A Guide for Career Discovery

Missouri Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities



Left Blank on Purpose

About this guide

The Career Planning Guide: A Guide for Career Discovery was made possible by
Missouris Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities continued commitment towards full
community participation for persons with disabilities. It is designed to support job seekers to plan
for, and achieve, integrated community-based employment earning competitive wages and
benefits like other members of the community.

This guide will take the job seeker and his or her support team through the career planning
process by providing information he or she can use during the career planning sessions. It should
be noted that since everyone is unique, the individual planning process will be unique to each
person as well. The guide is simply a framework to allow the job seeker and his or her team to
create a vision and a plan to achieve a career that makes sense to the job seeker. It is less about
the forms and more about generating ideas, clear action steps, and moving the person closer
towards his or her ultimate career goals.

Acknowledgements & References

Project Director and Lead Author

Rob Hoffman, Employment Analytics, Smithville, MO

A special thanks to the following team of individuals who, through their extensive experiences and
expertise, worked collaboratively to plan and develop this guide for the benefit of Missourians with
disabilities.

Darla Wilkerson Missouris Department of MH/DD (Kansas City, MO)

Susan Rocker MU-Disability Policy & Studies (Lincoln, NE)
Tom McVeigh UMKC-Institute for Human Development (Kansas City, MO)
Mike McCarthy - UMKC-Institute for Human Development (Kansas City, MO)
Jessica Boffa ACT (Columbia, MO)
Cris Rodriguez - Missouris Department of MH/DD (Nevada, MO)
Bob Miller - Missouris Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (Kansas City, MO)
Kathleen Featherstone Missouris Department of MH/DD (Springfield, MO)
Diana Beckley MU-Disability Policy & Studies (Clarence, MO)

Photography by Susan Rocker

This project was funded by the Missouri Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities through
the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. (2010, All Rights Reserved)

Additionally, some information in this guide is based on previous career planning initiatives including the
Missouri Career Networks, a partnership between UMKC/IHD and MUs Region 7 CRP-RCEP. Finally,
thanks to Mike McCarthy for his Discovering Who, Discovering What and Discovering How framework this
guide is built around.

For information on this guide and/or additional training and support contact MOPCDD at 573-751-8611.

(Revised 6/2010 - Rob Hoffman, Employment Analytics)

 1

Career Discovery: My Guide to My Career

Congratulations! By picking up this guide, you are on your way to finding that job and
career you have wanted. This guide contains a lot of information and resources to help
you and all the people who will support you to plan and land a job and career that fits best
with your skills and talents. But first, it is always good to get a better understanding of this
work and career stuff. Here are some common areas and questions a lot of people want
to know about.

What is employment?

Well, the easy answer is doing any task or job where you get paid for your efforts. There
are many types of employment out there. To break it down a little, there are full time jobs,
part time jobs and temporary jobs. Then, there is self employment, where you work for
yourself rather than working for someone else. Whatever the definition is, the most
important thing is to make sure you find employment that matches your interests and
abilities. Thats what you will be doing as you go through this guide!

Why should I work?

There are a number of reasons. First, it is every citizens responsibility to work, earn a
living and contribute to our overall society. Anyone of working age, regardless of having a
disability or not, should do what they can to be as self-reliant as possible. You may have
heard the phrase there are no free rides? This goes for employment too. Our country
was built on the notion that everyone will work and contribute to the greater society; it is
what makes our country run day after day. Think about it, if everyone chose not to work,
who would serve you your favorite meal at the restaurant? Where would you go if there
were no doctors and you were sick? So, it is really not about a choice to work or not, it is
about a choice of where you want to work and making sure it fits your interests.

What are some of the reasons you want to work and/or to change what you
are doing now?
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Is a Paycheck all I get for Working?

Absolutely not! Working to earn income to pay your bills is a big part of it but not the only
reason people work. There are many benefits to working, lets look at a few in addition to
earning money:

Meeting new people and making new friendships

Having a sense of pride in doing work that helps yourself and your community
Creating a sense of identity - what is the second question people ask when they
first meet you right after asking your name? It is What do you do? Whether it is
right or wrong, our culture attaches a persons identity to what they do for a living.
And maybe most importantly, money opens many doors. Have you ever heard the
phrase money is power? Well its true, not in a Donald Trump kind of way, but
think about it, as you earn more money you have the power to make more
decisions about how to live your life. You can move into that apartment, buy your
own home, have more choices in what you do in your free time (more activities,
vacations, etc.) No matter what it is, you will have more opportunities as you
develop your career.

What else besides money do you want to get out of working?

Arent there just too many barriers for someone like me to work?

This is an excellent question and one that actually prevents many people from moving
forward with their career plans. However, many of these barriers are myths rather than
truths. Lets look at some of the more popular ones.

I will lose my Social Security benefits. For the most part, this is not true if you make
sure and visit a Benefits Planner early on in the career planning process. Benefits
Planners can show you exactly how work will affect your benefits, including your
health insurance. The overall idea is that as you work and earn more money, the
less reliant you need to be on these benefits. The key is to figure out the right
 3

formula to make sure your essential needs are met. You can find information on
Benefits Planners in the Resource Section of this guide.
Transportation. Yes, this is a barrier for many people, with all types of abilities, but
it should not be a reason to not work. Through the career planning process, you
and your team of supporters will look at all sorts of ways to get you to and from
work. Some examples include riding the bus, walking, bugging your parents for a
ride, paying a co-worker for rides, and, who knows, maybe you will start a home
based business and wont need a ride.
Employers wont hire people with disabilities. This is a myth. Sure there might be
some employers out there that havent hired certain people but this is usually
because they just cant see how it will work. It is really you and your support teams
responsibility to show them what you will bring to their business. Through this
planning process, you and your team will outline all the skills and abilities you will
contribute to the business.

Are there any worries you have about working? (You will look back at these and
address them as you develop your plan)

Someone once asked me about my dream job but they never found It. Why?

First off, finding a job needs to be your responsibility. Sure you will have your team of
supporters to assist you, but at the end of the day, its your job not theirs. Now, about that
dream jobboy, wouldnt we all like to just start in our dream job! The truth is, most
people are still working towards theirs and very few, if anyone, have ever just started in
their dream job. However, those people who are in their dream job, or close to it, have
done a couple of things. First, they have worked many different jobs to figure out what
their true passions are. Second, they understood they wouldnt start at the top but had a
plan and knew where they were going. And third, they have used many different people to
support them throughout their journey. Now dont get discouraged, this journey is all part
of the process and it is the main way we find out what we like and dont like about certain
 4

jobs. This also helps us narrow down our career path and gives us the required skills and
experience to keep moving towards that dream job. For example, did you know that many
of todays top chefs started out as dishwashers? Many did, and below is an example of
the path they took to reach their dream job.

Movesup Becomes
Movesto Startsinthe
Startsasa Movesup toaLine an
Bussing Kitchenasa
Dishwasher toServer Cook& Executive
Tables PrepCook
SousChef Chef

As you can see, the person may have had the dream to be a chef but had to start at the
beginning to get there. This may look like a long road to get there but it gave the chef an
incredible amount of experience and knowledge about the entire restaurant business
which is a key to their advancement and success. So, as you begin to plan, keep in mind
that the idea will be to work with your supporters to identify your dream and map out all
the steps you need to get there.

Now that you have heard about how people work towards their dream job,
if you could have your dream job(s), what would it be?

(Remember, your plan will spell out the steps to work towards this)
 5

What is Career Planning?

Whether its starting a job for the first time, or changing careers, we all go through a
similar process when looking for work. Its a lifelong process that includes choosing a
career path, accepting a job, growing in that job, possibly changing jobs several times and
eventually retiring. Several phases to consider when planning for your career include:
getting to know yourself (discovering who); getting to know the job (discovering what);
contacting businesses that have those types of jobs Im interested in and negotiating a
good fit (discovering how); Planning for a job/career continues throughout our life. As we
progress, our preferences, support needs and skills change and grow with our
experiences. So, when you are developing your career plan, you will look at the three
areas.

Discovering Who

Before you can make a career choice, you have to learn about yourself and your
interests. What do you have a passion to spend your day involved in? What is it about
work that is appealing to you? Whats going to ignite a fire in you that will make you want
to get up and contribute each day?

There are a ton of interest assessments on-line nowadays but no one knows you and
your interests better than you and those closest to you. Ask others to help you create a
picture or profile of your interests, passions, conditions, support needs and attributes so
you can begin to shape a direction for job searching.

Discovering What

Sometimes if you have not worked before its very difficult to make a decision on what
type of work you may be interested in. Thats when some exploring comes in handy. What
is job exploration? Think of it as investigating and experiencing different work situations,
talking with others who do the type of work you are interested in, asking them how they
got their position they are in, watching someone else do the job for a period of time, and,
even trying it out if you have a chance. Identifying all the different aspects of different jobs
allows you to identify what the job entails and how it matches your interests.

Discovering How

Once you and your team have figured out what type of job and career will best fit your
interests, it is time to figure out how to go about getting it. During this time you will be
exploring the job and work culture to ensure its a good fit for you or, what some refer to
as a good job match. This is your action plan that outlines the steps from not only getting
that first job, but how you will continue to advance in your career. This part of the process
can have many different steps. For example, if you know exactly what you want to do,
your plan will have activities related to using your network to contact potential employers.
 6

But, lets say you feel you need some additional training to make you more marketable to
an employer. Then, your action plan might be taking a few courses at the local community
college, and then using your network to make contacts with businesses. Keep in mind
that everyone is different. Your team will need to address the areas of Discovering Who,
Discovering What and Discovering How as you develop your career plan.

Tips for using this guide:

The guide is designed to support you and your team through the process of career
planning. Remember, your planning is less about this guide and more about the
ideas and activities you generate. This is simply a tool to guide you and a place to
record your ideas.
It is very beneficial when planning to use flip chart paper put up on the walls so that
everyone can see all of the information and ideas being generated. Then you can
transfer the information from the flip chart paper to this guide.
On pages 4244 there are action plan forms for you to write down any activities as
you progress through your planning. These will be your To Do lists, so remember
to record all the tasks and refer back to them often.
Remember, this will take time to work through. Think of it as going through phases:
Phase 1- Getting to know you (Discovering Who), Phase 2- Getting to know the job
(Discovering What) and Phase 3- Making a good job match (Discovering How).

