Sustaining Employment Specialists Skills Beyond Training: The Role of Mentoring

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Sustaining Employment Specialists Skills Beyond
Training The Role of Mentoring

• Teresa A. Grossi, Ph.D.
• Indiana Institute on Disability and Community
• Indianas Center for Excellence
• Indiana University
• 2853 East Tenth Street
• Bloomington, Indiana 47408
• Voice [phone]
• E-Mail tgrossi_at_indiana.edu
• www.iidc.indiana.edu

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Why is it Important?
Overview

• Good training opportunities existed in the state
  but
• Not all agencies utilize (or have comparable
  programs)
• ESs sometimes wait long periods before they can
  attend trainings
• No follow-up to trainings

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Why is it Important?
Overview

• Overall cost and quality of SE remains an issue.
  
• High turnover plagues the ES field
• Limited training and support for Program Managers

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Overview of Project
Overview

• January 2000 through December 2001
• Involved 72 Employment Specialists from 14
  agencies across Indiana (CRPs, MHCs, school
  transition projects)
• 13 mentors
• Not meant to replace existing training
• Did not result in any type of actual endorsement

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Mentee Completion Rate
Overview
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Project Tools
Overview

• Best Practice Assessment
• Quick overview of agency
• Utilization of best practices
• Pre- and post-assessment

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Employment Services Best Practice
Assessment Rating Sheet   Agency Program
Manager/Supervisor Assessment Completed
By  Date   Rating Scale 1 not present 2
present, needs major modifications/improvements 4
present, contains all needed components
Please circle whole numbers only.  
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Project Tools
Overview

• Written Skills Assessment
• Evaluate skills of mentees
• Develop support plan
• Pre- and post-assessment

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Written Competency Skills Assessment Employment
Specialist Mentoring Pilot Project   This
assessment will be given to all pilot project
participants.  Where appropriate, you may
submit the same documents you submitted for the
SECTs ESS or the ISETTs exit test.   PLEASE
NOTE THAT ALL SUBMISSIONS MAY BE MADE ON THE
FORMAT USED BY YOUR AGENCY.   Questions may be
answered directly on this assessment (use the
back for more room if needed) or be
typed/submitted on separate paper.   Note Number
1-4a above should all be completed on the same
individual. Ideally 4b-6 will also be the same
person. However, if this is not possible, it is
acceptable to use a different person for
questions 4b-6. Please make sure that all
documents you submit do not identify the
consumer.   Name_________________________________
_____________________ Agency ___________________
__________________________________  Phone
__________________________________________________
____  Email ____________________________________
__________________ SUBMIT this assessment by
__________________  To _________________________
_________________ Please assure the following
are attached ___ Agency/department marketing
materials with your comments ___ Vocational
profile/person-centered plan ___ Strategic/action
plan, and one document of one follow-up to this
plan ___ Samples of employer contact
logs ___ Work site/job analysis or employment
proposal ___ Support plan, with attached data
collection ___ Ongoing supports/extended services
plan ___ Samples of completed satisfaction
surveys ___ Sample of PASS or information that
was used to obtain an IRWE if available ___ Sample
of support plan to assist someone to become
connected to his or her community
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Project Tools
Overview

• Mentors Guide
• Tool for mentors
• Identifies expected competencies
• Corresponds with written skills assessment

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Mentors Guide to Indicators of Competencies for
Employment Specialist   Employment
Specialist Primary Mentor Values and
Attitudes
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Project Tools

Overview

• Support Plan
• Mentor/Mentee develop
• Identifies expected competencies
• Corresponds with written skills assessment

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Mentor Checklist Employment Specialist Primary
Mentor
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Project Tools

Overview

• Program Manager Supports
• Tool for mentors
• Identifies expected competencies

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EMPLOYMENT SERVICES PROGRAM MANAGER SUPPORTS
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Project Tools

Overview

• Orientation Handbook
• Tool for mentees and program managers
• Identifies expected competencies
• Provides initial orientation to supported
  employment

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Best Practice Assessment
Evaluation

• Conducted with each program
• Used a rating scale of 1 to 4
• 1 Not present
• 2 Present, needs a major modification or
  improvement
• 3 Present, needs minor modifications or
  improvements
• 4 Present, contains all components

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Best Practice Assessment
Evaluation

• Information was gathered on
• Assessment and planning
• Marketing and job development
• Employment and training supports
• Ongoing supports
• Program management issues

