**T-TAP**

**Training and Technical Assistance for Providers**

**Community Rehabilitation Programs and Organizational Change:**

**A Mentor Guide to Increase Customized Employment Outcomes**

John Butterworth

Cecilia Gandolfo

Institute for Community Inclusion, University of Massachusetts Boston

W. Grant Revell

Katherine J. Inge

Virginia Commonwealth University

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| ![](m     | #                                                        |
| edia/imag |                                                          |
| e1.png){w | ##                                                       |
| idth="0.7 | Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department  |
| 361111111 | of Labor  Virginia Commonwealth University  Institute fo |
| 111112in" | r Community Inclusion University of Massachusetts Boston |
| hei       |                                                          |
| ght="1.86 |                                                          |
| 111111111 |                                                          |
| 11112in"} |                                                          |
+-----------+----------------------------------------------------------+

This manual was developed by T-TAP, funded by a cooperative agreement
from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment
Policy (#E-9-4-2-01217). The opinions expressed herein do not
necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of
Labor, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or
organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Labor.

**Table of Contents**

> Acknowledgments
>
> Section 1: Overview of T-TAP Mentor Guide
>
> Section 2: Mentorship as an Approach to Supporting Organizational
> Change
>
> Section 3: Lessons Learned about Organizational Change
>
> Section 4: Supporting Organizational Restructuring
>
> Section 5: Elements of Employment Services Change
>
> Section 6: Summary: Lessons Learned in Building Effective Mentor
> Relationships
>
> Appendices
>
> Appendix 1: List of Mentor Organizations and Mentors
>
> Appendix 2: List of Technical Assistance Recipients
>
> Appendix 3: Technical Assistance Resources

1.  Data Collection Tools Overview

2.  Staff Time Log

3.  Organizational Survey

4.  Individual Consumer Outcomes Log

5.  Initial Site Visit Outline

> Appendix 4: Strategies to Address Barriers to Organizational Change
>
> Appendix 5: Strategies to Address Barriers to Employment for
> Individuals with Disabilities
>
> Appendix 6: T-TAP Fact Sheets

**Acknowledgments**

T-TAP had a rare opportunity to team up with a really strong group of
collaborators that served as mentors and formed the CRP Leadership
Network. Our mentors included Beth Durkee, Lance Elwood, Nancy
Brooks-Lane, Suzanne Hutcheson, Don Lavin, John Luna, Jim Meehan, Bob
Niemiec, Corey Smith, and Peggy Terhune. This outstanding group of
individuals provided valuable time, experiences, and insights that the
project staff alone could not have provided. Each individual donated
countless hours to support the agencies that received technical
assistance from the project. We cannot thank them enough for the
services and contributions that they made.

T-TAP also would like to thank the staff members from the mentor
organizations who committed their time and expertise to the project.
This includes but is not limited to Doug Crandall from Cobb and Douglas
Counties, Jeff Hooke and Lee Hockridge from KFI, and Melinda Shamp from
Rise, Inc.

We would like to extend a special thanks to Jim Meehan, Jeff Hooke, Lee
Hockridge Nancy Brookes-Lane, Peggy Terhune, and Bob Niemiec. These
individuals helped us by contributing case study examples and reviewing
this Guide. Special thanks also go to Colleen Condon and Lara Enein
Donovan who worked as technical assistance staff on the T-TAP project.
Their assistance in the development of technical assistance process
described in this guide was invaluable.

There would not have been a Mentor Guide without the community
rehabilitation programs that applied for and received technical
assistance from T-TAP. Their commitment for change laid the foundation
for this document. The CRPs that we particularly want to thank include
AtWork, Babcock Center, Charles River Industries, Cranston ARC, Coastal
Center for Developmental Services (CCDS), Inc., EmployAbility, Inc.,
Friendship, Inc., Hi-Hope Service Center, Home of Hope, Inc., Humboldt
Community Access & Resource Center (HCAR), Leslie and Rosalie Anixter
Center, Magic Valley Rehabilitation Services (MVRS), The Arc of DC, and
The Arc Northern Chesapeake. There are too many dedicated staff members
from these CRPs to mention all that participated in the organizational
change efforts. But, this Guide could not have been written without
their commitment to the employment of individuals with disabilities.
This includes but is not limited to: Wanda Bohnstedt, Terri Dearman,
Monita Ellis, Julie Grigsba, Linda Hughes, Faythe S. Merket, Dori
Leslie, and Mary Lou Meccariello, Wendy Randall, John Randall, Merv
Sullivan, Dawn Venne, Carol Woodworth.

Finally, we would like to acknowledge the support of the Office of
Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). This Guide would not exist without
the assistance of the ODEP staff. We particularly would like to
recognize and thank Faith Kirk, Christopher Button, Richard Horne, and
Susan Picerno who provided on-going support to the project over the five
years of funding.

**Overview of T-TAP Mentor Guide**

In 2002, The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment
Policy (ODEP) announced the availability of funds to support a National
Training Technical Assistance for Providers (T-TAP) project. The goal of
the project was to assist Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs) in
facilitating integrated employment / customized employment outcomes for
individuals served by these programs. Virginia Commonwealth University
(VCU) in partnership with the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at
the University of Massachusetts Boston submitted a proposal and was
awarded the cooperative agreement in October of 2002.

For the purpose of this guide, customized employment is defined as a
process for individualizing the employment relationship between an
employee and an employer in ways that meet the needs of both. Customized
employment is based on an individualized negotiation between the
strengths, conditions and interests of the person with a disability and
the identified business needs of the employer or the self-employment
business chosen by the job seeker. Job negotiation uses job development
or restructuring strategies that result in responsibilities being
customized and individually negotiated to fit the requirements of the
job. For more information on customized employment, please refer to the
fact sheets in the appendix of this guide.

A key component of the proposal submitted by VCU and ICI was the
identification of successful CRPs in the United States who would provide
technical assistance to other providers. This network of exemplary
programs was identified using a "snowball" strategy in which programs
were nominated for consideration by nationally known consultants to VCU
and ICI. VCU and ICI then selected 10 CRPs based on these
recommendations and their exemplary track records of facilitating
customized employment outcomes. These mentor organizations demonstrated
expertise in implementing customized employment and in facilitating
organizational change with a goal of expanding customized employment
opportunities. Named the Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP)
Leadership Network, these leaders or "mentors" were used extensively
throughout the five years of the project to provide training and
technical assistance.

More specifically, the 10 CRPs were known for converting their programs
from using a certificate under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards
Act (FLSA). Or, the CRPs had made substantial progress in reducing the
number of individuals paid a special minimum wage who were served by
their agencies. As clarification, Section 14(c) of the FLSA authorizes
employers, after receiving a certificate from the Department of Labor\'s
Wage and Hour Division, to pay special minimum wages, less than the
Federal minimum wage, to workers who have disabilities for the work
being performed.[^1] The T-TAP CRP mentors and their agencies were as
follows.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **T-TAP CRP Leadership Mentors and Agencies**                         |
+=======================================================================+
| > [Nancy Brooks-Lane]{.underline}, Cobb-Douglas Counties Community    |
| > Services Boards in Smyna, GA                                        |
| >                                                                     |
| > [Beth Durkee]{.underline}, Allegan County Community Mental Health   |
| > in Allegan, MI                                                      |
| >                                                                     |
| > [Lance Elwood]{.underline}, Career Support Systems, Inc in          |
| > Richmond, VA                                                        |
| >                                                                     |
| > [Suzanne Hutcheson]{.underline}, HPS, Helping People Succeed, Inc   |
| > in Stuart, FL.                                                      |
| >                                                                     |
| > [Don Lavin]{.underline}, Rise, Inc in Spring Lake, MN               |
| >                                                                     |
| > [John Luna]{.underline}, Career Design & Development Services in    |
| > Dallas, TX                                                          |
| >                                                                     |
| > [Jim Meehan]{.underline}, KFI in Millinocket, ME                    |
| >                                                                     |
| > [Bob Niemiec]{.underline}, Community Involvement Programs in        |
| > Minneapolis, MN                                                     |
| >                                                                     |
| > [Corey Smith]{.underline}, Via of Lehigh Valley in Bethlehem, PA    |
| >                                                                     |
| > [Peggy Terhune]{.underline}, The Arc of Stanly County, Inc in       |
| > Albermarle, NC                                                      |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

This Mentor Guide was developed based on the experiences of the T-TAP
mentors and project staff as they provided technical assistance and
training to providers that applied for and were awarded assistance from
T-TAP. A total of 15 CRPs received intensive support. One provider
withdrew from the program, since it was not in a position to promote
organizational change.

CRPs were selected through a national call for proposals process. Each
selected CRP received a detailed organizational assessment,
consultation, and training over a two-year period. Each organization was
matched to a mentor from the CRP Leadership Network, based on the
organizational assessment and expressed needs of the organization. The
14 organizations that were awarded technical assistance and received
support from the CRP mentors were as follows:

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **Mentee Organizations Receiving Technical Assistance**               |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| -   AtWork! in Issaquah, WA                                           |
|                                                                       |
| -   Babcock Center in Columbia, SC                                    |
|                                                                       |
| -   Charles River Industries in Needham, MA                           |
|                                                                       |
| -   Cranston ARC in Cranston, RI                                      |
|                                                                       |
| -   Coastal Center for Developmental Services (CCDS), Inc in          |
|     Savannah, GA                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| -   EmployAbility, Inc. in Bartlesville, OK                           |
|                                                                       |
| -   Friendship, Inc in Fargo, ND                                      |
|                                                                       |
| -   Hi-Hope Service Center in Lawrenceville, GA                       |
|                                                                       |
| -   Home of Hope, Inc. in Vinita, OK                                  |
|                                                                       |
| -   Humboldt Community Access & Resource Center (HCAR) in Eureka, CA  |
|                                                                       |
| -   Leslie and Rosalie Anixter Center in Chicago, IL                  |
|                                                                       |
| -   Magic Valley Rehabilitation Services (MVRS) in Twin Falls, ID     |
|                                                                       |
| -   The Arc of DC in Washington, DC                                   |
|                                                                       |
| -   The Arc Northern Chesapeake in Aberdeen, MD                       |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

Included in this resource is a detailed description of mentorship as a
key technical assistance strategy. The purpose is to provide information
to CRPs on how to approach organizational change designed to improve
employment outcomes, and in particular ways that a mentor may support
the change. The Guide is organized around five key areas:

1.  Mentorship as an Approach to Supporting Organizational Change

2.  Lessons Learned on Organizational Change

3.  Supporting Organizational Restructuring

4.  Elements of Employment Services Change

5.  Lessons Learned in Building Effective Mentor Relationships

Each topical discussion includes numerous examples of reflections by
both the mentors who provided the technical assistance and from
representatives of the mentee organizations. The Guide also contains
within the Appendices numerous examples of strategies used to address
potential issues faced during the organizational change process and in
providing employment services. A variety of technical assistance
resources and tools utilized by the mentors and T-TAP project staff
members are also included as Appendices.

**Terminology**

This manual uses the term, [customized employment]{.underline}, to refer
to a process for individualizing the employment relationship between a
job seeker or an employee and an employer in ways that meet the needs of
both. It is based on building a match between the unique strengths,
needs, and interests of the job candidate with a disability, and the
identified business needs of the employer or the self-employment
business chosen by the candidate. Implicit in this definition of
customized employment is a focus on individual job opportunities,
developed one person at a time. The terms *integrated employment* or
*integrated jobs* may also be used to more broadly describe an
individual job that is part of the general labor market where
individuals are paid at least minimum wage, on the payroll of a
community business or self employed, and are fully integrated with
coworkers and customers who do not have disabilities.

**Section 2**

**Mentorship as an Approach to Supporting Organizational Change**

**Introduction**

Mentorship is a widely accepted practice for professional development
among both the public and private sectors. Mentors serve the role of
helping individuals, organizations, and/or communities set a course
leading to their desired goals. The T-TAP project utilized a mentorship
model as a component of the overall technical assistance (TA) to
recipient agencies. TA recipients were paired with mentor agencies to
help them increase the numbers of customized employment outcomes for
people who had previously been paid under a 14(c) Special Wage
Certificate. The T-TAP CRP Leadership Network consisted of a lead staff
person within an organization that had demonstrated expertise in
implementing customized employment and in facilitating organizational
change with a goal of expanding customized employment opportunities.
During the two-year phase of TA, T-TAP staff, the mentor site, and the
TA recipient agency worked together to achieve goals set by each agency
for organizational change.

**Definition of a Mentor**

"Mentor: a trusted friend, counselor or teacher, usually a more
experienced person."[^2] In general, mentors provide personal support to
assist an individual or organization in achieving specific goals. To be
effective, a mentorship relationship requires a commitment of time and
energy from the mentor and the agency / individuals receiving support.
Some of the following characteristics usually are part of a mentor
relationship.

The relationship....[^3]:

-   Is deliberate, conscious, and voluntary.

-   May or may not have a specific time limit.

-   Is sanctioned and supported by the organization / agency by release
    time and the support of supervisors and administrators.

-   Is in alignment with the mission or vision of the organization
    receiving the support.

-   Occurs between an experienced person (the mentor) and one or more
    partners.

-   Develops between members of the receiving agency and the mentor
    external to the organization.

-   Is not one of a direct, hierarchical or supervisory
    chain-of-command.

-   Is expected to benefit all parties for growth, career development,
    lifestyle enhancement, goal achievement, and other areas mutually
    designated by the mentor and partner(s).

-   Benefits the organization within which the mentoring takes place,
    and activities occur on a one-to-one, small group, or by electronic
    or telecommunication means.

-   Focuses on interpersonal support, guidance, mutual exchange, sharing
    of wisdom, coaching, and role modeling.

**The T-TAP Mentors**

Members of the T-TAP CRP Leadership Network represented community
rehabilitation programs that had implemented a substantial
organizational change process, which resulted in expanded integrated
employment outcomes for individuals with significant disabilities. The
T-TAP mentors were selected, because they represented a broad range of
experience and expertise. They also had a willingness to share their
experiences and lessons learned with others. Each mentor organization
had a lead staff person assigned to the role of mentor, but in most
cases, more than one person from the mentor agency became involved in
working with the TA recipient.

While one mentor agency was assigned to a TA recipient, in many
instances, the members of the T-TAP Leadership Network consulted
together on specific issues/questions as they arose. A project listserv
facilitated this communication as well as telephone conversations, which
made optimal use of the broad range of mentors available. Also, T-TAP
staff members would facilitate the expertise of the various mentors as
issues surfaced. One such example occurred early in the project when the
question of unions came from one of the sites. How does one begin any
change process in a union work environment? One of the mentor agencies
had, in fact, worked through that exact issue and provided guidance to
working effectively with unions.

Mentor agencies were varied in nature. Some were small,
employment-focused programs. Others provided more comprehensive services
including residential programs and other supports. Some were rural,
while others were in more urban, culturally diverse communities. Some
worked with one predominant funding source / stream, while others had a
broad range of funders. The expertise of these agencies varied, but a
comprehensive list of needed skills and experience was developed in
order to target TA questions, as well as to guide the mentor match. Some
areas of expertise are listed below:

-   Job Development and Marketing strategies

-   Job Creation & Carving

-   Self-Employment

-   Micro-enterprise

-   Managing organization change

-   Developing & Communicating a Vision

-   Professional Development & Staff training

-   Funding: Blending & Braiding funding

-   Benefits planning, PASS Plans & IRWE utilization

-   Rural Employment

-   Collaborating with other agencies

-   Building buy-in

-   Disability Specific expertise

-   Board of Directors Development

-   Fund-raising & development initiatives

**Initiating Technical Assistance: Getting to Know the Organization**

T-TAP staff and mentors invested substantial time at the beginning of a
consultation process in learning about the organization that had
requested assistance. During the initial assessment phase, two T-TAP
staff spent two-to-three days at the agency receiving technical
assistance meeting with the full range of stakeholders. This included
program administration, staff, consumers, family members, funders, and
board members, while also visiting job sites with the employment staff.

In addition, a staff survey provided information on staff perceptions of
organizational goals and processes. All employment staff and the agency
receiving technical assistance completed a one-week log that provided a
snapshot of how staff spent their time across eight major activity
areas. The Staff Time Log is included in Appendix #3. This detailed
initial assessment of the organization allowed T-TAP staff and mentors
to develop a comprehensive knowledge of the site and to provide summary
observations and recommendations. The initial assessment also guided the
development of a technical assistance plan. During this phase, the TA
recipients were paired with a mentor agency based on the site's goals,
characteristics, and interests. This pairing took into consideration
both the needs of the site and the expertise of the mentor.

**Incorporating Mentors**

While the T-TAP staff could provide comprehensive support and assistance
to sites, there were perceived limits to that support role. Agencies
seeking TA services must balance the management of their ongoing
services with the time needed to examine their practices and explore
opportunities for improvements in their service model and the
professional development of their staff. While sensitive to the
difficulty of this situation, T-TAP staff members were employed at
universities. They could be perceived as "not living in our day-to-day
world" by the organizations receiving technical assistance.

The value of the mentor in this situation was to serve as a peer who
currently provided and managed customized employment services. This peer
had also been though the same sorts of issues being experienced by the
Mentee organization and had survived. The mentor served as the \"light
at the end of the tunnel\" for the TA recipients and provided
encouragement, hope, vision and guidance to the agency. This mentor also
discussed current approaches and strategies employed in serving a broad
range of people with disabilities. Finally, TA recipients desperately
wanted to hear success stories and how they were achieved. They also
wanted to benefit from the lessons learned about strategies tried and
rejected.

**Roles and Responsibilities of the Mentor Agency**

The role of the mentor was to provide technical and personal support to
the agency. This mentor process could include anything from providing
training to the agency; facilitating meetings with job seekers, family
members, employers, and/or others; modeling techniques such as
person-centered career planning meetings or job development approaches;
attending meetings; sharing tools and resources; and participating in
phone calls. Typical mentor activities included:

-   Conducting an initial site visit to see the agency and employment
    sites to meet job seekers, staff, family members, and board members,
    with a planned follow-up visit the following year.

-   Arranging for staff from the TA recipient to visit the mentor
    agency, tour the organization, see employment sites, and talk to key
    staff and other stakeholders.

-   Assisting with the development and implementation of the TA plan.

-   Participating in meetings with employers to explain customized
    employment.

-   Participating in brain storming or case consultation meetings
    regarding individual placements.

-   Working with job development staff to develop their skills with job
    seekers, employers and other stakeholders.

-   Encouraging any and all networking strategies possible that can help
    with job development.

-   Exploring the possibilities of using job seeker social capital in
    the job search process.

-   Working with employment services supervisors and managers on
    approaches to improve program outcomes.

-   Working with agency leadership, including Boards of Directors, to
    think about ways in which to get their agency to produce good
    community employment outcomes.

-   Encouraging an agency-wide commitment to assisting with outreach
    strategies leading to more employment (not just the job developers'
    job).

-   Sharing strategies employed for communication about customized
    employment within the agency as well as with all stakeholders in the
    process.

-   Sharing ideas and strategies for funding including creative blending
    and braiding of resources.

-   Helping agency connect with any useful resources or contacts that
    could be beneficial.

-   Helping the organization think through strategies to overcome
    barriers encountered.

-   Sharing training materials and resources, articles, strategies,
    tools, forms, and ideas to help with customized employment outcomes.

-   Participating in meetings with funders to share successful models
    utilized in other states and regions.

-   Providing staff training.

-   Participating in regular conference calls with the site to monitor
    progress and provide brainstorming assistance.