General layout of the guide:

This box will offer you some tips
and strategies

This side will provide you

with an overview of the This box is where
area you will be covering
and guidance on you will record all
completing this step of the
process the various
information
gathered from you
and your team

Transfer information from flip chart
paper to this section.
 7

First, Consider Finding Champion

As you have read, your career plan and the all the activities that take
place focus on you being in charge of the process but, it is very helpful to
find someone who will support youwe call this person a Champion. The
champion is a person who will work side by side with you throughout your
career planning. Most likely, your champion will come from the list of
supporters you will develop on the next few pages. However, your champion
will play a different, more important role than your other supporters. Here are
a few very important things that your champion can help you with:

Identifying your supporters

Helping you make all the arrangements for your career planning
sessions (time, place, materials, etc.)
Facilitating your career planning sessions. This means, they will
support you to run the sessions, ask questions to get more information,
write down all the information and meet after each session.
Helping you to make sure your action plans are being worked on. As
you develop a list of things that need to be done, your champion will
help you keep track of the progress and do any follow up if necessary
Helping you figure out how all the services and funding work. They can
help you make contact with various agencies that can provide you with
additional support and funding to achieve your career goals.

On the next page, you will find a list of things that will be important to ask
and talk about with your potential champion. Remember, your champion isnt
just anybody; it is a person who you trust and is just as excited about your
career goals as you are.
 8

Things to Consider When Identifying My Champion

Do you trust this person? (a champion is someone who will not only
help you but you will be able to share your thoughts, feelings and fears
with them too)
Will they be in it for the long run? (your champion will need to be a
person that is going to commit to supporting you through this process
and beyond. Sometimes a paid professional can serve as a champion
but the downside is that they might change jobs and might not be able
to continue supporting you)
Are they good talking to groups? (your champion will need to be
good with speaking in front of groups (your career planning team),
facilitating discussions, recording information, and asking good
questions)
Are they well connected? (having a champion who is connected with
a lot of people and active in the community leads to more success with
your career plan)
Will they always keep your best interests in mind? (there is always
a lot of information covered and your champion will make sure that you
understand and agree to everything. They will also advocate for your
choices and decisions)

These are some of the key areas to consider and there might be more. So
after thinking about all of this, do you have someone (or maybe two) in
mind? You can write the name(s) here:

The next step is to ask them if they will support you in this role and be
your champion. You will want to talk with them about what it means and go
through the questions above so they get a pretty clear picture. Again, you
want someone you trust, will be with you for the long haul, is well connected
and will always keep your best interests in mind. If they agree to all of this,
you are well on your way to getting the planning started! The next step is to
identify more supporters who will help you with the planning process.
 9

Identifying Who Will Help Me with My Career Plan

Identifying people who will support you to develop your plan and assist
you in making contact with potential employers is a critical step in this
process. Your supporters are those people who know you best and will help
you identify all your interests, skills and abilities, which are used to find the
best possible match for a job.

Here are some examples of supporters:

Family (Parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc.)

Best friends
Current and former teachers
Current and former co-workers
Supervisors
People that know you from places you visit frequently
People from church (Pastors and church members)
Service coordinators
Other professionals that you have worked with and trust

Coming together is a beginning.

Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.

Henry Ford
 10

Supporters are
those people My Supporters
who:
Are my allies List who they are and how you know them:
Have helped me
achieve other
things
o Other goals
o Learning
something new
o Get something I
need
I can count on to
support my wishes
Know me best
I can trust
Will honor my
choices
Will be positive and
talk about the
possibilities, not
why I cant do
something
Are connected to
the community
(people who know a
lot of other people)
I go to when I have
a problem and they
help me work it out
I could trust with a Tip: If your list is too large, narrow it down by
secret prioritizing. You want people who know you best.
Six to eight people is ideal for planning.
 11

Inviting Your Supporters and

Planning for Your First Career Plan Meeting
Now that you have your list of supporters, its time to make a plan for your first
career planning meeting. It might seem easy to just call them up and invite them, but
there are a number of things you need to work out before you get to this step. This will
ensure everyone knows when it is, why they are coming and what they will be doing.

Here is some information that will help you:

Set a date and time: Remember, you want to choose a date and time where you
will get the most people to attend. For example, if a lot of your supporters work,
there is a good chance that an evening or weekend would be better for them.
Sometimes you need to have a few dates in mind and see what works best for the
most people.
Location: The first rule about where to hold your meeting is to make sure it is
where YOU feel most comfortable. Here are a few examples of places where these
meetings have taken place:
o At your house (living room, kitchen, patio/deck)
o Community Centers
o Libraries
o Churches
o Restaurants

*Remember, your career planning meeting is much different than meetings you might
have had at school or with an organization where you receive services. In those
meetings, you meet at the school or in a meeting room at the organization and they were
more about system services and funding. This meeting is all about you and what you
want to do. You are bringing together the people closest to you and those who know you
best to talk about and plan for all the possibilities you have. Well talk about how all this
information will fit into those other meetings and plans later.

Roles and Responsibilities: It is very important to make sure all your supporters
know what they will be doing. First, all the planning and discussion should be about
you and your goals. Also, it is critical that the focus of your planning is positive and
people talk about all the possibilities. Sure there will be some barriers, everyone
has a few, but the idea is to work around those to develop a plan that makes sense
for you. It has been very helpful in other meetings like this to share some ground
rules with the planning team such as: its about you and your job/career, being
positive and offering solutions, and agreeing to follow through with activities.
 12

Planning Meeting Details

Tips for Planning
Your First
Meeting: Date:

Set Date & Time Time:

Pick a location that is
Location:
most comfortable for
you Purpose:
Who is going to do the
inviting?
What will you say when
you talk with them? Sample Invitation
How will the invitations
be made? Cards, Youre Invited to
emails, calls, etc.?
Be clear on why they Johns Career Planning Meeting!
are invited and what
they will be doing
o Helping you Date: March 15th
generate ideas for
employment that Time: From 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
makes sense for
YOU Location: My House- 149 Main St.
o Explain the
importance of using Purpose: I am bringing together people to
personal support me to develop a career plan. My goal
connections; its the is to get a job that matches all my skills and
number one way talents and having people like you to help
people get jobs!
me out will increase my chances.
o They will be asked
to use their
connections to open
doors with Food will be provided!
businesses
Please RSVP to: 555-555-5555 by March 5th
Give them a timeline
for how long the Suggested items to have at the meeting: Flip charts (or
meeting will last (ex. something to take notes on), tape, dry erase markers,
From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.) pens/pencils
 13

The First Career Planning Meeting

Discovering Who (You)
The first meeting in your career planning process is to learn more about you. You
may be thinking that you already know yourself pretty well, thats true but, you will soon
find out that all the people that you have brought together have different views of you,
your skills, abilities and all that you will eventually be able to offer to an employer. Before
you jump right into the planning, its important to have an agenda. This will keep you and
your team on track, focused and explain the reasons why everyone is getting together.

Some items to consider when outlining your agenda:

Thank everyone for coming

Have everyone introduce themselves and how they know you
Purpose of the meeting
Time frames (start, finish and that you will need to get together again)
Why you are bringing all of your supporters together
Ground rules: (focused on you and your goals for employment, being positive,
focusing on the possibilities and creating action steps to move you towards your
job and career goals, etc.)

You might even consider using the Discovering Who, Discovering What and Discovering
How topics to explain the purpose. For example: Discovering Who - Learning more
about me and my interests and abilities; Discovering What - Learning more about what
types of jobs and careers make sense for me; and Discovering How - Developing an
action plan on how I will go about getting the job, more experiences, moving up the career
ladder, etc.

The next page is for you to put together your agenda. You can use the list above, add
other items and, write out some talking points if you want to.

The nice thing about teamwork is

that you always have others on
your side.

Margaret Carty
 14

Career Planning Meeting

Agenda

Note: If you want, it is sometimes good to provide your supporters with an agenda. You
can make a list of the main topics and hand those out or write them on a sheet of flip
chart paper - they dont necessarily need all the talking points you have written down.

SampleAgenda
Welcome&introductions
Whywearehere
Whyyouwereinvited
Groundrules:Howtoconduct
themeeting,rolesofyour
supporters,etc.
Discussionaboutthecareer
planningprocess
BeginDiscovering(planning)
NextstepsNextmeeting
 15

Discovering Who (You)

This part of the planning process is to develop a good picture of you. You and your
supporters will discuss a lot of different things and discover more about you, what you
like, what you dont like, what works, what doesnt, etc. This part is very important since
you will need to use all of this information to make sure all of the potential jobs and
careers match all these different areas.
The next three pages are for you and your team to look at a number of different
areas to develop a good picture of you. The more you know about yourself and others
know about you, the easier it will be to narrow down the best possibilities. Basically,
taking the time to discover all of the information will help focus your efforts and take a lot
of the guess work out of it.
Areas you will cover include:

What your day looks like now

What you like and dont like about your day what would you change
Your skills and interests
Places you spend time
Likes/dislikes
Hobbies and other interests
Your fears and worries
Your hopes and dreams

The journey is the reward.

Chinese Proverb
 16

Discovering Who (You)

Describe Your Typical Day: Describe what you like about your day, what you
dont like, and what would you change? Why?

Likes:

Dislikes

Changes you would make:

Based on your hopes and dreams, what would your future look like? (Where you are working, living,
what activities are you doing, what would be an ideal day for you?)
 17

Discovering Who (You)

What are those things you are really good at? (Skills, interests, gifts, talents, etc.)

What is your past work history? (Paid employment, volunteer work, etc.)

Which did you like best and why?

Which did you like least and why?

Would you want to do one of these again? Why?

(See page 64 for a Work History form that will need to be completed)
 18

Discovering Who (You)

What are your hobbies? If you could get paid for something you really enjoy doing,
what would that be?

What are some things that would really motivate you to work hard at your job?
(you can refer back to page 2)
 19

Checking In

It is important during certain points of the planning process to check in and see
how things are going. With career planning, there isnt a certain number of meetings or
specific start and stop points. It is all based on how well the planning is going and if you
feel you are getting all the information you need to develop a good picture of that job and
career that makes sense for you. Depending on where you are in the planning process,
you should refer back to this page and make sure you and your planning team is on the
right track. Here are a few questions for you address if needed:

How did your first meeting go?

