Supporting Students to Discover aPath to Employment

October 14, 2015NCED HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER

NORMAN, OK 73071

10th Annual Oklahoma Transition Institute (OTI)Fostering Independence in Transition-Aged Youth

1

Session Outcomes

1. Creative planning strategies to consider for all students with disabilities

2. Ensure robust transition services and healthy local partnerships between education, vocational rehabilitation and the DDS system

3. National perspective on current federal regulations influencing Oklahoma school-based teams

2

3

*High school students with developmental disabilities are

expected and supported to get and keep jobs; leave school with a job; and

are identified as essential to Oklahoma’s workforce.

4*Adapted from another state

Transition Years

• Ages 16-21 • Achievement of specific

student objectives • Post-school employment

plan

5

6

Employment Services Options Cross-Systems

Vocational or Career Profile Development, Discovery. Services: Career Planning and Prevocational Services (time-limited)

Job Search/Job Development

Job Start

Job Stabilization

Job Retention

Long Term Follow Along

In the case of job in jeopardy-VR can temporarily re-open (any time)

Services provided by more than one system can easily be sequenced to support a person and their family in a job search. People can start at any point and can begin in school services, DDS services or DVR services.

Early exposure

Goal: Employment and Fading Supports

What services are available?

• Education-based Transition Services (through public school)

• Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS)

• Pre-Employment Services through Department of Human Services (OKDHS)/ Developmental Disability Services (DDS)

7

Discussion

• Students and families• School staff• VR staff• DDS staff

8

• What does “success” look like?

• How do you know if the supports have been effective?

Discussion

• What would you try?• What new ideas did you hear?• What would it take to implement something new?

9

These efforts lead to…

• Early connection of students with developmental disabilities to workforce support systems

• Increased job experience and training for transition-age students • Use of job market and workforce trends to assist students in preparing for

employment at matriculation • Coordination of resources from state and local workforce entities in the

objective of employment for transition students • Communication of successful student achievement of jobs • Publication of the results, including, at a minimum, data on jobs achieved,

hours worked, and wages earned • Disseminate information and provide technical assistance about best

practices statewide

10WA Jobs by 21 Fact Sheet January 2008

11

For More InformationSuzzanne Freeze, Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI)/School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD)/University of Massachusetts Boston, suzzanne.freeze@umb.edu, 617.287.4395

Rie Kennedy-Lizotte, National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disability Services, rklizotte@nasddds.org, 703.683.4202 Regina Chace, Programs Supervisor, Developmental Disabilities Services / Oklahoma Department of Human Services Regina.Chace@okdhs.org, 405.521.4973