**Benefits of Mentorship**

T-TAP mentors made it clear that participating in a mentorship
relationship also had benefits for the mentor. These benefits included
developing new perspectives on strategies and change in their own
organizations. It created an opportunity for personal development and
for renewing passion about work. Although the primary mentor contact was
a senior administrator, most of the mentor organizations involved
multiple staff in the mentorship process. Included were program managers
and direct support staff. Peggy Terhune, the T-TAP mentor from The Arc
of Stanly County talked about the benefits of being a mentor. She noted
the following:

> "With one of our mentee agencies, there was an interest and focus on
> micro-enterprise. I had heard that the mentee agency had consulted
> with some of the people that used in our agency that were experts. I
> was not sure what we could offer \[the TA recipient\]. However, once
> we \[the mentor agency and the TA recipient\] started talking about
> individuals, we found many ways to assist each other in brainstorming
> for the people that both agencies supported. I found that the mentee
> agency hadn\'t yet done enough micro-enterprise to have negative
> experiences and was able to assist them with some of the potential
> pitfalls.
>
> In addition, because they \[the intensive TA recipient\] were
> inexperienced, I found their ideas refreshing. They were trying things
> that we might not have tried, since we \[the mentor agency\]
> recognized the issues that could arise. The mentee agency
> \"innocently\" plowed ahead and had wonderful success. For my agency
> and me, that experience was a great \"re-motivator\", as people in my
> agency were tired and frustrated by some recent barriers. I was able
> to take some of my key staff to the mentee agency to provide training
> and support. They came back energized, motivated, and with new ideas.
> They also came back gratified that they had been able to provide so
> much information and instruction that was new to the mentee agency.
> Altogether, it was a great reciprocal learning relationship!"

Similarly, Nancy Brooks-Lane, another T-TAP mentor, emphasized the
importance of opportunities to learn from others. \"That is the beauty
of being provided the opportunity to spend intense time with others as a
mentor. We were able to spend time with the interesting personalities
\[with\] differing worldviews and perspectives. \[We saw\] the
creativity of the staff and aspects of the mentee organization that were
working and that would fit with our organization and make us better at
our mission."

**Mentee Roles**

In order for a mentoring relationship to be fruitful, there is a need
for a level of commitment from the mentee organization as well.
Participating organizations were expected to be actively engaged in the
TA process and to maintain a clear commitment to facilitating change and
reallocating resources. Involvement in the TA process and mentorship
also included a commitment of resources including staff time. The mentee
needs to:

-   Maintain active contact with the mentor and TA staff.

-   Participate in site visits from mentor as well as TA staff.

-   Arrange for a site visit to the mentor agency.

-   Work with mentor and TA staff on the development of a TA plan with
    action steps, timelines, staff assignments, and follow-up.

-   Allocate staffing and other resources as outlined in the plan.

-   Identify job seekers for customized employment.

-   Participate in training made available through mentor, TA staff, or
    other sources to support the customized employment outcome goals.

-   Facilitate the completion of all data-collection recommended through
    the TA.

-   Examine current policies and procedures as recommended through TA
    for efficiency.

-   Commit adequate staffing resources including any needed resource
    re-allocation as determined through the TA.

-   Facilitate communication with all stakeholders (job seekers, family
    members, funding agencies, employers) in reference to customized
    employment initiatives.

-   Participate in any necessary meetings with policy makers on the use
    of the 14C waiver.

-   Participate in regular conference calls for updates on the
    activities of the project.

-   Explore agency needs and request specific help and guidance from
    mentor and TA staff as needed.

Through the course of the two-year relationship with TA recipient
agencies, the role of the mentor evolved. Initially, they were seen as
an external source of support to augment technical assistance provided
by T-TAP staff. However, early on in the project it became clear that
the mentors needed to be woven into all communication with sites as a
part of the comprehensive TA to the agency. This involvement kept a
comprehensive communication intact and allowed both the mentor and TA
staff to support each other's work.

**Lesson's Learned about Being an Effective Mentor**

The following sections in this Guide provide detail on the specific
technical assistance roles that the T-TAP mentors played in supporting
both the organizational change process within mentee agencies and in how
these agencies approached employment services. The mentors learned a
number of valuable lessons in being an effective mentor through these
experiences. Some of these included the following:

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **Lesson's Learned about Being an Effective Mentor**                  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Establishing a relationship takes time.                               |
|                                                                       |
| Communication is critical.                                            |
|                                                                       |
| Develop a statement of need.                                          |
|                                                                       |
| Keep interactions action oriented.                                    |
|                                                                       |
| Be willing to show your imperfections.                                |
|                                                                       |
| Get to know the organization's approach with consumers.               |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

**[Establishing a relationship takes time]{.underline}.** It takes
effort to build a mentoring relationship. While the mentor can be viewed
as having a great deal to offer, relationship building is essential in
order for mentoring to work. This process takes time and effort. Time
spent in person as well as in dialog on the phone or via email can be
included in the process. Site visits to both the mentor and mentee
agencies create an opportunity to become more familiar with each
other\'s staff, facilities, approaches, values, and realities. These
site visits make the connection more personal. It is very important that
these visits occur early in the mentoring process.

**[Communication is critical]{.underline}.** Mentors emphasized staying
in regular and consistent contact with their mentees. The mentor and
mentee should have regularly scheduled times to talk. Other critical
communication may happen in between the regularly scheduled contact.
Most often in T-TAP, this contact was made by phone, and it happened
monthly. Additional quick questions were handled via email or brief
phone conversations, but the monthly call was more comprehensive in
nature. These calls allowed for follow-up on, for example, client
status, organization issues, and funding changes. One important note is
that when each conversation ends, there should be an agreed upon time
scheduled for the next connect.

**[Develop a statement of need.]{.underline}** The mentee agency must be
given an opportunity to state their goals or needs in order for them to
feel the relationship serves a beneficial function. In T-TAP, this was
incorporated into the TA plan. There should also be opportunities to
revisit the stated need to determine the progress being made or for
changes to be made in the TA priorities.

**[Keep interactions action oriented]{.underline}.** Do not get stuck in
planning and waiting for everything to be just right or for all
questions to be answered before organizational change begins. Take
action and use what is learned to plan the next step in the process.

**[Be willing to show your imperfections]{.underline}.** The mentor must
be straightforward about his or her own organization\'s imperfections.
This allows the mentor to be seen as a peer by the mentee, not as the
\"expert\" coming in to tell the mentee what the mentee organization is
doing wrong.

**[[Get to know the organization's approach with
consumers]{.underline}]{.mark}.** One mentor emphasized the importance
of getting a chance to shadow the job developers doing their job in the
field and observing their approach and interaction with employers.

**Summary**

Mentors can support the challenges of organizational change in many
ways. They are the experienced peers who have managed to successfully
navigate through the organizational change process in their own
community rehabilitation programs. The mentor can identify directly with
the inevitable issues and barriers that the mentee organization
undergoing change will experience, and can help strategize in developing
effective responses. Mentors are a source of information and a source of
personal support, providing encouragement, hope, vision and guidance. At
the employment service level, mentors can draw on personal experiences
with strategies employed in serving a broad range of people with
disabilities, including customized employment. Mentors are both a
resource as an individual and a bridge to the multiple resources
potentially available within their own community rehabilitation
programs.

**Section 3**

**Lessons Learned about Organizational Change**

> *\"People told us their priorities were getting married, having their
> own home, and getting a job. We had to ask our 250 staff how many
> people are wholly focused on helping people:*

-   *Develop significant relationships,*

-   *Find a job, and*

-   *Become homeowners?\"*

> Peggy Terhune, T-TAP Mentor from the Arc of Stanly County

Over its five-year funding period, T-TAP worked intensively with 14
community rehabilitation providers and 10 mentor organizations. It
interacted with countless other stakeholders who are committed to
expanding opportunities for customized employment. At the core of the
many lessons learned during the project is the simple message stated
above by Peggy Terhune and taken from the people who utilize employment
services. People with disabilities utilizing community programs are
interested in relationships, work, and where they live in the community.

CRPs need to be clear and uncompromising that the purpose of their work
is to create an organization and a system guided by strong expectations
that work is right and possible. Programs need to celebrate the
interests and gifts of each consumer served by supporting employment
outcomes that improve quality of life at an individual level. Consider
the following true story told recently by the brother of a man who has
Down's Syndrome and who is about to turn 60.

> \"My brother never received supports as an adult from the state or
> federal human service systems. He is a city employee who holds a job
> as an assistant custodian, lives in his own apartment, and has both a
> pension and a retirement account. He started his education in Catholic
> school because that's what his three brothers did. He moved to the
> public schools so that he could receive special education services,
> and then went to work because that was what was expected of his
> brothers. At every point in his life, the family assumed that he
> should work and never questioned whether he could work.\"

Effective community organizations must develop a parallel strong
expectation that work is right and possible for each individual
supported by the CRP. They should celebrate individual interests and
gifts in creating employment opportunities. These organizations can
measure the effectiveness of their employment services by asking
questions such as:

-   How many hours per week are invested directly in looking for jobs?

-   What are our relationships with the employer community?

-   What do we measure and celebrate when considering the outcomes of
    our work?

Organizations receiving technical assistance through T-TAP that were
successful in implementing change and expanding employment opportunities
took a holistic approach incorporating strategies in six areas. Listed
in the following Table, these six areas provide a framework for
assessing an organization and planning for change. As previously noted,
this process begins with understanding how an organization sets and
manages goals. Expectations refers to the success of an organization in
communicating expectations and priorities to stakeholders at all levels,
including customers, staff, funders, and the community at large.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **Lessons For Organizational Change**                                 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Lesson 1: Establish clear and uncompromising goals.                   |
|                                                                       |
| Lesson 2: Communicate expectations to everyone, often.                |
|                                                                       |
| Lesson 3: Reallocate and restructure resources.                       |
|                                                                       |
| Lesson 4: Just do it! Find jobs one person at a time!                 |
|                                                                       |
| Lesson 5: Develop partnerships.                                       |
|                                                                       |
| Lesson 6: Consider the whole person.                                  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

As Peggy Terhune suggests in the opening to this Section, implementing
change requires investing resource*s* directly in activities that
support the priorities set by the individuals receiving services.
Partnerships can be with individual customers, with the network of
stakeholders that support them, with funders, and with the business
community. Finding jobs requires that community programs ***just do
it***. Too often, too many resources are invested in planning for
change. Organizations neglect the most basic opportunity of investing
intensively in the process of finding jobs and learning what needs to be
done more effectively through this hands-on experience. Finally, the
experiences of T-TAP suggest the importance of considering the whole
person by planning for the interaction of work with other elements of an
individual's life, including sustaining and building friendships and
financial planning. This can be illustrated by the following figure.

**Insert Figure 1**

**Lesson 1: Establish clear and uncompromising goals.**

> *You have to know where you're going, to be able to state it clearly
> and concisely -- and you have to care about it passionately.*
>
> Tom Peters and Nancy Austin

Organizations that are most successful establish a clear commitment to
community employment. Several organizations in the T-TAP project defined
explicit and public goals related to integrated employment. The Arc of
the Northern Chesapeake Region (ArcNCR) in Maryland developed a goal of
"full employment by July 1, 2006." In addition to establishing a clear
goal, ArcNCR's approach provided a clear definition of what they mean by
employment. In defining this goal, ArcNCR specified that full employment
would be achieved when 100% of the individuals served by the
organization in Vocational Services:

-   *Work in "integrated" settings. (Defined as Non-ArcNCR owned or
    operated facilities where people with no employment relationship to
    the ArcNCR are present at least some of the work time of individuals
    served.)*

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-   *Are compensated financially for work performed.*

-   *Work at least 80% of the number of days and/or hours documented in
    their Individual Plans.*

-   *Receive ongoing Career Planning and Development supports that
    expand opportunities for professional growth (increased skills,
    wages, hours or days of work, satisfaction with work and/or exposure
    to alternative work options and opportunities).*

-   *Have a contingency plan for layoffs and terminations from
    employment that include immediate job search plans and alternative
    activities and supports.*

Another example of establishing clear goals is illustrated as follows.
During the initial organizational assessment in developing the T-TAP TA
plan, the Executive Director of Coastal Center for Developmental
Services (CCDS) in Georgia identified a specific organizational goal
that became a sounding board over the following year. This goal, "60
jobs in 2006" established such a strong challenge to the organization
that everyone had to approach their jobs differently. CCDS supported
approximately 350 individuals annually, and at the time of the challenge
supported about 50 individuals in community employment with a staff of
three. Over the next year, CCDS restructured resources, established a
wide range of outreach and communication paths, invested heavily in
finding jobs, and developed new partnerships. These actions will be
discussed in more detail in later Sections, but the power of the goal
was clear that there could not be "business as usual" at CCDS. Jim
Collins, author of *[From Good to Great]{.underline}*, refers to this
type of goal as a BHAG, a Big Hairy Audacious Goal[^4]. BHAGs have the
power to support organizational transformation, as illustrated by John
F, Kennedy's goal to put "A man on the moon by the end of the decade."
Collins suggests that an effective BHAG is:

-   Set with understanding, not bravado.

-   Has a long time frame.

-   Is clear, compelling and easy to grasp.

-   Reflects directly core values and core purpose.

**Lesson 2: Communicate expectations to everyone, often.**

Expectations can be communicated to an organization's stakeholders in a
variety of ways including policy initiatives, outreach activities such
as newsletters or meetings, and celebrations. Too often a goal is buried
in an organization's strategic plan and is not well understood as part
of day-to-day organizational practice. ARC Industries in Oklahoma
communicated its change in focus by changing its name to EmployAbility,
Inc. The process of developing and implementing the new name was used to
educate board members and the community at large about the
organization's goals and purpose.

**[Commitment.]{.underline}** Organizational intent is communicated, in
part, by the decisions made each day. Magic Valley Rehabilitation
Services (MVRS) in Idaho implemented an enhanced commitment to
integrated employment. This TA recipient strongly urged all new
referrals to the workshop program from Vocational Rehabilitation to
consider community employment first during the intake process.
Friendship, Inc. in North Dakota, another TA recipient, clearly
communicated priorities to staff by declining a new large workshop
contract and instead negotiating with the business for individual job
opportunities. Hi-Hope Services in Georgia, a TA recipient, shifted
responsibility for managing and staffing an enclave to the workshop
staff. This made the expectations for community employment staff on
individual job placements clearer, and their time more focused.

**[Outreach]{.underline}***.* CCDS, a TA recipient in GA, is using
newsletters, initial intake meetings, annual reviews, and family
meetings to gradually shift attitudes toward employment opportunities by
highlighting successes and maintaining visibility of employment options.
CCDS implemented a monthly newsletter that highlights and celebrates new
jobs and employment success stories. Regular parent meetings with
families have been used to discuss employment options, and community
employment is now emphasized as a first option as part of the intake
process for new referrals.

**[Celebration]{.underline}**. CCDS also visibly celebrates new jobs by
posting large banners outside of the door of the workshop for each new
job. This visible statement of CCDS priorities helps raise awareness of
job opportunities, and stimulates conversation with individuals still in
the workshop. Other mentee and mentor sites use similar strategies.
EmployAbility, Inc. in Oklahoma maintains a "hall of fame" in its lobby,
with photographs of individuals at their new jobs. KFI, Inc. in Maine, a
T-TAP mentor organization, maintains a tradition known as "the doorbell
still rings", serving as a symbolic memory of their old workshop that
was closed some years ago. When someone gets a job, somebody rings the
KFI doorbell, and everyone flocks out to celebrate with the new
employee.

**Lesson 3: Reallocate and restructure resources.**

Allocating dedicated resources to community employment is a central part
of the change process. Successful organizations have redefined job
positions and expectations to clearly focus on employment outcomes. They
have insulated these positions from other responsibilities.

One of the early steps in conducting an organizational assessment with
organizations receiving TA was to conduct a one week study of staff time
allocation across nine major activity areas including on-the-job
support, off-job support, and job development. How organizations invest
their resources is a direct reflection of their priorities, and it has a
significant influence on outcome. Typically, T-TAP TA staff found that
at initial assessment, organizations were investing less than 2% of
staff time in job development, often in contrast to high expectations
for new job placements. While it is clear that the quality of job
development activities matters, it is also accurate to say that quantity
matters. A first step in implementing a stronger approach to employment
support involves a willingness to reallocate resources, even if it
creates a temporary hardship in other areas. Discretionary funds can be
used on a temporary basis to support staff emphasis on achieving
employment outcomes.

Humboldt Community Access and Resources (HCAR) in California recognized
that while there were staff resources dedicated to job development and
job support, there was a need to rethink the roles of these staff. The
process of job placement was spread across four different individuals
representing intake, vocational evaluation, job development, and job
support. Information and time was lost in the handoff between
individuals in each of these roles. HCAR streamlined the process by
involving the job developer directly in intake and eliminating the
vocational evaluation position. Charles River Arc in Massachusetts
recognized the need to reframe its job placement staff positions as
exempt positions that had flexible hours.

As part of responding to the challenging goal ("60 in 2006"), CCDS
gradually shifted and restructured staff positions over a 12-month
period. The earliest change was assignment of a workshop staff member to
the community employment team. Later as the number of job placements
grew, CCDS eliminated the position of case manager in the organization
and reassigned two of those staff to work in community employment.

Achieving clear job expectations was more difficult for several
organizations that maintained multiple service options. In one
organization, start-up of the T-TAP project was slowed by an emphasis on
hiring new staff rather than reallocating existing resources. Other
organizations struggled when job placement staff were responsible for
serving both external referrals typically funded by the State Vocational
Rehabilitation (VR) Agency and individuals in the organization's
workshop who wanted external employment. The demands of the VR system to
achieve rapid employment often made it difficult to focus sufficient
time on individuals who would need to receive long term supports.

**Lesson 4: Just do it! Find jobs one person at a time!**

> *Do not get stuck in planning and waiting for everything to be just
> right or all questions to be answered before the system change begins.
> Take action! What is learned can then be used to plan the next step in
> the process*.
>
> Nancy Brooks-Lane, Cobb and Douglas Counties CSBs

In addition to allocating additional resources to job development, sites
that have been successful are aggressive about implementing career
planning and job placement. Career planning is a critical foundation for
later job development. In sites that did not develop a strong job
placement capacity, site personnel were not able to answer core
questions about a job seeker's interests and priorities, even when job
development was active for that person.

At a recent site visit to a community rehabilitation provider, staff
discussed an unsuccessful placement with a mentor. The individual had
been placed in a retail setting doing stock work and retrieving and
moving shopping carts. This was despite the fact that his individual
service plan clearly stated that he should not lift over 20 pounds.
Having a clear, simple, and well-understood set of job specifications
and preferences for each job seeker needs to be a high priority. Sites
that have been successful in expanding integrated employment have four
characteristics that define a "just do it" approach.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **Characteristics of a \"Just Do It\" Approach**                      |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Urgency In Career Planning And Job Development                        |
|                                                                       |
| Outreach To Families                                                  |
|                                                                       |
| Networking                                                            |
|                                                                       |
| 30-Day Placement Plan                                                 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

**[Urgency in Career Planning and Job Development.]{.underline}** Within
the first several weeks after an individual has been prioritized for job
placement; a well-defined, comprehensive strategy for career planning
should be completed. The end product of this process is a clearly
defined criteria or standards for a good job match that reflects the
individual's interests, preferences, and needs. Cranston Arc is a good
example of a TA recipient that developed a career planning process,
which provides a comprehensive \"picture\" of the person. This included
getting to know an individual's learning style, access or accommodations
needs, and fears and concerns about leaving the workshop for a job in
the community. Staff worked with the individual, family, friends, and
community members to develop the plan. Staff also provided opportunities
for people to experience work through volunteer placements, job
shadowing and mentoring experiences. For example, Cranston Arc staff
assisted Susan in the career planning process. Susan and her family
expressed a preference for not working with the general public and for
consistent transportation as important in her job match. Susan selected
working in a small retail setting with consistent and familiar coworkers
as her job preference.

Friendship Industries, Inc. in North Dakota incorporated a "just do it"
approach by targeting some very challenging individuals for community
employment. The organization had a "whatever it takes" approach and put
together interesting arrangements and entrepreneurial efforts on behalf
of the people that they supported. For example, an individual had a job
in one community and was then transported to another for the remainder
of the day. Instead of just transporting this person, Friendship
Industries negotiated a second job as deliverer for the individual. They
stop at a bakery, and the person picks up bakery products. These are
delivered to the other community resulting in a customized job for this
individual.