What did you like about the meeting?

What didnt you like about the meeting?

What would you change at future meetings?

Do you have the right people on your planning team?

o Are they excited and offering a lot of information?

o Do they understand what your goals are?

Are there people on your team who are not positive and supportive?

o Can you get them to support you or will you have to think about not inviting

them to future meetings?

Is your agenda moving forward? Can you tell from the information you have

gathered that the planning will lead to employment?

What is the agenda for the next meeting?

Also, this is a good time to learn about how work will affect your benefits (see next

page)
 20

Benefits Planning & Information

As mentioned earlier, there are many myths surrounding work and benefits. At this time, it
is critical that you make arrangements to meet with a Benefits Planner (sometimes called
Community Work Incentive Coordinators). Benefits Planners support workers, job seekers and
various agencies to understand the impact of employment on your benefits. Just as you are
unique, so are the various benefit programs. It is only through planning that you can take control
of finding the right programs and the right job to meet your needs.

What you can expect from a Benefits Planner:

Assistance with reducing uncertainties and fears in regard to losing benefits
On your behalf they will gather necessary information from all sources from which you receive
benefits.
Analyze relevant information identifying potential issues, current issues, and possible
solutions or recommendations
Information on how your unique situation and benefits will be impacted by work or by
advancement in your current position.
If needed, a comprehensive benefit summary and analysis (BSA) of your current situation and
future access to work incentives or supports offered by agencies such as HUD or SSA.
If needed, a Work Incentive Plan (WIP) is completed. A WIP is an action plan. It puts the
issues and recommendations into operation by identifying the activity to be completed, who is
responsible to complete it and when it is to be completed. The Benefit Specialist will then be
able to help you monitor your progress toward your employment goal.

Be Prepared:
The Benefits Planner is going to need a variety of information from you in order to do a good
analysis of how work will impact your benefits. A few things you will need to have available
are:
o Social Security Number
o Proof of Income (from Social Security, a bank statement, etc.)
o Medical Cards (Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, etc.)
o Any paperwork related to other income you receive
o They will also ask questions around your current housing arrangements
Know your concerns about work.Ask the Benefit Specialist to answer your specific
concerns. Be truthful. The Benefit Specialists reports are only as accurate as the information
you provide and they gather from the sources with whom you approve them to discuss your
situation.
Dont what if the Specialist to death.if you have an example of a situation that is likely to
happen in the near future then discuss it with the Benefit Specialist. But if it is information not
relevant to your current situation, or in the near future, table it until the situation is closer to
being a potential issue. This keeps both you and the specialist working on likely scenarios
saving precious time and efforts focusing on the here and now.

(You will want to refer to pages 76 & 77 for more information and contact information for the
Benefits Planner nearest you)
 21

Discovering Who (You)

By now, you and your planning team should have developed a pretty good picture of your
interests, gifts, talents, things you enjoy and the changes you want to make in your life. Now you
need to take all of this information and begin to put it all together to create a picture of what an
ideal job and career will be. Remember, well get a good picture of the ideal job and career but,
you will have to take the necessary steps to get there. Our goal is to find the closest possible
match to your ideal job and have a clear plan for you to progress in your career. To do this, you
and your team need to discuss and learn about the four most critical aspects everyone has
when they are looking for employment. These are conditions, preferences, contributions and
support needs. When we spend time identifying these on the front end, it increases the likelihood
for a good job match. Remember, everyone is unique so the information in each of these areas is
specific to you and will change over time. Here is more information on each of these areas:

Conditions: These are those things you HAVE to have in a job in order to accept it. For the most
part, these are non-negotiable. For example, if you take medications that will make you very sick if
you are exposed to too much sunlight, you have to work indoors. Now, we have ruled out all those
outdoor jobs and narrowed down what types of jobs we will be looking for. As you continue to
identify your conditions, you will continue to narrow down the job search efforts. It is important to
keep in mind, the more conditions you have, the more you narrow down the possibilities so be
careful and make sure it is a must have rather than a like to have, which are your preferences.

Preferences: These are all the things you would like to have in a job but if all of them arent there,
it wont keep you from accepting the job. For example, you would prefer to work Monday through
Friday but, an occasional weekend would be okay. If this were a condition, you would be adamant
that you wouldnt work any weekends. Some other preferences may include those types of job
tasks you would like to see in a job. You will want to look back at the information on your interests,
skills, talents, etc. and use those to help identify certain things you would prefer a job to have.

Contributions: These are all the skills, abilities and talents you will bring to your new job.
Everyone brings something to contribute to the workforce, so it is important to develop a good list
that will show all the reasons an employer would want to hire you. These are not only your skills
and abilities but they also include your attributes, which are things like a positive attitude, team
player, sense of humor, etc. Businesses dont hire on skills alone, they want to make sure you can
get along with the other employees as well. Finally, it isnt enough to just list your skills and
attributes, you will need to back it up with a story. For example, if you say you are dependable, tell
a story that demonstrates how you were dependable in a work type situation.

Support Needs: These are those things you will need to be as successful as you can in your new
job. Everyone needs some type of support regardless of his or her situation, so it is important for
you to identify what types of support you will need early on. These can include things like;
transportation, assistance learning the job, reminders to get up and out the door for work on time,
etc.

NOTE: Please see Pages 45-46 in the Resource Section for a list of question that will
assist you in identifying your conditions, preferences, contributions and support needs.
 22

Discovering Who (You)

Factors to consider
My Conditions
when identifying Things I know I have to have in
your Conditions and
order to accept a job:
Preferences:
Schedule
o Days/hours
Salaryrequirements
Benefits(employer
benefitsand
considerationswith
yoursocialsecurity
benefits)
Promotions
Physical
characteristics
Learningstyle
preferences
Environmental
concerns
Dress/appearance

What else do you

need to have?

See pages 45-46 for

more areas and
questions to discuss!
 23

Discovering Who (You)

Factors to consider
when identifying
My Preferences
your Conditions and Things I would like to have in order to
Preferences:
accept a job:
Schedule
o Days/hours
Salary
Benefits
Promotions
Physical
characteristics
Environmental
Supervisor
interactions
Dress/appearance
Others?

Also, what job tasks

would you prefer?
(Lookbackatyour
skills,interests,
hobbies,etc.andfind
tasksthatyouwould
alsofindinjobs)

See pages 45-46 for

more areas and
questions to discuss!
 24

Discovering Who (You)

Factors to consider
when identifying
My Contributions
your Contributions: All the things I will bring to my new
Specific skills for job:
that job
Past work
experiences
Things you are
good at
Talents
Attributes: Things
like-
o Good attitude
o Sense of humor
o Team player
o Hard worker
o Quick learner
o Gets along with
coworkers
o Will show up on
time
o Takes initiative
o What else?
Remember, this is how
you and/or your
supporters will
represent you to that
potential employer!
These are your Selling
Points those things
you will highlight in
your interview.
 25

Discovering Who (You)

Factors to consider Support Needs
when identifying
potential support Things I will need support with to
needs: be successful getting and keeping
my job:
Doing more
career
exploration
Making contact
with employers
Interviewing
skills
Getting to and
from work
What is the best
way to learn a
new task?
o Checklists
o Pictures
o Showing you
how
o Other?
Job
Accommodations
What else?
Remember, you are
trying to do your best
to identify supports on
the front end so you
will be more
successful getting and
keeping a job.
 26

Discovering Who (You)

Herearesome Are You Missing Anything?
additionalareasyou
mightconsider Are there any areas that you need to look
addressingwithyour into further to get a better picture of who
team: you are so you can move towards a more
desirable future?
Whatthingshave
youbeenvery
successfuldoing?
What
jobs/tasks/places
doyouwantto
avoidatallcosts?
Aretherehealth
&safety
considerations?
Ifyoucould
chooseoneplace
tobeeveryday,
wherewouldthat
be?
Whatelse?

Note:Youwillwant
totakethe
informationinthis
pageandseeifitfits
withyourconditions,
preferences,
contributionsand
See pages 45-46 for more areas and
supports.
questions to discuss!
 27

Discovering What
Now that you have gathered all the information on all the different areas, it is time
to begin to figure out What type of job and career will match these areas. In the next few
pages, you are going to use all the information to identify some of the ideal jobs for you.
Many times, teams want to jump right to places that you could work. Youll get to that, but
first you need to identify the tasks you are interested in, then identify jobs that have those
tasks and then, you will list out places that have those types of jobs. Heres an example
that might make this easier to understand:

ShelleysPreferencesfor
JobTasks:
Workinasmalltomediumoffice
Dofiling
Answerphones
Dodataentry
Greetcustomers
Pickup/DeliverMail Typesofjobsthathavethose
Runerrands tasks:
OfficeAssistant
AdministrativeSupport
Officeworker
ClericalAid
DataEntryspecialist

PlacesThatHaveThesePositions
Dr.andDentistOffices
DepartmentsatColleges/Universities
Hospitals
Veterinarians
Clinics
Insuranceagencies
 28

Discovering What
Creating a Picture of My Ideal Job and/or Career Goals

MyPreferredJobTasks:
(Frompage21andothersthatmighthavebeenmissed)

TypesofJobsThatHaveTheseTasks:

PlacesThatHaveTheseTypesofJobs:






Note:ifyouarehavingtroublecomingupwithclearjobmatches,seethenextsectiononCareer
Exploration.
 29

Discovering What
Now that you have completed the previous exercise where you and your team identified
your preferred job tasks, job types and places, there are a couple of scenarios you are probably
facing. The best scenario would be that you have zeroed in on a few places that are a great
match. If this is the case, you can move on to the Discover How section. However, if you and
your team came up with a few ideas but there are still some questions on what type of job will be
a good match, there are a few steps you and your team will need to explore further. Here are a
few options that you should consider:

A few jobs are identified but you need more information:

You should consider learning more about these jobs by doing some more information gathering
and career exploration. This allows you to delve deeper into a particular type of occupation (job)
and take time to explore how people get into that line of work, what you need to do and find out if
you would be happy doing it. Your supporters who have careers of their own can be a good place
to start. Here are some additional strategies:
Visiting places that have those jobs and observe people doing them
Do an interview with the employee and/or their supervisor (informational interview)
o Some questions to consider
What skills are needed
Describe a typical day on the job
What do you like best about your job
What do you like least
How did you go about getting your job
Would you be willing to help me get a job in this line of work
Are there other people you would recommend I talk to
There are lots of questions you will have so develop a list before you go

Some preferred tasks are identified but no clear picture of specific jobs or interest
areas area identified:
In some cases, especially for people who havent had a lot of exposure to the world of work, it is
difficult to narrow down types of tasks and jobs until you take the time to understand exactly what
they are. If this is the case, you and your team will need to look at doing some more in-depth
Career Exploration. Career Exploration is basically taking what you know about all your skills,
interests and talents and doing more research on various occupations that will match these. Here
are a few ways to go about exploring jobs and careers that will match what you are looking for:

Doing informational interviews (see above for your questions)

Thinking about all the places you like to visit and take a closer look at what people are
doing there for jobs, i.e. going to the movies (people taking tickets, people working at the
concessions, etc.) Do any of these look interesting? Fun?
Visiting the Career Center
Taking a class (college, community centers, etc.)

