Identifying and Serving Job Seekers with Hidden Disabilities in our Workforce Centers

1
Identifying and Serving Job Seekers with Hidden
Disabilities in our Workforce Centers

• Presented by Richard Kriner , Disability
  Resource Specialist

2
Hidden disabilitiesA hidden disability is a
disability that is not recognizable from the
outside. Hidden disabilities may include

• heart disease
• diabetes,
• asthma,
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, psychological
  disorders,
• epilepsy,

• Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI), HIV and AIDS,
• specific learning disabilities (LD)
• Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD)
• depression.

3
Hidden Disabilities Awareness

• Not all disabilities are apparent.
• A person may make a request or act in a way that
  seems strange to you. That request or behavior
  may be disability-related.

4
Some of the more common hidden disabilities that
you may encounter in your One-Stop Centers
include Cognitive disorders ( i.e.
borderline MR and Brain Injury),
Learning Disabilities, and Mental Illness.
5
Basic Etiquette People With Mental
Retardation/Cognitive Disabilities Adapted from
NCWD etiquette fact sheets

• People with mental retardation are not "eternal
  children."
• Adults with mental retardation should be treated
  and spoken to in the same fashion as other
  adults.

6
Do not "talk down" to a person with mental
retardation. Avoid stereotypes, such as the
assumption that all people with mental
retardation enjoy doing jobs that are repetitive,
or want to work in fast food restaurants.
Don't assume that a person with mental
retardation lacks academic skills, such as
reading, writing, and the ability to do
mathematics.
7
People with Mental Retardation/Cognitive
Disabilities

• Provide opportunities for people with limited
  academic skills to contribute verbally take what
  they have to say seriously.
• Use clear language that is concise and to the
  point.
• Speak directly to the person with a cognitive
  disability.

8

• Avoid the term" mental retardation."
• If you need to speak about a person's disability,
  people with mental retardation prefer the term
  "developmental disability" rather than "mental
  retardation." (Mental retardation is one type of
  developmental disability.)

9
Hidden Disabilities Learning Disabilities

• A disorder in one or more of the basic processes
  involved in understanding or using spoken or
  written language, that impacts an individuals
  ability of in one of the following areas

• listening
• thinking
• speaking
• reading
• writing
• spelling
• doing mathematical calculations
• social interaction

10
Learning disabilities include such conditions
as

• perceptual disabilities
• brain injury
• minimal brain dysfunction
• dyslexia
• developmental aphasia

11
Learning disabilities do not include learning
problems that are primarily the result of

• visual, hearing, or motor disabilities
• mental retardation
• environmental or cultural factors
• economic disadvantage

12
Learning Disabilities Characteristics

• People with learning disabilities are usually of
  average or even above average intelligence.
• Learning disabilities are characterized by a
  significant difference between the individuals
  achievement in different areas, as compared to
  his or her overall intelligence.

13
Learning disabilities may occur in the following
areas

• Spoken language Delays, disorders, or
  discrepancies in listening and speaking
• Written language Difficulties with reading,
  writing, and spelling
• Arithmetic Difficulty performing arithmetic
  functions or in comprehending basic concepts

14
Learning disabilities (cont.)

• Reasoning Difficulty organizing and integrating
  thoughts
• Organization skills Difficulty organizing all
  facets of learning
• Individuals with learning disabilities may
  exhibit a combination of characteristics.

15
The following may also be associated with
learning disabilities

• motor disorders
• Impulsiveness
• low tolerance for frustration
• problems in handling day-to-day social
  interactions and situations

• Hyperactivity
• inattention
• perceptual coordination problems
• perceptual impairments

16
Guidelines For Working With Individuals With
Learning DisabilitiesAdapted from NCWD etiquette
fact sheets

• Capitalize on the individuals strengths
• Provide high structure and clear expectations
• Provide opportunities for success in a supportive
  atmosphere to help build self-esteem
• Allow flexibility in procedures
• Ask the individual how they handle other similar
  situations

17
MENTAL ILLNESS

• Mental illnesses are disorders of the brain that
  disrupt a persons thinking, feeling, moods, and
  ability to relate to others.
• It may affect the way a person thinks, behaves,
  and interacts with other people.

18
The term mental illness encompasses numerous
psychiatric disorders, and can vary in
severity.Behaviors may include, but are not
limited to

• depression
• feelings of hopelessness
• Sadness

• apathy
• inattention
• poor concentration

19
Basic Etiquette Do not assumeAdapted from
NCWD etiquette fact sheets

• that people with psychiatric disabilities are
  more likely to be violent than people without
  psychiatric disabilities
• that people with mental illness have mental
  retardation
• that people with psychiatric disabilities also
  have cognitive disabilities or are less
  intelligent than the general population.
• that all people with psychiatric disabilities
  take or should take medication.

20
Basic Etiquette (continued)

• Do not assume
• that people with psychiatric disabilities do not
  know what is best for them, or have poor judgment
  
• that a person with a psychiatric disability is
  unable to cope with stress.
• that people with psychiatric disabilities
  necessarily need any extra assistance or
  different treatment.
• If someone with a psychiatric disability gets
  upset, ask
• calmly if there is anything you can do to help
  and then
• respect their wishes.

21
Tips For InterviewingCustomers

• Interviewers should
• Interview customers without
• preconceptions
• Respect customers
• Believe in customers abilities
• Always be positive
• Involve customer in job search
• process

22
Screening for Disabilities

• Identifying clients with hidden disabilities

23
PURPOSE OF SCREENING

• Timely identification of hidden disabilities that
  are barriers to program participation, employment
  and job retention.
• Hidden disabilities may include

24
THE SCREENING PROCESS

• Screening is the starting point of barrier
  identification. It is followed by obtaining
  timely diagnostic work, and the provision of
  needed treatment services and interventions.
• If the screening process indicates the possible
  presence of the barrier, a referral is made for a
  diagnosis.

25
DIAGNOSTIC REFERRALS

• Referrals can be made directly to the Disability
  Resource Specialist, DRS, or back to the clients
  TANF case manager to obtain the appropriate
  diagnostic exam.
• If you have any questions as to what to do with a
  client that screens positive refer to the
  Disability Resource Specialist.

26
When to Screen

• Client Screening needs to be a regular part of
  client application/registration process and done
  on all clients at intake for intensive or
  training services.
• Screening may also be conducted on clients at the
  core service level with their consent.

27
Screening Clients in Core Services

• Clients that you might screen at the core service
  level may exhibit one or more of the following
  traits
• Odd or eccentric behavior.
• Difficulty with spelling or reading,
• Inappropriate social behaviors (e.g. poor
  physical or social boundaries).
• Client appears lethargic, depressed, and or
  unkempt.
• Other examples are available in your handout on
  hidden disabilities.

28
Evaluating Screen Results

• It is important to note screens have limited
  reliability and results may be skewed by factors
  such as client anxiety, dishonesty, confusion or
  poor screen administration practices.
• If a client appears to have more going on than
  the screen indicates based on behavioral
  observation, work profile, educational profile,
  legal history, or domestic history than it is
  best practice to consult with your Disability
  Resources Specialist.

29
What Disabilities are we Screening for?

• You will be administering
• The Washington State LD Screen Which is designed
  to screen for learning disabilities, but may also
  screen in low intellectual functioning, ADD, and
  mental illness.
• The MFIP Self-Screen Which is designed to screen
  for SA and MH problems.

30
Any questions?

• Go to handouts