**[Outreach to Families.]{.underline}** Magic Valley Rehabilitation
Services (MVRS) in Idaho worked very closely with a family that had
specific criteria for acceptable work for their daughter. In addition to
health and safety concerns, they had a strong desire for their daughter
to have a position that they could view as having value. Initial
conversations with the family were sometimes tense, but MVRS staff
recognized that success required strong family support. Eventually MVRS
found a position for the woman at a restaurant in a job that appeared to
meet everyone's requirements. She enjoys the work even though there was
concern initially that she would miss her friends at the workshop. This
did not happen. The family accepted the work place and work conditions.
The other employees welcomed the new employee, and the manager of the
restaurant was eager to make this a positive experience.

This example demonstrates the importance of outreach to family and other
members of the individual's network. Outreach to family ensures that the
career plan and job placement process incorporates all resources in
defining the career plan. In addition, the plan must identify concerns
and barriers in order to make successful connections with the business
community.

**[Networking]{.underline}.** Successful organizations are assertive
about networking for job leads and supports. One job seeker at Charles
River Arc had a particular interest in working with animals. The job
developer began with the usual methods of looking for a job including
reviewing help wanted ads, networking with family and friends, and using
internet job postings. After several months of searching without
success, the job developer helped the individual set up an informational
interview at a local animal shelter. The informational interview led to
a tour, which led to a job interview. The next week the job seeker was
hired as an assistant at the shelter and was able to fulfill her dream
of working with animals. After this experience, the job developer
realized how powerful informational interviews and tours were as
customized employment strategies that support job negotiations. The
agency job developers now incorporate these tools into their job
development practices on a regular basis.

**[Thirty-Day Placement Plan]{.underline}.** The 30-Day Placement Plan
is a month-long plan geared towards finding a job. The plan includes
tasks to be accomplished that month as well as the due dates and the
names of people who are responsible for completing each task. Many job
seekers have found that breaking the job search down into a series of
small, workable tasks makes the process much more manageable. A plan
also gives the job seeker a sense of empowerment over the direction of
the job search and a sense of accomplishment when each task is
completed.

Every 30 days, the plan is updated with new tasks for the upcoming
month. The job seeker, the employment specialist, and anyone in the
individual\'s support network (e.g., family, friends, and other
professionals) should be involved in writing and implementing the plan.
Central to the use of the 30-day placement plan is ensuring that job
development is a rapid process that proceeds systematically and is
focused on the individual's career goals.

**Lesson 5: Develop partnerships.**

Internally, supporting change requires engaging key stakeholders,
including board members, in the change process. In organizations where
the board was fully engaged in setting goals and reviewing policy
related to service delivery, a change in leadership did not have a
significant impact on the organization's commitment to expanding
customized employment. For example, at CCDS, the retirement of the
executive director had minimal impact on the commitment to integrated
employment. In fact, CCDS asked Don Lavin, the mentor assigned to the
site, to visit at the time of the changeover and meet with the incoming
director.

**[Building community partnerships]{.underline}**. Successful
organizations also developed external partnerships that support
employment outcomes. Community partnerships can develop across a variety
of situations, such as creation of a local business network that
promotes access of people with disabilities to jobs, or an agency
partnership focused on meeting the individualized support needs of a
specific consumer. For more information on building community
partnerships see the T-TAP fact sheet *Developing Collaborative
Community Partnerships* in the Appendix of this guide. The common thread
running through each of the following examples is a clear focus on
achieving customized employment outcomes.

Staff from Cobb and Douglas Counties Community Services Boards (CSB) in
Georgia, a mentor agency, created connections to the business and social
networks in a small community served by the CSB by forming a
collaborative partnership among 12 small business owners. This
partnership put into place a network of businesses. The employment
support staff could use this network in determining who would be key to
helping people with disabilities find employment based on each
individual consumer's vocational profile and stated work goals. The
network has worked extremely well. Now, participants call on one another
as needed regarding employment opportunities available through member
businesses. CSB staff contact the business owners to identify potential
job leads.

In order to address family and individual concerns about the interaction
of work and benefits, EmployAbility established an arrangement with
their local Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach (BPAO) program
office, now the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program.
A counselor from the BPAO office came to EmployAbility monthly and more
often if needed to discuss and counsel job seekers on their specific
situations. In most instances, this counseling by the BPAO staff member
helped the job seeker understand the benefit situation. This support
allowed the individual to move one and to search for and ultimately
secure employment with the assistance of EmployAbility.

**[What are the elements of an effective community
partnership]{.underline}?** Effective collaborative partnerships promote
actions that both improve personal outcomes for those receiving services
and foster positive change in the systems that influence these services.
The Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts
Boston completed a research study on interagency partnerships
(Butterworth, Foley, & Metzel, 2001). This study identified a series of
quality indicators for effective strategies in forming effective
interagency partnerships. For each of these quality indicators, there
are a series of self-evaluation questions a partnership can use to
identify its areas of strength and needed improvement. The questions
focus on determining the extent to which each indicator is fully or
partially in-place. For those indicators that are not fully in-place,
follow-up actions can be identified and initiated. This self-evaluation
can be used as a planning tool during the development of partnerships
and for periodic reviews in monitoring the partnership's role and
effectiveness.

These five quality indicators can be extremely useful both in forming a
partnership and in monitoring and continually improving an existing
partnership. Conscientious use of these indicators helps keep a
partnership goal and action oriented. Here are examples of
self-evaluation review criteria for each of the indicators.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Examples Of Self-Evaluation Review Criteria**
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Indicator 1: The partnership has a clearly defined purpose.** Purpose
  is operationally defined by having clearly identified outcomes. A data
  collection system is in place to measure the intended outcomes. The
  outcome measures emphasize quality of services and outcomes.

  **Indicator 2: Allies to the partnership are identified and involved
  with the collaborative effort.** Allies to a partnership are both
  internal and external. Internal allies within the partnership must be
  identified. These internal allies are the stakeholders involved in the
  planning and implementation of the partnership. Support is also needed
  from external allies who help to ensure political support for the
  partnership. Allies to the partnership have a common interest in its
  purpose and a commitment to its success. Successful partnerships
  frequently have champions among their external allies who serve as key
  sponsors and advocates.

  **Indicator 3: The collaborators are committed to the partnership and
  exercise ownership in carrying out its activities.** Ownership comes in
  part from identifying an individual from each partnering agency or
  program who is responsible for the implementation and success of the
  partnership. Inconsistent and/or rotating participation from partnering
  agencies will destroy the development of any real sense of ownership.

  **Indicator 4: The partnership leads to actions and outcomes consistent
  with the defined purpose.** Specific action plans are in place where
  tasks are well defined drives action-oriented partnerships.
  Action-oriented partnerships also have needed resources committed.
  These resources are both the time of the partners, particularly among
  the designated representatives, and in-kind or monetary support.

  **Indicator 5: Mechanisms are in place to communicate values and
  resolve differences.** Effective partnerships have organizational
  values that are identified and incorporated into action plans focused
  on meeting the interests and support needs of consumers. For example,
  an organizational value for a partnership focused on employment
  outcomes for individuals with significant disabilities could be a
  zero-reject approach to the consumer population, meaning that any
  person who expresses any interest in employment is given an
  opportunity. Effective partnerships also have mechanisms in place to
  resolve disagreements.
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

**[Lesson 6: Consider the whole person.]{.mark}**

One significant concern in supporting customized jobs is ensuring that
the components of an individual's life work together well. Strategies
for ensuring this integration include the use of a career planning
process that involves multiple stakeholders. These stakeholders assist
in defining a vision for employment with the individual and involving
others in the action steps of finding and supporting a job through a
30-day placement plan. Involvement of stakeholders ensures commitment to
variation in schedules, arranging for transportation, scheduling
non-work appointments, and other work and non-work activities and
supports. For many individuals, entering employment also requires giving
up relationships and supports that may have been built up over an
extended period of time. The limited independent mobility for many
individuals in customized employment requires that attention be paid to
supporting the maintenance of personal relationships so that an
individual gains more than he or she loses when entering an integrated
job.

As part of their organizational change process, CCDS developed a
systematic approach to facilitating opportunities for individuals to
stay connected. CCDS maintained a dual goal of both assisting
individuals in finding customized jobs and in helping them maintain
established relationships and participate in integrated social
activities in the community. Staff began by creating a newsletter for
those individuals interested in or already participating in community
employment. In addition to profiles of new jobs and employers, the
newsletters also covered "what's happening in the community". This
section contained a list of community events for the next month, such as
the Savannah Film Festival, the Coastal Empire Fair and the upcoming
Community Employment Services Social.

Each month, Coastal Center's Community Employment Services staff
facilitated a social event for anyone involved in community employment.
The first meeting was a potluck supper held at the agency, and the
agenda was to plan activities for the upcoming months. All activities
since then have been in the community, with staff committed to
facilitating social integration. To date, the group has gone to the
movies and ice-skating. Individuals have met at the site for the social,
such as the movie theater. Staff realized that some individuals have
difficulty getting to the various locations and have assisted by mapping
out bus routes and in extreme situations providing rides. Individuals
look forward to the opportunity to see old friends and make new ones. In
addition, group members have acted as a peer support to each other,
helping to answer questions and concerns about community employment.
Lastly, the social outings have provided an opportunity for the staff to
reconnect with individuals who are independent on their jobs and have
faded from intensive supports to ongoing supports.

Friendship has used T-TAP's emphasis on community work to expand its
organizational thinking about all its isolated services. As a
consequence, Friendship has made a decision not to renew one of its
building leases when it ends in the summer of 2007 and has instead
looked for opportunities to be in the community. In what staff described
as a holistic approach, the organization closed a seven-person group
home supporting people to live in smaller more individualized settings.
Also, during one week of each month, Friendship's day program provides
only community supports. No activities are held within its buildings.

**Summary of Lessons Learned about Organizational Change**

Community rehabilitation programs that move successfully through an
organizational change process focused on prioritizing support for
employment outcomes do consistently demonstrate a variety of core
characteristics. The lessons learned about organizational change from
T-TAP clearly demonstrate a number of these key organizational
characteristics. For example, establishing clear organizational change
goals and expectations demonstrates that the organization is committed
to change as evidenced by the visible support of the organization's
leadership including its board of directors, executive officers,
management team, and direct service staff. These goals are communicated
through written plans of action that includes measurable benchmarks. A
division of labor clearly exists among managers and staff, and progress
check points guide present and future activities.

Active investment in realigning resources and establishing community
partnerships that clearly support achievement of employment outcomes put
into place the supports and services needed for success. Proactively
investing in marketing and job development initiatives with employers
from the very beginning of the organizational change process creates a
dynamic learning experience for staff based on experience. This "just do
it" approach creates momentum and enthusiasm as successful employment
outcomes are achieved and celebrated. Finally, the core central focus is
on each person utilizing the employment services of the community
program and the supports the individual needs to live and work
successfully in the community. The remainder of this Guide details the
lesson learned through T-TAP on supporting organizational restructuring
and on elements of employment services change.

**Section 4**

**Mentor Support in Organizational Restructuring**

As indicated in Section 3 of this Guide, expanding integrated employment
requires a substantial investment in resources, skills and cultural
change for most organizations. Mentor organizations can support
organizations in reviewing policy, strategy, resource allocation, staff
development and business plans as part of the change process. This
Section highlights ways that T-TAP mentors supported organizations as
they reconsidered their goals and structure.

Significantly expanding integrated employment is not achieved by just
adding-on integrated employment services to existing programming.
Successful expansion of integrated employment within a community
rehabilitation program requires a shift in organizational structure,
priorities, and resource allocation. Two underlying beliefs are basic to
the T-TAP mentoring process:

1.  Expanding employment is as much about changing the culture of an
    organization, and the way it communicates with its stakeholders, as
    it is about developing new skills.

2.  Creating change requires doing things differently from early on in
    the development process. Described as a "just do it" attitude,
    mentors and T-TAP staff encouraged organizations to focus energy on
    career planning and job development for individuals first, and to
    allow that experience to help define needed changes in policy and
    structure.

**Building a Mentoring Relationship**

Change is hard and often requires making difficult decisions. The
experience of Rise, Incorporated*,* a T-TAP mentor organization, and
Coastal Center for Developmental Services (CCDS), a T-TAP mentee
organization*,* offer a number of insights into the lessons learned
about successful mentor-mentee relationships. The use of *mentoring* as
an effective organizational change strategy works best when the mentor
and mentee organizations are well matched, share a consensus about their
respective roles, and have clear expectations of each other. The
organizations must work together from a structured plan of action with
identified goals. Both must be willing to commit the necessary time and
resources to building a successful relationship.

When these identified qualities are in place, mentee organizations can
extend and build upon their internal capacities to reach organizational
change goals more effectively, efficiently, and with a greater degree of
confidence. Rise was introduced to CCDS staff members by phone and at a
project meeting held during APSE, The Network on Employment\'s annual
conference. The two agencies maintained regular contact through at least
monthly telephone meetings, two visits to CCDS by Rise staff over a one
year period, and one visit from CCDS staff to Rise. Rise input as mentor
included organizational and administrative support for issues that
included business marketing methods, use of funding streams, agency
resource management, transportation issues, staff development training,
and family education programs. Rise staff that visited also included
staff with more of a focus on direct job development and job support.

**Organizational Approaches to Restructuring**

Mentor agencies used their time to help the mentee with the big-picture
issues of running an agency that is providing quality employment
services. Mentors consulted on a myriad of issues from building,
maintaining, and managing teams; dealing with buy-in; and communication
with staff, family, funding agencies, employers, and the community.
Mentors were asked for suggestions around developing their boards or
simply addressing the boards to help them hear about the mentor agency's
experiences. Mentors were asked for input on recruitment and
interviewing new staff members and how to empower family members and
consumers in the process. Again, the following examples come from the
work done by mentors with mentee agencies.

Rise was particularly responsive during a change in leadership at CCDS.
Rise staff arranged a visit as the new Executive Director started in
order to provide continuity and background on the initiative. The
Executive Director at Coastal Center retired during the T-TAP project
after having set high placement and organizational goals of a
significant downsizing of the workshop. The wheels were in motion and
the staff was charged and well on their way to achieving the lofty goals
when the Executive Director retired.

The staff from Rise played an important role in helping the newly hired
Executive Director of the agency understand the spirit of the T-TAP
project. While this person knew the broad range of services and projects
at Coastal Center, she did not come with the knowledge of the T-TAP
project, nor did she have much familiarity with customized employment.
The mentor from Rise spent time with the new Executive Director to
assist with the discussion about community employment, the T-TAP
project, and the team's long-term goals. The mentor's actions were a
tremendous support to the employment services team, who now had an
advocate while they were doing the placement and support work.

The mentors from Cobb and Douglas County Community Services Boards
reported that their organizational work with a number of mentee
organizations focused on several areas including working on buy-in from
the leadership, and on organizational values. The mentors addressed
issues such as questions on promoting a philosophy of community-based
supports. If an organization is moving in the direction of a priority on
community-based (as compared to center-based) support, how should that
organization make this move functional in day-to-day decision-making and
problem solving? Mentorship also needed to involve broad participation
among staff, job seekers, family members and beyond, which would need to
start with communication. The mentors also helped the agencies think
about planning to help staff with the development of their newly
required skill sets to achieve employment.

Job Development and marketing could be brand new to staff not
experienced in services focused on community integrated employment
outcomes. Developing natural supports and planning for fading from the
job site may not feel feasible for the inexperienced staff, and they
need opportunities to learn about new approaches. The mentors encouraged
management to consider the development of team structures to achieve
their goals and to serve as a base for needed staff development. The
mentors brainstormed with the mentee organizations approaches to
developing and maintaining self-managing teams. Another important issue
identified by the mentors was that the staff can make or break the
efforts on organizational change and development. While staff turnover
can be difficult, a good match of staff to the job is essential. In
other words, some staff that just won't \"buy into\" the organizational
change process will either leave or be asked to leave. This is not a
sign of failure of the organization. In fact, it reflects more of the
norm. The final piece of advice mentors from Cobb and Douglas County
Community Services Boards mentors is that CRPs need to move ahead with
the change process even though they may not have all the questions
worked out from the start. Action steps may inform the organizational
change process and start to help with finding the answers. One Mentee
agency described the results achieved through its mentor support for its
overall organizational approach as the following:

> *"It gave new life to the agency. It was as if a fire had started and
> some people were looking at the program completely differently. I
> personally felt grateful to have that peer here for us. I could ask
> anything, because he became a friend and a peer."*

**Support Provided by Mentors for Organizational Restructuring**

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **Mentor Support**                                                    |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| -   Reframe the roles and responsibilities of employment personnel.   |
|                                                                       |
| -   Communicate a clear commitment to community employment.           |
|                                                                       |
| -   Support policy that emphasizes integrated employment.             |
|                                                                       |
| -   Engage all stakeholders, including board members, in defining a   |
|     vision and goals for employment outcomes.                         |
|                                                                       |
| -   Assess and support leadership buy-in.                             |
|                                                                       |
| -   Help administrative staff see alternative structures and staff    |
|     roles.                                                            |
|                                                                       |
| -   Understand what they want.                                        |
|                                                                       |
| -   Think outside the box.                                            |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

**[Reframe the roles and responsibilities of employment
personnel]{.underline}**. Redefining the role of employment specialists
was an issue for several sites. As sites created a greater emphasis on
job development and flexible support, some organizations needed to
reconsider job descriptions and redefine positions as exempt
(professional) positions instead of hourly positions. Mentors provided
examples of job descriptions and staff orientation materials. To
illustrate how staff function, mentors had mentee staff participate in
team meetings and shadow direct support staff during site visits to the
mentor organization.

**[Communicate a clear commitment to community
employment.]{.underline}** While several mentee organizations defined
explicit and public goals related to integrated employment, others
needed to be challenged to establish a clear goal and expectation for
customized employment. In these cases, mentors challenged leadership to
be clear in communication with staff and other stakeholders. For
instance, staff from Costal Carolina Developmental Services stated, "In
5 years less then 50 individuals with disabilities will be employed on
site at Chatham Industries (their workshop and work crews), and 60
individuals will enter employment in 2006. " As another example, the Arc
of Northern Chesapeake established and circulated to all staff a
statement declaring intent to achieve "full employment" for individuals
supported by the organization.

Organizations used a variety of outreach approaches to communicate a
value for integrated employment. CCDS used newsletters, initial intake
meetings, annual reviews, and family meetings to gradually shift
attitudes toward employment opportunities by highlighting successes and
maintaining visibility of employment options. ARC Industries in Oklahoma
signaled its change in focus in part through a name change to
EmployAbility, Inc that was used to educate board members and the
community at large about the organization's goals and purpose. AtWork!
In Washington used an off-site staff retreat to discuss goals and
direction.

**[Support policy that emphasizes integrated employment]{.underline}.**
Many of the T-TAP mentor agencies implemented clear policy changes as
part of their own development process. This included eliminating new
admissions into their sheltered workshops and discontinuing activities
that were not consistent with finding community employment. Mentors
encouraged leadership staff to reconsider policy and practices that sent
a mixed message to staff. Mentee changes included implementing an
enhanced commitment to integrated employment by strongly urging all new
referrals from VR to the workshop to consider community employment
first. Another organization declined a new large workshop contract and
negotiated instead with the business for individual job opportunities.

**[Engage all stakeholders, including board members, in defining a
vision and goals for employment outcomes]{.underline}*.*** Some
organizations engaged in T-TAP experienced substantial leadership change
but were able to maintain commitment to customized employment outcomes
because of the groundwork laid with staff. These changes happened in the
context of organizations that engaged board members and the larger
community in discussing and developing the expanded focus on community
employment and setting organizational goals and strategy. Mentors often
met with boards and other stakeholder groups as part of the technical
assistance process. These meetings helped role model the importance of
engaging these stakeholders and also gave mentors a better understanding
of the culture and support for the initiative within the organization.

