1. Customized Employment
Tania Morawiec, Illinois DHS Employment First Manager, Office of the Secretary in collaboration with
Nanette Cohen, JVS Chicago, Director Individualized Employment Development
&
Helene Levine, JVS Chicago, Manager Workforce Services

2. Employment First: What Is It?
Employment First is a nationwide initiative centered around the principle that all citizens, including those with disabilities, are capable of full participation in integrated employment and community life. Integrated Employment is defined as work paid directly by employers at the greater of minimum or prevailing wages with commensurate benefits that occurs in a typical work setting where the employee with the disability interacts or has the opportunity to interact continuously with coworkers without disabilities, has an opportunity for advancement and job mobility, and is preferably engaged full-time.

3. Potential

4. Customized Employment, an Employment First Strategy
A model that is not so new…

5. In 2002…
The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability & Employment
Policy (ODEP) explained in the Federal Register
that:
“Customized employment means individualizing
the employment relationship between employees
and employers in ways that meet the needs of both.
It is based on an individualized determination of the
strengths, needs, and interests of the person with a disability,
and is also designed to meet the specific needs of the employer.
(Federal
Register, June 26, 2002, Vol. 67. No. 123 pp –
43149).

6. Customized Employment Cont.
It may include employment developed through job carving, self-employment or entrepreneurial initiatives, or other job development or restructuring strategies that result in job responsibilities being customized and individually negotiated to fit the needs of individuals with a disability.”
(Federal
Register, June 26, 2002, Vol. 67. No. 123 pp –
43149).

7. Wikipedia
Customized employment (CE) is a process through which the relationship between employer and employee is negotiated and personalized in a way that meets the needs of both.
Conceived as a way for companies to welcome and serve individuals with disabilities, the principles of CE have been used to respond to increasing requests from all employees for greater workplace flexibility.[1][2] 
Programs promoting flexibility in employment arrangements save employers and organizations $3.60 for every dollar they spend.[3] Many popular customizations, such as working part-time or working non-traditional hours, are free or very low cost.

8. Customized Employment
According to the US/DOL:
Customized employment means individualizing the employment relationship between employees and employers in ways that meet the needs of both.
It is based on an individualized determination of the strengths, needs, and interests of the person with a disability, and is also designed to meet the specific needs of an employer.

9. Why We Need Customized Employment
Customized Employment works because it teaches us to see the positive and build on it.
It changes the equation we are using; seeing what is wrong and providing a solution.
That simple shift changes everything; the questions we ask; the assessments we do; how we think about placements.
Marc Gold &

10. Marc Gold & Associates@
Overlap between CE & SE
Work occurs in an integrated, individualized work situation in the community.
Employment results in pay at the prevailing wage or “going rate.”
Employment outcomes may include creating a job through self-employment.
Utilize job craving, restructuring, modification, or creation.
Marc Gold &

11. Marc Gold & Associates@
The Differences (I)
The process starts with the person not the employer’s requirements.
Job Development is individualized – you represent one job seeker at a time.
Prior to representing the jobseeker you have learned who that person is.
The job seekers determines how they will be represented to the employer.
Marc Gold &

12. Marc Gold & Associates@
The Differences (II)
The job seeker and their family with the provider determine what employers will be contacted on the job seeker’s behalf and by when.
As a result of Customized Employment, the employee has a personalized job description and/or other employer expectations that did not exist prior to the negotiation process.
Job duties are tailored to satisfy both job seeker and
Employer needs .
Marc Gold &

13. Confusion in the field

14. Which Model do I use?!

15. Why Customized Employment it is an effective approach?
It is the direction of future hiring.
It aligns an applicants skills and contributions to the needs or unmet needs of the business.
It results in engaged employees.
By unbundling tasks employers can remove duties that are being done by higher paid workers that should be assigned to lower paid employees, thus improving profitability.
Marc Gold &

16. Emerging Universality of Customized Employment
Job Sculpting “One size does not fit all - not in service responses, not in the jobs in the workplace. We want our food, music, fashions, and vehicles to reflect who we are; we also want our work to reflect who we are. In an intellectual or thinking workplace, the more jobs are customized to the talents and thinking of each employee, the better they perform. Customizing jobs directly affects employee engagement, attitude and company performance”. Jay Forte Article Source:
Marc Gold &

17. Job Match
Poor job matches result in 70% of the US workforce not being fully engaged in their job or personally invested.
Please take a moment to consider the last time you were in a position that was a poor job match…

18. Not every job is a good fit…

19. Businesses are realizing current hiring practices are not meeting their needs
Mis-hires- Department of Labor’s minimum estimate of the cost of a mis-hire is $11,713, but experts conservatively say that you can at least triple that figure.

20. One size Does Not Fit All
Google
“We looked at tens of thousands of interviews, and everyone who had done the interviews and what they scored the candidate, and how that person ultimately performed in their job. We found zero relationship. It's a complete random mess”.
84 percent of new hires will not live up to expectations.