The next page is for you and your team to brainstorm some ideas for more Career Exploration
 30

Discovering What
Career Exploration Ideas
Brainstorm some ideas to assist you getting more information about
potential jobs and careers that you will be interested in:

Types of Jobs/Careers I would like to learn more about:

Questions I might ask during an informational interview

Places to contact for informational interviews:

(remember to use your supporters and other connections)

Once you are done creating ideas, you can put them on your Action Plan pages
located on pages 42-44. You will also need to add other activities for career
exploration in your action plan, i.e. registering at the career center, taking a class, etc.
Then, as you learn more and narrow down the potential jobs, go back and complete
the Creating a Picture of My Ideal Job worksheet again.
 31

Discovering How
In this section, you and your team will be taking all the information gathered so far
and creating the action steps that will outline How you are going to land a job that
matches your skills, interests and talents. Here are some things to consider as you begin
to move towards making contact with potential employers:

According to the U.S. Department of Labor:

Over 80% of current job openings are in the Hidden job market. This means, they
are not advertised and are filled through referrals and the businesss close
connections, i.e., current employees and people they know and trust.
70% of people who are currently working got their job using their personal and
professional connections.

Therefore, it is going to be very important that you work with all your supporters to use
everyones personal and professional connections to make contact with potential
employers. Our goal will be to focus on where 80% of the jobs are rather than running
around filling out applications and dropping off resumes because there is so much
competition for only 20% of the jobs. Keep in mind, all these connections will certainly
help open doors for you but, it will be very important that you and anyone supporting you
are able to talk about all the contributions you will bring to that business. At this time, it
will be good to go back and review all your contributions you and your team outlined on
page 22.

On the next page you and your team will work on outlining an introduction and talking
points to use with potential businesses. There are also a couple of examples that might
help you out.

Your problem is to bridge the

gap which exists between where
you are now and the goal you
intend to reach.
Earl Nightingale

 32

Discovering How
Making Contact with Potential Employers

Wrong Way:

Hi, my disabled nephew is looking for work. You have any openings?

Better Way:

Hi, my nephew is looking for a job and is really interested in this type of
work. Hes a great guy and has some experience doing this and some
other work through school and various jobs. Hes one of those people
whos a hard worker and eager to learn new things all the time. Hes a
lot of fun to be around and has a great sense of humor and I know you
would enjoy meeting him. I was wondering when would be a good time
that he could come down and talk with you.
(Note the highlighted areas, these are attributes/contributions that you need to
emphasize. Also, notice it ends with a call to actionasking for a time to meet)

Your Way: (remember to refer to all your attributes and contributions!)

 33

Discovering How
Making Connections
On the next two pages you will find your Connections Worksheets. This is a great way to list out the types of jobs
(pages 26 and 28), what businesses in your community have these types of jobs and, who in your network has a
connection. Here are a few tips and examples to help you complete your Connections Worksheet:

My Connections Worksheet
TypesofJobsand WhoHasPersonal
BusinessesWhoHave WhenWillYouMake Resultsof
Careers ConnectionstoThis
TheseTypesofJobs Contact? Contact
(frompages26&28) Business?
Use those jobs you The connection can be you,
identified on pages (26 & one of your supporters or
It always helps to set a
28). Make sure they even someone your You can make notes
timeline. This way, they
match your interests, List out businesses in your supporters know. Once you of how the contacts
know when they are
skills and talents and fit community that have these get the list developed on went, i.e. make an
supposed to do it and you
with moving towards jobs. flip chart paper, it is best to appointment, follow-
can follow up and track
your dream job prioritize them on this form up in 30 days, etc.
these contacts
with the strongest
connections first.
Dr. Baskins My Family and Me Next Monday, Mom will
(our family doctor) call for an appointment
Office Assistant
Top Office Products Aunt Amy (friend is mgr.) Shell call on Friday
John the Employment Friday after class
Data Entry Community College Specialist (goes there part
time)
Dr. Evans, DDS Grace (her friend works there) Next Tuesday
Clerical Support
County Building Dad (knows the engineer) Next Wednesday
Dont forget to compare potential jobs and businesses with your
conditions, preferences, contributions and support needs!
 34

My Connections Worksheet
TypesofJobsand WhoHasPersonal
BusinessesWhoHave WhenWillYouMake Resultsof
Careers ConnectionstoThis
TheseTypesofJobs Contact? Contact
(frompages26&28) Business?
 35

My Connections Worksheet
TypesofJobsand WhoHasPersonal
BusinessesWhoHave WhenWillYouMake Resultsof
Careers ConnectionstoThis
TheseTypesofJobs Contact? Contact
(frompages26&28) Business?
 36

Checking In

This is another good time to check in and see how things are going. By now, there
probably has been either more career exploration going on or, some initial contacts with
employers. Either way, it is good to take a look at how your plan is progressing. Here are
some things to consider:

Do you feel your plan is moving you towards your goals for employment?
o If not, what changes do you need to make?
If you have done some more career exploration, have you learned some new
things about what you might want in a job or career? If so, what?
o Do you need to go back and add these to your plan?
If you and your supporters have made contacts with potential employers, how did
it go? Do you need to make changes? Do you need to look for more connections?
Did the potential jobs seem to match what you are looking for?
Have you taken a look at your Action Plan? Are the action items being worked
on? Do you need to develop other steps to keep moving you forward?
If you havent met with a potential employer but will soon, are you getting ready
for it? (practice interviews, having the right clothes, a list of questions to ask, etc.)
If you have, or are, getting close to accepting a job have you reviewed and added
to the Supports section? You will want to go back and review those as it is critical
to do your best to address these very early on.
Remember, when you start your job that is just the beginning of your career. Once
you are there for a while it is good to revisit your plan as everyones conditions,
preferences, contributions and support needs are constantly changing.
 37

Interviewing for the job

Interviewing is all about first impressions, gathering more information, and making
decisions. Both you and the employer get a chance to check each other out, so to
speak. Remember you are interviewing the employer as well. Be prepared to answer
questions but also be prepared to ask questions.

Some common questions employers ask.

Tell me about yourself? (which is seeking to find out if you fit into the existing
culture)
What are your strengths (which really means, how can you add to my business?)
Why do you want to work here (which is really asking, what do you really know
about this company and why should we hire you?)
What are your weaknesses? (here they are looking to see if you can recognize
areas you dont do well in and how you overcome them)
Do you think you work better by yourself or with a team of others? (which is asking
can you do the job with minimal supervision)
(which is really looking at why should they hire you over the next applicant)

Some common questions job seekers ask

Some tips for interviewing.successful job offers hinge on successful interviews and
successful interviews are a direct result of careful planning & preparation.

Youve heard the saying dont judge a book by its cover well unfortunately people
do judge others by what they see in that very first moment, so make sure youre
dressed well, groomed nicely (hair clean and combed, smelling clean, etc.).That
first impression can make or break the interview.
Use your connections, talk about how you heard about the job. If you have a
personal connection talk a little about that person and why they suggested you
work there.
Do your homework. Research the company so you know what they do and a little
about their needs so you can show interest and a passion for wanting to work
there. Read the job description in advance if you can get a copy. You can highlight
how you can meet the job duties as described based on your talents/skills, etc.
Be prepared to answer questions, know what the employer is looking for and tailor
your answers to address those needs. Highlight your strength, attributes
(contributions listed in page 22) based on what the employer is looking for.
Be prepared to ask questions, know what you want/need and ask question to
gather information so you can make a good decision as to whether this job is the
right fit for you or not.
 38

List questions you want to ask during the interview:

Close the interview by summarizing how you can meet their needs for the open
position. Again highlight your abilities based on what they are looking for, its not
enough to say you want to work there. Also express how they will benefit by
selecting you over the next person. Thank the interviewer for his or her time and
consideration, express your interest in the position and ask when you can expect
to hear from him or her. Also, you will want to send a written thank you note within
a week of your interview so remember the name(s) of the people you interviewed
with.
Now take time to compare the information you gathered in the interview with what
youve listed as your conditions, preferences, contributions and support needs for
employment. How are they matching up? Does the job match most of your
conditions? Are needed supports available at the company? What will you need to
negotiate?

A few notes on disclosing your disability to an employer: According to the Americans

with Disabilities Act, you do not have to disclose a disability to an employer. If you will
need certain job accommodations, the Act states you can disclose after the job offer is
made. There are two main things you should consider regarding disclosure. First and
foremost, it is up to YOU if you want to disclose anything about your disability. Second,
there can be advantages to discussing this with a prospective employer as long as you
are prepared. You need to refer to page 65 in the resource section and visit that website
for an excellent article on disclosure.
 39

What to do when a job is offered

Think for a moment about the things you said were critical for you to have in order to
accept a job, your conditions for employment. Does the job offered match those critical
aspects? Will your basic needs be met if you accept the job? Have you met your new
supervisor and does he or she seem like you can have a good working relationship with?
What are other co-workers like and do they seem to be people you would like working
with? Will you be comfortable in that working environment? Do you value what the
company does? Does it still match what you said you wanted to do?