**[Assess and support leadership buy-in.]{.underline}** One of the
significant predictors of success in expanding integrated employment is
the extent to which there is buy-in from leadership, both at the
executive and middle manager level. Mentors emphasized the importance of
taking time to observe who the formal and informal leaders are in the
organization. This insight can only happen with a significant time
commitment to spending time on site talking to staff, customers, and
other stakeholders at all levels in the organization. It is often the
informal leaders, those who have power for whatever reason, who can
sabotage system change if you do not have their buy in. Mentors
emphasized getting a clear understanding of the organization's vision,
goals, operational commitments, and leadership and management
commitments.

**[Help administrative staff see alternative structures and staff
roles.]{.underline}** While T-TAP required a visit from the mentee to
the mentor, in most cases, the visit goals emphasized direct support
staff roles and skills. Mid-level managers and direct support staff were
usually the staff members that participated in these visits. However, in
several cases, it was useful for only executive and administrative staff
to visit and explore staff and budget allocation and team structure.
This strategy was successful in giving an organization a concrete
picture of how it would look once the change was complete. In addition
to contact with direct counterparts in the mentor organizations, the
mentees found it helpful being on site to talk with finance and
operations staff.

**[Understand what they want.]{.underline}** Mentors emphasized the
importance of asking the mentee to identify what the agency and staff
were interested in learning. Although there are many opportunities for
interaction and technical assistance, the agency is likely to best
support the information that they are interested in receiving. Bob
Niemiec, one of the T-TAP mentors, emphasized the importance of
incorporating activities that responded to direct staff questions and
needs. Discussing an onsite visit with Arc of Northern Chesapeake, he
noted:

> "On the second day of the visit, I had the opportunity to provide two
> training workshops to vocational and related staff. The first workshop
> involved responding to issues and questions that were raised by the
> group. It was successful in that the participants decided the content
> of the training. The issues raised weren't unique to organizations
> like ArcNCR, but those issues affect each agency and individual
> differently. It helps to ease anxiety when staff realize that other
> organizations like theirs experience the same issues and struggle with
> the same kinds of challenges.
>
> The second workshop consisted of a prepared presentation about real
> work, real wages, and real opportunities for people with disabilities.
> Having had an opportunity to meet some of the job seekers from ArcNCR,
> I was able to weave their stories into the presentation to illustrate
> certain points. This proved to be an effective tool to personalize the
> experience for the people who were present.
>
> From the beginning, I stressed to the people from ArcNCR that I would
> learn as much (if not more) from them than they might learn from me.
> They were much further along than most organizations and deserved to
> be recognized for their efforts to achieve 100% employment. The
> mentoring experience must be a mutual learning continuum.
> Organizations that are the beneficiaries of mentoring may be exposed
> to new ideas, different approaches to similar challenges, and
> validation of their own progress. Mentors should be consistently
> challenged to stay up on the most current advances and issues in the
> field. They must be life-long learners. This mentoring experience has
> made me humble and provided me with another great example of an agency
> that puts its mission and principles into operation."

**[Think outside the box.]{.underline}** Cobb-Douglas Counties Community
Service Boards has used a variety of creative funding strategies to
support individual career goals. They have been leaders in thinking
beyond typical jobs and using small loans and grants to help individuals
design business or career opportunities. Resources used by this mentor
agency that are more typical have included Vocational Rehabilitation,
One Stop Career Centers, and provider agencies. One resource that is
less familiar is the Micro Enterprise Center, which started out as a
grass-roots economic development initiative. In Georgia, United Way, as
well as other foundations and endowments such as Hewlett-Packard, fund
Micro Enterprise Centers. Micro-loans can be provided by these Centers
and are usually in the neighborhood of \$2,000 to \$3,000 but can vary.
Since Micro Enterprise Centers vary from state to state, it is important
that people get to know how a Center operates in their own states. Some
of the other financial options that Cobb-Douglas Counties CSBs have used
include:

-   Provider Short Term-Loans

-   Individual Training Accounts and Individual Development Accounts

-   PASS Plans

-   Family Contributions and Donated Funds

The mentors from Cobb-Douglas Counties CSBs shared information with
Anixter Center in Illinois on the use of micro-loans as seed money for
both self-employment initiatives and loans for resource ownership. The
mentors suggested that the Board at Anixter be approached about
targeting a pool of money (perhaps \$50,000) earmarked for helping
create interest-free loans for some of the customized employment
undertakings that lacked adequate funding. Another suggestion was made
to establish a pool of money to cover the cost of other initiatives
where acquiring money to support the initiative would not be immediate.
In the interim, the services could be provided. This was in response to
the "that is a nice idea but how are we going to pay for it." The hope
was to free staff to be creative in their placement work to identify
good match opportunities for job seekers. This would buy the agency time
to demonstrate to the funding agency what is possible while relieving
project managers of the immediate cost concern. Anixter then was able to
approach multiple funding sources and ask for matching dollars with VR
funds and thus create a larger pool of money.

**Summary of Mentor Support Role in Organizational Restructuring**

Organizational restructuring by CRPs focused on expanding customized
employment is a process full of opportunities and challenges. For
example, restructuring involves creating a longer-term strategic vision,
communicating this vision clearly, and building broad-based support for
the priority focus on integrated employment outcomes. Restructuring
involves planning and implementing numerous shorter-term tactical steps
that incrementally move the organization forward as envisioned in the
strategic plan. Moving forward with marketing and job development
initiatives early on the restructuring process can create momentum that
will drive the initiative forward. Each of the T-TAP mentors had
substantial personal experience within their own organizations in this
restructuring process. They understood both sides of the restructuring
experience, the celebrations and missteps that can occur. As a result,
mentors were positioned to provide within a peer-to-peer relationship a
wide range of timely information, support, and encouragement to the
mentee organizations.

**Section 5**

**Elements of Employment Services Change**

T-TAP mentor agencies were frequently able to assist TA recipient
agencies with the delivery of employment services. For example, mentors
helped in areas such as planning job placement services, job development
strategies, and also addressing funding issues. The nature of the mentor
agency as a peer often allowed the suggestions, tools, resources, and
modeling to be heard in a different way than from how some input is
received when given by outside consultants. As a peer, suggestions made
were viewed as lessons learned or as "hey, this is what I tried. Let me
know how you make out with it". Mentee agencies were sponges for
information pertaining to what really has worked in other organizations.
Often when a mentor reinforced advice given by another TA staff person,
the advice was more readily followed by the mentee. The information that
follows describes specific ways in which the mentor agencies influenced
the TA recipients in the delivery of employment services and supports.

**Approaches to Placement**

When it comes to finding jobs in a truly customized manner, agencies
were in constant need of fresh ideas, tools, and positive energies.
Those new to community customized employment needed help thinking
differently about approaches to supporting people in getting jobs. Those
experienced in providing employment services might have had the basic
skills. However, with customized employment, they moved to working with
individuals with more complex support needs and/or exploring new
employment options such as self-employment, resource ownership or even
micro-enterprises. Also, changes in the economy caused shifts in labor
availability and needs. As a result, agencies looked for the best
approaches to employment services, expedient paths to success, or
information about missteps to avoid.

To that end, mentor agencies within the T-TAP project were a
tremendously helpful resource. They shared lessons learned, encouraged
new approaches, modeled approaches, brain-stormed solutions, or
re-vitalized staff members with encouragement, praise and a sense of
hope. Mentors involved in the T-TAP project served as a comprehensive
wealth of knowledge in assisting job developers and employment service
teams.

**Brainstorming & Problem-Solving**

Virtually every mentor reported spending a fair amount of time working
with the placement staff on problem solving or brainstorming to support
individual job goals. They shared information on ideas tried, tools
developed, collaborations formed and the outcomes of real casework
experiences. Many of the brainstorming activities revolved around career
planning, job exploration, job development, job carving, job creation
ideas and funding. Issues around providing employment supports were also
frequent topics for brainstorming. Mentee sites looked to the TA staff
and the mentor agency for suggestions about job site supports, natural
supports, fading and funding supports. The planned monthly call between
the mentee and the mentor and TA staff person often included
brainstorming on job coaching. The TA recipient agencies reported
finding this assistance from their mentors very helpful. It was time
that focused on helping the job developers do their jobs. Below are a
few examples to demonstrate how this worked.

> Magic Valley Rehabilitation Services (MVRS) in Twin Falls, Idaho,
> reported that their mentor, KFI, was tremendously helpful to all of
> their staff. The mentors began by visiting and observing staff in
> order to get to know them and their approaches. After that, when they
> would talk with the staff members, the mentors would already knew a
> great deal about how they approached their jobs. Next, the mentor was
> able to offer an overview of how the mentor worked with their own
> clients, and finally they offered feedback and suggestions to the
> staff at MVRS. On the monthly calls, the mentor would gather the team
> to use those times to brainstorm on very difficult cases. The
> brainstorming yielded many action steps for the staff. In addition,
> these brainstorming sessions modeled a group problem-solving approach.
>
> KFI also worked with the staff at Friendship, Inc. in Fargo, ND. They
> helped the staff examine barriers to employment and to think
> creatively about how to address those barriers. Friendship staff
> described the work with the mentors as: "we put our titles aside and
> just talked. It was great that he \[the mentor\] was not trying to
> tell us what to do as a boss but rather as a peer that knows what we
> do. He offered helpful suggestions". This relationship also included
> the involvement of additional KFI staff beyond the assigned mentor.
> Friendship was able to benefit not only from the input of the mentor
> who was the executive director at KFI but also from KFI's job
> development team as they shared their knowledge and experiences.
>
> Staff from Cobb-Douglas Counties CSBs in Georgia served as mentors for
> two sites, Anixter Center in Chicago, and AtWork, Inc. in Issaquah,
> WA. Both sites reported that it was valuable spending time
> brainstorming with their mentor. The Anixter Center also involved the
> mentor in brainstorming with family members and job seekers. A variety
> of ideas on job interests and possibilities were discussed. By
> actually meeting with everyone involved in the brainstorming session,
> the mentor could help with establishing some parameters that would
> lead to follow-up action.
>
> **Facilitating Person-Centered Career Planning**
>
> Direct mentor participation in facilitating or co-facilitating a
> career planning process allowed mentors to model the technique of
> person-centered career planning and to demonstrate the power of
> positive expectations. Effective person-centered planning provides the
> individual with a disability and their network of support a central,
> powerful role in the career development process. Bob Niemiec described
> his experience as a mentor as follows:
>
> "During my first visit to the Arc of the Northern Chesapeake Region, I
> spent a great deal of time training different staff. I facilitated a
> career-planning meeting with Arc staff for a young woman who had
> recently entered their services. A major emphasis during the meeting
> was for me to model language. It was important to illustrate how the
> words we choose can impact the process and the people involved.
> Positive words and "people first" language were critical to making the
> point. After the event, I could see some of the people involved in the
> planning meeting edit their language. They were making a conscious
> effort to practice what they had witnessed."

**Observing and Modeling Employment Services**

Virtually every mentor reported spending time in the community with the
direct placement staff of the mentee agencies. They had opportunities to
offer feedback and suggestions to the staff. The mentors also used these
times to participate in the job development outreach strategies by
modeling interactions with employers. Mentors had opportunities to see
people who had been placed successfully, watch as they performed their
jobs, and interact with co-workers and supervisors. Staff members had an
opportunity to observe the mentors, be observed, and discuss new
approaches. This direct involvement by the mentors in the community was
found to be useful in both urban and rural settings. Examples of
specific mentor-mentee experiences in observing and modeling employment
services follow.

The Coastal Center worked with its mentor agency Rise, Inc and found the
two staff members from Rise who participated in the mentorship to be
very helpful. Rise modeled some of their approaches to job development
in order for the staff to have an opportunity to observe and then to try
on their own. These observations helped the mentees explore new ways to
interact with and market to the employers that they met. The mentors
also had a willingness to share job development tools with the staff.
"Overall, their input gave our team new found hope and energy."

There were two T-TAP TA recipient agencies in Oklahoma: Home of Hope in
Vinita, and EmployAbility in Bartlesville. Both agencies had tremendous
interest and needs in refining and developing enhanced marketing and job
development skills among their staff. John Luna from Dallas MetroCare
Services, an expert in the marketing and job development area, served as
the mentor for Home of Hope and as a secondary mentor for EmployAbility.
Feedback from the direct service staff and employment services managers
at both programs indicated that the time spent with John Luna was
invaluable. Both sites reported that their mentor helped them to learn
about sales. One mentee commented:

> \"It allowed me to know that my barriers were common among others in
> this field. It helped me to feel less alone in the process of
> overcoming those barriers. Knowing that there was someone to talk to
> about successes and failures was the best part for me. Being able to
> ask 'stupid' questions was great as well. Selling yourself, selling
> the person, selling your agency, and with John, practicing by selling
> a tree in the lobby of a hotel to a complete stranger made me stronger
> and more confident."

The mentors from KFI also reported an advantage of their field
observations and modeling. One of the KFI mentors commented:

> "I requested an opportunity to go on a site visit to watch the staff
> approach a new employer that had never been contacted. I had become
> familiar with the job developer already. I watched as this person went
> to this business at the wrong time of day when the manager was busy
> and preoccupied. The person did not read the cues being directed at
> her by the manager. There were many chances to schedule an appointment
> for a different day. I watched the person basically shatter any
> potential hopes of a job placement that day or any other day in the
> future, by not reading the signs."

The mentor went on to say that later the staff person asked for honest
feedback. The mentor had a chance to explain that he would have found a
quieter time to go in to talk. He also suggested working on listening
more and talking less. Finally, he suggested that she slow down when
talking as she flew through what she had to say. When they returned to
the agency, the mentor and the staff person role played the situation.
The next time with an employer, the staff person did much better.

One mentor agency described the following situation in which he observed
the job coach with a worker at the person's job site. Clearly in this
situation, the mentor realized the importance of gentle guidance to help
create a learning moment.

> "While observing an individual working with the job coach, the job
> coach was very pleased and proud to introduce me and asked for my
> suggestions. I made several observations of problem areas, ranging
> from safety issues (wet floors-no signs), behavioral /performance
> issues (worker damaging work area), interpersonal concerns with
> coworkers nearby, and the supervisor relating to the job coach as if
> the worker was a non-entity. The job coach did seem to be aware of how
> I perceived the employee's work and that of the job coach. Afterwards,
> I asked the mentee to share more information about this placement and
> the support offered. This helped me understand the work that had been
> done on this individual's behalf and the gains that had been made. I
> then offered ideas based on my observations, while acknowledging the
> work that had brought this person this far. Though several concerns
> were noted in our discussion, they were placed in context with other
> gains, and I felt that the mentee left the conversation with areas to
> address and a willingness to make improvements. Ultimately, the person
> did not feel attacked, devalued or criticized."

In addition, mentor agencies were able to influence practice on job
development by providing training. One example occurred when Nancy
Brooks-Lane and Doug Crandall worked with the staff and leadership of
AtWork! The agency identified a need for self-employment training. Other
agencies in the Seattle area also were interested in developing their
skills on this topic. The mentors went to Seattle to do the training,
and the staff at AtWork handled the details and offered the training to
area agencies. As a result, AtWork was able to meet its staff
development needs while also meeting a training need in the region.

**Help With Funding Issues**

All agencies providing employment services share a common concern about
funding. Community rehabilitation programs frequently have rates set at
low levels, which result in their having to pay staff modest wages. When
customized employment with the focus on individualized placements (not
groups placements) is added to the employment options, concerns about
increases in costs are often expressed by agencies new to using this
approach. This is particularly the case when there are already concerns
about limited funding available to the program.

Mentor agencies were extremely helpful in dealing with these funding
concerns. They had dealt with the same concerns, and in fact, many of
the mentors continued to work through funding issues faced by their own
agencies. Therefore, the stories and strategies the mentors shared
provided information and hope regarding seemingly complex financial
questions. The mentors were willing to share insights, successes, and
strategies, as well as time to commiserate with the TA recipients.

Often, in the process of brainstorming for job development, the
conversation would move into funding for supports. Most mentor sites
were a few steps beyond the TA recipients in their experimentation
around funding. Some had pursued models of blending and braiding
funding; others had more expertise with creative use of Pass Plans and
Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWEs). Others were working more with
their Boards of Directors around development or the creation of loans
for clients pursuing self-employment or resource ownership.

For example, at the mentee site MVRS; the local VR counselors had a
tendency to recommend clients with significant disabilities to the
sheltered workshop program. MVRS staff discussed with the mentor how to
make an argument to VR that all clients are able to find employment in
the community with the proper supports. With input from the mentor and
the TA staff, MVRS worked to create a situation built on the presumption
that all referrals were targeted for integrated employment / customized
employment, not sheltered employment.

**Summary of Mentor Support in the Provision of Employment Services**

The T-TAP project took a proactive approach to encouraging mentee
agencies to provide services focused on community integrated employment
early in the organizational restructuring process. As a result, the
mentors providing technical assistance had the opportunity to actually
participate in marketing, job development, and job site support
processes. Through demonstration, observation, discussion, and feedback,
the mentors could directly assist the job development and employment
support staff. This interactive process was longitudinal in nature,
being spread over the two-year relationship between the mentor and
mentee. This extended technical assistance period allowed the mentee
agency time to test strategies, build on those that were effective, and
redirect/correct those that were less effective. The mentor was a fully
active participant in this organizational and staff development process
focusing on building an effective employment service program.

**Section 6**

**Summary of Lessons Learned about Building Effective Mentor
Relationships**

Mentorship needs to start with a pool of talented professionals with a
dedication to the further development of the field by serving as mentors
in order for it to be effective. T-TAP had the benefit of being a
larger, multi-year project that had funds to support some travel costs
and to facilitate the technical assistance during the early stages of
the organizational restructuring process for mentee agencies. The
project was most fortunate to have a group of incredibly talented and
experienced professionals serving as mentors who are passionate about
their work and believe that it is important to share experiences with
others. Although the focus was on using the T-TAP mentors to assist
other agencies, most mentors reported that there was a mutual benefit to
the experience. The important lessons learned about building effective
mentor relationships are listed in the following table and expanded in
this final section of examples.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **Building Effective Mentor Relationships**                           |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Establish the relationship: listen and learn                          |
|                                                                       |
| Identify circumstances that interfere with honest discussions.        |
|                                                                       |
| Define the relationship.                                              |
|                                                                       |
| Provide empathy and hope.                                             |
|                                                                       |
| Be helpful in meaningful ways.                                        |
|                                                                       |
| Find the informal and formal leaders.                                 |
|                                                                       |
| Learn what they do, when and how they do it, and why they do it this  |
| way.                                                                  |
|                                                                       |
| Examine who they know: help them utilize their networks.              |
|                                                                       |
| Practice humility and be willing to learn while mentoring.            |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

**[Establish the relationship: Listen and Learn]{.underline}**. Try to
learn as quickly as you can about the agency. This includes the staff
and their approaches to working with people, their consumers and family
members. Learn about their hopes and concerns around integrated
employment, their funding structures and relationships, their business
and community opportunities, their board members, and their leadership.

**[Identify circumstances that interfere with honest
discussions]{.underline}***.* Some staff members will not share
information when in the presence of their supervisors or the leadership
of an agency. Most consumers and family members do not want to say
anything critical. Some people do not like formal settings and some
people feel their opinions do not matter. All these variables influence
whether or not a mentor can get an accurate picture of various
perspectives. Talk to direct staff if possible away from their
supervisors. Talk to other stakeholders alone as well (e.g., individuals
with disabilities, family members, employers, funders). Listen carefully
to their concerns and needs. Set up formal and informal meetings (over
lunch, for example).

**[Define the relationship]{.underline}***.* Develop a relationship
based on a clear understanding of what the mentee wishes to gain and
what the mentor hopes to offer. Clarify how this process will proceed
and how the outcome of the mentor / mentee relationship will be
documented/measured.

