Christian worked for almost 20 years in a sheltered workshop. After leaving the workshop, his parents and sister connected with Job Squad, asking “Can Christian work?”
Using strategies developed during the Office of Disability Employment Policy’s Customized Employment Initiative, and with Technical Assistance (T/A) support from David Hammis, Start-Up USA’s co-director of national Technical Assistance, Christian and his employment staff spent time learning about Christian’s interests, abilities, and needs by exploring his preferences and relationships in the local community. They eventually returned to the first location visited, Valley World’s of Fun, using a family connection as an introduction.
Christian and his staff observed and analyzed the work that occurred there, looking for duties and tasks that interested and “fit” him. Negotiations ensued with the business owner, Mr. Bob Martin (pictured with Christian), focusing on customizing ways that Christian and the business could meet each other’s needs. During these negotiations, the business owner shared his need for a ticket-counter machine that would save the business money. Ultimately, a job was created by reassigning duties (coin removal from arcade games, set up for dinner buffets, removing tickets from a ticket-counter machine, light cleaning tasks, and other duties) and also utilizing resource ownership techniques using a Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS).
Multiple braids of funding were used: Vocational Rehabilitation provided work counseling; Medicaid is funding initial job coaching, which will fade eventually to PASS-funded co-worker supports and then to natural co-worker supports; PASS is also funding the purchase of the equipment and some transportation; a grant from the WV Developmental Disability Council introduced Job Squad, Inc. to the Start-Up USA partner; Job Squad, Inc. will access Ticket to Work funding as an Employment Network; and lastly, the employer provided funding by initially purchasing the resource, with Christian using his PASS buy the equipment from the employer.
Christian is now working 18 hours a week and plans to be working full-time—picking up new duties and learning new skills—by the summer of 2010!
Using strategies developed during the Office of Disability Employment Policy’s Customized Employment Initiative, and with Technical Assistance (T/A) support from David Hammis, Start-Up USA’s co-director of national Technical Assistance, Christian and his employment staff spent time learning about Christian’s interests, abilities, and needs by exploring his preferences and relationships in the local community. They eventually returned to the first location visited, Valley World’s of Fun, using a family connection as an introduction.
Christian and his staff observed and analyzed the work that occurred there, looking for duties and tasks that interested and “fit” him. Negotiations ensued with the business owner, Mr. Bob Martin (pictured with Christian), focusing on customizing ways that Christian and the business could meet each other’s needs. During these negotiations, the business owner shared his need for a ticket-counter machine that would save the business money. Ultimately, a job was created by reassigning duties (coin removal from arcade games, set up for dinner buffets, removing tickets from a ticket-counter machine, light cleaning tasks, and other duties) and also utilizing resource ownership techniques using a Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS).
Multiple braids of funding were used: Vocational Rehabilitation provided work counseling; Medicaid is funding initial job coaching, which will fade eventually to PASS-funded co-worker supports and then to natural co-worker supports; PASS is also funding the purchase of the equipment and some transportation; a grant from the WV Developmental Disability Council introduced Job Squad, Inc. to the Start-Up USA partner; Job Squad, Inc. will access Ticket to Work funding as an Employment Network; and lastly, the employer provided funding by initially purchasing the resource, with Christian using his PASS buy the equipment from the employer.
Christian is now working 18 hours a week and plans to be working full-time—picking up new duties and learning new skills—by the summer of 2010!
