Community Support Services Individual Supported Employment Career Fair

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

The Community Support Services Individual Supported Employment Program’s ultimate goal is to assist adults with intellectual disabilities to obtain and maintain employment. To accomplish this goal, employment specialists work with individual clients to prepare them for job development and placement activities that include resume writing, completing applications, interview behavior, and interview skills. After an individual has been placed in a competitive job in the community, the employment specialist trains the client on the job. Employment specialists first learn the tasks involved and then train the client on the job tasks and social behavior required by the employer. Clients receive on-to-one training at the work site. After acceptable performance is established, the Employment specialists begins to fade out support and, eventually, reaches a point of checking in with the employer and client only a few times per month for as long as the employer or clients needs intermittent levels of support. A new program emphasizing the preparation for employment was added to assist Special Education students and their teachers in the process of transitioning students and their teachers. While the Career Fair event itself is a one day activity, there are associated activities performed in the school that connect the classroom instruction to practical application of skills.