARN TO SET OBTAINABLE GOALS
• 6. LEARN TO MAKE A PLAN IN ORDER TO OBTAIN GOALS
• 7. AGE APPROPRIATE SETTINGS

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See Hand Out
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• LIFE SKILLS NETWORK IEP RELATED HANDOUTS
• IEP meeting agenda
• IEP annual Action Summary

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• PART 1 OVERVIEW OF LSN
• PARENT PREPARATION
• INFORMATION ACTIVITIES TO LEARN ABOUT LSN
  CONTINUUM FROM AGE 14 TO 21.
• 2. AN OVERVIEW OF SERVICES BEYOND SCHOOL
  ENTITLEMENT WITH TARGETED INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS
  BASED ON YEARS LEFT OF ELIGIBILITY

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See Hand Out
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See Hand Out
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• EXAMPLES OF PARENT INFORMATION EVENTS (HAND
  OUTS)
• Process of Obtaining Paid Employment
• High School and Beyond Information Fair
• High School and Beyond Directory
• Lane County Directory of Employment Service
  Providers

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• PART 1 OVERVIEW OF LSN
• INTER-AGENCY COLLABORATION
• School staff serve on adult service advisory
  committees
• e.g. Lane Community College Adults with Special
  Needs
• Full Access Brokerage Advisory
• Mentor of Oregon Advisory
• Lane County DD Provider Advisory
• School staff match calendars with DD case mgrs,
  OVRS counselors, Brokerage Personal Agents to
  allow for their participation in IEPS
• Grant writing with U of O
• Working relationship with all of the vocational
  providers
• Planning and staffing referrals with OVRS a year
  ahead to build a calendar of referrals
• Attend trainings to stay up to date on adult
  services

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• PART 2
• PROCESS IN ASSISTING FAMILIES IN LEARNING ABOUT
  AND ACCESSING TRANSITION RESOURCES
• (Using SSI Application Process As An Example)
• Information Opportunities
• Annual information event through Transition
  Linkage Coalition (TLC) on the topic of social
  security and/or age driven topic at school info
  night
• Covered each year as part of IEP meeting
• Written into IEP as an action item in year
  approaching age 18 for updated Ed Psych testing,
  initial meeting with family a month before
  student is 18 to begin SSI application process.

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• CONTINUATION OF SSI/SSDI APPLICATION PROCESS
  ASSISTANCE
• Direct Assistance by School Staff
• Contact family a month before student is 18 to
  meet with school staff person to assist them in
  going on line and filling out Adult Disability
  Report
• With family present call SS 800 to set up an in
  office intake appointment at Social Security to
  happen a day or so after 18th birthday
• Prepare student and family regarding intake
  appointment (financial records, disability
  documentation, designation of payee, living
  arrangement, types of questions to be asked).
• School staff go with family and student to in
  office Social Security intake appointment, bring
  school records and assist through interview.

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• CONTINUATION OF SSI/SSDI APPLICATION PROCESS
  ASSISTANCE
• After interview answer any questions family might
  have, instruct them to contact school regarding
  any mail they receive from Soc Sec., assist on
  Function Report if requested by Soc Sec.
• School staff fill out Teacher Questionnaire sent
  by Soc Sec.
• If Disability Determination requests an
  independent Psychologist, then assist family with
  appointment and communicate with Psychologist.
• Call Disability Determination specialist if
  necessary.
• Note Make copies of everything sent to Soc Sec
  including the letters sent by them.

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• ACCESSING SSI CONTINUED
• Benefits of School Program Being Directly
  Involved

• Establishes a new relationship with families and
  students that shows school staff involved outside
  of their school building. Families start to see
  the shift of school program responsibilities
  branching out to community environments
  (transition).
• Social Security can be quite complicated and
  important to get it right the first time.
• School program can help to control the
  information being submitted to Soc Sec.
• SSI is stepping stone to medicaid which enhances
  Brokerage Services as well as feasibility for
  OVRS.
• Students now have real money to pay real
  bills, which strengthens money management/budget
  instruction.

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• PART 3
• VOCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENT
• Vocational Training vs. Vocational Placement
• Not a hire and fire approach
• Start where the student is at
• Develop community based work environments that
  allow for a starting point and growth continuum
  for each student
• No benefit to the employer

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• Goals of Structured Community Based Work
  Experience (contd)
• Place for student to understand and develop
  appropriate work behaviors
• Opportunity for students to try different jobs
  and to further develop work preferences
• Ongoing situational assessment regarding support
  needs for students across different work
  environments, what works, what doesnt work
• Student develops a work history leading to a
  resume
• Student develops marketable skills
• Increased feasibility for successful utilization
  of OVRS funding

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• COMMUNITY WORKSITE TRAINING OPTIONS
• Sites are selected to shape certain work
  behaviors
• Grooming
• Attendance
• Working around the public
• Asking for assistance
• Attention to detail
• Taking and incorporating feedback
• Work as part of a team or independently
• Managing anger