**[Provide empathy and hope.]{.underline}** Point out personal
experiences with organizational restructuring that demonstrates an
understanding of how hard the process is while also demonstrating that
there is hope for a successful outcome.

**[Be helpful in meaningful ways.]{.underline}** Advice and guidance is
great! But, be willing to "roll up your sleeves" and work alongside the
mentee. Share ideas or stories that were moments of growth for the
mentor organization. Discuss things tried that didn't work and what was
learned from these situations. Showing that the mentor has imperfections
demonstrates that the mentor agency is just further on the same path.
Sometimes sharing the \"don'ts\" is as important as sharing the \"dos.\"

**[Find the informal and formal leaders]{.underline}**. Everyone knows
who the boss is, but every organization has influential people at a
variety of levels. Determine who these people are. Find out if they are
\"with\" the program or potentially going to sabotage efforts.

**[Learn what they (mentee staff) do, when and how they do it, and why
they do it this way.]{.underline}** Talk with the staff of the mentee
agency and shadow them in the field. Understanding how people work
provides a comprehensive look at how they train and orient staff. This
will provide insight into whether there is a need for revamping their
training. Knowing when they do things or gather information provides
insight into their processes. Finally, learning why they do things a
certain way may shed light on any variations from how they were trained.
All this information helps identify influences on the employment
services processes. What is the \"bottom line\" question? Does the staff
collect adequate and timely enough information to do a good job match?

**[Identify who they know.]{.underline}** Help the mentee utilize their
networks. Does the agency have an approach or strategy for determining
who the employers are in the community? How do they market their
services to these employers or the local labor market?

**[Practice humility and be willing to learn while
mentoring.]{.underline}** This should happen naturally. Every agency has
creative approaches, and there is something to be learned in every
situation.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **Feedback Guidelines: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly**              |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| -   Give honest feedback -- positive and negative in a respectful     |
|     manner.                                                           |
|                                                                       |
| -   Present information as ideas to be considered. Be clear that      |
|     suggestions made "with the best of intentions" are the mentor's   |
|     perceptions of the mentee's needs.                                |
|                                                                       |
| -   Acknowledge all that is going well, and all the efforts going     |
|     into the work.                                                    |
|                                                                       |
| -   Acknowledge sensitivity to the complexity and difficulties of the |
|     situation.                                                        |
|                                                                       |
| -   Share lessons learned by similar practices and situations         |
|     experienced.                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| -   Don't avoid the truth. If there are issues, they need to know     |
|     them. Work on the delivery of the message.                        |
|                                                                       |
| -   If there are training needs, identify them; if there are legal or |
|     safety issues, make sure that you close the loop on the           |
|     communication with a supervisor.                                  |
|                                                                       |
| -   Present observations in ways that are clear and objective but     |
|     leave room for further rationale/discussions.                     |
|                                                                       |
| -   Praise when possible but be honest too.                           |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

**Summary**

The purpose of this Guide has been to highlight strategies for utilizing
mentors as a component of technical assistance to CRPs undertaking an
organizational change. The mentor strategies detailed in this Guide are
drawn from the five-year experiences of the T-TAP project. The
Appendices that follow contain a variety of resources developed by
T-TAP. These include extensive examples of strategies to address
specific issues experienced at both the organizational and the direct
employment service level for facilitating customized employment
outcomes.

The examples are drawn from the direct experiences of the mentors and
mentor organizations. Also included in the Appendices are resources
referenced in the Guide such as a 30-Day Placement Plan, and Staff Time
Logs. Finally, the Appendices include a variety of fact sheets on
customized employment. These collective resources are intended to serve
as training and technical assistance tools for use by community
rehabilitation programs seeking to limit or eliminate use of Section 14c
Minimum Wage Certificates through refocusing organizational structures
and employment services to promote community integrated employment
outcomes.

**Appendix 1: Mentor Organizations**

**T-TAP CRP Leadership Network**

**[Allegan County Community Mental Health]{.underline}, Allegan,
Michigan**

Mentor: Beth Durkee \[bdurkee@accmhs.org\]

Career Concepts is the employment services division of Allegan County
Community Mental Health. Career Concepts supports people with
developmental disabilities and serious mental illness working in various
supported employment settings. The agency chose Career Concepts as its
name because that is what staff tries to do every day. The mission is to
have a real presence in the business community and develop employment
outcomes based on what the market needs and what people want. Career
Concepts works to help people attain competitive income and make new
friends. One focus has been learning about and developing supported
self-employment outcomes. The agency has leveraged VR dollars in
different ways, developing and implementing individual budgets, PASS
Plans and a very unique home grown revolving loan system assists people
attain capital to develop better self and wage employment outcomes.

**[The Arc of Stanly County, Inc]{.underline}., Albemarle, North
Carolina**

Mentor: Peggy Terhune \[pterhune@arcofstanlync.org\]

Website: [http://www.arcofstanlync.org](http://www.arcofstanlync.org/)

Nationally accredited, Stanly Industrial Services (SIS) is one of the
most diverse industries in the State of North Carolina with janitorial,
food services, placement and labor outsourcing programs. SIS is designed
to develop employment opportunities and alternative day services for
individuals with disabilities. Vocational services are evaluation and
assessment, job coaching, small business development, micro enterprise
development, supported employment opportunities, and volunteer
opportunities within the community for those who desire. The Arc of
Stanly County, Inc. also manages an affirmative industry as well as a
community rehabilitation program. Through extensive work skill training,
on site or in local businesses, participants build skills toward
employment and independence, and employers benefit from quality products
and services. The SIS staff offers each individual a wide array of
supports to accommodate each person\'s unique talents and abilities.

**[Career Design & Development Services]{.underline}, Dallas, Texas**

Mentor: John Luna \[JLuna@dallasmetrocare.com\]

Website: <http://www.dallasmetrocare.com/Careers/careers.html>

Career Design & Development Services (a division of Dallas Metrocare
Services) provides exemplary vocational services for persons with
disabilities. The Goal of CDDS is to assist individuals in obtaining and
maintaining employment in their career of choice in the community. On
average, CDDS serves approximately 500 consumers per month. Community
inclusion, vocational skills, and employment assistance are the basis
for providing quality services for people with disabilities. Employers
may also qualify for a tax credit for hiring people with disabilities.
Career Design & Development Services values assisting people with
disabilities with dignity and respect. CDDS is an active member of six
Chambers of Commerce in the Dallas area.

**[Career Support Systems]{.underline}, Inc., Richmond, VA**

Mentor: Lance Elwood \[lance@careersupport.net\]

Website: [http://www.careersupport.net](http://www.careersupport.net/)

Career Support Systems (CSS), Inc., founded in 1993, is a successful and
growing organization that is committed to helping people succeed in
their communities and compete in today\'s complicated labor market. CSS
supports a variety of customers in community-based settings, including:
people with mild to severe disabilities, people with economic challenges
(e.g., TANF recipients), and people with medical concerns. CSS has
offices in Richmond, VA and rural far SW Virginia. Its mission is to
promote independence and self-sufficiency by delivering exceptional
community based employment services and supports.

**[Community Involvement Programs]{.underline}**, **Minneapolis,
Minnesota**

Mentor: Bob Niemiec \[bniemiec@cipmn.org\]

Website: <http://www.cipmn.org/>

Community Involvement Programs has a rich and varied history of
supporting people with disabilities. Since its establishment in 1971,
CIP has developed a broad array of services and supports for persons
with developmental disabilities and their families and also for
individuals with mental illness. While most programs are provided in the
Minneapolis metro area, services are also provided to individuals and
families in the Northern Minnesota Counties of Pine and Mille Lacs.
Today, services strive to be responsive to the individual needs and
preferences of each person and family supported. CIP firmly believes
that each person and family has the right to experience a quality of
life that reflects their choices and interests as well as their talents
and abilities. Life experiences should also include relationships with
family, friends,

**[The Cobb/Douglas Community Services Boards]{.underline} (CSBs),
Georgia**

Mentor: Nancy Brooks-Lane \[nbrooks@cobbcsb.com\]

The Cobb/Douglas CSBs are public agencies created by state law to
provide mental health, mental retardation, and substance abuse services.
The service areas of the agencies are Cobb County and Douglas County,
Georgia. The agency supports over 300 people in competitive employment.
The majority of funds utilized to provide services are generated through
a contract with the State of Georgia, Medicaid and Medicare revenue,
Vocational Rehabilitation, and grants. The agency\'s goals are: consumer
preference; work initiatives; and the expansion of the availability and
access to natural community supports through the reduction of stigma.
The CSB has phased out sub-minimum wage and sheltered workshop programs
over the last four years and through its active involvement in two
Office of Disability Employment Policy Grants: 1) Customized Employment
and 2) WorkForce Action. In addition, the CSB is a Project EMPLOY
partner. The focus of the supports is personal choice, self-advocacy,
self-determination, community inclusion, and competitive employment.

**[HPS, Helping People Succeed, Inc.,]{.underline} Stuart, FL**

Mentor: Suzanne Hutcheson \[shutcheson@hpsfl.org\]

Website: [http://www.tricountytec.org](http://www.tricountytec.org/)

HPS, Helping People Succeed, Inc. provides unique and valuable services
that lead to improved quality of life and independence through community
based employment, education and training programs for citizens of
Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Okeechobee, Highlands, Polk, Glades,
and Hendry counties. HPS\'s goal is to help each person have a
successful future enjoying their life fully participating as productive
taxpaying citizens. HPS also helps improve the community\'s economic
viability and diversity through programs that assist children to become
ready for school, and assists adults to find and maintain employment.
Specific areas include Prevention and Early Intervention for families
with children from birth to age five; Behavioral Intervention for
families with children from ages five to twenty-one; Employment,
Community Living and Supported Living services for adults with
disabilities and adults who are transitioning from welfare to work or
individuals who have other barriers to independent living.

**[KFI]{.underline}, Millinocket, Maine**

Mentor: Jim Meehan \[jbmeehan@kfimaine.org\]

KFI is a regional provider of services to people with disabilities. The
job developers get to know the needs of the business community and then
work to find jobs that match people\'s requirements, interests and
abilities. They then provide training and support for the person to be
successful. KFI also supports people to live in their own apartment or
home, and provides individual supports for people who live with their
families or in other organizations\' living arrangements, to become
active and contributing members of their communities. They also have two
inclusive preschools and provide case management for children with
developmental disabilities. KFI is the 1999 Winner of AAMR\'s National
Full Community Inclusion Award.

**[Rise, Inc]{.underline}., Spring Lake Park, Minnesota**

Contact Person: Don Lavin \[dlavin@rise.org\]

Website: [http://www.rise.org](http://www.rise.org/)

Rise is a private, non-profit vocational rehabilitation agency that
provides career planning, vocational training, employment, job
placement, and support services to adults with disabilities and other
barriers to employment. They also offer transitional housing and
independent living skills services to adults who have mental health
disabilities. Named Minnesota\'s Outstanding Community Rehabilitation
Agency by its peers three times, it is a progressive non-profit
corporation serving more 2,400 adults with significant disabilities
annually.

**[Via of Lehigh Valley]{.underline}, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania**

Contact Person: Corey Smith \[c.smith@vianet.org\]

Website: [http://www.vianet.org](http://www.vianet.org/)

Via is a large provider agency that offer's employment, residential,
community-based supports, inclusive childcare, and early intervention
services to 1,000 consumers and families each year. Via has been
aggressively converting all facility-based services to the community for
a number of years. Their board of directors set a goal to provide all
services in community-based settings by 2006. Agency President/CEO Ron
Rucker and Director of Employment Services, Corey Smith have
successfully led the full conversion of four workshops in three
different states to community employment. Via is now converting its
existing sheltered workshop by developing employment opportunities and
making community connections.

Like most CRPs, Via has been struggled with attracting funding for
valued community-based outcomes. As a large provider, the agency owns a
number of buildings for facility-based services. Proceeds from the sale
of these buildings are being used to offset the cost of providing high
quality community-based services. Via also maintains a variety of other
revenue producing ventures, including two thrift shops, special events,
and a developing Internet resale business to support the agency's
mission.

**Appendix 2: Technical Assistance Recipients**

**2003 Technical Assistance Recipients**

**[EmployAbility, Inc.]{.underline}**

501 SW Virginia \| Bartlesville, OK 74003

The goals that EmployAbility set for the technical assistance provided
by T-TAP included:

1.  Improve its assessment and job development processes in order to
    make better job matches that are successful for the individuals as
    well as the businesses.

2.  Develop internal training and staff development that will give its
    staff the necessary skills to develop competitive employment
    opportunities for the individuals served.

3.  Develop and/or realign the organizational structure to support the
    development of competitive employment opportunities.

4.  Improve its ability to do Customized Employment.

**[AtWork!]{.underline}**

690 NW Juniper \| Issaquah, WA 98027

[http://www.atwork-issaquah.com](http://www.atwork-issaquah.com/)

The goals that At Work set for the technical assistance provided by
T-TAP included:

1.  Instill the expectation that every individual paid under the DOL 14c
    waiver will participate in training that will increase his or her
    competitive job skills.

2.  Educate staff, clients, and families in alternatives to traditional
    employment outcomes, resulting in a wider variety of available
    options.

3.  Develop a broader range of skills in those individuals served by At
    Work to create new options for non-stereotypic community jobs.

**[Babcock Center]{.underline}**

PO Box 3817 \| Columbia, SC 29230

[http://www.babcockcenter.org](http://www.babcockcenter.org/)

The goals that Babcock Center set for the technical assistance provided
by T-TAP included:

1.  Transform the resources of the organization from center-based
    vocational programs to community-based and person-centered options.

2.  Learn how to actively engage the people served and their family
    members in the planning and change process.

3.  Assist people with significant disabilities to find and maintain
    competitive employment.

4.  Use an assessment process that is based on the values and interests
    of the people receiving services.

5.  Learn how to assist people with disabilities to start, own and be
    successful with their own businesses based on interests and desires.

6.  Learn the art of creating and designing jobs around people with
    disability rather than trying to fit people into existing jobs.

**[Cranston Arc]{.underline}**

905 Pontiac Avenue \| Cranston, RI 02920

[http://www.cranstonarc.org](http://www.cranstonarc.org/)

The goals that Cranston Arc set for the technical assistance provided by
T-TAP included:

1.  Provide information to families regarding employment and how
    employment may impact, their family member in areas such as work
    schedule, earnings and SSI, and day options when not working.

2.  Develop an internal structure at Cranston ARC that will allow the
    agency to be flexible and responsive to the needs of the individuals
    as their work schedules dictate.

3.  Utilize outside agencies to help identify and secure work for
    individuals.

4.  Collaborate with other agencies for training, job staring, etc.

**2004 Technical Assistance Recipients**

**[Charles River Industries]{.underline}**

59 E. Militia Heights Road \| Needham, MA 02492

<http://www.crarc.org/>

The goals that Charles River Industries set for the technical assistance
provided by T-TAP included:

1.  Improve the organizational capacity to develop business
    relationships, especially among front line staff, through internal
    and external training.

2.  Develop staffing patterns designed to maximize the time case
    managers spend developing individualized employment opportunities.

3.  Develop community placements in economic sectors not previously
    tapped by their agency.

4.  Create job opportunities for customers with significant challenges.

**[Hi-Hope Service Center]{.underline}**

882 Hi Hope Road \| Lawrenceville, GA 30043

<http://www.hihopecenter.org/>

The goals that Hi-Hope set for the technical assistance provided by
T-TAP included:

1.  Eliminate barriers to community employment by educating staff,
    consumers, families and the community at large about its benefits.

2.  Develop a comprehensive training program for community employment
    staff.

3.  Establish successful methods for job development.

4.  Explore other sources of funding.

**[Home of Hope, Inc.]{.underline}**

P.O. Box 903 \| Vinita, Oklahoma 74301

[http://www.homeofhope.com](http://www.homeofhope.com/)

The goals that Home of Hope, Inc. set for the technical assistance
provided by T-TAP included:

1.  Develop an action plan to move people into customized employment.

2.  Develop and implement a marketing strategy targeted at current and
    potential business partners.

3.  Construct a "road map" of finances and resources needed during the
    transition to customized employment.

4.  Develop and deliver training to employees, focusing on change,
    maximizing resources, job development, individual job matches,
    customer satisfaction, and natural supports.

5.  Create a culture of customized employment for persons with
    disabilities for all employment staff within the organization.

6.  Create efficiencies by pooling the combined resources of employees
    and budgets working in different programs.

**[Humboldt Community Access & Resource Center (HCAR)]{.underline}**

PO Box 2010 \| Eureka, CA 95502

[http://www.hcar.us](http://www.hcar.us/)

The goals that HCAR set for the technical assistance provided by T-TAP
included:

1.  Improve assessment and job development processes in order to make
    high quality job matches that are successful for individuals as well
    as the employers.

2.  Provide training and staff development that will give staff the
    necessary skills to develop competitive employment opportunities for
    consumers.

3.  Learn how to assist people with disabilities to start, own and be
    successful with their own businesses based on their interests and
    desires.

4.  Develop an effective marketing plan to change the image of Baybridge
    Employment & Work Services from a social service agency to an
    employment agency.

5.  Develop and implement public relations material to market job
    seekers to the business community.

6.  Expand the organization's contacts with business community and
    develop a Business Advisory Council.

7.  Develop and implement a plan to involve all staff in marketing and
    public relations.

**[Magic Valley Rehabilitation Services]{.underline}**

484 Eastland Drive South \| Twin Falls, ID 83301

Contact: Merv Sullivan

The goals that Magic Valley Rehabilitation Services set for the
technical assistance provided by T-TAP included:

1.  Provide training to center-based staff.

2.  Work with the state vocational agency to ensure the successful
    movement of participants from facility based workshop to competitive
    employment.

3.  Provide training to Employment Services Specialists to better
    prepare them to create unique job opportunities for individuals
    supported by Magic Valley.

4.  Explore the potential for self-employment of participants.

5.  Reduce the number of participants receiving center-based services.

**2005 Technical Assistance Recipients**

**[Anixter Center]{.underline}**

2001 N. Clybourn Ave.

Suite 302

Chicago, IL 60614

[www.anixter.org](http://www.anixter.org/)

The goals that Anixter Center set for the technical assistance provided
by T-TAP included:

1.  Enhance the advocacy skills of agency staff so that they can present
    the idea of community-based services more effectively.

2.  Enhance the agency staff\'s ability to educate corporations and
    foundations about this change in philosophy in order to maximize
    resources.

3.  Develop the agency capacity to find customized employment
    opportunities for job seekers with very significant disabilities.

4.  Assistance in developing the procedures for implementing the project
    including a reasonable timeline to enhance the probability of early
    success.

5.  Training in how to instruct service recipients and their family
    members to be active participants in selecting a job and employment
    location.

**[Coastal Center for Developmental Services, Inc. (CCDS)]{.underline}**

1249 Eisenhower Drive

Savannah, GA 31406

The goals that Coastal Center for Developmental Services set for the
technical assistance provided by T-TAP included:

1.  CCDS is committed to placing 60 individuals into Community
    Employment over the next fiscal year.

2.  Increase the effectiveness with job creation to develop gainful
    employment for individuals with multiple disabilities to include
    significant physical disabilities and dual diagnoses.

**[Friendship, Inc.]{.underline}**

801 Page Drive

Fargo, ND 58103

[http://www.friendship-inc.com](http://www.friendship-inc.com/)

The goals that Friendship Inc. set for the technical assistance provided
by T-TAP included:

1.  Increase access to community-based employment for people currently
    served in center-based services.

2.  Enhance job development strategies.

3.  Reduce the use of Section 14(c) employment.

4.  Increase access to employment & VR funding for people with
    significant support needs.

5.  Successfully manage organizational change.

**[The Arc of DC]{.underline}**

817 Varnum Street NE, Suite 229

Washington, DC 20017

[http://www.arcdc.net](http://www.arcdc.net/)

The goals that the Arc of DC set for the technical assistance provided
by T-TAP included:

1.  Eliminate barriers to community employment by educating staff,
    individuals with disabilities, families and the community at large
    about its benefits.

