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Work Toolkit:

Work Toolkit

  1. Prepare yourself
  2. Supporting people
  3. Supporting people on waivers
    1. The Engage Plan Find Keep framework
    2. Roles and responsibilities
    3. E1MN training
  4. Hands-on tools
  5. E1MN partnership
3

E1MN training

VRS/SSB job placement providers

Guidance for supervisors

Job placement providers are service providers contracted by VRS/SSB to help people secure competitive integrated employment. Job placement providers also deliver initial job supports and may or may not be responsible for ongoing supports to help the person keep the job.

Supervisors can easily add the training for “VRS/SSB job placement providers” provided on this site to new staff training and ongoing staff professional development. As you consider ways to incorporate the training, keep in mind you can assign staff pieces of the training over time; you do not need to do it all at once. Begin with the responsibilities and activities that are most critical for your staff.

The training for each responsibility has three of the following sections that encourage staff to:

  • Learn: Readings and videos to engage staff in learning the topic.
  • Reflect: A short quiz to reinforce the learning.
  • Do: Activities staff can do to practice what they've learned (only in one responsibility).

You can use the ideas, guidance, and tips on this page to help your staff become experts at their responsibilities in the E1MN partnership supporting people on waivers with work.

The training can be used for a variety of purposes including onboarding new staff and professional development for current staff.

Prior to debriefing an activity with staff:

  • Complete the steps under Learn for the assigned responsibility,
  • Complete the activity you assigned to staff,
  • Then review the answer key to prepare for debriefing.

Tips for supervisors can be found below under each responsibility.

Have new staff complete the steps under Learn, the quiz under Reflect, and the activities under Do (if any) for all four responsibilities in this path. With new staff, review the correct answers, discuss questions they missed, and point out key takeaways.

Recommendation: Budget 4 hours for staff to complete the steps under Learn and the activities under Do for all six responsibilities in this path (ranging from 30–90 minutes per responsibility).

Have current staff complete the steps under Learn, the quiz under Reflect, and the activities under DO (if any) for one responsibility. At a staff meeting, review the quiz and activity answers, discuss questions they missed, and point out key takeaways.

Recommendation: Start with the first responsibility in the path, then assign each subsequent responsibility in chronological order for the next four staff meetings. Budget 5-10 minutes to debrief a quiz or activity during a staff meeting.

Have current staff complete the steps under Learn, the quiz under Reflect, and the activities under Do (if any) for one responsibility a week until they have completed all four responsibilities in this path (4 weeks to complete). Schedule a meeting to debrief all four responsibilities in this path with staff. At the meeting, review the correct answers, discuss questions they missed, and point out key takeaways.

Recommendation: Plan for 30-60 minutes to debrief all the responsibilities in the path, approximately 15 minutes per responsibility.

Self-assessment

You and your staff can take the self-assessment to determine your knowledge about providing VRS/SSB job placement services. Use the incorrect responses to help inform professional development goals.

Create a job placement plan with the person and the VRS/SSB counselor

During the find phase, VRS/SSB job placement providers help a person create a job placement plan in coordination with the VRS/SSB counselor. This plan guides the delivery of job search services. The VRS/SSB counselor will invite the VRS/SSB job placement provider to a Placement Plan Meeting, sharing information about the person (e.g., work goals, relevant assessments, sample job applications, etc.) with the provider prior to the meeting.

During the Placement Plan Meeting, details about the person’s work goal (e.g., skills, job goal, wage range, hours per week, etc.) are discussed. Additionally, roles and responsibilities of each team member are discussed. The Placement Plan Meeting marks the beginning of job placement services, and a 60-day meeting is scheduled to check on progress.

Click on the accordion below to view the supervisor tips:

Supervisor tips:

Promote business engagement and help the person find employment

Job placement providers develop relationships with local businesses and help manage customized opportunities, modifications and accommodations to ensure employment success. Job placement providers also identify and develop appropriate job opportunities and help people create or update resumes, learn logistic and interpersonal skills, complete job applications and pre-employment tests, prepare for job interviews, and draft cover and thank you letters. Providers also help employers eliminate barriers to competitive integrated employment and job advancement.

Click on the accordion below to view the supervisor tips:

Supervisor tips:

Deliver initial job supports

Job placement providers deliver initial supports until employment stability is ensured, and then facilitate the transition to ongoing waiver employment supports (if needed). Follow up services require regular check-ins with the individual to assist the person’s adjustment to competitive integrated employment. The VRS/SSB job placement provider assists the person with initial orientation and onboarding (as appropriate). The VRS/SSB job placement provider identifies any areas of concern or additional services needed to maintain or advance in employment (e.g., job coaching, reasonable accommodations, assistive technology, assistance with interpersonal communication).

Follow up services also include communicating with the employer (if appropriate) to ensure that essential performance standards are being met and offer assistance and resources to facilitate adjustment to the new position.

Click on the accordion below to view the supervisor tips:

Supervisor tips:

Collaborating with other professionals

During the job search process, job placement providers give monthly updates to the person’s VRS/SSB counselor. They may also participate in or provide information for IEP and/or other meetings. Key points of collaboration for job placement providers include helping the person use My Vault to store and share information and reviewing items shared through the Vault or by other employment team members.

Click on the accordions below to view supervisor tips:

Supervisor tips:

Supervisor tips:

  • Complete the activities to prepare for reviewing and reflecting with staff.
  • When reviewing with staff, have “Using My Vault to support people” open and ready to refer to during your discussion.
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