Marc Gold

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Employment From Competitive to Customized

• An individualized approach to providing access to
  employment for all students and adults with
  complex lives

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Supports and good matching have taken us a long
way From traditional jobs
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To manufacturing Cipriana has worked her job
for over 20 years
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To the high tech industry Tom was successful
right out of an institution
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But what about Kim, a young woman on the cusp of
adulthood?
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A poorly matched competitive job almost cost her
a chance to work
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But by using customized employment, Kim has
worked for over 15 years
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And what about Jennie, a young woman who never
considered a working life much less what she
might want to do?
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Jenni now works at our local gas company using
customized employment
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Customized Employment

• According to US/DOL
• Customized employment means individualizing the
  employment relationship between employees and
  employers in ways that meet the needs of both.
• It is based on an individualized determination of
  the strengths, needs, and interests of the person
  with a disability, and is also designed to meet
  the specific needs of the employer.

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Customized Negotiables from Applicants to
Employers

• Essential responsibilities of a job as detailed
  in job descriptions and/or
• Non-essential responsibilities or expectations
  that might include
• Time, hours, location, etc for work to be
  performed
• Support and supervision strategies
• Productivity and outcome expectations

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Customized Process

• Discovery
• Capturing discovery through profiles
• Customized, person-centered planning
• Portfolio/visual resume development
• Job development and negotiation
• Job site analysis, accommodations, support

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Lets review the importance of Discovery

• Discovery is the foundation of customization.
  The lessons learned in discovery have a direct
  impact on the negotiations with employers and
  should be reflected in the customized job
  descriptions for job seekers.

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Customization and Complex Lives

• Low self-esteem
• Cultural
• Health
• Addiction
• Lack of education
• Habits/life routines
• Dependence on benefits

• Disability
• Age maturity/youth
• Poverty
• Homelessness
• Family responsibilities
• Lack of experience or skills

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Characteristics of an Ideal Job

• Conditions are characteristics of any job
  developed for the individual. Conditions refer
  to issues such as days of work, pay, benefits,
  location of the job, inside/outside work, time of
  day, hours per week, etc. While it is possible
  to have too many conditions, these are extremely
  important considerations in customizing a job.
  Target go/no go conditions for priority
  consideration.

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Features of Customized Employment

• Based on discovery of the applicant more than on
  evaluative/comparative processes
• Driven by a customized plan developed by the
  applicants strengths, needs and interests
• Focuses on tasks rather than job titles to
  negotiate essential responsibilities

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Features of Customized Employment

• Specific job duties are negotiated with
  employers, voluntarily, to customize the job
• Occurs in regular community workplaces or in
  self-owned businesses
• Involves pay of at least the minimum wage up to
  prevailing wage

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Features of Customized Employment

• Applicable to all users of workforce system
• Includes on-going supports and reasonable
  accommodations, as appropriate
• Starts with the individual as the source of
  information and direction to labor force

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Two Distinct Approaches

• Labor Market Job Development Responding to the
  needs of employers with applicants who are
  qualified to meet those general needs.
• Customized Job Development
• Discovering the strengths, needs and interests
  of applicants and negotiating a job description
  that meets both the applicants and employers
  specific.

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Limitations of Labor Market approaches
Even after concerted effort, our friend with
significant challenges is not selected for a
job. He is told that he didnt quite fit any of
the job descriptions due to a variety of reasons.
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Customized Job Development
Applicant of Concern
Potential Employers
Pool of Potential Applicants
Job Developer
In Customized Job Development, Job Developers
gets to know one applicant at a time through
discovery before meeting with potential employers
in the community.
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Discovery allows us to determine who the
applicant is, their complexities as well as their
potential contributions to employers.
Education
Responsibilities
Hobbies
Discovery Process
Interest Areas
Complexities
Transportation
Challenges
Skills
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Customized Job Development
The Applicants Conditions, Preferences and
Contributions are identified through a Customized
Planning Process as well as a Task List.
The Job Developer then meets with specific
employers in an effort to negotiate a customized
job description.
From a list of potential employers identified
during the Customized Plan.
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Customized Job Development
Customized Employment is successful when there is
a negotiated fit between the applicants
strengths, needs and interests and the
specific needs of an employer.
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Lets Experience Discovery Ask your partner

• What is something about you that most people
  dont know?
• Where/when are you at your best?
• Where/when are you at your worst?
• Other than spouse/parents/partner/ kids, who
  knows you best?
• What makes it worth other than your work
  getting out of bed in the morning?

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Everyone Customizes

• Most employees, soon after landing a competitive
  job begin subtly customizing the features of
  that job to meet their individual needs.
• Customized Employment simply seeks to start the
  process before the job is developed, in upfront
  negotiations with employers.

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Customization More than Matching

• While good job matching is a necessary component
  of customization, customized employment involves
  additional components.
• Customized employment involves negotiating the
  essential responsibilities of the job as well as
  the employers expectations on behalf of the
  applicant.

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Categories of Customized Employment

• Carved Jobs Job descriptions based on tasks
  derived from a single traditional job
• Negotiated Jobs Job descriptions based on tasks
  derived from a variety of jobs
• Created Jobs Job descriptions based on
  heretofore unmet needs of a work setting
• Contract Jobs Carved, negotiated or created job
  descriptions performed under a contract
• Micro-enterprises Small businesses based on the
  unmet needs of a local market

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Carved Jobs Tasks derived from a file clerk
position to do sorting and filing
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Example of a Carved, Shared Job Maintaining
customer database for A/V company
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Negotiated job in retail setting
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Negotiated Jobs Performing various jobs within a
music store set-up, cleaning, etc.
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Negotiated job in child care Began as a carved
job
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Created Jobs Offering delivery in an insurance
company
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Created jobs Stopping Slip and Falls in a
factory
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Contract Jobs Data entry in a county
personnel office
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Created job Starting a micro-business
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Micro-business Day Job DJ in clubs on
weekends and carved retail support during the day
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Created job Starting a micro-business
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But is employment for everyone?
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What about employment for Marci?
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Job Development calls were made to a local
newspaper in Marcis home town
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Customized Employment makes employment possible
for all people Marci provides specialty
stapling as a contribution
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And custom shredding of confidential documents
for her employer.
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Marcis current support team Personal assistant
and supervisor
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For additional information

• MYTI.org
• onestops.info
• ODEP.gov

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Additional Variations to CE

• Business within a business
• Resource sharing job by applicant
• Shared job responsibilities
• Business ownership and wage employment
• Multiple customized jobs