2.  Establish successful methods for job development and employer
    training.

3.  Provide training and staff development that will give staff the
    necessary skills to develop competitive employment opportunities for
    individuals with disabilities.

4.  Create job opportunities for individuals with significant
    challenges.

5.  Design a state-of-the art model for the District enhancing
    customized employment and job sustainability.

6.  Design and implement a strong marketing and business plan to include
    the establishment of a Business/Employer Advisory Committee.

**[The Arc of Northern Chesapeake]{.underline}**

4513 Philadelphia Road

Aberdeen, MD 21001

The goals that The Arc of Northern Chesapeake set for the technical
assistance provided by T-TAP included:

1\. Increase the number of customers involved in individual community
employment by 30.

Individuals will be those who are:

a\. Currently participating in group work situations (e.g., enclaves and
mobile crews),

b\. Un- or under-employed based on Individual Plan documented
objectives.

2\. Reduce the number of individuals who are employed under Section
14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act by 50% (5 individuals).

**Appendix 3: Technical Assistance Resources**

1\. Data Collection Tools Overview

2\. Staff Time Log

3\. Organizational Survey

4\. Individual Consumer Outcomes Log

5\. Initial Site Visit Outline

**Summary Information for the TA Site Data Collection Tools**

Implementing an organizational change process requires careful attention
to both resources and outcomes. For organizations that are supporting
individuals with disabilities in community employment the primary
resource is staff time. Principal outcomes include individual's access
to employment and the quality of the employment experience.

T-TAP assessed resources and outcomes at project sites using three tools
developed by the Institute for Community Inclusion. The tools are
designed to be used on a point-in-time basis, with minimal time
commitment. T-TAP sites implemented the Staff Time Log and the
Individual Employment Outcomes Log every six months, and the
Organizational Survey once every 12 months.

**[Staff Time Log]{.underline}**. The goal of the Staff Time Log is to
provide a snapshot of staff time investment across eight major activity
categories. The Staff Time Log can be used to answer questions such as,

-   Are staff spending too much time providing individual support?

-   Are we shifting resources from facility-based services to community
    support over time?

-   Are we investing enough in job development?

The Staff Time Log is completed for one full calendar week by all staff,
with the possible exception of staff that have purely administrative
roles (e.g. you may choose to not include the business manager or
receptionist). Staff indicate the [primary]{.underline} activity for
each 30-minute interval during the day. Ideally staff will complete
these as the day goes on and memories are fresh. If a staff member is
out sick or on vacation, no hours should be recorded. It is important to
be sensitive to staff concerns about using this tool. T-TAP provided
postage paid envelopes so that staff could return the form directly to
the project. Other organizations that adopt this tool may want to allow
staff to complete it anonymously, either by having staff return Logs
directly to an external evaluator or by having staff hand them in
without identifying themselves. The goal is to look at organizational
resource allocation, not individual staff performance.

**[Organizational Survey]{.underline}**. The purpose of the
Organizational Survey is to assess the extent to which staff have a
common understanding of organizational values and strategies. The Survey
asks them to indicate their agreement with statements that assess
organizational practices, funding practices, strategies for employment,
personal experiences, and perceptions of changes in responsibilities and
expectations. Staff may have concerns about providing honest answers to
some of these questions, and providing the opportunity to respond
anonymously is important.

**[Individual Consumer Outcomes Log]{.underline}**. This tool assesses
the quality and quantity of individual outcomes by collecting a one-week
snapshot of an individual's activities including the total hours spent
during this week across five activities or jobs (individual employment,
small group supported employment, individual community-based non-work
activities, sheltered employment, and facility-based non-work services).
Quality of employment measures includes wages, payroll status (is the
individual on company payroll or program payroll), benefits, and the
type of job. As in the other tools, data are collected for one week
only. The actual hours in each job or environment for that week only
should be recorded, even if an individual is on vacation or otherwise
has an atypical week. The goal is to assess trends in outcomes on an
organizational level, and these variations will even out across the
organization.

Staff Time Log

Staff Name: Week Ending:

Organization:

+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    |          | **M  | **Tu | **W  | *    | **F  | **S  | **S  |
|    |          | on** | es** | ed** | *Thu | ri** | at** | un** |
|    |          |      |      |      | rs** |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 6        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :00-6:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 6        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :30-7:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 7        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :00-7:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 7        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :30-8:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 8        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :00-8:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 8        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :30-9:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 9        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :00-9:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 9:       |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | 30-10:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| #  | 10:      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
| #  | 00-10:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
| AM |          |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 10:      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | 30-11:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 11:      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | 00-11:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 11:      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | 30-12:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 12:      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | 00-12:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 12       |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :30-1:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 1        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :00-1:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| #  | 1        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
| #  | :30-2:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
| PM |          |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 2        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :00-2:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 2        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :30-3:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 3        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :00-3:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 3        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :30-4:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 4        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :00-4:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 4        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :30-5:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 5        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :00-5:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 5        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :30-6:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 6        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :00-6:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 6        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :30-7:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 7        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :00-7:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 7        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :30-8:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 8        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :00-8:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 8        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :30-9:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 9        |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | :00-9:30 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|    | 9:       |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
|    | 30-10:00 |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
+----+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+

*For more information contact*: John Butterworth, Institute for
Community Inclusion\
john.butterworth@umb.edu or (617) 287-4357

**Include [all]{.underline} your work hours, including those not
assigned to community employment**

**Write code number for the [primary activity]{.underline} conducted
during each interval**

**Please Summarize on Back**

  ------- ----------------------------------------------------------------
  **1**   On-the-Job worker training or support for a Community Employee
          **in an individual job** including meetings with employer, but
          [not]{.underline} including job development

  **2**   On-the-Job worker training or support for a Community Employee
          **in group supported employment** including enclaves or mobile
          work crews employing no more than 8 individuals.

  **3**   Off-the-Job worker training or support for a Community Employee
          (e.g. counseling, skill training, case management, phone calls,
          meetings, paperwork,\...) but [not]{.underline} including job
          development

  **4**   Job development, including employer and community outreach with
          or without the consumer

  **5**   Training, support provided in a sheltered workshop or other
          program setting

  **6**   Community-based non-work support

  **7**   Travel [with]{.underline} consumer (e.g. transportation to work
          or interviews)

  **8**   Travel [without]{.underline} consumer

  **9**   Other
  ------- ----------------------------------------------------------------

*For more information contact*: John Butterworth, Institute for
Community Inclusion\
john.butterworth@umb.edu or (617) 287-4357

**Staff Time Log Overview and Summary**

The staff time log form provides a one-week snapshot of staff effort.
While some organizations choose to maintain this time log on an ongoing
basis, more typically it would be used once every 3 to 6 months to
assess trends. Each staff member should complete the form for one week,
Monday through Sunday.

  ------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------------
  **[Code]{.underline}**   **[Activity]{.underline}**     **[Notes]{.underline}**

  **1**                    On-the-Job worker training or  Include only support for
                           support for a Community        individuals working in individual
                           Employee **in an individual    jobs and receiving 1:1 support.
                           job** including meetings with  
                           employer, but                  
                           [not]{.underline} including    
                           job development                

  **2**                    On-the-Job worker training or  Typically this is defined as more
                           support for a Community        than one worker who are supported
                           Employee **in group supported  by the permanent presence of a
                           employment** including         job support professional.
                           enclaves or mobile work crews  Enclaves or work crews with more
                           employing no more than 8       than 8 employees with a
                           individuals                    disability should be reported as
                                                          program-based training and
                                                          support.

  **3**                    Off-the-Job worker training or This category is intended to
                           support for a Community        capture supports provided away
                           Employee (e.g. counseling,     from the work place that support
                           skill training, case           or facilitate community
                           management, phone calls,       employment.
                           meetings, paperwork,\...) but  
                           [not]{.underline} including    
                           job development                

  **4**                    Job development, including     
                           employer and community         
                           outreach with or without the   
                           consumer                       

  **5**                    Program-based training and     All time providing direct program
                           support: Training, support     support in a program setting
                           provided in a sheltered        including sheltered workshop or
                           workshop or other program      day habilitation programs.
                           setting                        

  **6**                    Community-based non-work       All time spent supporting
                           support                        community participation or
                                                          individual community activities
                                                          including volunteer work, using a
                                                          health club, continuing
                                                          education, or small group
                                                          activities in groups of no more
                                                          than 3 individuals with a
                                                          disability.

  **7**                    Travel [with]{.underline}      
                           consumer (e.g. transportation  
                           to work or interviews)         

  **8**                    Travel [without]{.underline}   Travel between job sites or to
                           consumer                       meetings with employers

  **9**                    Other                          Includes general case management
                                                          responsibilities (e.g. ISP
                                                          meetings), staff meetings,
                                                          inservice training
  ------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------------

*For more information contact*: John Butterworth, Institute for
Community Inclusion\
john.butterworth@umb.edu or (617) 287-4357

**Summary (Insert total number of [intervals]{.underline} from front of
form)**

  ---------- --------- ---------- --------- ----------- --------- --------- --------- ------------
  **Code**   **Mon**   **Tues**   **Wed**   **Thurs**   **Fri**   **Sat**   **Sun**   **Totals**

  **1**                                                                               

  **2**                                                                               

  **3**                                                                               

  **4**                                                                               

  **5**                                                                               

  **6**                                                                               

  **7**                                                                               

  **8**                                                                               
  ---------- --------- ---------- --------- ----------- --------- --------- --------- ------------

*For more information contact*: John Butterworth, Institute for
Community Inclusion\
john.butterworth@umb.edu or (617) 287-4357

  -------------- --------------------------------------------------------
                 

  -------------- --------------------------------------------------------

#### Staff Survey 

#### This questionnaire has been designed to help staff assess the change process in your organization. It will also help to inform the type of technical assistance your organization receives by defining areas of progress as well as areas of need. Thank you in advance for your participation. 

#### Part 1: Demographics

1\. Gender: \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_Female \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_Male

2\. How long have you been at your organization?
\_\_\_\_\_\_/\_\_\_\_\_\_

Yrs. Mos.

3\. Today's date: \_\_\_/\_\_\_/\_\_\_

4\. Your job title: \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

5\. In which age group are you? *(please check only one)*

\_\_\_\_ 18-25

\_\_\_\_ 26-35

\_\_\_\_ 36-45

\_\_\_\_ 46-55

\_\_\_\_ 56-65(+)

6\. What is the highest level of education that you have completed?
*(please check only one)*

\_\_\_\_ Some high school

\_\_\_\_ High school

\_\_\_\_ Some college

\_\_\_\_ 2 year college (Associate's Degree or equivalent); please
indicate major\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

\_\_\_\_ 4 year college (Bachelor's Degree); please indicate
major\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

\_\_\_\_ Master's Degree; please indicate field of
study\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

\_\_\_\_ Doctoral Degree; please indicate field of
study\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

7\. How many years have you been working in this field? \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
years

8\. What is your race/ethnic origin?

\_\_\_ Asian

\_\_\_ Black, non-Hispanic or Latino

\_\_\_ Black, Hispanic or Latino

\_\_\_ White, non-Hispanic or Latino

\_\_\_ White, Hispanic or Latino

\_\_\_ Native American or Alaskan Native

\_\_\_ Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

\_\_\_ Other, please
specify\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

**Part II: Organizational practices**

# To what extent do you agree with the following statements? 

*Please circle the corresponding number that best reflects your level of
agreement on a scale of 1-5 (1 indicating "strongly agree" and 5
indicating "strongly disagree").*

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1           | 2           | 3           | 4           | 5           |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Strongly    | Somewhat    | Neutral     | Somewhat    | Strongly    |
|             | agree       |             | disagree    | disagree    |
| agree       |             |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| ## 9. My organization has a formal, writ       | 1 2 3 4 5           |
| ten commitment to expand community employment. |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| 10\. My organization has an informal, assumed  | 1 2 3 4 5           |
| commitment to expand community employment.     |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| 11\. My organization has performance goals     | 1 2 3 4 5           |
| around the number of individuals who           |                     |
| participate in community employment.           |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| 12\. Consumers receive supports for jobs       | 1 2 3 4 5           |
| outside the traditional 9-to-5 work hours.     |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| 13\. Community employment is identified as the | 1 2 3 4 5           |
| preferred outcome for all new service          |                     |
| recipients.                                    |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| 14\. Community employment is identified as the | 1 2 3 4 5           |
| preferred outcome for all people currently     |                     |
| being served by my organization.               |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| 15\. There is no new enrollment at my          | 1 2 3 4 5           |
| organization's sheltered workshop.             |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| 16\. Staff are sometimes excused from their    | 1 2 3 4 5           |
| typical duties to attend trainings.            |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| 17\. Staff are supported to spend time in the  | 1 2 3 4 5           |
| community, building connections with community |                     |
| members and potential employers.               |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| 18\. There are formal mechanisms within my     | 1 2 3 4 5           |
| organization that allow me to be involved in   |                     |
| the planning process.                          |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| 19\. Consumer choice and control is encouraged | 1 2 3 4 5           |
| among individuals at my organization.          |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| 20\. Outside stakeholders, such as family      | 1 2 3 4 5           |
| members, have the opportunity be involved in   |                     |
| my organization's planning process.            |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| 21\. My organization has engaged in strategic  | 1 2 3 4 5           |
| planning to close its sheltered workshop.      |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+

# 

# Part III. Funding practices 

# To what extent do you agree with the following statements? 

*Please circle the corresponding number that best reflects your level of
agreement on a scale of 1-5 (1 indicating "strongly agree" and 5
indicating "strongly disagree"). Please circle DK for "don't know."*

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1           | 2           | 3           | 4           | 5           |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Strongly    | Somewhat    | Neutral     | Somewhat    | Strongly    |
|             | agree       |             | disagree    | disagree    |
| agree       |             |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

  ------------------------------------------------ ----------------------
  22\. Multiple funding sources (e.g. Medicaid,    1 2 3 4 5 DK
  state vocational rehabilitation agency, etc.)    
  are used to fund community employment.           

  23\. Funds are being shifted from other day      1 2 3 4 5 DK
  services to community employment.                

  24\. Funds are being shifted from other day      1 2 3 4 5 DK
  services to sheltered employment.                

  25\. Dollars follow the individual from          1 2 3 4 5 DK
  sheltered workshop or other day program          
  activities to community employment.              
  ------------------------------------------------ ----------------------

# Part IV: Strategies for employment 

# To what extent do you agree with the following statements? 

*Please circle the corresponding number that best reflects your level of
agreement on a scale of 1-5 (1 indicating "strongly agree" and 5
indicating "strongly disagree").*

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1           | 2           | 3           | 4           | 5           |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Strongly    | Somewhat    | Neutral     | Somewhat    | Strongly    |
|             | agree       |             | disagree    | disagree    |
| agree       |             |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

+----------------------------------------------------+-----------------+
| 26\. With proper supports, all individuals with    | 1 2 3 4 5       |
| MR/DD are capable of real work.                    |                 |
+----------------------------------------------------+-----------------+
| 27\. Enclave and similar models provide a useful   | 1 2 3 4 5       |
| transition step in readiness for individualized,   |                 |
| community employment.                              |                 |
+----------------------------------------------------+-----------------+
| 28\. Community employment should be available to   | 1 2 3 4 5       |
| those for whom it is an appropriate placement, but |                 |
| is not appropriate for every individual.           |                 |
+----------------------------------------------------+-----------------+
| 29\. Sheltered workshops are the best options for  | 1 2 3 4 5       |
| some individuals.                                  |                 |
+----------------------------------------------------+-----------------+
| 30\. The comfort level of individuals with MR/DD   | 1 2 3 4 5       |
| and their families increases when they have a      |                 |
| "full menu" of services among which they can move: |                 |
| competitive employment, individual supported       |                 |
| employment, enclaves, workshops, day               |                 |
|                                                    |                 |
| habilitation programs.                             |                 |
+----------------------------------------------------+-----------------+
| 31\. Closure of workshops should be encouraged.    | 1 2 3 4 5       |
+----------------------------------------------------+-----------------+

# Part V: Personal experiences 

# To what extent do you agree with the following statements? 

*Please circle the corresponding number that best reflects your level of
agreement on a scale of 1-5 (1 indicating "strongly agree" and 5
indicating "strongly disagree").*

+---+------------+------------+------------+------+-----+------------+
|   | 1          | 2          | 3          | 4    |     | 5          |
+---+------------+------------+------------+------+-----+------------+
|   | Strongly   | Somewhat   | Neutral    | Some |     | Strongly   |
|   |            | agree      |            | what |     | disagree   |
|   | agree      |            |            | disa |     |            |
|   |            |            |            | gree |     |            |
+---+------------+------------+------------+------+-----+------------+
| 3 |            |            |            |      | 1 2 |            |
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| \ |            |            |            |      | 5   |            |
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44\. Please list some ways that your **responsibilities** have changed
since your organization has begun expansion of community employment.

45\. Please list some ways that your **expectations** have changed about
your position and your organization during its expansion of community
employment.

46\. Please describe some **strategies** that your organization has used
to support staff while expanding opportunities for community employment
for the individuals that you serve.

###### T-TAP -- Training and Technical Assistance for Providers Project

Please direct questions to Dr. John Butterworth, Institute for Community
Inclusion

\(617\) 287-4357 or john.butterworth@umb.edu

**Thank you very much!**

**Appendix 4: Strategies to Address Barriers to Organizational Change**

Organizational Change Strategies from Mentor Agencies

This Appendix contains examples of organizational change strategies
taken directly from the experiences of the T-TAP mentors. For each for
the following examples, the organizational change barrier is defined,
the strategy to address that barrier is described, and a specific
application experience utilizing the strategy is presented.

Please note that these examples were developed by the mentors and hence
are written in first person language. In addition, there are stylistic
differences in the presentations that have been not been edited.

Example 1. Allegan County Community Mental Health/Career Concepts

Organizational Barrier to Competitive Employment

Many communities have embraced supported employment as an add-on service
with preconceived notions about the degree of implementation. This is
due to a fear of staff job changes and outdated ideas on who people
think can achieve competitive employment. In our organization, supported
employment staff was a separate entity from the group that ran our
workshops. When we put everyone to work who had approached us both
internally and students transitioning, we had about 100 people working
in the community. But, we still had 100 others attending our workshops.
None of these people were being referred for supported employment
services. It became pretty clear that we actually had a group of staff
who were holding on a little too tightly to the past.

Strategy to Address Barrier

We developed a formal organizational change strategy that now has all
vocational services under one umbrella.

We reorganized all services for people with developmental disabilities
and discontinued employment staff being involved with activities that
are not consistent with achieving competitive employment outcomes.

When we developed our workshop conversion plan, we increased the number
of staff working on employment to accelerate the pace with which we were
able to develop competitive employment outcomes for anyone who wanted to
make more money working in the community.

When we went public about or conversion idea, we were met with spirited
resistance from the community, lead by our ARC.

We continued to learn that to make community employment a reality for
all who wanted to work in integrated job settings, we needed to learn a
lot more about business and attain better credibility in the business
community.

Case Example of Organization Change Strategy

We went through a strenuous quality improvement planning process to
identify our values, strengths, weaknesses, and developed a plan of
action for the future.

We changed staff roles and job descriptions and only lost one staff
person based on differing values.

We trained all staff on the value and skills necessary to support people
working in competitive jobs in the community.

We worked closely with our ARC every step along the way and were held to
high standards for planning and better employment outcomes.

We learned more about Social Security and work incentives than ever
before and have developed an internal benefits department to help folks
make more money and maintain benefits.

We have put a lot of effort into learning a great deal about supported
self-employment and all of the details that are now helping us develop
the expanded number of improved wage and self-employment outcomes that
have revitalized our customers and staff.

