Snohomish County Developmental Disabilities

Finding Success from School to Work

March 29, 2016

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Goals of this presentation

1. Learn about community resources related to employment

2. Gain tips to navigate to the adult service system

3. Learn how to utilize the school transition years

4. Learn how to prepare for employment

5. Understand the School to Work program

6. Know the five P’s for success: Partnership

Preparation

Proactive

Persistent

Performance

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TOTAL PAID JOBS IN SNOHOMISH COUNTYMonthly average per year

2002 to 2015

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3186

199

223 222

250

291297

289 288

310316

347

400

435

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

$2.7 million in wages earned in 2015

Employment Resources

• Snohomish County Developmental Disabilities

• Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA)

• Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)

• School Districts (15)

• Employment Service Providers (11)

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Partnership

School Transition 18-21

• School is an entitlement – use it!

• The Individual Education Plan (IEP) drives the school service and parents must play a strong role in this.

• Transition goals can be included in the IEP as early as 16 years of age. Start planning for what life might look like after school ends.

• Consider post-secondary education and future employment.

• Transition is an ongoing process not an isolated event.

• Prepare for the last day of school before it ends.

• Participate in School to Work in your last year of transition. All Snohomish County school districts participate in the School to Work program. Attend the annual Transition Fair to learn more.

• All adult services have a separate application and eligibility process.

• START EARLY!!

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Navigation tips

Applications

• Social Security Administration (SSA)

• Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA)

• Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)

• Housing authorities

• Limited or Full Guardianship

• Transportation

• Washington State identification card

• Selective Service (if male)

• Voting

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Preparation

Student Responsibilities

• Determine your strengths, preferences, and goals

• Create a team of people who can support you

• Gather information and ask questions

• Make informed choices

• Engage in your local community

• Gain work/volunteer experience

• Practice problem solving skills

• Practice social skills

• Practice job interviews

• Learn to take public transportation

• Actively participate in all meetings about you

• Dream and actively plan for YOUR future

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Proactive & Persistent

Family Responsibilities

• Support student to make choices and problem-solve• Collaborate and share information with the school • Request accommodations and services as needed• Assist student to develop communication strategies• Actively participate in all meetings• Gather info about adult service resources• Assist student with applications (SSA, DVR, DDA, etc.)• Create expectations for the student at home• Encourage community activities and volunteering • Assist student to practice social skills• Reinforce the value of earning money• Encourage and expect employment• Network with employers you know

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Proactive and

Persistent

School Responsibilities

• Prior to age 18, notify families of transfer of rights• Inform families about transition options and community resources• Support students to develop self-advocacy skills• Assist students to participate in all meetings• Assist students to develop a long-term plan for after school• Assist students to develop skills and explore vocational options• Provide students with meaningful community work experiences• Provide opportunities for students to practice effective life skills• Encourage adaptive technology for communication as needed• Encourage increased community participation• Support students to leave school with a paid job • Review adult resources with students and families• Assist student to create a resume

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9Partnership

Preparing to be an employee

• Be punctual and dependable

• Take pride in your work

• Be polite and respectful

• Have appropriate social skills

• Follow directions

• Wear appropriate clothing

• Have good personal hygiene

• Communicate and ask questions

• Be flexible and willing to learn new tasks

• Take initiative to start new tasks

• Show enthusiasm and smile!

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Origins of School to Work

• Youth with developmental disabilities are entitled to educational programs through age 21 depending on needs identified in the school Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

• During the transition years, age 18-21, schools provide work experiences to identify job options

• The School to Work program originated in King County in 2005

• DDA implemented the Working Age Adult Policy in 2006 to emphasize the goal of employment first and for everyone

• Prior to 2008, the search for paid job placements generally began after graduation

• Students were often “graduating to the couch” while employment service providers looked for jobs

• In 2008, the Washington State legislature approved funding to develop partnerships with schools to assist students to obtain paid jobs prior to graduation, the Jobs by 21 Partnership Project

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Snohomish County History

• 1989 Transition Council formed

• 1996 Transition Coordinator position created

• 1997 First annual Transition Fair (30 graduates)

• 2002 Information/Education Initiative

• 2002 Independent Planning Services begins

• 2007 School Liaison/Social Security position created

• 2008 Jobs by 21 Partnership Project (60 graduates)

• 2014 School to Work DVR contract (70+ graduates)

• 2015 Transition Council becomes the Transition Network

• 2016 and beyond: 80+ graduates and counting!

