Why is there a need for Supported Employment?

Supported Employment (SE) provides an opportunity for people with disabilities to secure a job alongside co-workers without disabilities. Workers are assessed to determine job skills and then a job is located in the community that matches these skills. SE provides intensive short-term support to assist workers with learning their jobs. Once a worker learns their job, long-term support is provided on the job as long as needed.

What is assessment?
The first step in getting a job is assessment. During assessment, the individual is exposed to various work experiences. Often a person's interests at the beginning of assessment are simply a history of their
opportunities. UOI assists individuals to broaden their interests through job exploration. By actually working at a site, individuals are better able to make informed career decisions.

Who pays the person being assessed?As long as the individual is part of a community basic assessment program and the work is performed on a limited basis, the Department of Labor will not assert an employment relationship. Therefore, an individual with a mental or physical disability essentially volunteers their time in exchange for job exploration.
What is expected of the employer?

Communicate job expectation and provide feedback directly to the person. Communicate any concerns to the Employment Specialist. An Employment Specialist is on site with the individual the entire period of the assessment.

Coaching:

When an employee in our program starts a new job, a job coach will be there to offer assistance at all times. The job coach will teach the assigned duties and help find ways to make the job easier too learn. The job coach will introduce the employee to supervisors and fellow workers and help in all areas that are beneficial to job success.

The employee will have a training plan that describes what needs to be learned, how it will be learned and what is expected by the individual on their own. The job coach will develop and follow this plan according to the employer or supervisor's expectations of job performance.

As the employee learns the job better, he or she will do more and more on their own. The job coach will help less and less. Soon the employee will work alongside fellow workers and the need for job coaching will diminish. If a change in duties or a problem should arise, just notify the job coach. The job coach will be happy to retrain or work through any situation with the proper assistance.

For as long as you employ someone who is in our program, someone will check in to see how that person is doing. We will stop by to talk with the employee (and the employer, if needed) on a regular basis. We can also visit the employee on the phone or meet outside of work. We will help find ways to get to know fellow workers and we will also talk about ways to improve job performance. Our goal is to help the employee make friends and stay comfortable with the job. When new job duties are assigned, we can come in and help the employee learn these new tasks. We will also help to arrange for vacation time or days off when sick. Our program is part of Unlimited Opportunities, Inc (UOI). UOI is a not for profit agency that provides an array of services to persons with disabilities.

For further information about Unlimited Opportunities Employment Services or Supported Employment in the Cooper County (Boonville, MO)area please contact one of our representatives using the links below.