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• University of Oregon (individual, crew, cluster)
• Food service
• Groundskeeper
• Library aide
• Data entry (student health services)
• Custodial
• Cashier
• Clerical (mail room, admissions)
• Recycling
• Stocking store
• Lane County (individual)
• Fleet services (car detailing)
• Clerical (public works, DA office, HR office,
  assessment taxation)

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• COMMUNITY WORK OPTIONS (CONTINUED)
• State of Oregon
• Motor pool
• Clerical (DHS one stops)
• Bureau of Land Management
• Warehouse (data entry, detail cars, reconstruct
  picnic tables and signs, make buttons, many
  projects)
• Lane Community College (cluster/individual/crew)
• Library aide
• Recycler
• Cashier
• PE equipment cage
• Laundry aide
• Kitchen aide
• Science labs (clean equipment)
• Stocking (bookstore)
• Clerical (Finance Dept)

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• COMMUNITY WORK OPTIONS (CONTINUED)
• Lane Community College (continued)
• Print shop assistant
• Greenhill Animal Shelter
• Clean kennels and maintain cattery
• Next Step Recycling
• Take apart computers, sort and recycle
• City of Eugene
• Groundskeeper
• Clerical (police dept, municipal court)
• Maintenance
• Service police cars
• Food For Lane County
• Kitchen aide

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• COMMUNITY WORK OPTIONS (CONTINUED)
• Sacred Heart Hospital
• Clerical
• Surgical processing dept
• Deliver supplies
• Assisted Living Facilities
• Food service
• Laundry
• Clerical activities
• Pre Schools
• Teachers asst.

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• COMMUNITY WORK OPTIONS (CONTINUED)
• School District
• Custodial
• Food service
• Teacher aide
• Grounds
• Warehouse distribution
• Retail Sites (Shopko, Dollar Tree, Rite Aid)
• Stocking
• Cashier

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• VOCATIONAL TRAINING (CONTINUED)
• In some cases, develop community worksite options
  in a particular skill area
• Examples
• FOOD SERVICE
• EMU on Campus (crew)
• Duties label packages wash fruit and veggies
  weigh and package fruits/veggies/salads scrub
  potatoes, dry, wrap in foil scoop peanut butter
  tray and bake bacon steam eggs break down and
  recycle boxes wash tables and chair seats clean
  microwave-clean soda machine
• Food for Lane County (crew)
• Duties wash, peel, chop or slice veggies and
  fruits prepare and mix fruits for salad scoop
  dough and batter into baking dishes- ladle
  prepared food into containers separate and
  package food items
• Elem School Kitchen (independent)
• Duties load and unload dishwasher set up and
  maintain food bar mop floors and wipe table

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• FOOD SERVICE (CONTINUED)
• Papas Pizza (independent)
• Duties bus tables, load and unload dishwasher,
  vacuum and mop, food prep
• Sheldon Park Assisted Living (independent, paid)
• Duties around the serving of lunch fill water
  goblets fill salt, pepper and sugar shakers
  clean and fill syrup pitchers fill cereal
  containers break down and recycle cardboard
  clean garbage cans- slice and dice veggies for
  salads- stack and put away clean dishes scrub
  cooking pots/pans in prep for dishwasher
• Note this became a paid job, with the following
  duties added Prep rolls in pans wrap and store
  in fridge clean prep area vacuum dining area
• each day restock different items and clean
  dispensers do any extra chores requested by
  Person in Charge went from 2 hour non-paid to 3
  hour a day paid

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• SKILL SPECIFIC WORK SITES (CONTINUED)
• CHILD CARE (assist in obtaining food handlers
  card and 1st Aid)
• Kiddz (independent 2 hr and 15 min shift mostly
  cleaning)
• Duties assist with napping children- clean lunch
  area (clean and stack chairs, clean tables, sweep
  floor, rearrange tables after sweeping), sanitize
  toys
• Security First (independent, 2 hours)
• Duties project clean up- transition children to
  outside play and help monitor- lunch set up and
  clean up- help transition children to outside
  play area and help monitor
• First United Methodist Church Collective
  (independent, 3 hours)
• Duties assist children at craft table help
  children clean up after crafts read to
  individual students assist children with toy
  clean up at snack time assist children with hand
  washing to sit at tables and clean up when
  finished help clean snack tables interact with
  with children during free time, circle time, and
  outside play.

