Colorado Customized Employment: Performance Based Certification

The following information on the drop-downs contain areas for mentors to provide feedback and support to new CE providers during a provider's first time providing CE services and up to 6 months of initial CE practice completing each desired CE service area (Discovery and Planning, Job Development, and/or Systematic Instruction).  This aligns with ACRE competencies with an emphasis on CE and "The Essential Elements of Customized Employment Universal Application" guidance created by WINTAC and YTAC.

Mentoring for the first 6 months (or sooner if mentor signs off that the provider is proficient in the service provision of the identified CE service area) of service provision is required to be eligible for Tier III rates for CE services in the DVR fee schedule. Providers are eligible to receive Tier III rates during this 6 month learning period, to be actively providing the service under mentor support.

Mentoring must adhere to the Mentoring Guidelines listed later in this page.

Discovery and Planning is gathering information from the job seeker and the CE support team to determine the job seeker's interests, skills, and preferences related to potential employment that guide the development of a customized job. Using the information learned about an individual job seeker in Discovery to develop a plan, with job seeker approval, toward meaningful employment, determine a list of potential employers, and conduct an analysis of benefits. Qualified CE Mentors support and mentor in the following areas when an individual is receiving mentoring for Discovery service provision

1. Person-Centered Discovery Process

Performs designing and implementing a person-centered Discovery and planning process for job seekers who are seeking customized employment. Demonstrates development of an information gathering plan for a specific individual utilizing Customized Employment.

2. Gather Information

Gather information utilizing person-centered practices to include and not limited by:

• Conducting home visits or individual’s preferred location Identifying and interviewing family members, friends, direct support professionals and/or others who know the individual well
• Exploring cultural and social background Reviewing individual’s past records
• Observing the individual in daily routines and environments
• Observing surrounding community, employment locations, and available transportation options

3. Opportunities for New Activities

With a person centered approach, Identify, develop, and document opportunities for new activities that will inform the initial career planning process. Activities and locations identified should be chosen and agreed to by the person, and they may include :

• Task-based
• Discovery activities in both familiar and novel locations, individually developed for each person based on his/her personal interests, in multiple community settings
• Community mapping with the job seeker Informational interviews, job shadows, tours of businesses

4. Define Ideal Conditions

Define the job seeker's ideal conditions of employment, learning, characteristics, interests, preferences, contributions, task competence, and support needs.

5. Document

Document information about the job seeker’s interests, support needs including transportation, successful support strategies, local business areas identified and described, and performance with notes and pictures, (e.g., specific chores, responsibilities, and tasks are identified; specific hobbies, collections, and possessions of significance are identified; background information on each is gathered; any rituals and routines are identified and then explained in detail).

6. Descriptive Notes

Capture what is learned in descriptive notes that detail:

• The job seeker’s opinions about discussed tasks, skills, and business settings
• Needed environmental or job-task modifications for the person to succeed in his/her choices of employment settings
• The availability of community supports and transportation
• Any necessary assistive technology or other accommodations If they are currently working observing in their work setting

7. Person-Centered Profile

Utilize a person-centered profile format or template (training entity may provide examples) for recording and capturing relevant job seeker information from the Discovery process.

8. Integrated Information

Integrate relevant information into a comprehensive, narrative, non-evaluative document that provides sufficient information to assist the job seeker in planning a career development strategy. Additionally, demonstrate the development and facilitation of a CE planning meeting or other individual CE team strategy. All information needs to be accessible to the job seeker so they can truly plan next steps in their career development strategies.

• Results in the identification of targeted job tasks and a listing of specific potential employers
• Identify accommodations that may be required for employment success
• Identify the contributions an individual could bring to a customized employment position
• Gather images and information to develop visual resume Identify technology solutions (e.g., video, apps, and other platforms) the person served would like to use in representing themselves/when represented
• Identify local and national resources for benefits planning information, including strategies to increase financial literacy and personal income while maintaining eligibility for or replacing critical benefits, including healthcare, through the use of Social Security work incentives (e.g., Plans for Achieving Self-Support (PASS Plans), Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWEs), Medicaid Buy-in, Continued Medicaid Eligibility (1619B), Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE), etc.)

9. Self-Employment

• Demonstrate how a CE plan might involve development of self-employment.
• Develop a strategy to determine feasibility for a self-employment approach.

10. Referrals

Demonstrate how to make referrals to appropriate local agencies, organizations, and networks based on individual career plans.

Customized Job Development is:

• working collaboratively with the individual and the employer to negotiate a customized job;
• the provision of supports, and;
• the terms of employment that will match the individual's interests, skills, conditions necessary for success, and specific contributions, and will fill the unmet needs of an employer.

Qualified CE Mentors support and mentor in the following areas when an individual is receiving mentoring for Customized Job Development service provision.

Marketing Plans

• Develop marketing plans and a system for organizing information on businesses and business contacts, including new area businesses and types of jobs available in the local area.
• Take the listed ACRE training with an emphasis on Customized Employment requirements and demonstrating adequate completion with mentor approval throughout all areas listed in this section.