If the answer is yes.then great. Accept the offer and ask when the start date is. Make
sure you negotiate any final things that may not be clear. These include things such as a
work station, person you report to (your supervisor), starting salary, hours, any
accommodations, etc.

If the answer is no.then you may have to decline the offer. Do so with respect, thank
them and let them know you appreciate their consideration but that you dont feel its the
right job for you at this time. You always want to leave the door open for future contacts.

Starting your new job

Starting a new job is exciting and at the same time can be stressful. You will be meeting
new people, working in a place that is unfamiliar at first and learning new tasks that will
take you sometime to master. Usually after your first day jitters youre well on your way to
the exciting part, building friendships, enjoying your job duties, and earning a pay check.
As youve learned, planning is key to success so here are a few things you might want to
plan for your first day on your new job.

Where to report on your first day & and who to report to?
Do you need assistance filling out any paperwork?
What documents do you need to bring? (I.D. Social Security Card, etc.)
What you need to wear to work?
Where are the restrooms and break room, when are your lunches and break
times?
Do you need to take your lunch to work with you? Where do most employees eat?
Where do you time/sign in and out?
If you needed any accommodations, have they been arranged for? If not, who do
you need to speak with?
Others?
 40

Career Advancement
How to ask for a raise: One of the first things to consider when asking for a raise is to
make sure you are receiving regular performance evaluations. If you have met the
performance requirements most employers do offer a pay increase. If you have not
received a pay increase and you feel you have met and exceeded the requirements of
your job, you must prepare your case and then schedule a meeting with your supervisor.
You will need to outline all the areas you feel you have at least met, or more preferably,
exceeded in terms of what is expected of you. It also doesnt hurt to bring in an idea of
how much the raise should be.

How to ask for a promotion: This is very similar to asking for a raise but the main
difference is that you are also asking for more responsibilities. Again, you will have to
make a strong case as to why you deserve this. You must show how you have exceeded
your performance requirements, demonstrated initiative and can handle the new
responsibilities. Be prepared to offer specific examples of each of these!

Note: It will be helpful for you to review the Succeeding on the Job section on pages 65 -
68.

How to quit a job: Just like starting a job, quitting one will change your life dramatically
too. Sometimes for the better sometimes for the worse but the important thing is to first
decide why you want/need to quit and then how to go about quitting so that you dont
burn your bridges (so to speak), so you dont harm the business relationships youve built
because you may want to use your employer as a reference for your next career move.

People quit jobs for many reasons. Sometime people outgrow their job, they increase
their skills and want to move to a job that is more challenging, some get a better job offer,
more pay, better hours, and closer to home. Others find that they dislike the job after
doing it for a period of time. Whatever the reason you need to decide what makes sense
for you. Why are you wanting/needing to quit and do you have a plan for another
one?
Why I want/need to quit my job? What is my plan for another one?

 41

Resources
Resource/Topic Page(s)
Your Action Plans 42 - 44

Forms You Might Find Helpful

Questions and Areas to Cover During the Planning Meeting 45-46
Career Exploration Experiences 47
Informational Interview Questions 48 - 49

Job Matching (comparing your conditions, preferences and

50
support needs with identified jobs)

Interview Summary Sheet 51 - 55

List of supports you will need 56 - 57

Funding & Services you will/might need 58

Using Your Plan with Local & State Agencies 59 60

Checklists for Meeting with Other Agencies 61

Your Career Profile 62-63

My Work History 64
Succeeding on the Job (Personal Qualities, Workplace Culture & Social Skills) 65 68

Community Resources 69 71

Key Government Agencies 72 75

Social Security Work Incentives 76 - 77

Employer Resources 78 - 79
 42

Action Plan
Whos When Will Done
Action Step Follow-up Needed
Responsible? it Be Done?
 43

Action Plan
Whos When Will Done
Action Step Follow-up Needed
Responsible? it Be Done?
 44

Action Plan
Whos When Will Done
Action Step Follow-up Needed
Responsible? it Be Done?
 45

Areas to discuss during the Career Planning Meeting

Conditions and Preferences Specifics

(Pg 22 & 23 in Career Discovery Guide)

1. Days/hours
- days of the week available to work
- any days not available due to schedule conflicts (ex: church on Sunday not willing
to give up)
- Are any of the days listed as not available negotiable (ex: every other Sunday open
or will go to evening service instead of morning)
- earliest time of the day you would be willing to start
- latest time of day you would be willing to work until
- prefer mornings, afternoons, evenings, or overnights
- how many days per week do you want to work
- how many hours per day do you want to work

2. Salary requirements
- Whats the minimum wage you would accept
- What is the ideal wage youd like to get
- Hourly or salary
- Paid weekly, every two weeks, twice a month, or monthly
- How important are bonuses
- How often do you think you should get pay increases

3. Benefits
- do you want medical, dental, vision insurance
- do you want retirement account
- how many breaks, length of breaks, and how often
- additional perks? (ex: safety bonus)
- how do you feel about losing your SS benefits
- how do you feel about losing your Medicaid benefits
- how much money can you earn & still keep Medicaid
- how much money can you earn & keep some SS benefits

4. Promotions
- how important are promotions
- how often do you think promotions should occur
- what are your goals for promotions
- would learning a new skill be considered a promotion
 46

5. Physical characteristics
- indoors, outside, or both
- standing, sitting, moving around, bending, squatting
- lifting restrictions
- ladders ok?
- mobility issues (ex: needs accessible for wheelchair)

6. Learning Style preferences

- learn best by explanation, demonstration, reading, combination
- learning tools? (ex: picture chart or checklist)
- prefer to learn from coworker, manager, or job coach
- learn using a computer or in a class setting or hands on

7. Environmental Concerns
- any allergies (ex: dust, chemicals, pollen)
- lighting (does it need to be well lit, dark, natural light)
- loud noises?
- music playing ok?
- male or female environment or does it matter
- large crowds or small groups of people
- large group of coworkers or small group
- multiple managers ok?
- male or female manager or does it matter
- age group of coworkers & managers

8. Dress and appearance

- prefer uniform, dress clothes, casual clothes
- is hygiene an issue?
- Ok with or doesnt like to get dirty?
- What type of clothes do you have now
- Do you have interview clothes?

Other areas or questions?

 47

Career Exploration Worksheet

How Will You Learn What Did You Learn?

Take what you learned and
Jobs/Careers of More About It?
add this information to your
Informational Interviews,
Interest likes, dislikes, conditions,
Internship, On the Job preferences, contributions and
Training, etc. supports you might need
 48

INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWING

Interviewing Date: _________ _______________

Person(s) Interviewed:_ ____________________

Company ___ ____________________________

Information interviewing is information gathering, NOT asking for job openings. Its an opportunity to
learn more about a particular line of work, how to enter that field and know what steps to take to
increase your chances for a good job match.

1. Tell me about how you got involved in this type of work?

2. What are some of the skills/education or experience needed to enter into this line of work?

3. How long have you been working in this field of work?

4. Could you tell me a little about your job? What parts do you like and what about it do you dislike?

5. What is the best way for a person to get into this kind of work? Where should I start?
 49

6. Would it be possible for me to arrange to look at one of the jobs you have told me about?

7. What is the job market like for this type of work? Where is the growth expected to be in the next
few years?

8. Who is hiring these days? Where would you suggest I look?

9. What makes people successful in your company?

10. Is there anyone else you can suggest that I talk with? Could I use your name when I contact them?

Job Matching Worksheet

This worksheet will assist you in taking what you have learned about a certain job and
determine if it matches your conditions and preferences. What you are looking for is not
 50

necessarily a perfect match but the best match. Have your list of conditions & preferences
handy. (You might want to use a flip chart then transfer the information to this page)
Specific Areas Notes/Strategies
Does it Match Does it Match That Do Not to Get More
Your Your Match and Information or
Identified Job Conditions? Preferences? Why. to Negotiate for
List the areas that List the areas that List the areas and a Better Job
match match determine if they Match
are negotiable or (put these on your
not. action plan)

Interview Summary Sheet

 51

After you interview with a potential employer, it is good to go back and write down what
you learned about the job. This will allow you document the information while it is still
fresh in your mind and help with further identifying if the job will be a good match.

Name of Business:
Position Interviewed For: Date of Interview:

Name/Title of Person(s) You Interviewed With:

Name:
Title:

What did you learn about the job? (Key tasks, hours, pay, location, supervision, skills
needed, etc. Compare to your conditions and preferences)

How do you feel you did in the interview? (Did you talk about your contributions, make eye
contact, ask good questions, give answers that talked about what you will bring to the company,
etc.?)

What areas do you need to practice and/or improve on? (Expressing your contributions,
asking good questions, being prepared, making eye contact, etc.)

Tips:
Did you send a Thank You note to the person you interviewed with? (send within one week)
Make sure and transfer the areas you need to practice to your action plan
Make a list of any questions you need more information on so you can follow up on them

Interview Summary Sheet

 52

After you interview with a potential employer, it is good to go back and write down what
you learned about the job. This will allow you document the information while it is still
fresh in your mind and help with further identifying if the job will be a good match.

Name of Business:
Position Interviewed For: Date of Interview:

Name/Title of Person(s) You Interviewed With:

Name:
Title:

What did you learn about the job? (Key tasks, hours, pay, location, supervision, skills
needed, etc. Compare to your conditions and preferences)

How do you feel you did in the interview? (Did you talk about your contributions, make eye
contact, ask good questions, give answers that talked about what you will bring to the company,
etc.?)

What areas do you need to practice and/or improve on? (Expressing your contributions,
asking good questions, being prepared, etc.)

Tips:
Did you send a Thank You note to the person you interviewed with? (send within one week)
Make sure and transfer the areas you need to practice to your action plan
Make a list of any questions you need more information on so you can follow up on them

Interview Summary Sheet

 53

After you interview with a potential employer, it is good to go back and write down what
you learned about the job. This will allow you document the information while it is still
fresh in your mind and help with further identifying if the job will be a good match.