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Statewide Jobs by 21 effort begins to encourage counties to provide services while students are still in school starting with 2008 graduates

School to Work DVR contract begins with 2014 graduates

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Number of participants served per year inJobs by 21 and School to Work

# of participants

Waiver only

Jobs by 21

School to Work Succ

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Graduating From School to Work:Tools for a successful transition

• Outreach

• System navigation

• Parent/student information nights

• Person-centered planning

• Understanding Social Security, Medicaid, and the DDA waiver

• Employment services

• Transition Fair

• Transition Network

• Resource materials

• Training and technical assistance to schools/teachers and employment service providers

• Building community

• Quality assurance

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5 Goals of School to Work

1. Assist students to obtain paid employment before graduation

2. Provide service coordination to create a smooth transition from school to adult services

3. Provide person-centered planning services

4. Collaborate with school services to support students to achieve job outcomes

5. Assist students to understand Social Security benefits as it relates to paid employment and qualifying for the DDA waiver/Medicaid

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School to Work Requirements

Participants must meet requirements set forth by the Snohomish County Transition Coordinator:

• Must be a client of the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA)

• Must be a client of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)

• Must be eligible for Social Security (in order to secure the DDA waiver)

• Must want to obtain paid community employment before June graduation

Other considerations: Transportation to/from work, Washington State identification card, Social Security card, willingness to participate

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School to Work Timeline

Prior to the last year of school transition:Attend annual Transition Fair in March to sign up for School to Work and choose an employment service provider, start person-centered planning

September to December: Begin service with employment service provider, intake, continued person-centered planning, community-based assessment

January to June: Job development and job starts

Graduate from school in June!

July to August: Transition to long-term support from DDA

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Community-based Assessment

DVR evaluation criteria:

• Work preferences and interests

• Transportation barriers

• Attendance and reliability

• Behavior at work

• Supervisor/co-worker relations

• Personal hygiene and appropriate work attire

• Ability to follow multiple task directions and stay focused

• Endurance; is full-time work or part-time recommended

• Skill level and performance of tasks

• Personal safety on the job

• Level of one on one support needed; estimate the time when job independence could be attained given the proper setting

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Performance

0

1

2

3

4

5

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June

1

0

1

2

1

2

3

0

2

5

2

1 1

0

1 1

0

2

0 0

1

0

# of jobs

June 2014 Graduation17 jobs

6 more jobs occurred within one year

after graduation

School to Work ends20 jobs

2014 GraduatesFirst year of the DVR School to Work DVR contract

40 students, 20 jobs by end of School to Work on 8/31/1426 total jobs!

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2015 GraduatesSecond year of DVR School to Work contract

30 Completed School to Work

Partial completion of S2W

Completed S2W

Graduated early/DVR

Moved

Medical issues

Behavior issues

Incarcerated

College

Not interested

Could not reach

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2015 GraduatesSchool district student participation for partial or full completion

of School to Work

Arlington5%

Darrington0%

Edmonds28%

Everett8%

Granite Falls0%

Index0%

Lake Stevens2%

Lakewood0%

Marysville13%Monroe

2%

Mukilteo13%

Northshore10%

Snohomish8%

Stanwood8%

Sultan3%

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2015 Graduates30 students, 24 jobs by 8/31/15!

Completed S2W with a job

80%

Completed S2W without a job

20%

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0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug

Number of job starts per month2015 Graduates

Goal is a job by June graduation

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0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

SA EA TB JD CE SG DG SG SH DH AJ SK BK DL JM LP JP SR IR BR AS SS WS JW

Average Paid Hours Per Month2015 Graduates

Average paid hours per

month = 25

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Thank you to all our partners!

Congratulations to all the students!