The field of developmental disabilities is as multi-faceted, varied and intricate as anything imaginable. Most of the author's management and professional experience has centered on vocational opportunities and supported employment for people with significant disabilities. The author shares some thoughts and experiences about supporting people in…

The study attempted to identify activities performed by 47 job developers that positively or negatively influenced job placement. Variance in job placement was influenced by marketing activities, available job development time, use of specific client assessment procedures, frequency of use of trial job placements, and gender of the job developers.…

Forty-nine job developers were interviewed to identify the techniques and approaches used in successful job development for individuals with developmental disabilities. The interviews addressed such topics as the source and number of employer contacts, "opening lines" to employers, mention of disability, negotiations, interviews with job seekers,…

Designed for professionals in the field of mental illness and staff involved in providing on-the-job support for persons with mental illness, this book provides an overview of employment issues relevant to such workers. The 23 chapters of the book are organized in 5 sections. The first two sections provide background information about the clients…

The booklet describes the Parents Alliance Employment Project, a program to provide job development, job placement, and job coaching to persons with intellectual disabilities in the DuPage County, Illinois, area. The first four sections provide an introduction, explain the program's philosophy, describe the population served by the project, and…

Ways that 17 Massachusetts schools and 16 adult agencies promoted natural supports in employment of people with severe disabilities are discussed, along with the barriers they experienced. Results indicate wide use of some practices and confusion about the concept of natural supports and the role of service providers in facilitating involvement.…

This manual provides training information for implementing supported employment by using a customer-driven approach. Chapter 1, "Supported Employment: A Customer-Driven Approach" (Valerie Brooke and others), describes current best practices, a new customer-driven approach to supported employment, and the role of the employment specialist. Chapter…

This report summarizes the results of a 3-year project in the metropolitan Boston (Massachusetts) area designed to demonstrate job placement and support for individuals with multiple disabilities that include severe physical disabilities and mental retardation. The report summarizes project outcomes, the cost and range of supports that…

This manual is written for trainers working in the RehabMark system of employer development in vocational rehabilitation services. Videotapes are available to accompany lectures and other training activities, and materials for transparencies are provided in an appendix. After an introductory chapter, the first half of the manual contains training…

This manual is the employer-focused component workbook of a vocational rehabilitation program. Goals of the RehabMark approach include increased exposure of the rehabilitation agency in the local community, expanded contributions by the agency to community members, and services benefiting numerous clients simultaneously. The first half of the…

The Dispersed Heterogeneous Placement (DHP) supported employment project involved dispersal of three to five consumers across several departments/areas in a larger business or across several businesses in close proximity. The individuals placed had a wide range of talents and disability severity levels. Typically, a four-person site might have one…

This training manual provides practical guidelines for staff development in supported employment programs for individuals with severe disabilities. It provides information on designing and developing training programs using adult learning principles, for program managers or trainers responsible for implementing inservice training and technical…

This document profiles the job placement program for ex-offenders that the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) in New York City has implemented successfully since 1992. The document begins by describing the program's main components, which are as follows: (1) a 1-day recruitment and orientation program; (2) a 4-day life skills course; (3) an…