Assessment for Rehabilitation Professionals: Functional CommunityReferenced Assessment

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Assessment for Rehabilitation Professionals
Functional Community-Referenced Assessment

• Judy L. Dettmer
• Direct Services Coordinator
• Center for Community Partnerships
• Department of Occupational Therapy
• Colorado State University
• [phone]
• dettmerj_at_cahs.colostate.edu

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Center for community partnerships

• Established in 1985
• Located at Colorado State University within the
  Department of Occupational Therapy
• CCP assists youth and adults with a wide variety
  of challenges and disabilities to be successful
  in all domains of life
• Direct Service arm of the CSU Occupational
  Therapy Department

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Center for community partnerships

• CCP Philosophy
• Supporting the inherent dignity, potential and
  full participation of all people.

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Center for community partnerships

• CCP Mission
• Individualized services for children, youth and
  adults who are experiencing life challenges
• Education, training and consultation with
  students, schools, employers and the community

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Center for community partnerships

• Supported employment
• Consultation and training for school personnel
  and support for children with brain injury
• Occupational Therapy and Ergonomic Evaluation
• Independent Living Skills training
• Education and in-service training

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Supported Employment Model

• Functional Community-Referenced Assessment
• Individualized Job Placement
• Employment Consultation

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Functional Community-Referenced Assessment

• Goal identify strengths, interests and
  abilities and barriers, support needs and
  necessary adaptations
• FCRA Process
• Initial Interview - Work/School
• - Community - Leisure/Recreation - Home
• Community Observations
• Summary Assessment Meeting

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Assessment Team

• Participant is the lead
• Family members
• Friends
• Referring counselor
• Other providers mental health, school, probation

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Initial Interview

• Questions related to different domains of
  individuals life (work, home, community
  Recreation)
• Opportunity to learn more about individuals work
  history and vocational interests/goals
• Discuss potential sites for community-based
  observations

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Questions Work/School Domain

• School
• Learning needs
• Academic challenges
• Educational goals
• Adaptations in place
• Transition goals

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Questions Work/School Domain

• Work
• Past job experiences
• Interpersonal skills, social/communication skills
• Work tolerance, punctuality, speed
• Interests
• Physical strength, stamina, endurance
• Response to stress
• Work schedule preference
• Natural supports

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Questions Community Domain

• Ability to access community walk, bike, bus,
  drive, specialized vehicle needs
• Safety in community crossing streets, dealing
  with strangers
• Ability to manage shopping, banking, appointments
• Support services, social security, disability
  benefits
• Familiarity with community

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Questions Recreation Domain

• Current activities
• Recreation interests and hobbies
• Friendships, support people
• Recreational support needs
• Finances to pay for recreational activities

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Questions Home Domain

• Present living arrangement
• Independent living skills
• Time management skills
• Health and medical concerns
• Financial issues
• Home safety awareness
• Satisfaction with current living arrangement

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Community Observations

• Conduct three observations in a variety of
  employment settings in the community
• Observe the participant in the environment they
  are interested in working
• Provides opportunity to assess the individuals
  skills and interests as well as potential support
  needs
• Allows individual to determine if they are
  interested in a particular employment area

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Community Observations

• Environment
• Cognitive Aspects
• Social/Emotional Aspects
• Physical Aspects

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Summary Assessment Meeting

• Review community observations
• Discussion of individuals skills and abilities
  as well as support needs
• Opportunity for individual to discuss what they
  liked and didnt like about each observation
• Determination of next step, either job placement,
  work adjustment training or if they chose to not
  pursue employment at this time

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Summary Assessment Meeting

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Value of FCRA

• Allows individual an opportunity to evaluate
  specific jobs and work environments
• The individuals perception of their abilities
  may not be realistic
• Determination of job placement goal
• Provides insight into work readiness and work
  habits
• Sets the stage for success

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Why Bother?

• Allows for making better job matches (difficult
  to market someone you do not know)
• Saves placement time as the assessment process
  narrows in on a specific job goal
• Allows the employment consultant an opportunity
  to really get to know the individual and
  establish critical rapport
• Leads to a greater chance for successful closure

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Using Assessment Results to Drive Job Placement
Services

• Placement specialist attends summary meeting and
  gains insight into persons skills/interests and
  support/barriers to employment
• Can state to prospective employers that
  individual performed an observation in a given
  area and give specific examples of skills
  observed
• Placement specialist use the assessment as a form
  of job analysis to rule out or in specific
  environments or tasks

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Getting Employers on-Board

• Reassurance that we are not looking for paid
  employment
• Information stating that the individual is
  covered under DVR workers compensation
• Stress the importance of seeing the person in the
  actual environment doing hands-on tasks
• An employment consultant accompanies the
  individual

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Who Can Benefit From a FCRA

• Individuals with any disability
• - mental health
• - developmental disability
• - learning disability
• - physical disability
• - visual and hearing disability
• - brain injury
• Basically anyone with a challenge to employment

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Limitations of the FCRA

• FCRA process takes on average 15-20 hours and 2-3
  months to complete
• Finding willing employers in certain industries
• Setting up hands-on observations may be
  challenging when dealing with specific skills and
  higher level professionals

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Limitations of the FCRA

• Informational interviews can help with this
  limitation but not perfect
• Challenging behaviors may not present themselves
  until a person is in a job for awhile
• Time limited therefore can be difficult to assess
  fatigue and physical stamina/tolerance

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When is an individual not appropriate for FCRA?

• Not medically stable
• Awaiting surgeries, intensive therapies, etc.
• History of behaviors not appropriate for
  workplace

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Important Referral Questions and Information

• Demographics
• Supports
• Description of disability
• Description of vocational goals
• Financial/benefit status
• Criminal history

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Important Referral Questions and Information

• Medical Reports
• Psychological evaluations
• Neuropsychological evaluations
• Vocational evaluations
• Past vocational information