Discovering%20Personal%20Genius

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Discovering Personal Genius

• The Foundation for Customizing Employment

Griffin-Hammis Associates, LLC www.griffinhammis.c
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Special Thanks to Employment for All and Ellen
Condon at the Rural Institute
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Discovering Personal Genius

• The Challenge
• Create lasting, satisfying, person-directed,
  employment beyond the confines of traditional job
  development

Griffin-Hammis Associates, LLC
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Discovering Personal GeniusThe Personal
Assessment

• Vocational Evaluation is not functional
• Data taken in Segregated settings is false
• Checklists do not offer a diversity of choice
• Unpaid Work Experiences are often Stereotypical
• Are you at your best when being tested, or rather
  when you are exploring familiar and/or new
  places, people things?

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Discovering Personal Genius

• Dont think Job Descriptions what business would
  be best or Dream Jobs
• Think What are the Ideal Conditions of Employment

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Discovering Personal GeniusHanging Out With
Intent (HOWI)

• Assistance NOT Assessment
• Inventory Real Environments
• Do Not rely on data from Segregated Environments
• One Place leads to Another One Person Leads to
  Another (Family, Friends, Acquaintances,
  Professionals, Strangers)

Griffin-Hammis Associates, LLC Steve Hall
Patty Cassidy
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Discovering Personal GeniusHanging Out With
Intent (HOWI)

• Discovery is a structured Process
• We are not here to ask What job or business
  would be best?
• The more folks involved, the more diversity of
  activities locations
• The more activities locations, the more
  diversity of thought
• The best way to get a great idea is to get lots
  of ideas

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Discovering Personal Genius

• Activity
• Align with someone in the room who you dont know
• Find out 3 things about them that arent obvious
• Do this without asking any questions
• Hint Have a Conversation
• Report Back

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Discovering Personal Genius

• Activity Debrief
• Its hard to find out about someone without
  asking questions
• Think Conversation, not Interrogation
• Its best to let the Environment guide our
  Discovery
• If we live into the answers the chances of
  getting an acquiescent response is lessened

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Discovering Personal GeniusWhat Were Looking
for

• The Ideal Conditions of Employment
• Strengths, Interests, Supports, Contributions,
  Skills
• Relationships that matter that help us get lots
  of ideas

Griffin-Hammis Associates, LLC Callahan Condon
Crandell Brooks
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Discovering Personal GeniusDeveloping a Plan

• Discovery should lead to a solid Profile that
  captures the essence of the individual
• What Works What Doesnt (How will you know if
  things dont work until youve tried them?)
• Best Settings Support Needs Talents
• What Home is like Demonstrations of chores
  hobby tasks, revealed Interests, the impact of
  disability.
• What other things we need to observe or
  investigate both formally informally

Griffin-Hammis Associates, LLC Callahan, Condon
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Discovering Personal GeniusBack to the Plan

• The Three Vocational Themes
• NOT Job Descriptions!
• General and Flexible ( not auto mechanics but,
  transportation)
• List of 20 places where some task(s) is done that
  is included in the theme
• Times 3 themes 60 businesses
• Do informational interviewing at each site

Griffin-Hammis Associates, LLC