Transition from
School to CommunityBased Competitive
Employment Grant:
Learnings from the
Field
Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network
PaTTAN’s Mission
The mission of the Pennsylvania
Training and Technical Assistance
Network (PaTTAN) is to support the
efforts and initiatives of the Bureau of
Special Education, and to build the
capacity of local educational agencies
to serve students who receive special
education services.
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PDE’s Commitment to Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Our goal for each child is to ensure
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
teams begin with the general
education setting with the use of
Supplementary Aids and Services
before considering a
more restrictive environment.
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Employment Rates September 2015
• Labor Force Participation
• People with disabilities: 19.1%
People without disabilities: 68.2%
• Unemployment Rate
• People with disabilities: 10.4%
People without disabilities: 4.7%
US Department of Labor
We have spent Billions on:
– Raising awareness & advocacy
– Policy initiatives
– Support services
Yet, people with disabilities are still underrepresented in the workforce
“Successful Employment” is a mutually
beneficial relationship. It’s a two-way
street.
• Not charity.
Help Wanted:
• Company looking for individual with
Autism, Cerebral Palsy or extensive
history of hospitalization. Inappropriate
or immature behavior is OK. Supportive
coworkers, transportation, and all needed
accommodations provided.
• Call for an application.
As we assist young adults in finding a
job, we must re-frame how we see
job seekers and how we approach
and partner with businesses .
• Value driven for all involved.
Skills vs. Deficits
• Person-centered planning with a purpose
• Focus on preferences and what a person can
do
• Shifts emphasis to adding value
• Targets businesses where job seeker’s
unique characteristics and skills will be assets
Customized Employment:
a Business-Centered Approach
William’s Profile
What his “file” said…
• Autism
• Significant verbal processing
delay
• 20yrs. old, getting ready to
complete high school
• Worked in a voc. sites:
stocking and cleaning
• 6th grade reading & 8th grade
math skills
• Impulsive and inflexible
• Inappropriate behaviors (acts
in an aggressive manner and/or
violates personal space)
What proactive planning
said…
• Passion is Music
• Plays the piano and saxophone
• Good clerical and computer
skills- fast typist
• Loves gardening and lifting
weights
• Needs verbal information
presented slowly
• Likes clean, organized
environments- hates noisy,
chaotic places
• Likes structured, consistent
tasks
• Hates to be interrupted
Where will William’s unique
characteristics add value?
(i.e. increase productivity, decrease expenses, improve
customer service or solve a problem)
William’s VENN Diagram
Used to target
employment settings
Routine tasks,
No customer
service
Archiving
skills
William’s Job Development Plan
Something in the “Music Industry”
• An administrative or cataloging position
• Customer service would not be ideal, no loud,
rowdy environments, something slightly
conservative
• Consistent job tasks or structure is important
• Possible placements: Record/CD store, Music
schools, Musical Instrument Store, etc.
What do Employers Value?
• Motivated employees who are excited about
their work.
• Candidates with skills sets that can add value
to their workforce.
• Business solutions that improve the company’s
productivity and/or workflow.
William an employee at
Three Rivers Vintage Sounds
• Organizes and maintains
Record Album & CD library
• Stickers Records and CDs
by genre and label
• Downloads songs into
database
• Files prospecting letters and
collates mailings.
Customized Employment:
a Business-Centered Approach
• Must approach as an employment service, not
social service
• Must understand how a business works, what
they value and the challenges they face
• Must talk their language
• Must offer employers something they value
School-to-Work Program Participation
• Participation in a school-based program appears
to be best for increasing the likelihood that students
with disabilities will be stably employed and
working full-time.
• Conversely, participation in a work-based
program appears to be best for increasing the
likelihood that students with disabilities will be
employed in jobs that provide fringe benefits
such as health insurance and paid sick days.
• (Shandra & Hogan, 2008)
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PA Dept. of Education - Transition
from School to Community-Based
Competitive Employment Grants
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The Purpose of the Transition from School to CommunityBased Competitive Employment Grant is to:
• Improve competitive employment outcomes for youth with
disabilities through the implementation of effective, schoolbased career development programming;
• Utilize a person-centered planning process as an integral
component of career development;
• Provide unpaid and paid work experiences, with job coaching
as appropriate, for youth with disabilities with preference for
students at-risk of dropping out and/or youth who have
difficulty obtaining employment, independently;
The Purpose of the Transition from School to CommunityBased Competitive Employment Grant is to:
• Establish sites that can serve as models for transition from
school to community- based competitive employment for
youth with disabilities; and
• Actively involve OVR and county/community-based
organizations such as Behavioral Health Managed Care