21. JVS Chicago: Beliefs & Values
We are driven by the core beliefs that everybody can work, that JVS can help
The core of our Individualized Employment Development programs is focused on providing training and employment services to persons with disabilities
We operate according to a person-centered approach to provide high quality and individually meaningful services

22. JVS Chicago: Service Delivery Approach
Delivery of services are community based
Develop and encourage strong partnerships and communication with all stakeholders
Customized Employment techniques are just one method of service delivery implemented

23. Innovation and Disability Approaches
Decide where you want to work. Study your target company.
Explore the problems and challenges it is facing, and figure out how you can help the company tackle them profitably.
Apply your skills and abilities in new ways to re-define your qualifications.
Think in terms of what the company doesn't have but needs: that's your new job.
That's the business plan you need to present.
This is the customized process

24. Steps to Customized Employment (II)
Recruitment, intake, acceptance
Discovery
Capturing discovery through profiles
Customized Employment planning meeting
Concept Portfolio development –( Agency)
Visual Resume (job seeker)
Marc Gold &

25. Steps to Customized Employment (II)
Job development
Job site analysis
Job Negotiations
Job creation
Accommodations, Supports
Marc Gold &

26. Discovery results in a Profile of “who the person is”
A profile is a document that represents the best and most meaningful aspects of a person’s life.
Marc Gold &

27. Marc Gold & Associates@
Discovery Activities
Intake
Scheduling a home visit
Home Visit
Benefit Discussion & Expectations
Observation of Activities
Participation in Familiar Activity
Participation in Novel Activity
Interviewing
Return for another Home Visit
Review Information
Writing of the Profile
Marc Gold &

28. Marc Gold & Associates@
Discovery (I)
Discovery shows us the impact of life complexity on work.
When we discover rather than presume, assume or diagnose, a useful description of a person starts to emerge.
Discovery shows possibilities and leads to things a person is motivated to do
Marc Gold &

29. Marc Gold & Associates@
Discovery (II)
Discovery provides in a non-traditional, common-sense form, the information needed to determine the strengths, needs and interests* of a person with complex life issues.
Discovery results in a Profile of “who the person is” For the purpose of planning for employment.
* From DOL/ODEP Description of Discovery
Marc Gold &

30. Be Sure the Family and Job Seeker Understand Discovery
It is a process to learn where a job seeker is at his or her best so that a job that highlights who he or she can be secured
It requires spending time with the job seeker rather than testing.
It means observing the job seeker in his or her home, in the community at familiar and novel activates, interviewing people who know the job seeker well
Marc Gold &

31. Guidelines for length of discovery
Plan to complete over a six to eight week period – can be less depending on the availability of individuals for visits and activities
You should be able to complete discovery activities within a total of hours.
Marc Gold &

32. Marc Gold & Associates@
Translation
The skill or finesse you need to acquire is the ability to identify typical aspects of life and to translate those activities into conditions for success, interests toward employment and potential contributions to be offered to employers.
Discovery is essentially an activity of translation.
Translation occurs at the end of discovery
After you have seen all the different pieces
Clear descriptive notes help with effective translation
Marc Gold &

33. Acknowledge
Behaviors in particular environments do not always translate to others…

34. Job Search Planning
The Employment Specialist, jobseeker and family members use the information learned during the Discovery process:
to develop a plan to obtain meaningful employment,
compiling a list of potential employers, Community Action Team Meetings
creating a strengths-based resume capturing the job seeker’s skills and abilities for potential employers, and
facilitating meetings with benefits experts, as warranted, to help the individual and family understand how public benefits may be affected by earned employment income

35. Job Search Planning (II)
creating a strengths-based resume capturing the job seeker’s skills and abilities for potential employers, and
facilitating meetings with benefits experts, as warranted, to help the individual and family understand how public benefits may be affected by earned employment income

36. Job Development and Negotiation
Arrange informational interviews with potential employers to determine if the jobseeker’s skills meet the needs of the employer
If judged to be a good fit, they work collaboratively with the employer to negotiate a customized job, and
terms of employment that match the interests, skills, and conditions necessary for the jobseeker’s success,
while, at the same time, meeting the employer’s requirements

37. Job Development and Negotiation (II)
The Employment Specialist then establishes natural supports within the workplace,
provides the level of job coaching and support necessary for adjustment to a new job

38. The role of a job developer is very complex
Pay is typically low
The position often requires a high level of autonomy
Turn over is high
An IPS evidence based practice study found that there was a 42% supervisory turn over a 40% job developer turn over rate across the state.

39. Post Employment Support
The Employment Specialist establishes ongoing workplace supports and continues to monitor—and renegotiates if necessary—the employment relationship to ensure satisfaction of both new employee and employer
Goal is for JVS Chicago to fade away from providing supports while implementing and mentoring natural supports on the work site

40. JVS Staff. Natural Supports. Referral Sources. Employers. Guardians
* JVS Staff * Natural Supports * Referral Sources *Employers * Guardians * Family
Job Search Planning
Discovery
Customized Employment
Orientation
Post-Employment Supports
Job Planning & Negotiating

41. Outcomes Go beyond the funder contract requirements and goals
We’re looking at:
National benchmarks
Other skills gained
JRT
Increase in self-confidence
Measuring other outcomes
Skills gained
Time in program
Extended retention rates up to one year

42. Benefits Social determinant of health Mental Physical Income
Socialization

43. Social Determinants of Health
Social status
Stress
Nutrition
Employment
Income
Safe place to live
Social support networks
Social determinants of health, 2nd ed., Edited by Michael Marmot and Richard Wilkinson. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2006.

44. Continuous Improvement Plan
The continuous improvement plan is focused on achieving the strategic objectives and improving job placement and retention rates…
Increase communication regarding successes to referral sources
Continue to leverage staff resources
Increase base of employer partners
Modify procedures and materials as necessary

45. Challenges Time Staffing pattern Employer education and awareness
Funding

46. Overcoming the Challenges
Maintain person-centered planning and delivery
Managing expectations
Consistent and thorough communication
Setting groundwork
Braided funding

47. Resources
Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 28 (2008) 135– IOS Press
Customized Employment: Where we are; where we’re headed
Cary Griffin∗, Dave Hammis, Tammara Geary and Molly Sullivan
Griffin-Hammis Associates, LLC, Florence, MT, USA