**Example 2. Arc of Stanly County**

Organizational Barrier to Competitive Employment

Many programs that use Section 14c Minimum Wage Certificates are
performing center-based contract work. These centers were often started
with the purpose of having a "safe haven" for people with disabilities.
People would be able to work and be productive without risking exposure
to the community. A key barrier to competitive employment is the
perspective of parents that their adult children are incapable of
community work and vulnerable to exploitation in the greater community.

In the late 1980s, the Arc of Stanly County attempted to initiate a
change strategy that would allow workshop closure within a three-year
period. This change strategy was explained to consumers and their
families with very negative results. Some families began a mud slinging
campaign in the news. Another group of families broke off into their own
agency to make sure their children did not have to go into the
community. Other parents expressed helpless dismay. The community was
angry that people with disabilities would be put in community workplaces
and take jobs away from people without disabilities. The outcry was so
large that the agency abandoned the idea of workshop closure.

Strategy to Address Barrier

Staff, consumers, families, funders, and community members have all
believed that certain people were unemployable. Therefore, the Arc of
Stanly County, Inc. began a slow campaign to create inclusive volunteer
opportunities for people with disabilities. This would enable staff to
see the difference in individuals when engaged in meaningful work of
their choosing. Families would feel safer at allowing "volunteering", as
supervision would be present at all times, and "volunteering" tended to
be in places with which the family was comfortable. Funders would learn
that goals could be worked on in community volunteer settings. Consumers
would begin to experience work environment other that the sheltered
site, and would begin to clamor to move out of the workshop. People with
no experience in competitive work would be able to "try on" different
jobs by volunteering. People might decide a volunteer opportunity was
not what they really thought it would be like and that they would rather
pursue something else. Finding this out in a volunteer capacity would be
better than creating a poor work history with short-term jobs. We
believed using a volunteer program would enable more people to become
competitively employed and moved off the 14c minimum wage certificate.

Case Example of Organization Change Strategy

The volunteer program proved to be a good solution to begin to break
down the real and perceived barriers. Volunteers began working at the
hospital folding towels and moving supplies; public and school libraries
putting books away; nursing homes helping with activities, visiting
individuals without families, calling Bingo; the Department of Social
Services shredding paper; the Chamber of Commerce putting together
newsletters; Meals on Wheels delivering meals as well as working at
nutrition sites; the Community Table (food kitchen for the homeless)
serving food, putting ice in cups, and cleaning up; a local barbershop
sweeping and dusting; the local animal shelter playing with animals; a
local horse breeder exercising horses and taking care of hooves; a day
care answering phones, rocking babies, reading to children, and helping
with snacks; the local elementary Charter School reading to
kindergartners; visiting individuals in the community and
washing/walking dogs, etc.

When the position is a volunteer position and would be done by any other
volunteer, the individual with a disability is not paid. When someone
other than a volunteer would normally do the position, the person is
compensated (i.e. dog owners pay to have their dogs washed), per
Department of Labor regulations.

Individuals with disabilities began looking forward to these
opportunities, and even those who initially refused a volunteer activity
began to ask to go when they heard their friends talk about how much fun
they'd had. People with disabilities began identifying dreams, and
acting on those dreams to find competitive work or open their own
micro-enterprises. Families saw the difference in the consumer's
behavior, and were pleased and allowed more risk to be taken. Children
in the community who were exposed to people with disabilities became
very accepting of the adults who were "different". The community
discovered that people with disabilities were \"people first\", not
individuals to fear or shun. Several of the volunteer activities were
expanded and became full or part time jobs for individuals, or people
were hired into jobs as a result of community members learning about the
volunteering, such as at the barbershop and a car wash.

Even staff was amazed. At one point, a video had been taken of a
consumer working in the community. A long-term staffer walked by the
video showing on the TV in the cafeteria, and asked who the consumer
was! The consumer's behavior was so different in the community than in
the sheltered site that the staff person was not even aware that the
person in the video was the same person she saw in the sheltered site.
Staff also came to enjoy the volunteer activities as much as the
consumers.

This experience also helped build real inclusive opportunities for
people by creating relationships in the community. For example, the
Chamber of Commerce calls and asks for a specific person when they need
assistance, and other volunteer positions have also developed into
opportunities to develop relationships in the community for consumers.
In addition, places that are used for volunteering remember the agency
and will call the agency when a competitive opening occurs. Due to this
program, people are now employed competitively, have started their own
micro-enterprises, and have increased opportunities for inclusive
relationships in the community.

Example 3. Career Support Systems, Inc.

Organizational Barrier to Competitive Employment

During the summer of 1999, our organization was approached by a local
Vocational Rehabilitation Manager in rural far Southwest Virginia and
asked to consider attempting to absorb three local supported employment
Group-Option contracts that provided employment for approximately 20
customers. The local public Mental Health/Mental Retardation/Substance
Abuse service provider had recently decided to discontinue its
vocational services in favor of providing facility based Medicaid MR
Waiver Funded Day Support. Each of workers earned sub-minimum wages at
the time.

Organizational challenges/barriers included:

-   No group option program in place

-   No Group Option fee-for-service arrangement in place

-   No DOL 14-c Certificate in place

-   State VR Regulations requiring 14c certificates for participation in
    State's Economic Development Fund

-   No experience with, or desire to pay, sub-minimum wage

-   No prior cost basis on which to project actual labor costs

-   No funding for start-up (equipment / supplies / vehicles)

-   Little time to assess worker production rates

-   Little time for bidding /contract re-negotiation process

Strategy to Address Barrier

Career Supports Systems (CSS) proceeded with bids to each of the host
companies and subsequently established contracts with each. While we did
not feel comfortable paying our workers sub-minimum wage, we had no true
cost data on which to build a budget. We decided to proceed with our
application for DOL 14-c Certificate. During the first six months we
performed time studies, wage surveys, and kept all required DOL
documentation. We quickly learned that while many of our workers did not
work at 100%, many were able to make large gains in productivity. We
experimented with alternative job duties and instructional techniques
and we were also able match some slower workers with work tasks that
were less production-oriented. We also learned that our staff spent an
inordinate amount of time meeting all of the DOL documentation
requirements. This was time spent that could be redirected toward the
provision of employment supports. We decided within the first year to
increase the wage rate of every worker to the federal minimum wage level
and eliminate the administrative burden associated with 14-c compliance.

Case Example of Organization Change Strategy

Our group-option employment staff workers were relieved of all duties
associated with DOL requirements and documentation, which allowed them
to focus more of their energies on supporting workers with disabilities.
Several additional organizational benefits were realized including:

-   Streamlined payroll processes

-   Reduced administrative time spend in DOL monitoring and compliance

-   Reduced DOL related staff training time

-   Improved worker morale and wages

Example 4. Cobb/Douglas Counties Community Services Boards

Organizational Barrier to Competitive Employment

In 1999, the Developmental Disabilities Services of the Cobb and Douglas
Counties Community Services Boards operated four sheltered workshop
programs. The state funding streams reinforced facility-based services,
and the majority of the parents of the folks attending the workshop was
elderly and did not want changes to be made in the service system.
Additionally, several of the staff had worked in the program for many
years and were also most comfortable with the facility-based model. At
that time, shifting from a facility-based program to one providing
community based supports was not a priority for the Boards or leadership
staff.

Strategy to Address Barrier

The overall conversion process involved the following strategies:

-   Flatten the management structure.

-   Shift staff roles from providing facility-based services to
    community-based supports. A carefully planned program of staff\
    development is key to the success of this shift in staff roles to
    community-based supports.

-   Phase-out sub-minimum wage contracts.

-   Form self-directed work teams.

-   Close one facility site.

-   Convert the other sites to a community-based resource.

-   Meet with families individually and in small groups.

Case Example of Organization Change Strategy

The following staff development activities were conducted to support
staff as the moved from providing facility based services to\
community-based supports:

**[1999]{.underline}** - Converted traditional sheltered workshop staff
to community-based employment consultants placing more emphasis on
supported employment. New CEO was hired who was open to innovation.

**[2000]{.underline}** - Instituted weekly on-site training curriculum
using the Supported Employment handbook "A Customer Driven\
Approach for Persons with Significant Disabilities" published by the VCU
RRTC. These weekly chapter-by-chapter training sessions laid the
foundation for providing employment services and prepared staff for the
next level of new skill acquisition.

**[2001]{.underline}** - Provided new skill sets to all Employment
Consultants using The University of Georgia/Human Services Management
Institute to provide on-line job coach certification to 25 staff.

**[2002]{.underline}** - All participants graduated from The University
of Georgia job coach certification. Monthly on-site trainings were begun
with Cary Griffin, Dave Hammis, Melinda Mast, Mark Hill, and Steve Hall
to further the staff skills in:

-   Work World Software/Decision Support Technology

-   Vocational Profiling

-   Systematic Instruction

-   Self-employment, Resource ownership, Business-within-a-business and
    job carving

-   Social Security Work Incentives

-   Using One-Stop generic supports to job develop

Example 5. HPS, Helping People Succeed, Inc.

Organizational Barrier to Competitive Employment

HPS, Helping People Succeed, Inc. is a 501(c)3 organization located in a
three county area where the primary jobs are minimum wage service
industry jobs and the population is made up of retirees. The majority of
obvious jobs within the community were food service, janitorial, retail
and flower farms. Most of the staff had been with the organization for a
number of years and were very content with the sheltered workshop
concept---in fact, some felt that it was good for people who were
mentally retarded to be separate from the rest of the community. Staff
enjoyed taking care of their clients and felt the checks they received
from their sub-minimum wages (averaging less than \$10 for a two-week
period) were adequate. There was no apparent reason to change.

Strategy to Address Barrier

In order to accomplish organizational change, staff had to own the
process. They had to understand that individuals with disabilities had
the same right and responsibility to work in the community as people who
did not have a disability. The organization used the following steps to
begin organizational change:

-   Used a value clarification process to help staff understand what
    their own beliefs were. This system started very broadly and ended
    up with the staff member having to commit to their place in the
    conversion process.

-   Staff was then asked to identify "clients" who could work.

-   Funding was identified to begin the process.

-   The Board of Directors redefined the organization's mission with
    input from staff.

-   Funding was identified and a three-year plan developed to support
    the organization's plan.

Case Example of Organization Change Strategy

Following the values clarification process, staff was asked to identify
individuals who could work. They were directed to ignore barriers to
employment such as parental concerns, behavioral issues, transportation,
etc. They were asked to just look at the individual and determine if he
or she could work.

Management expected that maybe 25% of the organization's 175 clientele
would be deemed eligible for competitive employment. Staff returned with
their estimate---95% of individuals served at that time were deemed
eligible for employment!\
We were on our way. Trusting staff and allowing them to be a major part
of the process is one of the keys to success

Example 6. KFI, Inc.

Organizational Barrier to Competitive Employment

KFI's overall philosophy is to assist individuals to lead regular lives
in their communities. Since sheltered employment and sub-minimum wages
fall outside of this philosophy, the organization has made a concerted
effort to end these practices. These changes have affected the entire
organization in numerous ways from job descriptions and responsibilities
to internal communications to the kind of space we need. To put it
bluntly -- we do not do anything the way we used to do it. It has taken
many years to make these changes and innumerable approaches were used,
but following are some of the major strategies we used.

Strategy to Address Barrier

-   On-going examination of values and decisions. Having an agency
    mission and values that support inclusion is not enough. Each
    decision along the way needs to be held up and examined against
    these ideals.

-   Find and work to create flexibility within funding and regulatory
    systems. Separating "guidelines" from actual requirements, deciding
    what is and is not important, finding "bridge" money.

-   Recognize the importance of collaboration. Identifying people within
    the state system who can be helpful---cultivate allies.

-   Understand that space defines what you do. Large "program" space
    will result in gatherings of people. Smaller or office space will
    make this impossible.

-   Understand the importance of relationships between staff -- emphasis
    on development of positive working relationship and internal
    flexibility (work schedules, job duties, etc.).

-   With people supported -- maintain ongoing relationships where
    appropriate, but assist people to have opportunities to become
    regular members of their communities with families -- develop and
    maintain a positive working relationship with families. Between
    staff and the people they support -- appropriate, committed,
    trusting relationship with those who staff supports.

Case Example of Organization Change Strategy

KFI's closure of all group work situations, including the sheltered
workshop, and the elimination of sub-minimum wages have occurred within
the larger context of the organization's movement away from specialized
(segregated) and group programs to community and individualized
supports. These changes have taken many years to accomplish, but were
led by the early (and surprising) success of individuals who moved out
of the work activity center directly into supported employment. This
early success caused staff to question the effectiveness of sheltered
work settings in preparing people to be successful employees in regular
community businesses. At the same time other staff started to question
the usefulness of conducting separate groups within a day program rather
than individual approaches for non-vocational activities (e.g., meal
preparation). Therefore, the entire organization began to rethink the
need for groups and the isolation of people from their communities. This
consistency throughout all aspects of the organization led to a major
shift towards individualized community

Example 7. Rise, Incorporated

Organizational Barrier to Competitive Employment

Many community rehabilitation professionals do not receive adequate
education and training to assist them in obtaining competitive
employment and minimum or prevailing wage outcomes for adults with
significant disabilities. The majority of rehabilitation staff is rarely
exposed to evidence-based practices that are known to correlate with
superior customer services and rehabilitation outcomes. Further, these
competencies and training needs are not prioritized for new employees
entering community rehabilitation careers.

Strategy to Address Barrier

With a goal to better train and prepare its direct service personnel,
Rise, Incorporated, a community rehabilitation organization in
Minnesota, conducted a study to identify the core competencies and
personal qualities of its highest performing staff. The goal of this
process was to isolate the qualities of its experienced high performers
that distinguish them from other community rehabilitation staff. Which
factors enable high performers to consistently achieve better outcomes,
including competitive employment and wage benefits, for the agency's
rehabilitation consumers? The desired organizational goal was to
redesign a staff development and training curriculum for new and
existing staff to increase high performance. Also, the agency was
interested in restructuring job descriptions for its direct service
staff to prioritize job functions, competencies, and qualities known to
produce the best services and outcomes for business and rehabilitation
customers.

Case Example of Organization Change Strategy

Launch of New Staff Development Training Program and Redesign of Job
Descriptions.

Following its research of trade literature and an internal study of its
"high performers," the core information was aggregated and then
prioritized by the agency's staff training committee. Afterwards, a
publication was commissioned by the agency's staff training committee
and written by one of its members. This publication, entitled Reach for
the Stars: Achieving High Performance as a Community Rehabilitation
Professional, has become the agency's framework for training its new
staff and retraining existing staff.

The agency's staff training committee now schedules formal training
events to nurture the development of skills and competencies that were
found to correlate with high performance. All of the agency's existing
staff was retrained within one year. And all new staff is now exposed to
critical training events within one year of hire. The organization's
high performers have been recruited to assist in the training of other
agency direct service staff. Also, the staff training committee
schedules training with outside speakers and consultants on topics
relevant to these core job competencies. The agency has recently formed
a subcommittee on "emerging practices" to insure that its direct service
staff is continually exposed to high performance strategies that lead to
better job and wage outcomes of program participants.\
Finally, the organization has conducted a formal review of its direct
service job descriptions and has modified and prioritized the job
functions and competencies so they are now compatible with high
performance outcomes. Core job functions and competencies were
identified and ranked by the high performers in their order of
importance using a Delphi consensus building procedure. The goal was to
identify core skill sets that are crucial to better service outcomes.
These job functions and skill sets hold high importance to the agency's
managers and are used as a tool for recruiting new staff and determining
their mastery of desired skills. Job competencies that are lacking now
provide a conceptual framework for planning both agency-wide and
individual staff development training.

Example 8. Via of the Leigh Valley

Organizational Barrier to Competitive Employment

Over the past five years Via, like many CRPs, began experiencing a
slowdown in the number of people leaving the workshop for community
employment. This decrease correlates with a nationwide leveling off of
supported employment growth. Via's transition to integrated community
employment outcomes stagnated for a number of reasons that are in-line
with other CRPs of its kind. The employment staff began to do a
significant amount of supported employment with transition graduates and
new customers, and a lot less with people from the workshop. Root causes
of this shift included a significant drop off in county funding, a
service system imbedded in licensed programming, protective parents, and
need for additional staff training.

Strategy to Address Barrier

The agency strategy is simple and closely models the concepts in the
book, *Closing the Shop* by Pat Rogan. Via focuses on the concepts of
self-determination and getting people competitively employed quickly by
moving resources to follow the person not the program. The agency
believes in the concepts of "one life at a time," teaching/telling the
good story, and swiftly evolving organizational culture and structure to
support these values.

Case Example of Organizational Change Strategy

-   Educate families and supports coordinators on Social Security Work
    Incentives provided by Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach
    (BPAO) staff (now WIPA).

-   Convert individual budget money used for workshop funding to
    competitive employment follow-along services.

-   Refine the focus of the employment staff back to working with people
    from the workshop.

-   Develop financial/costing processes that to significantly increase
    efficiency, and recouping payment for as much of the work performed
    as possible.

-   Work closely with Vocational Rehabilitation staff to focus on more
    creative positive outcomes.

-   Use foundation money creatively for customized employment funding.

-   Learn more about the concepts of "braided funding."

-   Move one FTE from the workshop to community employment services
    every four months.

-   Evolve from a traditional VR assessment question of whether people
    are employable to a "yes, they are," person centered, discovery
    based, process.

-   Think strategically and constant staff training because the
    employment world is ever changing.

Appendix 5: Strategies to Address Barriers to Employment for Individuals
with Disabilities

Employment Services Strategies from Mentor Agencies

This Appendix contains examples of strategies that support the expansion
of competitive employment outcomes, including the use of customized
employment, by CRPs. The examples are taken directly from the
experiences of the T-TAP mentor agencies. In each of the following
examples, a barrier to competitive employment is defined; a strategy to
address that barrier is described; and a specific application experience
by the mentor agency utilizing the strategy is presented.

Example 1: Arc of Stanly County

Individual Barrier to Competitive Employment

Many people who might be employed face multiple challenges in finding
competitive employment. Typically, for people with significant
disabilities, there is not just one barrier to employment. Negative
behaviors are a prime barrier to overcome. A second barrier may be
parental refusal to allow an adult family member to work in a specific
job or place. People with severe disabilities often cannot be
interviewed in traditional manners, and may present a negative first
impression on interview, so even with parental permission, a person may
not be able to present him/herself in a manner that is acceptable to an
employer. For employers who already have a bias against people with
disabilities, it is difficult to convince the employer to hire a person
with negative behaviors, who is not independent in all self care tasks,
and who cannot follow worksite rules independently. In addition, it if
often difficult to withdraw a coach from an individual with significant
needs, as creating natural supports is difficult due to employees\'
attempts to distance themselves from someone with acting out behaviors.

Strategy to Address Barrier

Creative Persistence - When multiple barriers to competitive employment
exist for an individual, the barriers must be managed not only as
individual barriers, but also as a combination of barriers. Staff must
perceive barriers as fun challenges rather than negative problems to be
overcome. With creativity and persistence, barriers for people with
severe disabilities can be overcome. In this situation, the barriers
listed above were addressed through job carving, natural low technology
cues, creating-buy in from employees, using built in reinforcers,
educating the current employees and providing intensive training that
capitalizes on relationships, and educating family members other than
the primary caregiver. Finally, the barriers were also addressed because
staff supported the consumer's dreams, rather than using the realities
that they believed existed for the consumer.

Case Example of Individual Change Strategy

Leslie is a man who has significant disabilities. He is autistic,
severely retarded, and is unable to maintain eye contact. Instead, he
maintains a silly grin, giggles, and rolls his eyes when addressed. He
rarely speaks, and when he does, it is often to parrot the last sentence
said by another person. Instead, he frequently makes weird noises.
Leslie touches people all of the time in an effort to communicate, but
often pushes people hard on their shoulder. If Leslie does not know you,
he is likely to sneak up behind you and put his hand roughly on your
shoulder. Leslie is a diabetic who does not control his food intake and
forgets to take his medications.

