Supported Employment VISTA

Currently I am working on supported employment with a new case management worker Felicia Roberts of the Ability Alliance of West Alabama. We are focusing our efforts in the counties of Bibb and Pickens primarily and some of Tuscaloosa County as well.

What is supported employment?
Supported employment is employment in which there is:
Case managers that ensure consumer job stability through provision of continual support
-Job coach training will be administered
-Monthly tracking reports are conducted
-Employment is paid and competitive in wage
-On site job training
-No fee to any employer
This is the basic understanding of what supported employment is and the Ability Alliance has 25 job referrals for people who are ready to work from Bibb and Pickens County. The referrals that we have received needing employment are in need of supports such as job coaching, training, job task management, and also medicaid/medicare health coverage. Supports can from many areas such as family, co-workers, bosses, case managers, etc. I also can be a support for the clients of Ability Alliance as a VISTA member and will be a supported employment volunteer to assist people in their work schedules. I make up work tasks for people with pictures within the tasks so that people with intellectual disabilities that are working, but can't read will be able to understand what they need to do with proper job coaching and training. I am getting certified as a job coach this month and go for job coach training on March 24th along a couple other case managers from the Ability Alliance of West Alabama. I will learn about on the job training which is job training by co-workers directly working with employees with intellectual disabilities but not needing to give them job coaching. I also will learn about on the job employment which is when employers will directly train their employees with intellectual disabilities until they no longer need the support or for the duration of their employment. Below are a few videos on how supported employment works and information on the job coaching training seminar that I will be participating in for three days.

Choosing Supported Employment

Certificate Based Job Coach Training

This training is designed for Counselors, Social Workers, Job Coaches and other rehabilitation professionals working in supported employment and other disability related fields.

TRAINERS: Howard Green, Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling
Vicki Brooke M.Ed., Special Education
March 24 – 26, 2010
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
TRAINING SITE: Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, Conference Room
1305 37th Street East, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35403
205-554-1300
This program is offered for 16.5 Continuing Education Credits (16.5 clock hours)
This program is co-sponsored by the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, by Alabama APSE(Associated Persons for Supported Employment), The Network on Employment and the Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities. The Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation is an approved provider of continuing education for Social Workers in the State of Alabama through the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners; is an NBCC Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and a co-sponsor of this event/program. The Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation may award NBCC approved clock hours for events or programs that meet NBCC requirements. The ACEP maintains responsibility for the content of this event.