An Ideal Union: Job Placement and Vocational Evaluation Debra Homa - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

An Ideal Union: Job Placement and Vocational Evaluation

Debra Homa Ph.D., CRC, CVE, PVE, Juliet Fried Ed.D., CRC, CVE, PVE, Paige Tidwell MRC, CRC, CVE, LPC, PVE and Shawn L. Zimmerman M.S. CRC, CVE, PVE

Purpose and Objectives of Today’s Presentation

Purpose:

• To highlight the value of the partnership between the disciplines of vocational evaluation

and job placement. Objectives:

• To learn how assessments that are individualized to the consumer provide effective

recommendations for ideal employment conditions and the supports needed.

• To gain knowledge of the importance of the partnership between the assessment specialist

and the job placement specialist.

• To learn of different examples of assessment and placement strategies, to include Discovery

and Customized Employment, that maximize employment outcomes.

Definition of Career Development

• The exploration and awareness of various occupations to form a personal work

identity in one or more occupational areas in order to pursue and advance through positions related to these areas.

• Factors Influencing Career Development:

(1) Personal Characteristics (2) Socio-Economic Factors (3) Physical, Mental & Emotional Abilities (4) Chance Factors

Vocational Assessment vs. Vocational Evaluation

Assessment: Refers to the Bigger Picture– looks at the person as a whole– can be a process over time Their work/training background, medical factors, psychological history, educational background, work skills & abilities, adaptive functioning, general functioning Evaluation: Refers to investigating the individual’s employment related characteristics Characteristics important to getting a job and keeping a job-interests, job skills, motivation, support needs

Vocational Evaluation Assessment Appraisal

Levels of Vocational Assessment

Level I: Screening “The initial process designed to arrive at a decision for vocational planning. This approach may consist of interviews, functional assessment, limited standardized testing, collecting and analyzing background

• information. It is used to assess one or two specific skills related to a specific vocational option.”

Level II: Clinical/Exploratory “A process to further investigate vocationally relevant information. It may include additional interviewing, additional vocational counseling, additional standardized testing, transferable skills analysis and/or job

• matching. Adaptive transferable skills are usually not an issue. Vocational options are not yet known.”

Level III: Vocational Evaluation “A comprehensive process when more in-depth information is needed beyond Levels I and II that systematically uses work to assist individual’s vocational development and career decision making. The process can use work samples, standardized tests, situational assessments, behavioral observation, community based assessment, transferable skill analysis, job matching and background analysis. Adaptive and functional transferable skills are questionable or not known.”

Vocational Evaluation/Assessment Analyzes & Synthesizes Disability Related Issues

Cognitive : measures learning style, memory, academic ability & aptitude & other areas of executive functioning Sensory/Perceptual: visual motor integration, tactile discrimination, visual processing, hearing, spatial abilities Psychomotor: fine & gross motor function, balance, psychomotor aptitudes Exertional Capacity: sustained mental and physical activity in a fixed period of time Emotional: ability to follow work schedule, respond to workplace stress, interact with public, co-workers & supervisors, meet production demands Activities of Daily Living: are there limitations impacting attendance, being punctual or

• verall performance

Other: entering or return to work issues-age, family illness, transportation, criminal history, support system

Purpose of Vocational Assessment/Evaluation in Rehabilitation

• Basis for planning a course of action (IPE)
• Enhance self-knowledge & vocational decision-making abilities of consumer
• Identify functional capacities, strengths, limitations & preferences of

consumer

• Predict attainable employment outcomes to result in successful rehabilitation
• f consumer
• Relate abilities to the job market or opportunities for customization

Definitions of Job Development & Placement

• Job Development: Creating job opportunities for employers and people

with disabilities.

• Job Placement: Assisting people with disabilities to find and retain

employment. “The constellation of rehabilitation services that relate to employment and integration into the workplace” - Vandergoot, Staniszewski, and Merlo (1992)

Purpose of Job Placement in Rehabilitation

• Service to consumer (by informed choice) and employer to work towards successful

employment outcomes

• Ensure employers follow state and federal requirements
• Assist employers to meet their Human Resources needs
• Meaningful work experiences for transitional youth
• Work with Rehabilitation Counselor and Assessment Specialists to understand labor

market demands

• Serve as linking employers to workplace accommodations

Commonalities Between Assessment & Placement

• Successful employment for people with

disabilities (PWD) through informed choice

• Utilizing occupational information

including labor market data

• Promoting strengths of PWD as

potential employees including soft skills

• Identifying reasonable accommodations

and assistive technology

• Promoting positive attitudes about

PWD

• Use of Social Security work incentives
• Person x Environment Fit
• Holistic view of functional capacities

and barriers

• Individualized/person-centered

Research

• VR consumers more likely to achieve a successful outcome when

recommendations in vocational evaluation report were implemented (Brown, McDaniel, & King, 1995, Kosciulek, 1991; Marut & Bullis, 1985; Ward-Ross, 1985)

• Consumers with significant employment barriers were more likely to achieve

employment when received both VE and placement services (Homa, 2009)

• Vocational assessment to predict job retention after training completion --

predictive accuracy was over 90% (Meade & Hoine, 1995)

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Environment

Job requirements Physical demands Work conditions Social aspects Organizational factors Congruence

• r “Fit”

Between Both

Assistive Technology Job Modifications Adjustment Services Job Coaching Other interventions and supports

Worker

Abilities Interests Transferable skills Work personality Work behavior Needs/values

Assessment/Evaluation Strategies

Job Match

Transferrable Skills Analysis Labor Market Demands Vocational Evaluation Accommodation- Support Needs

Job Development & Placement Strategies

Successful Employment

Self-Placers Referral to existing job Networking and relationship building Customized

Partnerships Between Assessment & Job Placement Specialists

• Potential for mutual benefit
• Valuing each other’s expertise
• Effective collaboration
• Support planning
• Risk reduction for employers
• Developing employer partnerships

Partnerships Between Assessment & Job Placement Specialists (con’t)

Person Centered Planning- an assessment strategy to support job development

• Ideal employment conditions
• Work interests and preferences
• Strengths & skills to match employer needs
• Resources to support job search
• Assessment results in a profile and job search plan to aid job development,

negotiation and customization

Partnerships Between Assessment & Job Placement Specialists (con’t)

• Customized Employment uses person centered planning tools such as

Discovery and Discovering Your Personal Genius

• Individual Placement & Supports ( IPS) uses Vocational Profile to begin

this evidence based Supported Employment model for individuals with Severe, Persistent Mental Illness ( SPMI)

Examples of Partnerships

• Do you have specific examples of partnerships in your State?
• Virginia

Questions

Contact Information

Debra Homa Ph.D., CRC, CVE, PVE: homad@uwstout.edu Juliet Fried Ed.D., CRC, CVE, PVE: juliet.fried@unco.edu Paige Tidwell MRC, CRC, CVE, LPC, PVE: paige.tidwell@gvra.ga.gov Shawn L. Zimmerman M.S. CRC, CVE, PVE: shawn.zimmerman@dars.virginia.gov