Name of Business:
Position Interviewed For: Date of Interview:

Name/Title of Person(s) You Interviewed With:

Name:
Title:

What did you learn about the job? (Key tasks, hours, pay, location, supervision, skills
needed, etc. Compare to your conditions and preferences)

How do you feel you did in the interview? (Did you talk about your contributions, make eye
contact, ask good questions, give answers that talked about what you will bring to the company,
etc.?)

What areas do you need to practice and/or improve on? (Expressing your contributions,
asking good questions, being prepared, etc.)

Tips:
Did you send a Thank You note to the person you interviewed with? (send within one week)
Make sure and transfer the areas you need to practice to your action plan
Make a list of any questions you need more information on so you can follow up on them

Interview Summary Sheet

 54

After you interview with a potential employer, it is good to go back and write down what
you learned about the job. This will allow you document the information while it is still
fresh in your mind and help with further identifying if the job will be a good match.

Name of Business:
Position Interviewed For: Date of Interview:

Name/Title of Person(s) You Interviewed With:

Name:
Title:

What did you learn about the job? (Key tasks, hours, pay, location, supervision, skills
needed, etc. Compare to your conditions and preferences)

How do you feel you did in the interview? (Did you talk about your contributions, make eye
contact, ask good questions, give answers that talked about what you will bring to the company,
etc.?)

What areas do you need to practice and/or improve on? (Expressing your contributions,
asking good questions, being prepared, etc.)

Tips:
Did you send a Thank You note to the person you interviewed with? (send within one week)
Make sure and transfer the areas you need to practice to your action plan
Make a list of any questions you need more information on so you can follow up on them

Interview Summary Sheet

 55

After you interview with a potential employer, it is good to go back and write down what
you learned about the job. This will allow you document the information while it is still
fresh in your mind and help with further identifying if the job will be a good match.

Name of Business:
Position Interviewed For: Date of Interview:

Name/Title of Person(s) You Interviewed With:

Name:
Title:

What did you learn about the job? (Key tasks, hours, pay, location, supervision, skills
needed, etc. Compare to your conditions and preferences)

How do you feel you did in the interview? (Did you talk about your contributions, make eye
contact, ask good questions, give answers that talked about what you will bring to the company,
etc.?)

What areas do you need to practice and/or improve on? (Expressing your contributions,
asking good questions, being prepared, etc.)

Tips:
Did you send a Thank You note to the person you interviewed with? (send within one week)
Make sure and transfer the areas you need to practice to your action plan
Make a list of any questions you need more information on so you can follow up on them

Supports You Will Need

 56

The best way to increase your chances of success on the job will be to do your best to
identify the supports you will need before you start. This worksheet lists some of the more
common supports and has areas for you to add others that you and your team have identified

Identified Support Ideas & Strategies Who Will Assist

Getting to and from work

Training on the job

Getting to know my co-

workers

Learning the routines of the

job and work environment

Talking over things after

each day of work for the first
few weeks (what went well,
what didnt, what to do about
it)

Keeping track of earnings

for my Social Security

Supports (continued)
 57

Identified Support Ideas & Strategies Who Will Assist

Services & Funding

 58

There is a very good chance that you are going to need certain services and
funding to increase the chances of success as you pursue your career goals. Both
services and funding are very individual and will be based on what you qualify for, have
the need for, and what you want. You can use the following worksheet to help identify
some of these services and supports you will need. There are a few areas/examples
listed and these are only ideas to get you started and you may or may not need them. If
you dont need one of these just cross it out.

Who will Provide Who will Fund Who will make the
Service Needed
the Service? the Service? contact and when?
Benefits Planning No Cost

Career Exploration
Making Contact with
Employers (this can
be by your network or
an agency can support
you)
Using Social Security
Work Incentives
Job Accommodations

Assistive Technology

Transportation
Assistance with
additional training on
the job

Using My Career Plan with Local & State Agencies

 59

Now that you have your plan developed, there is a good chance that you have
identified some areas that you will need additional support in (outlined on pages 23 and
52). There are two primary agencies that can offer assistance and support in many of
these areas. First, Vocational Rehabilitation is a state agency that can offer services and
pay for additional supports as you need them. Second, there are Community
Rehabilitation Programs who provide employment services such as career planning,
support making contacts with businesses, assisting with accommodations on the job and,
they will provide follow-along services as you progress in your career. Typically,
vocational rehabilitation is where you will start and, depending on the services you
request and need, they will refer you to the community rehabilitation program of your
choice. It is a good idea to research and interview any program before you make your
decision. (See the next page for questions/tips on interviewing potential community
rehabilitation programs).

It will be very important that you take this Career Plan with you to both of these
agencies. You and your team have worked very hard to develop a plan that makes sense
for you and these agencies can use this information to fill in the blanks of their plans (they
have to develop plans with you which allows for the funding to provide you the services
you are requesting).

Here are some things to remember when working with these agencies:

Keep in mind, this is your life and you know what is best for you. The professionals
are here to assist and ultimately, you have the right to make all decisions
You have the right to choose where you receive services and what services you
need and want
If something does not make sense, do not be hesitant to ask questions
One size does not fit all. This means, your services and supports need to be
tailored to what it is you are needing and requesting rather than simply what they
offer
Make sure and pick the organization that is the best fit for you, has a proven track
record and has competent staff providing services

Note: On Page 62 there is a Career Profile Form for you to complete. Bring this along
with your Career Planning Guide to both Vocational Rehabilitation and any employment
service provider. With this form, along with all the information in this guide, it will save you
time and show them the services you need and want.

Questions & Tips to Selecting the Right Service Provider

 60

Tell me about your organization, what services do you provide and how they are
provided.
o You want to know about all their services and to see how individualized they are
Tell me about your employment program. How many staff, what is the typical process
you use to go about supporting someone to find employment?
o You will want to see if they provide the service or services that you have identified in your
career plan
What are the qualifications of your employment staff? How are they trained? Where did
they get their training? How will I know that I am receiving services from the best
possible staff person? Can I choose the staff person that will support me?
o It will be critical to ensure you are being supported by highly competent staff. You will want
to look for agencies that have staff who have experience, receive training on the most
effective employment practices and how that organization values continual training for
their employees
What is your success rate in supporting people to find employment?
o You might want to ask how many people they worked with in the last year and of those,
how many became employed
How do you define success?
o You will want to hear things like: people found the job they were looking for; and, people
found jobs that matched their skills and interests
Whats the average time your organization takes to support someone to find
employment?
o You will want to know the timeframe from when a person is referred to when they start a
job. Obviously this varies for everyone but they should be able to give you an average.
Now, what if they say that average is 6 months? You will need to follow up and ask what
they will do to decrease this time significantly.
Do I have to go through all of your services or can I just pick the ones I need?
o Since you and your supporters have developed your plan, you have a good idea of what
you will need to be successful. You want to ensure that you dont have to go through all of
this work again; it only keeps you unemployed longer. You want to choose an organization
that will honor what you have in your plan and develop specific activities and supports
based on those.
Develop other questions you might have. (Transportation, benefits planning, using social
security work incentives, how they communicate with you, your supporters and other
agencies, etc.)
How will you represent me when contacting businesses?
o You will want to make sure that they first, talk about all the positive things you will bring to
that business, second, it is not about disability it is about making a good match between
your skills and talents and the job and third, it is your choice if and when you want to
disclose anything about your disability.

Checklists for Meeting with Other Agencies

 61

In addition to bringing your completed Career Profile Form (page 62) and your Career
Planning Guide to agencies such as Vocational Rehabilitation and the employment
service provider you choose, here are a couple of checklists so you are ready.

For meeting with Vocational Rehabilitation:

List of your medical, educational and vocational history and interests (If this is your
first visit, bring in any records or documents that might be useful.);
Existing medical or psychological records;
Any relevant existing information about your disability;
School records, relevant medical records, or on-the-job records;
List of your income, assets, and expenses;
Social Security Administration (SSA) Award Letter and any correspondence from
SSA;
Work History (wages, dates and time period); (page 59 in this guide)
Health care provider information;
List of all items needed for work;
Work goals/rsum (Your Career Profile and Career Guide)
Means to achieve work goals;
Information about your spouses and/or your Parents income and resources;
Information about assistance you receive with living expenses;
Amount of any financial resources (savings, CDs etc.);
All Unearned Income Information;
Monthly expenses; and
Bring any advocates or family who can help you (your key supporters).

For meeting with the employment service provider you choose:

School records or relevant education records;

Work History (wages/salary, dates and time period) this can include volunteer
work, internships, and part-time jobs;
Rsum (if you have one);
Reference letters (both professional and personal);
List of work goals or ideas about the kind of work you are interested in include
the jobs or places of work that interest you;
Benefits history (include types of benefits you are receiving); and
If working, your current employer's contact information.

Checklists adapted from http://www.socialsecurity.gov/work/formsandpubs.html

These are general checklists and some information may already be in your Career
Planning Guide. These are to help prepare you and ensure you start receiving the
services you need and want as quickly as possible.
 62

MY CAREER PROFILE

Name: ________________________________________ Date: ___________

Address: _______________________________________________________________

Phone: ____________________

My Employment/ Career Goal:

Items checked are steps I have taken to identify this goal:

Met with my support team and identified my conditions, preferences, contributions, and
support needs for employment.

Job exploration with businesses that have the type of work I am interested in.

Met with a Benefits Specialist to learn the impact of work on my benefits.

