Free Range Teams Tips to support & supervise employment consultants working in the community. Karen Williams, Trillium Employment Services Iowa Employment First, Community of Practice Webinar

If we are doing supported employment well, staff should be out in the community 70% of their time. Eeek! That’s a lot of free range time.

How do we align what we want with what happens in the field? 1. Clear Expectations 2. Reliable Communication 3. Shared Field Time

It’s more than a book of rules or do’s and don’ts. It’s about vision, accountability, and standards.

Vision: Start with Why Simon Simek VideoSimon Simek Video (TED talk, Start with Why) Goals for service hours and outcomes Teach Time Management & Accountability

Employment Consultant Monthly Workload Report Name:Month/Year: Total number of people served: Direct service hours: Job Development (P2 and DVR-JD) Coaching (P3, DVR-training/retention) Intake/Discovery (P1) Record Keeping (P4) Office Time/Training IN-PERSON JOB DEVELOPMENT CONTACTS: Employer/locationYour Follow Up Activities To Date 1 2 3

Record Keeping This month I learned… I am integrating this new info/tool into my daily work by… A question I have in this area… New Staff Progress Check in. They complete this for each category: Job development, communication, job coaching, time management, team collaboration, record keeping.

It can be lonely and overwhelming out there in the field. We need to connect with our peeps to support and celebrate.

Weekly team meetings Mentor for new staff Self reporting tests Celebrations & Feedback

If you give them the tools and boundaries, they will be fine off the leash. Success in this job relies on creativity and collaboration, so build in shared field time.

Managers get out into the field to see the work. Fresh eyes on a job site Tag team No recipes and lots of decisions: give them support and room to risk. Stories and shared learning Leveraging staff strengths

1. Let them go free, you hired them for the job. 2. There will be poop. 3. Good things hatch from happy chickens.

Karen Williams Executive Director Trillium Employment Services Washington State.