Disability Inclusion Leadership Training Institute

National Service as a Pathway to Employment:

Shaping Experiences that Contribute to Success

Tuesday, December 11, 2012Hyatt Crystal City, Crystal City, VA

Sheila Fesko – Project DirectorNancy Keeler – Training Associate

NextSTEP is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service (Cooperative agreement #09TAHMA001) and is a project of the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston. NextSTEP partners with the State

Employment Leadership Network of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services and the US Business Leadership Network.

Learning Objectives• Understand the six essential elements of a positive national service

experience that allow participants to contribute to the community while gaining valuable skills that can lead to competitive employment

• Explore effective practices for collaborating with entities that have similar employment goals for People with Disabilities such as SSA/Ticket to Work (TTW), state vocational rehabilitation and developmental disabilities agencies, and federal job centers

• Develop action plans to implement the six elements of service including pursuing collaborations with disability agencies

Impact of Service

Personal Growth• Enhanced Self-Concept• Greater assertiveness and self-advocacy• Clearer vision of personal futures• Better understanding of disability

Framework

Impact of Service

Career Growth• Developing job skills • Expanding network and building social capital• Career exploration and realization Growth as a Community Member• Expanded worldview• Community connection • Civic engagement

Factors that Influence Member Experience

• Inclusive and Welcoming Environment• Robust Member Placement• Member Development and Support • External Collaborations and Partnership• Activities that Support Career Development

The Volunteer Experience & Your Organizations Service Schedule

Vision for Your Organization

What do you want volunteers to get out of service?

What are your expectations of your organization?

Why Service Matters

• New Expectations on accountability/measures

• Consistent with goals—Strategic plan Corporation for National and Community Service

CNCS Strategic Plan 2011-2015

• Goal 2 –Strengthen national service so participants engaged in CNCS-supported program consistently find satisfaction, meaning and opportunity

• Objective 4—CNCS supported participants find professional, educational or civic growth opportunities in their service experience

ActivityMaking a Plan of Action For Volunteer Impact

What is your VISION for volunteers• What do I want volunteers to get out of service? • What do I expect my organization to provide volunteers?

What is your GOAL for volunteers• Concrete method that can be measured

Fill in the worksheet throughout today.

ActivityHow Diverse do you think we are?

CNCS Strategic Plan: Inclusive Environments

Goal 2, Objective 1 Make CNCS supported national service

opportunities accessible and attractive to Americans of all backgrounds.

Diversity and Inclusion

What does diversity mean to you within your organization?

What does inclusion mean?

“Diversity is who we are. Inclusion is how we work together”

Hiring Manager John Deere Corp.

Creating an Inclusive Environment

• Consistent communication about value of inclusion • Culture that demonstrates inclusion• Flexibility to accommodate different

styles/background• Check-ins with members to access their

comfort/need for support• Informed and trained staff • Accountability that inclusion is achieved

Robust Member Placement

• Consideration of interests and abilities• Reflection on how service supports longer term

goals• Member choice—requires multiple options of type

of work/type of settings• Clear understanding of expectations prior to

placement• Pre-service planning

Application Process

Non-traditional members/volunteers can get screen out at application:

• Does your standard process require online application?

• Do job descriptions/posting list non-essential activities (i.e. driving)

• What options do people have if they require assistance?

Robust Member Placement

Both parties (applicant and program) have a role in making sure there is a good match:

• Preparing for Service Worksheet• Capacity to Support Volunteers Worksheet

ActivityCapacity to Support Volunteers Worksheet

Step One: Individually take a few moments to complete the worksheet for your program.

Step Two: As a group, begin to discuss the following questions.

1. Which essential areas does your program rate the highest? Why?2. Which area is most challenging for your program? Why?

Member Support & Development

Member Support: Any activity or action that is tailored for or personalized to an individual volunteer’s long or short term needs

Member Development: Any activities for an individual volunteer or for a group of volunteers that expands the capacity of those involved in their current position and/or for future goals.

Formal & Informal Development

Formal: includes scheduled meetings and planned trainings or workshops.

Informal: less structured and can be intentional in purpose or developed on a case-by-case basis.

Accommodations & Natural Supports

“Accommodations are developed on an individual basis and in a partnership between the person with the disability and the employer.”

disabledperson.com

Natural supports are small acts of assistance or work-style adjustments made to help a specific volunteer.

Structured Supervision

• Clear and high expectations

• Communication

• Shared responsibilities

• Positive reinforcement

Key Elements to Successful Experiences

• Formal volunteer development opportunities• Informal volunteer development• Clear and high expectations• Mentoring• Structured supervision• Communication with supervisors and volunteers• External support• Leadership development• Teamwork• Staff supervision capacity

ActivityMaking the Member Experience

As a table, pick an area of member support and development and create activities

Write each activity on a separate sticky noteActivities that repeat can be spread across as

many sticky notes as needed

Paste the notes onto the wall in chronological order of when they occur during a service term

ActivityMaking the Member Experience

Take a few moments to look at the activities on the wall

Reflection: What of these activities are you going to take home? To steal?

Partnerships & Collaborations

Who are your partners?

How did your partnership begin?

What ways do you, your partner and/or your volunteers benefit?

Why Partner?

Partnerships to promote volunteer growth• Broaden professional networks• Gain skills through collaboration

Partnerships to promote organizational growth• Cross pollination of ideas• Pipeline for future volunteers• In-kind resource sharing (trainings & services)

Types of Collaborations and Partnerships

• Inclusion Team (teams/working groups focused on enhancing member experience)

• Connection with employers and post-secondary options

• Information regarding the value of service and volunteering

• Joint projects/shared interests• Disability Organizations

Disability Organizations

• Vocational Rehabilitation (VR)• Intellectual & Developmental Disability (IDD)

agencies• Employment Networks (EN)• Ticket To Work (TTW)

Vocational Rehabilitation

“VR” is a state agency that provides a wide range of service to support individuals toward reaching their vocational goal

• The Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) & Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)

• General, Blind, and Combined• “Close”, “26”, “consumer” and “work experience”

IDD Agencies

“IDD” agencies are state organizations that fund a wide range of services for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, including day services, employment support and residential services.

• National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) & State Employment Leadership Network (SELN)

• Medicaid Waivers, billable services, and who qualifies

Employment Networks

Employment networks help beneficiaries on disability insurance (SSDI) and supplemental insurance (SSI) find jobs

• Certified by the Social Security Administration (SSA)• Participants choose their EN and receive free

services

ActivityExternal Collaborations & Partnerships Worksheet

Step One: Individual Brainstorming

Step Two: Small Group Discussion

Step Three: Sharing Innovative & Exceptional Partnerships/Collaborations

Activities that Support Careers

What does your program offervolunteers when they transition

out of service/volunteering?

Activities that Support Careers

• Identification of transferable skills • Support for post-service/volunteer transition • Informal career development activities—job

shadowing • Integrate career/education ideas into standard

practices –reflection , journaling• Information on community resources

Pulling it all together.

Reassessing the Action Plan.

The National Service to Employment Project (NextSTEP) conducts research, provides technical assistance, and creates demonstration projects focusing on people with disabilities in volunteer and community-service roles. Among its other activities, NextSTEP is working to promote collaborations between VR and service programs.

www.serviceandinclusion.org/nextstep/www.facebook.com/service2employ

Twitter: @Service2Employnextstep@umb.edu

National Service to Employment Project (NextSTEP) is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service (Cooperative agreement #09TAHMA001) and is a project of the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston. NextSTEP partners with the State Employment Leadership Network of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services and the US Business Leadership Network.