Completed Networking Tool with my support team

______________________________________________ ________

My Conditions:
 63

My Preferences:

My Contributions:

My Support Needs:

Assistance requested from Vocational Rehabilitation/ Employment Service Provider:

Job Seekers Signature: ___________________________________________________

Supporter Signature: ____________________________________________________

 64

My Past Work History

List current/previous jobs starting with the most recent (include volunteering)

1. Name of Company:
Address:
Date Employed: From to
Job Title:
Job Duties:
Reason for Leaving:

2. Name of Company:
Address:
Date Employed: From to
Job Title:
Job Duties:
Reason for Leaving:

3. Name of Company:
Address:
Date Employed: From to
Job Title:
Job Duties:
Reason for Leaving:

4. Name of Company:
Address:
Date Employed: From to
Job Title:
Job Duties:
Reason for Leaving:

5. Name of Company:
Address:
Date Employed: From to
Job Title:
Job Duties:
Reason for Leaving:
 65

Succeeding on the Job

Now that you have landed the job, or are close to it, you have made it through one
of the hardest steps. Your employer has recognized your skills and qualifications and
sees the value you will bring to their business. But, long term success on the job is going
to be less about your hard skills and more about your personal qualities and social skills
which are commonly called soft skills. For most employers, they look for potential
employees who have the necessary skills, however, it is more important to them that they
find someone who is going to be a good fit within their business. This means they will
gladly provide more training and support given the new employee demonstrates excellent
soft skills and contributes to a positive culture in the workplace. It is common knowledge
that a very high percentage of people who lose their jobs do so because they lack the soft
skills, not because of their skills to do the job. Here are a few tips and strategies you
might find helpful:

Starting Off on the Right Foot: Every new employee has the jitters. Some handle them
better than others but, in one way or another, we all are a little uptight, nervous and
somewhat unsure of ourselves. Dont worry, you are not alone and in some sense, your
employer and coworkers will expect this. The best part is with every passing day, you will
begin to feel more comfortable and your sense of belonging will increase.

Dont think you have to know everything right away. Even if you have done a
certain job before, every business is different and so are the ways they do things. It
is more important that you demonstrate that you are eager to learn. You can do
this by paying close attention to how others do the job, asking questions, following
instructions and not being afraid to ask for help if you dont know something. You
will find that most of your coworkers actually take pride in sharing their knowledge.
Keep this in mind as well, as you learn and grow in your job, there is a high
likelihood you will have the opportunity to teach new employees down the road.
Take it one day at a time. You wont be expected to learn everything about your
new job in one day. What you need to do is focus on making a little more progress
each day and then measure it at the end of each day. Some things you can
measure could be learning a new task, meeting a new co-worker, getting a
compliment from your boss or a co-worker. We all have to celebrate the little
successes then start each new day working towards new ones.

Adapting to the Workplace Culture: Every work environment has its own culture.
Workplace culture is sort of like the unwritten rules and behaviors that go on in that
business. The hard part is that these are all things that you learn primarily by using your
observation skills. This means, you have to be looking around the workplace to pick up on
the little rules and behaviors that werent explained to you during your orientation. Here
are a few you might want to be on the lookout for:
 66

Dress code: sometimes this is stated upfront, sometimes not. Look around and see
what people are wearing. Is it blue jeans, business casual or does everyone seem
to have their own taste? The best way to start is to fit in as much as possible.
Again, if you arent sure, ask!
Using things for personal use and/or personal use during work hours: You need to
ask about these right away. A few examples of using things for personal use would
be, making personal calls, using the computer for personal e-mails/web surfing,
using the break room refrigerator, etc. For personal use, these would be things like
using your cell phone, texting during work hours, etc. Some companies have strict
rules, others dont but either way, it is better to ask upfront then risk being
reprimanded.
How flexible is the workplace: A good example of this is lets say you have a
doctors appointment. You need to find out what the rules are on these types of
appointments. Some employers allow you to flex your time (come in early or leave
late) so you can make your appointment. Others may be stricter and require you
make your appointments over your lunch break or day off.
Other unwritten rules to look for: Are there set breaks or are they flexible? Can you
eat and drink while working? Can you listen to your radio or iPod while working?
What do people do for lunch - go together or by themselves? Arriving to work - if
you start at 8:00 a.m. is everyone there 15 minutes early or just in time? There are
many others but as you get better at observing and asking questions, it will all
become second nature.

Do Your Job and Then Some: Some people think that doing their job well enough to
keep the job is satisfactory. But simply doing just what is expected isnt enough to make
you stand out to your supervisor. Here are some things you can do to exceed the
expectations:

If you dont have something to do, FIND SOMETHING: If you have completed your
tasks you need to either look around for something else to do or ask your
supervisor. The most successful employees are the ones that not only get their
work done but go the extra mile.
Volunteer to help a co-worker: If you are done with your work, a good way to
develop relationships and contribute to the company is to offer assistance to your
co-workers and/or take the initiative if you see something that needs to be done,
i.e. take the trash out, clean up the break room, etc.
Offer to learn something new: Chances are that if you seem to have extra time
each day, you have mastered your regular duties. This is a perfect time to
approach your supervisor and offer to learn something new and take on additional
work.
 67

Provide Outstanding Customer Service: If you dont already know, the customer is the
real reason behind your job. They are the ones that purchase the products or services of
your company and ultimately, that is where your paycheck comes from. When you
provide outstanding customer service, both the customer and your supervisor will take
notice. Customers who have a good experience are the ones that keep coming back.
Here are a few ideas that might help you go above and beyond basic customer service:

Go beyond basic customer service: All customers have certain expectations when
they enter a business. Some of these include, being welcomed, having friendly
employees and getting assistance when they need it. What you need to do is
figure out ways to exceed these expectations. For example, if you notice a regular
customer and know his or her name, go out of your way to greet them by using his
or her name. Dont wait for customers to ask you for assistance, you can ask them
right up front and if they dont need assistance then, simply tell them your name
and that you would be willing to help them if they do.
Remain calm when you have an upset customer: As much as companies try to
avoid it, there will always be times when we encounter an upset customer. It is
very important to avoid becoming defensive and making excuses. You need to
listen to what the customer needs and express to him or her that you will do your
best to figure it out. If you cant meet his or her need, find a co-worker or
supervisor to help you out. Both the customer and your supervisor will appreciate
your attention to this.

Be a Team Player: It is a known fact that employers will value those employees who are
team players more than those who might have better skills for the job. You can increase
your value as an employee by being a team player. This doesnt mean you have to be
best friends with every employee. It is more about getting along with others. Here are a
few tips to becoming a great team player:

Jump in and do a task that everyone really doesnt want to do. This doesnt mean
you have to do it all the time but it does show you are willing to help out.
Give compliments to other employees. Everyone likes to be recognized for doing a
good job and a good team player praises others. Be careful with how much you do
this, for example if you told someone every hour that they are doing a good job, it
loses its effect. You will learn as you progress in your job when someone else is
really going that extra mile or putting in extra effort, then that is the perfect time to
recognize his or her efforts.
One thing that goes on in most every work place is gossip. Team players do not
get caught up in gossip and for the most part, gossip is rarely the truth and can be
very hurtful to not only the person but to the overall work environment. Additionally,
if you are caught gossiping, other coworkers will lose their trust in you and it can
be very hard to build that trust back with them.
 68

Be positive, even in the tough times. A positive attitude can be contagious and
most everyone enjoys being around people who have a great attitude. Obviously,
you are going to have some days that are better than others but you need to do
your best to keep a good attitude. Also, this isnt just about you. You will find some
of your co-workers who are going to have a bad day and you need to offer
encouragement and support. They will appreciate this more than you realize.
Figure out what is important to your supervisors and co-workers. Taking an interest
in others is a great way to develop relationships and add to the team atmosphere
in your work place. For example, if one of your co-workers just returned from
having a baby, learn the babys name and ask how they are doing. You can also
learn about someones hobbies and interests and talk with him or her about it. You
never know, you may find you have a lot in common with some of your co-workers!
 69

Community Resources
In order for you to be successful in employment, it is important for you to know what
supports may be available to you in your everyday life. There are many ways in which a
community and the resources available within your community can help you achieve your
goals. Some examples of areas in which your community may be able to assist you are:
transportation, clothing, and money management. Listed below are some resources you
should keep in mind that may help you with achieving your goals.

Transportation Options: Within each community, there are a variety of transportation

options that can be looked at to assist you with getting to and from work. Below are some
examples of resources for transportation.

Cab Companies
Para-transit
Public Bus Routes
Independent Living Centers (in certain areas)
Neighbors
Friends
Family
Co-workers

Money management/benefits planning: Benefits planning and money management

are very important aspects of employment. Listed below are just some resources that
can be useful in this area.

Refer to the benefits planning section (pages 76-77)

Banking institutions

Clothing: Again, within each community, there are a variety of agencies and resources
that can assist you with obtaining clothing for interviews and work. Below are some
examples of places you can look to obtain clothing:

Thrift Stores
Faith Based Organizations
Consignment Shops
 70

Education: If you are interested in furthering your education or receiving additional

training for a particular trade, your local community may have resources to assist with this
area. Below are some examples of places you may be able to go to receive additional
training:

Community Colleges
Trade, technical, and career schools
Colleges & Universities
Workforce Development Offices (refer to key government agencies)

Other community resources: Communities across Missouri have a variety of resources

that are available to assist with any number of things. The lists are not all inclusive, but
are just some examples of additional resources that may be available to you.

Public libraries Public libraries in Missouri offer an array of services and each
varies by location. For more information about a public library near you, visit
http://www.publiclibraries.com/missouri.htm and click on the link to your local
library.
Missouri Associations for Community Action Community Action organizations
exist to fight poverty. This is done through training, advocacy, awareness,
technical assistance, etc. For more information, visit
http://www.communityaction.org/ where you can find links to the Community
Action organization in your area.
Faith based organizations Faith based organizations often offer a wide variety
of services, including job search services, clothing closets, mentors, volunteer
opportunities, etc.
Local Public Health Agencies These agencies offer a variety of services, which
may include: vital records, TB testing, immunizations, WIC, etc. If you visit
http://www.dhss.mo.gov/LPHA/LPHAs.html you can pick your county to find
out more about your local public health agency.
 71

Additional Job Search Resources

jan.wvu.edu
Job Accommodation Networkthis website provides useful information on job
accommodations
gettinghired.com
There are opportunities on this job site for networking and mentoring. In addition, there
are job listings and interview preparation resources.
disability.gov
This website provides information on education, employment, housing, transportation, civil
rights, etc.
EARNWorks.com
The Employer Assistance and Resource Networkthis website is useful to employers and
job seekers alike. Theres information on resume writing, cover letters, interviews, etc.
www.dol.gov/odep/
Office of Disability Employment Policy website. There are many useful resources on this
site. If you click on the publications link on the left side of the page, it will take you to
information about disclosure, resume writing, accommodations, etc.
worksupport.com/resources
Virginia Commonwealth Universitys website about work support. Provides many useful
tools, including information about disclosure, assistive technology, job retention, etc.
www.ysletadelsurpueblo.org/shared_document.sstg?id=114
A helpful interview checklist form the Upper Rio Grandes Workforce Solutions
afb.org/CareerConnect/
This website is maintained by the American Foundation for the Blind and has many career
resources, including career exploration tools, job search strategies, technological
information, etc. You are also able to search for a volunteer mentor to assist you as you
go through your job search.