Organizations, Intellectual Disabilities Administrative Entities,
Centers for Independent Living and other disability-specific
support organizations during the implementation of the grantrelated activities.
2014-15 – Grantees
The Capstone Project Phase 1
Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit
East
Exploring Careers with English Language
Learners
Community Integrated Services
East
Opportunities for Post-Secondary Success
Keystone Central SD
Central
Warrior Run Internship Network (WIN)
Warrior Run SD
Central
Person Centered Transition that Works
Laurel SD & Ellwood City SD
West
Pittsburgh Public Schools-School to
Community Based Employment Expansion
Initiative
Pittsburgh Public Schools
West
Systematic Career
Development Strategies
for Transitioning Youth
The Pennsylvania Approach
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Essential Program Elements
• Student driven with an emphasis on self
determination.
• Career Exploration
• Work Readiness Skill Development
• Work Based Learning
• Real work for real pay
• Building Partnerships
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SCANS (Secretary’s Commission on Achieving
Necessary Skills)
The Secretary's Commission on Achieving
Necessary Skills (SCANS) identifies the
level of skills required to enter
employment, including
• define the skills needed for employment;
• propose acceptable levels of proficiency;
• suggest effective ways to assess
proficiency.
http://wdr.doleta.gov/SCANS/
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Models and Programs
Utilized by 2014-15
Employment Grantees
Pittsburgh Public School District
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START ON SUCCESS PROGRAM
 Designed primarily for students with learning disabilities in grades 10th –
12th who require minimum supports
 Links instruction with community activities
 Primary goal: Increase the career potential of students with disabilities,
and prepare them for competitive employment after high school
 Incorporates:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Career portfolios
Resume Development
Career Assessment
Service Learning
Mentorship
Decision Makers Class at CMU
Paid Internship
Presentations/Celebrations
3 YEAR PLAN
10th Grade
• Daily Career Development Class
• Ongoing Transition Assessment
• Service Learning Project
11th Grade
•
•
•
•
•
Daily Career Development Class
Ongoing Transition Assessment
8 week community mentorship (3 hours/day, 1 day/week)
Carnegie Mellon University Decision Makers Class
Summer Employment Opportunities
12th Grade
•
•
•
•
•
Daily Career Development Class
Ongoing Transition Assessment
Leadership Development Opportunities
Post-secondary exploration activities
Paid Internships (2 hrs/day, 5 days/week) - funded through local Workforce Investment Board
***Students are followed and supported 1 year following exit from school.
COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES
 Service Learning Project – 10th grade, 2nd semester
o
o
Students decide on group project to improve their own neighborhood
Teaches student to give back to the community – should be a lifelong process
 Mentorships – 11th grade, 1st semester
o
o
o
8 weeks, 3 hours/week
Often the first experience to the world of work
Not always matched to student interest, goal is to provide a picture of what a successful business looks like
 College Experiences – 11th and 12th grades
o
o
Opportunity to participate in a Carnegie Mellon University Class, Decision Makers
 Mentoring program
 Promotes self-determination and decision making
Opportunity to participate in the PAS (Promoting Academic Success) Program at local community college
 Dual enrollment, 1-3 credits
 Internships – 12th grade
o
o
o
o
Students work 2 hours/day at a community worksite
Paid $7.25/hour
Travel Independently
Real work for Real pay
COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES
 Service Learning Project – 10th grade, 2nd semester
o
o
Students decide on group project to improve their own neighborhood
Teaches student to give back to the community – should be a lifelong process
 Mentorships – 11th grade, 1st semester
o
o
o
8 weeks, 3 hours/week
Often the first experience to the world of work
Not always matched to student interest, goal is to provide a picture of what a successful business looks like
 College Experiences – 11th and 12th grades
o
o
Opportunity to participate in a Carnegie Mellon University Class, Decision Makers
 Mentoring program
 Promotes self-determination and decision making
Opportunity to participate in the PAS (Promoting Academic Success) Program at local community college
 Dual enrollment, 1-3 credits
 Internships – 12th grade
o
o
o
o
Students work 2 hours/day at a community worksite
Paid $7.25/hour
Travel Independently
Real work for Real pay
PDE GRANT ~ 3 COHORTS (N=28)
11th Grade
12th Grade
(Current SOS Model)
(Current SOS Model)
•n=10
• Follow existing 3 year
program model
• Daily Work Readiness
elective course
• 8-week (1 day/week)
community mentorship
experience
• Enhanced community
employment exploration
• Increased communitybased assessment
• Increased focus on personcentered planning
• n=10
• Follow existing 3 year
program model
• Daily Work Readiness
elective course
• Paid daily internship (M-F,
2 hrs/day). Site
determined by student
interest
• Increased focus on personcentered planning
12th Grade – OCA students
(Emotional Support Expansion
Model)
• n=8
• Development of new oneyear model
• Phase I: Work Readiness
Instruction and Transition
Assessment
• Phase II: CommunityBased Work Experience.
Supported by job coach
• Phase III: Follow up
support
• Focus on person-centered
planning (RENEW)
KEY COMPONENTS
 Instruction:

