1. DISCOVERY & CUSTOMIZED WORK-BASED LEARNING
Kendel
Lisa Holland & Kendel St. John
Center on Transition Innovations
Connect for Success Conference, 2017

2. AFTER TODAY’S TRAINING YOU WILL BE ABLE TO…
Describe the Discovering ME process
Identify some of the possible benefits of this process for students,
families, schools and agencies
Kendel

3. TURN TO A PARTNER Employment Rate- 37%
What do you think is the employment rate for people with disabilities ages in Virginia?
Employment Rate- 37%
Do the math…how many of your students?
Lisa

4. TURN TO YOUR PARTNER Social Isolation Living in Poverty Unhealthy
What do you think your former students/your child will do after graduating from high school if they are not employed?
Social Isolation
Living in Poverty
Unhealthy
Connections to Criminal Justice System
Lisa

5. EMPLOYMENT FIRST
“Employment in the general workforce is the first and preferred outcome in the provision of publicly funded services for all working age citizens with disabilities, regardless of level of disability”
Kendel

6. VIRGINIA’S COMMITMENT TO EMPLOYMENT FIRST
Customized employment is a flexible process designed to personalize the employment relationship between a job candidate and an employer in a way that meets the needs of both.
Discovery is the critical first step in the Customized Employment process; it guides job seekers through a process of finding out who they are, what they want to do, and what they have to offer.
Kendel to lead
As Paul noted earlier, customized employment is that planning process of matching the unique needs of an individual and an employer and Discovery is the process used to discover the information that is needed to make that match and a focus of some exciting work that will be starting in Virginia. Before we get into greater details about our work in this area, we would like to quickly review our history with this project and reasons we felt it could be important in our work with schools and students.
Federal Register, June 26, 2002, Vol. 67, No. 123 pp )
Lead Center, May, 2015, Frequently Asked Questions: :Using Customized Employment’s Discovery and Group Discovery Models to Promote Job Seeker
Success in American Job Centers

7. WHY ARE WE LEARNING ABOUT DISCOVERY?
The Discovering ME process:
Promotes career exploration and readiness which the first step of Customized Employment and job placement
Is recognized by VDOE as an age-appropriate transition assessment.
Helps collect information that can be used in classrooms and in the community.
Lisa

8. DISCOVERING ME! One size does not fit all! Do we expect too much?
School work is a strong predictor of adult employment.
We cannot continue to do the same and expect different results.
Lisa

9. TRADITIONAL TRANSITION ASSESSMENTS ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:
Can this student work?
Which career or type of job will be best?
Kendel
Marc Gold & Associates

10. DISCOVERY AS AN ASSESSMENT ANSWERS THE QUESTION:
Who is this person?
How can this person’s life experiences
translate into employment possibilities?
Kendel
Marc Gold & Associates

11. HOW DO WE BEGIN? DETERMINE THE TEAM
Student
Family members & friends
(if invited by family)
Case manager/teacher
Para-professionals
Department of Aging and Rehabilitation/Community Service Board/other agencies
In-home providers
Related service providers (PT, OT, Speech)
Behavior Specialist
Kendel

12. Discovering Me Process
Meeting #1
(Collecting)
Meeting #2
(Building)
Meeting #3
(Exploring)
Begin collection of information
Contributions I can make
Interests I have shown
My conditions for success
Challenges to consider
Examine 21st Century Workplace Skills and build opportunities
Home
School
Community
Explore Career Clusters and make sure student information, opportunities and career clusters are coordinated
Lisa

13. EXAMPLES…
Kendel
2 examples
Kid from VSDB
Kid from Chesapeake #1

14. Students: Teachers: Families: For all: Benefits
-Provides opportunities to practice self- determination skills
-Builds foundation for individualized work-based learning and job development
-Shifts focus from label and provides focus -and motivation for school participation.
Teachers:
-Builds better transitions among teachers, grades, schools and adult life
-Meets Indicator 13 compliance
-Builds work-based learning opportunities that are focused on the individual and not on the program
Families:
-Encourages families to learn how to teach and support skills at home
-Increases collaboration with schools and community
-Provide families with a strategy for evaluating opportunities and jobs
For all:
-Supports early transition planning
-Increases meaningful communication
-Team approach (we are not in this alone)
-Increase in expectations
-Assists in developing coordinated IEP
No costs/ no program to buy
Benefits
Kendel

15. FOUR PLACES ON PATH TO EMPLOYMENT
I have a job but would like a better one or to move up
I want a job! I need help to find one.
I’m not sure about work. I need help to learn more.
I don’t think I want to work, but I may not know enough about it.
Employment First Rule. Ohio Dept. of Developmental Disabilities.
Lisa
Where are your students on the path?

16. To Learn More…. www.centerontransition.org

17. RESOURCES
Callahan, M., Shumpert, N., & Condon, E. (2009). Discovery: Charting the
course to employment. Gautier, MS: Marc Gold & Associates/Employment for All.
Callahan, M., Shumpert, N., & Condon, E. (2011). Profiles: Capturing
the information of discovery. Gautier, MS: Marc Gold & Associates/Employment for All.
Center on Transition Innovations
The Process of Discovery webcast by Ellen Condon
Customized Employment webcast by Ellen Condon

18. RESOURCES
2015 Kessler Foundation National Employment & Disability Survey (2015). Kessler Foundation. Retrieved September 1, 2015 from The Kessler Foundation website:

19. Lisa Holland ldholland@vcu.edu Kendel St. John kstjohn@vcu.edu