MG&A
Tips for an Effective Employment Planning Meeting
· Prior to Planning develop a capacity driven Profile empowering the job seeker and their family with potential of employment as a real outcome, and:
o To understand how their participation is necessary for the job seeker to be employed in a customized job.
o To include special considerations and concerns of the family & job seeker.
o To clarify any questions about characteristics of work.
o To identify all of the potential people in the person’s life to assist with job development.
o To negotiate any issues with others that require information for proper decision-making, such as benefit planning.
· Prior to the meeting review the Profile with the job seeker and their family and obtain approval on the document.
o Encourage the job seeker and family to come prepared to list their contributions, career interests, ideal conditions of employment at the meeting.
o Distribute the Profile to all participants with a cover letter requesting them to read the Profile before the meeting and to participate with knowledge of the possibilities of employment.
o Consider presentation of the best of the job seeker in a visual profile prior to the meeting, either in a pre meeting or in a condensed version at the meeting to empower all plan participants with a comprehensive picture of the job seeker.
o Explain how the meeting will need to be facilitated, such as writing on wall charts, maintaining flow of meeting, and staying on task. Ask the job seeker what role they would like to play in their meeting. Explain why it is important for the developer of the profile to chart and facilitate the meeting, always keeping them, the job seeker, in control of the information charted.
o Discuss the length of the meeting and determine the needed time for full participation of the job seeker and adjust the times accordingly, including breaking the meeting into two separate meetings to complete the process.
o Discuss a strategy for the job seeker to inform the facilitator if there needs to be a break to redirect the meeting.
o Post all wall charts up in the meeting room for all participants to see and use as a guide to the process. Include numbers on the wallpaper to indicate and clarify the process for everyone participating in the meeting.
Marc Gold & Associates© 4101 Gautier-Vancleave Rd. #102
Gautier, MS 39553
Fax (228) 497-6966
Telephone (228) 497-6999
Email: ,
www.marcgold.com
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MG&A
· Meeting Set Up: Meet with the job seeker and family if appropriate immediately before the meeting to be aware of any recent events, review the meeting purpose, & to discuss any of their employment related issues.
o Review the meeting agenda (ideal conditions, interests, contributions, job tasks, employers)
o Ask the job seeker which ground rules they would like at their meeting, suggesting ones that you feel would be helpful since you have met the people coming to the meeting.
o Talk about the job seeker’s control or decision-making power, particularly focusing on “when” information is placed on the flip charts and prioritizing specific information; what is written on the flip charts and employers for job development.
o Discuss seating. If someone else is facilitating, explain that the job seeker will need to sit next to the facilitator/recorder and that during the plan the person facilitating will ask them questions to keep them in the “lead” of the plan.
· The Employment Planning Meeting:
o Ensure that everyone has a copy of the Profile.
o Discuss meeting purpose and agenda and have visible and posted on the wall.
o Job Seeker or facilitator review the purpose of the meeting, post/develop ground rules, explain the job seeker/family veto power, and ask about meeting participant time commitments.
o If the job seeker needs extra time to communicate, or several of the team members cannot stay until the end of the meeting, consider breaking the meeting into 2 meetings.
o Use “What Works/What Doesn’t Work to engage all participants and to demonstrate how to shift thinking from what does not work to what does work, leading them to understand the ideal conditions charts next.
o Begin listing ideal conditions of employment, then interests, and contributions. Ask everyone to contribute.
o Don’t wait for the job seeker to offer all the information. This is not a test for the job seeker; it is a time to celebrate the “best of the job seeker”. The job seeker should validate information before it is recorded.
o For job seekers that do not read, consider using Icons in addition to written information, especially in the area of ideal conditions (contributions, interests, and conditions), job tasks, and employment sites.
o When listing job tasks, recognize these are possible tasks for the job seeker to learn in his area of interest.
o Continually validate that the tasks match the interests, ideal conditions and contributions of the job seeker. Use phrases like, “help me, how does this fit” to maintain the creative “connecting” activity.
Marc Gold & Associates© 4101 Gautier-Vancleave Rd. #102
Gautier, MS 39553
Fax (228) 497-6966
Telephone (228) 497-6999
Email: ,
www.marcgold.com
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MG&A
o After a free flowing “connecting of the information” to identify job seeker tasks, make sure they all are tasks and the language avoids job titles.
o List the tasks with numbers beside them so that they can be used in the employer section to identify the tasks possibly needed by a specific employer.
o Pay special attention to assure matching of interests and possible transportation and contacts. Use the employment site list developed in the Profile.
o Ask team members if they know someone at each of the businesses. When complete, ask the job seeker to prioritize which employers they would like you to contact.
· Next Steps:
o Determine if the following activities can be accomplished within the existing time of the Vocational Planning Meeting or if another time is necessary. If another time is necessary, establish the time for the next step.
o The Job developer can complete the Characteristics of Ideal Job Checklist during the Profile meeting, which they can use later to evaluate potential of job match.
o Begin Job Development Plan, outlining the next steps and the person who is responsible for each.
o At the end of the meeting process with the job seeker and their job development team, ask if they got the information they needed to do the next step? What worked? What would you do differently next meeting?
o Review Employment Plan Form with the job seeker prior to disseminating to team members. Double-check with the job seeker to see if the target sites are prioritized correctly.
o Explain to the team that the targeted sites may not be called on in the order of prioritization. Some employers may not be available or the research effort may take longer than other businesses. However, the top 3-5 employers should be the initial target sites for the research, obtain appointment, initial presentation.
Compiled by Norciva Shumpert, EFA & MGA, & Ellen Condon, Wiser Project, Rural Institute on Disabilities
Marc Gold & Associates 4101 Gautier-Vancleave Rd. #102
Gautier, MS 39553
Fax (228) 497-6966
Telephone (228) 497-6999
Email:
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