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Areas of Gain

• Use of Person Centered Planning-strengths and
  abilities
• Use of Person Centered Planning-job development
• Individuals participating in the job development
  process
• Addressing safety nets and job loss
• Tracking job development and use of job carving
• Use of systematic training and fading
• Utilizing workplace supports (e.g., natural)
• Collecting and using outcome data
• Managers involvement with stakeholders

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Areas of Little or No Change

• Marketing materials
• Wide variety of job opportunities
• Program managers knowledge of placement
  activities
• Program managers knowledge of funding sources
• Use of MIS data for strategic planning

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ES - Written Competency Assessment

• 1.Agency Mission and Values
• 2.Assessment
• 3.Action/Strategic Planning
• 4.Job Development
• 5.On and Off Site Supports
• 6.On Going Supports
• 7.Self-Evaluation

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Areas of Greatest Gains

• Action planning-leading to Job Match
• Job Development
• On and Off-site Supports
• On-Going Supports

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ES Self-Assessment
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INVESTMENT

• Total Hours by Mentors 2094 hrs
• Average Hrs per Mentor 123 hrs
• Average Hrs per Agency 114 hrs

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What Worked and Benefits
Perspectives

• Confidentiality
• Outsiders perspective
• Resources
• Encouragement/self-confidence
• Commitment/follow through
• Completed formalized training

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Challenges and Frustrations

Perspectives

• Scheduling
• Not having knowledge of internal systems
• Major changes at agency
• Leadership and team building
• Mandatory participation

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Mentee Focus Groups

Perspectives

• Strengths
• Knowledgeable mentors
• Sounding board externally
• One-on-one support
• Confirmed skills stretched practices
• Information about other agencies
• Organization and structure

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Mentee Focus Groups


Perspectives

• Opportunities to utilize information/skills
• Person-centered planning
• Job development
• Employer partnerships
• Strategic action planning
• Workplace culture and matching

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Mentee Focus Groups


Perspectives

• Barriers/Concerns
• Lack of face-to-face time with mentor
• Paperwork
• Mentors lack of knowledge about agency
• Conflicts on practices/philosophy
• Based on holistic model

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Mentee Focus Groups


Perspectives

• Roadblocks in Utilizing Info/Skills/Best
  Practices
• Time
• Unclear/vague expectations
• Internal struggles

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Program Manager Focus Groups


Perspectives

• Strengths
• Best practice assessment
• Orientation handbook
• Confidentially, non-threatening manner
• Dependability
• Experienced mentors
• Personalized training
• Growth and confidence
• Group training

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Program Manager Focus Groups


Perspectives

• Barriers/Concerns
• Coordinating schedules
• Lack of follow through by staff
• Communication
• Time consuming
• Limited ability to implement changes
• Mentors knowledge of internal policies
• Turnover

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Program Mangers Focus Groups


Perspectives

• Opportunities to utilize information/skills
• Strategic plans
• Organization
• Internal mentoring
• Teamwork increased
• VRS buy-in
• Improved marketing
• Restructuring of program

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Program Manager Focus Groups


Perspectives

• Roadblocks in Utilizing Info/Skills/Best
  Practices
• Time
• VRS inconsistency
• Been there done that mindset
• Agency restrictions
• Staff apprehension

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Mentor/Project Staff Focus Groups


Perspectives

• Strengths
• Mentees eagerness to learn
• Knowledge learned about day-to-day struggles
• Improvement
• VRS support
• Collaboration efforts

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Mentor/Project Staff Focus Groups


Perspectives

• Barriers/Concerns
• Scheduling Conflicts
• Difficulty in getting out-in-the-field
• Lack of support from program managers to
  implement
• Inconsistency in expectations
• Staff turnover
• Lack of enthusiasm
• Mentees having no prior orientation

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Mentor/Project Staff Focus Groups


Perspectives

• Opportunities to utilize information/skills
• Strategic plans
• Increased focus on job advancement/career
  planning
• Utilization of SSWIN
• Improved understanding of VRS
• Increased focus on consumer need/wants
• Improved productivity and efficiency of teams
• Internal staff orientation revised

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Mentor/Project Staff Focus Groups


Perspectives

• Roadblocks in Utilizing Info/Skills/Best
  Practices
• Lack of urgency/enthusiasm
• Lack of orientation/training
• Resistance to change
• Lack of program manager support/knowledge
• Cutting corners too much
• VRS inconsistent

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Lessons Learned


Knowledge

• Basic orientation and training is lacking
• Many quality employment service practices are not
  being done consistently, negatively impacting
  outcomes
• Skill, experience and available time of Program
  Manager is critical to quality and outcomes
• Turnover impacts services negatively