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• CLERICAL
• Department of Human Services (crew)
• Duties prepare mailings for multiple agencies
  put together packets pick up recycling sanitize
  toys- utilize copier.
• Note we used to manage files when they had
  paper( set up new files, pre drop file, file),
  sort mail, date stamp mail, run postage meter
• City of Eugene Municipal Court (independent)
• Duties process parking citations prepare
  mailings sort and batch by numbers data entry

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• PART 4
• ROLE OF SCHOOL PROGRAM IN PAID JOB DEVELOPMENT
• Develop employability of the student
• Provide student with the opportunities and skills
  to identify vocational preferences
• Help establish a positive work history with
  references
• Exit profile developed that specifies level and
  types of supervision needed, what works and
  doesnt work in training the student, best
  environment for success
• In service students and parents regarding process
  of obtaining paid employment

See Hand Out Profile, Work History
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• ROLE OF SCHOOL PROGRAM IN PAID JOB DEVELOPMENT
  (CONTD)
• Assist family and student in accessing OVRS
  services at the right time
• Assist family and student in selection of OVRS
  funded vocational provider
• Assist family, student, OVRS counselor, and voc
  provider in development and implementation of IPE
• During job development provide student work
  experience to maintain work skills
• Build flexibility into student schedule with job
  development and placement activities as the
  center piece

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ROLE OF SCHOOL PROGRAM IN PAID JOB DEVELOPMENT
(CONTD)

• Once paid job is in place, consult on training,
  provide mobility training, continue on developing
  a life schedule around work that allows student
  to still be able to handle their non work
  responsibilities
• Provide social skills training relevant to work
  setting, continue budgeting, cooking, time
  management, access of leisure and possible
  continuing ed classes
• Assist payee in reporting wages to SSI, utilizing
  work incentives such as Student Earned Income
  Exclusion
• Where appropriate assist in OVRS funding overlap
  with Brokerage or DD (comprehensive)

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• ROLE OF SCHOOL PROGRAM IN PAID JOB DEVELOPMENT
  HAND OUTS
• Steps Toward Employment
• Exit Profile
• Work History
• Job Match

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• TRUE TRANSITION MEANS PAID JOB DEVELOPMENT DONE
  BY NON-SCHOOL SERVICE PROVIDER
• Definite role for school program as mentioned in
  previous slide in supporting the student outside
  of work so that they can be successful at work.
• School district can provide job leads and
  introduce job developer to work sites that have
  an established relationship with the school
  program.
• School staff are not part of the future.
• Needs to be a working relationship between the
  vocational provider and employer

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• TRUE TRANSITION MEANS PAID JOB DEVELOPMENT DONE
  BY NON-SCHOOL SERVICE PROVIDER (CONTD)
• One point of contact for the employer
• Schedule and calendar limitations of school staff
  and program limit job opportunities
• M-F, 9 to 3, many school holidays
• The job trainer organization that will support
  the placement must be involved in the initial
  decision whether the opportunity on the table is
  good fit for the client.

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• EXAMPLES OF PAID JOBS DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS
  WITH SCHOOL AND AGENCY COLLABORATION
• Sheldon Park Assisted Living Food Service- where
  school program gave up training site for paid job
  opportunity, OVRS funded, now brokerage funded
  job support. Kitchen manager advocated for this
  position with Director, who then went to
  corporate to work additional hours into staffing.
• U of O Admissions Office Clerical- interesting
  collaboration through school wk exp, OVRS funded
  voc provider, public sector job classification,
  and brokerage funds.
• City of Eugene Police Dept Clean and restock
  police cars- captured funding to create position,
  specialized recruitment and interview process
  worked out with HR and union. Led to other paid
  job placements in the city in the area of
  building maintenance
• Toms Messenger Service Own business of
  reminding groups of meetings, initially with
  school support, Commission for the Blind funding,
  Alternative Work Concepts and DD funding.

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• EXAMPLES OF PAID JOBS DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS
  WITH SCHOOL AND AGENCY COLLABORATION (CONTINUED)
• Sacred Heart Surgical Processing Dept
  Continuation of work experience into paid
  employment, volunteer plus (working side of the
  hospital)
• U of O Library Data entry and quality control-
  non-paid work experience that became paid by
  advocacy from department staff up
• Food For Lane County Fork lift operator- started
  as non-paid work experience, non-profit agency
  put new position into budget just to hire this
  worker, did not utilize any additional agency
  resources other then some initial autism
  consultation from the school.
• Shopko Cashier and stocking- started a skill
  training continuum through work experience on use
  of cash registers, placed by OVRS funded job
  developer with ongoing support through brokerage

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• EXAMPLES OF PAID JOBS DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS
  WITH SCHOOL AND AGENCY COLLABORATION (CONTINUED)
• Home Depot Loads orders and cleans facility-
  entire placement through OVRS funded job
  developer, school assisted on social skills and
  grooming issues
• Lane County DAs office/switch to Public Works
  Clerical- initially DAs office through a
  non-paid work experience valued the tasks
  accomplished by our worker to the point that the
  DA went to the County Commissioners for funding
  of a position, set up special posting,
  recruitment and interview process. Another
  student was selected in this process. When DAs
  office had to downsize, HR reassigned worker to a
  clerical position in Public Works( OVRS post
  employment funding and now brokerage)

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QUESTIONS DAVID ABRAMOWITZ E-MAIL
davidb.abramowitz_at_gmail.com PHONE [phone]