Daily Work Readiness Instruction (classroom and community-based)
 Assessment:

Follow existing SOS assessment protocol, additional emotional and behavioral assessments
adopted for the Expansion Model
 Career Portfolio Development:



Who am I?
What have I Accomplished?
What do I want to Become?
 Person-Centered Planning:

RENEW Training
 Community-Based Work Experience:

Paid and unpaid internships, assessment, exploration, skill building, competitive employment
 Follow-up Services:

1 year post-graduation
RENEW MODEL
“RENEW is a structured school-to-career
transition planning and individualized
wraparound process for youth with
emotional and behavioral challenges.”
http://www.iod.unh.edu/Projects/renew/renew_main.aspx
PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS (N=28)
Gender
Race
African American
4%
7%
46%
Female
Male
Caucasian
25%
54%
64%
Multi-Racial
Hispanic
Disability Classification
Specific Learning Disability
4%
Emotional Disturbance
11%
39%
21%
25%
Other Health Impairment
Intellectual Disability
Traumatic Brain Injury
SCHOOL PARTICIPATION DATA– GRANT PARTICIPANTS
(N=28)
Grade Point Average n=28
Attendance % in School n=28
90.0%
4
89.0%
88.8%
88.0%
3
87.0%
86.0%
85.0%
2.52
85.9%
2.62
2
84.0%
83.0%
1
82.0%
81.0%
80.0%
0
BASELINE
FINAL
BASELINE
FINAL
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
 Partners: University of Pittsburgh,
Carnegie Mellon University, UPMC,
Allegheny General Hospital, City of
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
Offices and many other community
businesses
 Worksites: Carpentry, Plumbing,
Landscaping, Mailing Services,
Payroll, Nursing, Patient Escort,
Radiology, Physical Therapy,
Security, Clerical, Food Service,
Childcare and many other worksites
SOS TODAY
 Serving 150+ students in 10th–12th grades across 7 of
the District’s high schools
 60 students (12th grades) working in community internships
 Community Partnerships
 61 different mentorship placements
 55 different internship placements
 Program Outcomes (2003-present)
 95% of SOS students have graduated from high school
 74% are employed and/or enrolled in post-secondary
education 3 months after graduation
Models and Programs
Utilized by 2014-15
Employment Grantees
Community Integrated Services
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Discovery and Assessment
•
Discovery involves observation and exploration through active participation in
various community, home, and work settings that match the individual’s career
interests, support needs, family resources, and skills.
•
Discovery typically takes 6-8 weeks to complete
•
Assessment provides individuals opportunity to be exposed to many different
types of jobs and perform tasks in real work environments under actual work
conditions.
•
In Assessment, a variety of environments are explored and information is
provided about student’s observed interests, skills, environmental
preferences, needed supports, etc.
•
During this process, Social Security benefits counseling is provided to the
family in order for individual and family to make an informed decision about
future employment goals.
•
Assessment and Discovery are different processes but not mutually exclusive
of each other
What We Need To Accomplish During Discovery
• Ideal conditions of employment
– Skills and Talents
– Motivation to work
– Support needs
– Best environmental fit
– Interests
• Social Network
• Vocational Themes
• Transportation Options and Considerations
**More flexibility/time when individual is in school**
Part 1 of Discovery
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Explain process
Gather Team
Schedule 1st meeting
Tour the neighborhood (community mapping)
Meet with the individual & family
Interview other people
Identify several familiar activities
Identify unfamiliar places and activities
Begin the Discovery Staging Record (DSR)
Part 2 of Discovery
• Further develop Vocational Themes
• Research businesses that match with interests, talents
& skills
• Contact businesses for informational interviews and
job trials (assessment)
• Develop work trials at businesses of interest
• Finalize and Refine Themes
• Create List of 20
• Ongoing process – move into job development or
continued job trials/assessment?
Wrapping up Discovery
• Finish Staging Record using the information
gathered during Discovering Personal Genius
(DPG).
• Identify ideal conditions for employment
• Reference the three themes and the list of 60
jobs where interests, tasks, contributions,
skills, and overall conditions match.
• Job Development plan – capitalize on work
trials
Eric D: Kensington Health Sciences
• MH
• Spanish spoken at home
• Started assessment/Discovery:
2/12/5
• Themes:
Carpentry/Woodworking/
Construction, and Animals
• Job Development start date:
4/8 and 4/15 with parent and
principal interviews
• Graduating June 2015: paid
apprenticeship with carpenter
• Bike donated for job accessibility
• open case with OVR
• Received benefits counseling
Eric M : Kensingt o n Heal t h Sciences
• SLD
• Spanish spoken at home
• Started assessment/Discovery: 2/13-3/25
• Themes: Sports, Animals, Clothing/Shoes
• Employment placement/start date:
• Coach met with site 3/26 for
informational interview at vet clinic in
neighborhood
• Interviewed on 4/8, offered job on 4/9,
started 4/12 with staff meeting
• Graduating June 2015 working 16+
hours/week
• OVR open case for follow along
• Received benefits counseling
J o r g e R : Kensingt o n Heal th Sciences
• Intellectual
Disability
• Spanish spoken
at home
• Started assessment/Discovery:
2/10/15
• Themes: Working outside,
Working with hands/heavy
lifting, and Cars
• Internship placement/ start
date: developed 3/31 and
started 4/7 at Greensgrow
2x/week
• Results to date: OJT for summer
job in warehousing (POJA) –
start date in July
• Received benefits counseling
Wrap up
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Contact Information
Michael Stoehr
mstoehr@pattan.net
412-826-6864
www.pattan.net