Leslie was employed at a university as a dishwasher in an enclave with
staff supervision over ten years ago. The university determined that it
no longer needed the enclave, so the job ended. For the past ten years,
staff worked with Leslie to attempt to find him appropriate competitive
employment. Nothing worked. Leslie was determined that he would work
again at the university, and no amount of reason or coaxing could deter
him from his goal. His mother agreed that this was the goal. Over the
ten year period in discussion, the university was approached several
times, but each time the answer was a resounding "NO!"

When it became apparent that staff were spinning wheels trying to talk
Leslie into another job, it was determined that the barriers existing
that prevented Leslie from working at the university as a dishwasher
must be overcome. Staff determined that persistence and creativity would
be used as strategies to overcome the barriers. It took them six months,
and lots of persistence and creativity.

Staff began by taking Leslie to the workplace to check on his
application. This was the wrong approach, as this person who sounded and
acted so differently immediately turned off people. So the strategy
changed. Instead of taking Leslie with her, the job coach began checking
back on the application frequently by herself. She established a
relationship with the new dietary manager, who explained that he had had
a previous bad experience hiring a person with a disability. He
continually told the job coach that he didn't need any more employees.
The job coach helped the dietary manager identify the university's
needs, and explained the concept of job carving. She had to convince the
dietary manager through positive approaches and persistence that job
carving was in the best interests of the university. Eventually, perhaps
only to get rid of the pesky job coach, the dietary manager agreed to
meet Leslie and have an interview. Staff knew that a traditional
interview would not work, so the job coach was able to persuade the
employer to do a skills based interview.

Leslie came into the kitchen, put on an apron, and proceeded to empty
the dishwasher and put dishes away. He had remembered for ten years
where each dish and utensil was stored. The manager was impressed, and
agreed to try him if the other issues could be resolved.

Mother was a second barrier. She did not want her son working in a
public place without staff where he might be harmed. Instead of
continuing to work with mother, staff approached sister, and convinced
sister that this was the best approach. Sister and job coach together
were able to persuade mother that she should let Leslie try the job.
Educating family members other than the primary caregiver can often help
persuade a caregiver to allow the individual a chance.

Inappropriate workplace behaviors were a barrier to overcome. Leslie was
in a kitchen, and likely to eat whatever he saw. He had to take
medications at a certain time. He was unable to tell time. In addition,
Leslie would not follow work rules. He did not want to take a break.
However, if required to take a break, he would sit for the rest of the
day. Staff were concerned that Leslie would roughly touch everyone at
the worksite, and that employees would not accept him and his behaviors.

Fortunately for Leslie, there were staff still working in the University
kitchen who had known him ten years previously, and were not afraid of
him, nor were they concerned about working with him. The job coach
capitalized on these existing relationships. The job coach educated the
current employees and provided intensive training as to what to expect
from Leslie and why. Together the job coach and dietary employees
brainstormed ways in which Leslie could be successful without the job
coach, using current employees as natural supports.

First, they tackled the issue of Leslie stopping at break time and never
returning to work. Leslie wore two watches, each with an alarm. One
watch is set to when break begins, and the other watch is set to when
break ends. With these natural low technology cues, Leslie is able to
take breaks appropriately. He also knows that when his alarm goes off
the first time he is to take medications. Employees also know this is
the time for medications, so prompt Leslie at that time to take his
medications. Leslie also needed regular eye contact to keep working. He
didn't need anyone to talk to him, but just to look at him. As helping
Leslie was a group project that the employees had bought into, employees
trained themselves to look at him at least every 30 minutes. In this
way, Leslie was able to continue working without prompts. Leslie also
ate everything he wanted, not sticking to his diet. Employees who eat
lunch with him remind him about what he can and cannot eat, another
natural support.

Like many people, Leslie needed reinforcement to continue to work, even
though he enjoyed his work. The employees determined that Leslie most
enjoyed breaking down the boxes that the employees had emptied on any
given day. This became a regular end of the day task, and acts as a
built in reinforcer for Leslie. No one has to reinforce him; the task
reinforces him.

Staff was concerned about Leslie's touching behavior. The job coach
explained to Leslie that if he were to have his heart's desire, the
dishwashing job at the university, he could not communicate with
students or other people coming to the cafeteria by roughly touching
them. Leslie was so happy in his job and his relationships with
co-workers, that he was able to control his impulse, and has only
touched someone once. Leslie is happy, which is a key to controlling his
negative behaviors. He is working at a full commensurate wage for his
position at the University.

Example 2: Career Design & Development Services (a division of Dallas
Metrocare Services)

Individual Barrier to Competitive Employment

Individual diagnosed with mental retardation, very limited verbal
skills, lack of appropriate social skills (shy & introverted), lack of
paid work experience, low self esteem, deaf in one ear, mild cataracts,
history of seizures, and a heart murmur.

Strategy to Address Barrier

Utilized marketing and networking abilities of employment consultant to
make contact with local business - a library. Capitalized on
individual\'s past volunteer experience working in library. Searched for
an employment setting in which the individual\'s lack of verbal
communication and social skills were not impediments to his job
functioning. Capitalized on individual\'s personal strength - his memory
and strong support from group home (as well as mother) for individual to
remain proactive in job search and assist with transportation issue.
Employer had previous experience working with persons with disabilities.

Case Example of Individual Change Strategy

Employment consultant knew of individuals past volunteering experience
at a library. The consultant arranged a meeting with a local library\'s
Human Resource department and advocated on the individual\'s behalf,
focusing on his personal strengths, including his knowledge of the
library system. The employment consultant arranged with the group home
to provide transportation services for the individual to get to and from
the work site. The individual\'s family was very proactive and
supportive of fostering independence in the individual. The consultant
made arrangements with library staff to learn the aspects of the
assigned job and assisted the consumer in making the transition into
employment.

Example 3: Career Support Systems, Inc.

Individual Barrier to Competitive Employment

Mr. H. was referred to Career Support Systems, Inc. with a diagnosis of
mental retardation and depression/anxiety disorder. He also had a
history of substance abuse. His work history consisted of 6 months of
employment on a supported employment group-option landscaping crew. He
and his Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor worked together with our
staff to establish an employment goal of competitive employment in the
janitorial /custodial field. In addition to the barriers created by his
disability(s), Mr. H. had the following additional barriers:

-   No H.S. diploma

-   No transportation

-   Very limited work experience (6 months on Group Option-Enclave)

-   Very rural community with a limited \# of businesses and high
    unemployment

Strategy to Address Barrier

Job carving/job restructuring - Since Mr. H. lived in a very rural area
and had no access to transportation, his Employment Consultant knew that
his options for finding work close to his home would be limited. There
was a nursing home within walking distance of Mr. H.'s house, so she
targeted this employer for contact. The Employment Consultant called on
this organization to assess the work environment and to identify any
opportunities that might exist. While the nursing home did not have any
positions open, his Employment Consultant was able to identify a
potential opportunity to utilize job carving and restructuring to create
a position.

Case Example of Individual Change Strategy

The assigned Employment Consultant noticed during her tour of the
facility that in addition to their nursing duties, the Nursing staff
also performed general janitorial services for the facility. Upon
further investigation she learned that there was no janitorial staff
employed at the facility. She then set up a meeting with the facility's
Administrator and discussed the potential for creating /carving a
janitorial job for Mr. H.

After interviewing several staff members about their duties, she
prepared a sample job and then prepared a job analysis of the cleaning
duties performed by the nursing staff. A formal "Employment Proposal"
was developed with, and on behalf of, Mr. H. that ultimately led to the
creation of his PT Janitorial /Custodial position. The proposal
addressed the following topics:

-   Rationale: Allowed nursing staff to dedicate more time to core
    service (patient care).

-   Benefits: Time and money saved by reassigning duties to a worker
    with a lower wage

-   Qualifications: Outline of Mr. H's strengths, abilities and desired
    outcome.

-   Employment Conditions: Details such as hours, wages, and work place
    supports provided.

-   Work Opportunities Tax Credit: Described potential for additional
    cost savings

-   References: Three references were provided

-   Approval Signatures: signed by Mr. H.; his Employment Consultant; &
    Nursing Home

Example 4: Cobb/Douglas Counties Community Services Boards

Individual Barrier to Competitive Employment

The participant had been attending a traditional day program for ten
years that focused on her having a dual label of mental retardation and
mental illness. Her day consisted of repetitive daily living skills
training. The day staff supporting her did not have the time to discover
her unique strengths, gifts, and talents within this traditional model.
It was difficult for her family and those around her to visualize her
working in the community. As a result of these beliefs, there was a
sense of learned helplessness from the participant.

Strategy to Address Barrier

The participant was identified as a candidate for competitive employment
through staff interactions with her and her family. A strong focus was
placed on getting folks into the community through employment. Staff was
asked to work with the folks and their families to identify individuals
who would like to get out of the facility and into community placements.
The strategy was to begin with willing individuals and their families in
hopes that their successes would encourage those who were more resistant
to the changes to open up.

With the person's input, orchestrated a Circle of Support to learn about
the person's unique skills, talents and strengths and to begin
envisioning a job in the community.

The participant spent time outside the day program doing things she
liked so that staff could learn about her in different environments
other than a day program.

Created a Vocational Profile to determine the kind of job she would love
to do that took into account her desire to dress-up, have a computer and
work with other professionals.

Case Example of Individual Change Strategy

The Employment Consultant spent time in several companies simply
observing the social climate because the Circle of Support and the
Vocational Profile illustrated the need for the participant to have a
work setting that was calm, upscale and flexible. It was also important
for her to wear professional attire, and carry a briefcase.

A company was identified, Deloitte Consulting, that met these specific
requirements. While the participant could not meet all the duties
required in the company's various job descriptions, she could meet some
of them with job coach and co-worker support. A position was negotiated
with input from Deloitte's Human Resource, Administration and Senior
Management staff. The company is located in a corporate office high-rise
in downtown Atlanta. The job duties involve carved-out, simple
data-entry, office supplies distribution and conference room scheduling.

The company provided a lap top computer, 15 hours a week of part-time
employment, help with transportation, and co-worker support. All the
conditions of employment were negotiated prior to job acceptance.

Example 5: HPS, Helping People Succeed, Inc.

Individual Barrier to Competitive Employment

In most cases, individuals who have significant disabilities do not have
any measurable or actual experience in the job market. In addition, most
individuals who have significant disabilities do not have high school
diplomas or skills training that translates to the competitive work
force.

Strategy to Address Barrier

Developing strategies to market the individual's ability, potential and
worth can be accomplished by:

-   Developing functional resumes that present the person's abilities in
    a quantifiable format.

-   Developing relationships with Cambers of Commerce, civic clubs and
    business groups to develop a trust and dependence on the
    organization.

-   Assisting business with job carving and restructuring so that jobs
    can be created/customized for individuals who have a disability.

Case Example of Individual Change Strategy

A law firm called to see if we had a person who could do microfilming.
The staff identified Ruth as the perfect candidate. Ruth grew up in an
institution, spent many years in our sheltered workshop, had no
education, and had significant mobility issues that caused her to use a
walker. She was also beginning to become a behavior problem at the
workshop because she wanted a job.

The microfilming position has a number of related tasks including
alphabetizing, record retention, and copying and delivering copies
between departments. The job coach worked to reorganize the job.
Primarily high school students who paid little attention to detail had
performed the microfilming, and one actually disclosed information to
another high school student regarding their parent's divorce settlement.

A scooter was purchased through Vocational Rehabilitation so that Ruth
could maneuver in the workplace at a faster pace; a "back scratcher" was
purchased to turn the light off and on; and the parts of the job that
required reading, copying or delivering were assigned to other
positions. Ruth became their head microfilmer --- not reading was a
plus, not a problem. Files were kept in perfect order and she became a
valued part of the law firm. She shared in all of the fringe benefits of
the firm including profit sharing. She was included in luncheons and
parties, and she purchased her own home with a roommate with the
assistance of the firm's real estate section

Not only is Ruth a valued employee - The law firm is now one of our
strongest supporters and they encourage employers through out our
catchment area to consider employing someone with a significant
disability for all of the right reasons.

**Example 6:** **KFI, Inc.**

**Individual Barrier to Competitive Employment**

While rural sections of Maine have not enjoyed the recent extremely low
unemployment rates of other sections of the country, KFI remains
committed to assisting people with disabilities find regular jobs for
minimum wage or greater. Although jobs continue to be hard to find for
everyone and people with disabilities experience the greatest
difficulties of all, the approaches we use are successful without
resorting to a Section 14c certificate -- in fact, we simply refuse to
use this certificate and do not offer sub minimum wage as an option to
employers. We believe that our success in this tough job market and in
isolated locations means these strategies can work anywhere. We
recognize that there is a dual dilemma for job developers: they both
assist businesses in identifying and then solving their problems and
also assist people with disabilities to discover their interests and
then find a good job match.

Strategy to Address Barrier

-   Learn about the individual - what the person has done, likes and
    dislikes, the type of surrounding that is acceptable or a problem,
    why any failures occurred, what hours are acceptable, transportation
    arrangements, etc.

-   Only place people in jobs they want. If they do not know what they
    want, help them explore options through job shadowing or situational
    assessments.

-   Learn about the business and help the employer discover and then
    solve problems. (We estimate that 75% of successful placements
    happen in businesses that initially said they have no openings.)

-   Develop a relationship with the employer by not overselling, by
    handling problems when they occur, and by being honest.

-   Have an understanding of incentives that are available to employers
    (e.g., trial work experience, tax incentives, etc.)

-   Follow-up - find problems before they happen or while they are
    small.

Case Example of Individual Change Strategy

Brian had no previous work experience and was taking medication that
made him drowsy. The job developer spent some time getting to know him
and his interests and helped have his medication checked and changed,
increasing his energy. The job developer recognized that transportation
would be an issue and worked out various arrangements with estranged
family members to get him to the job, but the job search began with
businesses close to his home. Because of the significance of his
disability, he needs a job coach, but the coach only provides
transportation in emergencies.

Brian eventually thought he would like to work at the local grocery
store, and a Trial Work Experience (TWE) was arranged with the employer.
The TWE allows the individual to receive a commensurate wage -- minimum
wage or higher -- for the approximately 3 to 4 weeks. Maine's Bureau of
Vocational Rehabilitation pays the TWE wages to KFI, which in turn pays
Brian, so the employer has no expenses during this period. The Bureau
also pays for a job coach. While there is no guarantee of employment
after the completion of the TWE, we estimate that the person is hired
about 80% of the time.

Prior to Brian's first day at work, our employment team spent many hours
going over potential scenarios and emphasizing the importance of the
social aspects of working. Brian is working for four different
departments during the TWE in order to maximize his chances for ongoing
employment at the end of this period. KFI has an established
relationship with this employer. He has hired several people over the
years, but not all the work experiences have been successful. One of the
reasons for the solid relationship is our willingness to handle
unsuccessful situations and to leave with a handshake whenever a job
ends.

On the importance of knowing the person: our job developer says he would
like to do a presentation consisting totally of the following: "Ask the
person what he/she wants and then go find it. Thank you, that is the end
of this presentation."

Example 7: Rise, Incorporated

Individual Barrier to Competitive Employment

Statistically speaking, the odds are stacked against finding a job in
the competitive labor market when an individual has significant and
complex disabilities. For example, consider this case of a secondary
education student who uses a wheelchair and has cerebral palsy, a visual
disability, and a learning disability. These disabilities have resulted
in significant functional limitations involving this young man's
mobility, self-dependency skills (he requires feeding, dressing, and
toileting assistance), speech communications, learning style, and
capacities to perform many motor tasks requiring finger and hand
dexterity. Due to his disabilities and the powerful imagery associated
with his functional limitations, this young man's secondary education
staff and family members held very low expectations for any employment
success beyond the structure of a center-based, community rehabilitation
program.

Strategy to Address Barrier

The secondary education program chose to become a collaborator in a
newly launched and progressive school-to-work transition program. The
primary objective of this program was to obtain customized competitive
employment for ALL secondary education students, regardless of the
significance or complexities of their disabilities. The functional
limitations imposed by this student's disabilities were viewed simply as
barriers to be planned around by its project staff. A person-centered
career planning procedure was initiated to support the student and his
family members in identifying job interests and talents that could be
potentially marketed to community employers. All of the possibilities
were explored with the support of his interagency career planning team.
Using a problem-solving model, the team also identified, examined, and
offered potential solutions to all known obstacles to community-based
employment.

Case Example of Individual Change Strategy

**[Use of Assistive Technology and Job Carving/Creation]{.underline}** -
The employment specialist assigned to work with this student recommended
and secured the technical services of a rehabilitation engineer to
assist in the use of assistive technology should a suitable employment
position be found. Capitalizing on the student's known interests in
music, the employment specialist canvassed opportunities with Best Buy,
an electronics retail superstore. The employment specialist observed a
store clerk performing an activity that she thought this student might
be able to do with a suitable technology application (placing security
tabs on compact disks). The employment specialist approached the store
manager about the idea of a job carving/creation strategy for the
student. The manager expressed an interest in exploring job
opportunities for the student and agreed to work with the rehabilitation
engineer to explore potential assistive technology applications.

After working on a design with the employer, a low-tech job fixture was
designed with a drop so the student could perform the CD labeling
function. The student was paid an hourly competitive wage for the tasks
performed. The school district agreed to provide transportation to the
job and a paraprofessional was assigned to support the student with his
personal care needs. A supported employment provider was recruited to
assist in the transition of work support from the secondary education
program to adult habilitation services. This young man continued to work
successfully in Minnesota as a valued Best Buy employee until one of his
parents was transferred to another state. Interestingly, the Best Buy
store in Minnesota consulted with a Best Buy retailer in the community
where the young man was moving about his employment arrangement. And the
supported employment provider in Minnesota consulted with a similar
agency in the new community about his job supports. The young man with
complex disabilities was successfully transferred, along with his
competitive job, to the same national retailer in another state!

Example 8: Via of Leigh Valley

Individual Barrier to Competitive Employment

An individual with a high school education was deemed by the
professionals in charge of his care to be appropriate for placement in
Via's sheltered workshop. Instead of focusing on his strengths and
abilities, the emphasis was placed on his disabilities of autism, mental
retardation, and deafness. It was difficult for people to imagine a man
who communicated through sign language, had difficulty with impulse
control, and could not "function" outside his routine as "employable."

Strategy to Address Barrier

-   A circle of support was created for this individual, focusing on his
    expressions of dreams and an evaluation of his competencies.

-   A variety of community-based vocational assessment opportunities
    were presented.

-   Partnerships were formed among his family and other supports in his
    life to dream about the 'perfect job' and "what works" for him.

-   A job development plan was created to focus on the type of work,
    environment, and co-workers that would provide the best opportunity
    for his individual success and productivity.

Case Example of Individual Change Strategy

The individual spent time in several companies trying a variety of jobs.
These experiences gave insights into what type of work was enjoyable,
done well, and provided a sense of fulfillment for the individual. He
enjoyed jobs that required an eye for detail, allowed for little
deviation from routine, and involved a challenging task. A local company
that produced fine guitars fit this description perfectly. The
individual was offered a part-time position in the string-winding
department. Not only did he excel in this fast-paced atmosphere doing
precise work, but he also quickly learned to operate two string-winding
machines simultaneously. The company was able to provide him with a
challenging, yet routine position that focused on his strengths,
interests, and abilities. In the process, he enjoyed a good paying job
with friendly coworkers and the best holiday parties and summer picnics
you can imagine.

**Appendix 6: T-TAP Fact Sheets**

[^1]: Fact Sheet #39: The Employment of Workers with Disabilities at
    Special Minimum Wages obtained from
    \[http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/whdfs39.htm\].

[^2]: ^1^ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,
    <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentor>

[^3]: ^2^ Adapted from:
    <http://www.mentors.ca/mentorprograms.html#CEOPEER>

[^4]: ^3^ *Do you have a good BHAG or a bad BHAG*?

    Retrieved from: <http://www.jimcollins.com/index.html>