Disclosure
Customized Employment Q & A: Disclosure

http://www.t-tap.org/strategies/factsheet/disclosure.htm
 72

Key Government Agencies

Division of Workforce Development

The Division provides services for businesses and job seekers through the Missouri
Career Centers and MissouriCareerSource.com. The Division works with a number of
strategic partners to "skill-up" Missouri's workforce for today's business and industry
needs. A wealth of information and resources about workforce services can be found on
WorkSmartMissouri.com

Job Searching
https://www.missouricareersource.com/mcs/mcs/default.seek Internet site
that enables the job seeker to search for jobs, locally or statewide. Career Center
staff assists with registration of work history, desired positions, and skills.
Job Matching- Businesses registered on the Missouri CareerSource.com and
Career Center staff will be able to view your online profile and may contact you
about matching jobs.
Job Success Skills Training Classes- Standardized competency-based
classroom training with interactive Job Search, Career Readiness and Career
Retention Modules.
Educational Workshops- Workshops include; resume writing and interviewing
skills.
WINWAY Resume- A simple computer-based resume program that allows you to
enter your personal information and the program automatically formats it in a
resume style.
KUDER Assessments- Internet based, these programs allow the user to answer
questions about their likes and dislikes and matches the user with possible career
choices.
Experience Works- Employment and training for workers age 55 and over.
FAX, COPIER, and Telephone access available for job search activities.
 73

Vocational Rehabilitation

Missouri Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (MDVR) operates under the

Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE). The
Division is made up of three core programs: Vocational Rehabilitation (VR),
Disability Determination Services (DDS), and Independent Living (IL). All three
programs are dedicated to providing quality services to our consumers and to
increasing their independence.

Eligibility requirements apply. Depending on your income and resources some

of the services may be at no cost or partial cost, or all cost to the person.

Assessment- to determine extent of disability and what services are required for
employment.
Evaluation- to determine the best type of work.
Guidance in choosing suitable employment.
Individual Counseling
Medical, surgical, psychiatric or hospital care- to reduce or remove disabling
conditions.
Assistive devices- which increase ability to work
Vocational Training- to prepare for employment, this may include tuition and
fees a well as books and supplies for education in college,, university, trade
school, community rehab program or on-the-job training.
Basic Living Transportation Cost- Necessary to participate in a training
program.
Job Related tools & licenses
Assistance in developing job-seeking skills
Assistance in finding a job
Independent Living Center- information & referral, independent living, skills
training; advocacy and peer support.
Supported Employment- up to 9 months of community-based job training if
other funding sources are available to provide long-term follow-along and support
services on the job that is needed to remain employed.
 74

Department of Mental Health http://www.dmh.mo.gov/mrdd/mrddindex.htm

Department of Mental Health establishes philosophy, policies, standards, and quality

outcomes for prevention, education, habilitation, rehabilitation, and treatment for
Missourians challenged by mental illness, substance abuse/addiction, and
developmental disabilities.

Eligibility requirements apply based on diagnosis and functional limitations see

website for more details. Medicaid Waiver Programs- the Missouri Department of
Mental Health's Division of Developmental Disabilities (DD) administers four 1915(c)
Home and Community Based Medicaid Waiver programs for individuals with mental
retardation or other developmental disabilities. Each waiver has a variety of services
available for people who are eligible.

Targeted Case management- assists individuals eligible for services from the
Division of Developmental Disabilities in accessing comprehensive medical, social,
educational, and other specialized services.
Quality Assurance: Regional Office provides oversight and enhancement
activities of all services funded by the Division of Developmental Disabilities.

SB 40 Counties

Some counties in Missouri have passed a local levy which collects funds to support
individuals with developmental disabilities. You can go to this web site to see what
services are offered in the various SB 40 counties.
http://macdds.org/county_info.html

Rehabilitation Services for the Blind http://www.dss.mo.gov/fsd/rsb/

Rehabilitation Services for the Blind (RSB) provides services to people with varying
degrees of visual impairment, ranging from those who cannot read regular print to those
who are totally blind.

These services are provided on the premise that with adequate preparation and
reasonable accommodation, each blind or visually impaired person will be able to achieve
his or her maximum potential in the home and community, in educational settings, and in
employment.

Counseling -Provides casework and/or counseling services to assist the family in

maximizing the child's potential and minimizing the impact of blindness.
Employment/Job Training -Children 14 and older are also served by RSB in
vocational rehabilitation transition program.
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Information and Referral - RSB staff provide referral and resource information to
schools and families about issues involving vision loss.
Support for Parents- RSB staff provides parent education on how to stimulate
blind or visually impaired children and on how to enhance independent living skills.
RSB staff provides advocacy services for blind or visually impaired children and
their families. RSB staff will, at the request of families or schools, attend IEP
meetings to help identify children's needs and how to meet those needs

Independent Living Centers;

http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/missouri.html

Centers for independent living (CILs) are private, nonprofit corporations that provide
services to maximize the independence of individuals with disabilities and the
accessibility of the communities they live in. Centers are funded in part by the Department
of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Independent Living Branch, to
provide, among other things, several core services:

Advocacy
Independent living skills training
Information and referral
Peer counseling

Missouri Associations for Community Action http://www.communityaction.org/

Assist with childcare so parents can obtain education to improve their job opportunities.
Find solutions to transportation obstacles so people can get to work. Weatherize homes
to reduce energy costs. We help families save to buy homes of their own. These and
other community action agencies help families work their way to self-sufficiency.
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Social Security Work Incentives

National research has consistently demonstrated that many Social Security
Administration (SSA) disability beneficiaries hesitate to participate in return to work efforts
due to fear that paid employment will cause a loss of critical cash benefits and health
insurance. Special rules make it possible for people with disabilities receiving Social
Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to work and still receive monthly
payments and Medicare or Medicaid. Social Security calls these rules "work incentives."
Following are some helpful resource links through which you might access personal
support as well as obtain more information about work incentives.

Social Security: For information helpful to people with disabilities their families,
teachers, and others regarding work incentives, consult the SSA websites at
http://www.ssa.gov/work
http://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/workincentives.htm
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/generalinfo.htm#work

The Ticket-to-Work Program: This program offers people with disabilities a Ticket to
obtain the employment support services, vocational rehabilitation services, and other
services they may need to get and keep a job. Find out more information about this
program at http://www.yourtickettowork.com

Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS): This program
offers beneficiaries information, consultation, and legal representation around work
incentives, vocational rehabilitation, other employment services, and the Ticket-to-Work
program. PABSS projects operate in every state. Missouris is provided through Missouri
Protection and Advocacy and can be accessed via the following link,
http://www.moadvocacy.org/PABSS.htm

Work Incentives Counselors and Assistance (Benefits Planners): In Missouri

individuals can receive direct personal assistance related to understanding and utilizing
SSA work incentives. There are two organizations that provide these services based
upon your county of residence. You can access additional information via the following
links http://www.moadvocacy.org/WIPA.htm or
http://www.paraquad.org/Programs/ShowMeEmployment.html

TACE Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia: This organization maintains a

SSA work incentives resource page which can be accessed through
http://www.rcep7.org/ssawork/default.html
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Work Incentive Planning and Assistance National Training Center: Virginia

Commonwealth University operates a national work incentive center that can be
accessed via http://www.vcu-ntc.org/

PACER Center: PACER's Technical Assistance on Transition and the Rehabilitation Act
(TATRA) Project focuses on helping families prepare youth with disabilities for
employment and independent living. Resource information related to work incentives can
be accessed via http://www.pacer.org/tatra/resources/socialsec.asp
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Employer Resources
According to employers, the number one staffing issue they face is hiring and retaining
qualified employees--a concern that becomes more pressing as we begin to feel the
crunch of a shrinking and aging workforce. To remain competitive, employers are
looking beyond the traditional labor sources to access skilled, qualified workers. This
includes focusing recruitment efforts on under-represented job candidates including
people with disabilities. The following resources are sampling of those available to
assist employers to achieve this goal.

People With Disabilities: An Untapped Business Resource: The successful

employment of people with disabilities starts with an understanding of how hiring people
with disabilities can increase diversity and further an organization's mission or a
business's financial bottom line. The Missouri Planning Council and the University of
Missouri Kansas City Institute for Human Development offer an online curriculum with
two modules: Diversity in Employment & Disability Awareness as well as the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) & Reasonable Accommodations. These modules can be
accessed via http://www.empowermotraining.org/

ForEmployers.com: This web site uses technology and flexible design strategies (or
universal design) to bridge the needs of the business community and the employment
needs of people with disabilities. The site provides straightforward solutions and
information that address everyday human resource issues, especially as they relate to
current or future employees with disabilities. http://www.foremployers.com/index.php

The office of Disability Employment Policy with the U.S. Department of Labor:
ODEP offers a number of employer resources that can be accessed via the following link.
http://www.dol.gov/odep/categories/employer/

Diversity World: This site has a wide range of resources and information on
accommodations, job development and other topics. Of particular interest might be a
series of online videos for employers. The videos highlight successes and strategies for
developing an inclusive workforce
http://www.diversityworld.com/Disability/index.html

The Job Accommodation Network: JAN is a comprehensive resource on job

accommodations which targets several audiences, including employers. Information for
employers includes information of the ADA about interviewing, developing policies and
procedures, job re-structuring and a host of useful topics. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/

ADA Project: Each of the 10 federal regions has an ADA project. The Great Plains
center serves Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. There are many excellent resources
including a fairly extensive on-line training course called ADA Basic Building Blocks. A
number of helpful publications are available, including publications on accessibility
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guidelines and technical assistance manuals offering guidance on implementation of the

ADA with respect to employment, local governments and the private sector.
http://www.adaproject.org/

Workforce Discovery: Diversity and Disability in the Workplace: This is an in-depth

training on disability awareness with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) integrated throughout each training module.
http://www.transcen.org/DandD/intro.html

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