Effective Presentation 

Demonstrate an Effective Presentation Designed for a Specific Audience:Develop and use marketing tools, including websites, employment brochures, fact sheets, cover letters to businesses, and business cards

• Plan and deliver presentations to groups of individuals and parents, advocacy groups, local civic organizations, service providers, and employers
• Participate in community business organizations (e.g., career centers, Chambers of Commerce, etc.)
• The CE job developer and the job seeker decide which representational materials they are going to use in their meetings with employers to highlight the job seeker’s positive work, skills, and personality

Demonstrate Ability

Job Developer Will Demonstrate Ability To:

• Promote the agency as a resource to help businesses meet their hiring needs
• Explain the various ways employment agencies can support businesses to hire and train employees with disabilities, including creating customized positions
• Understand and articulate the features and benefits offered by both supported employment and customized employment
• Target messages to the audience, rather than offering only one generic presentation or brochure
• Use language, images, and video that highlight skills, abilities, and interests of job seekers, and respect the job seeker’s disclosure choices
• Use business appropriate terminology/language
• Share information about incentives to businesses when hiring job seekers with disabilities (e.g., tax credits, on-the-job training, diversity goals, etc.)

Business Management

Utilize business management principles and/or process improvement methods, such as Lean or Six Sigma, to identify staffing, operational or workflow issues and other business needs.

Systematic Instruction or Workplace and Related Supports involves setting up ongoing post-placement supports and monitoring the employment relationship to ensure satisfaction of both the client and the employer. Qualified CE Mentors support and mentor in the following areas when an individual is receiving mentoring for Systematic Instruction service provision.

1. Negotiate

• Satisfactorily display ability to negotiate a comprehensive support plan with the employer that offers the new employee access to all the naturally existing features of the workplace. Utilize the employer/coworkers as primary trainers to the maximum extent possible. Offer the assistance of employment specialists/job coaches to provide additional support as needed. 
• Job coach will take the listed ACRE training with an emphasis in Customized Employment requirements and demonstrate adequate completion with mentor approval throughout all remaining items in this section.

2. Inclusive Job

Job Coach will satisfactorily ensure the employee enters the job in the most inclusive manner possible:

• Maximize the employee’s hours on the job, including natural social times (breaks and lunch)
• Support worksite personnel in introducing the new employee to coworkers
• Maintain adherence to typical new employee orientation and training procedures

3. Transportation

Job coach identifies and assists to arrange transportation to and from work:

• Facilitate transportation to and from work (e.g., natural supports, public transportation, paid transportation agreements, etc.)
• Provide travel training as needed or connect employee with other resources for travel training
• Explore creative transportation solutions such as rideshare apps

4. Job Analysis

Complete a comprehensive job analysis:

• Identify strategies for creating/designing jobs that make use of integrated and natural supports
• List in sequence the duties and requirements of the job as well as the approximate time required to perform each task
• Describe job skills needed for an employee to perform the job functions
• Develop task analyses as required and appropriate
• Identify reinforcers that are natural to the work site (e.g., praise from a coworker or boss; taking a break)
• Create a specific task list based on the new employee’s skills and support needs

5. Accommodate

Demonstrate the development of individualized accommodations to support a specific individual in a specific CE position.

6. Universal Design

Adequately identify accommodations and universal design strategies that match the needs of the worker and employer:

• Identify commonly available and non-stigmatizing accommodations and modifications
• Develop individualized adaptations, including assistive technology, low-tech and no-tech solutions
• Teach the employee, and natural supports where appropriate, to use the accommodation strategy selected
• Evaluate the need for/appropriateness of accommodations on an ongoing basis

7. Job Training

Satisfactorily implement the job training and fading plans based on completed job analysis. Collect data on effectiveness and modify job training plan as needed. Approaches may include:

• Providing consultation on systematic instruction to the natural/typical trainer in a business
• Increasing support to or temporarily stepping in for the natural trainer
• Temporarily increasing the reinforcement schedule and then strategically fading when data indicates task mastery
• Identifying, accessing, and using additional technological supports as needed
• Adjusting or modifying the tasks or duties only when the employment specialist has provided best practice systematic instruction and data indicates mastery is not occurring

8. Social/Behavioral

Job Coach will adequately demonstrate approaches to help individuals meet social/behavioral expectations of the workplace culture:

• Identify cultural norms of the workplace
• Where needed, develop a behavior change approach that includes describing behaviors in measurable and observable terms, identifying antecedents and consequences, and assessing the communicative functions of behaviors
• Evaluate options before implementing behavioral interventions
• Design strategies to support individuals in demonstrating socially acceptable behaviors

9. Workplace Supports

Job Coach will satisfactorily demonstrate strategies for developing workplace supports:

• Explore workplace/culture for opportunities for natural supports and how to implement them
• Facilitate training of the employee by his/her coworkers wherever possible
• Model and facilitate supports that promote inclusion and good social interactions rather than those which may be stigmatizing or stereotyping
• Facilitate mentor relationships between the employee and his/her coworkers Incorporate fading strategies in all workplace training plans
• Systematically fade supports as task mastery occurs and natural workplace supports are established

10. Job Stability

Job Coach will adequately demonstrate ability to maximize employee job performance and social inclusion to achieve job stability:

• Develop strategies to increase employee productivity/efficiency
• Assist the employee in using self-management strategies Identify strategies to increase the employee’s tolerance to workplace changes, such as new or multiple supervisors, added job duties, scheduling adjustments, and coworker assignments
• Identify strategies to mitigate job stress and anxiety
• Build collaborative relationships with family members and other service providers involved in supporting the employee
• Understand and adequately implement methods for providing long-term support for individuals, families, employers, and coworkers, including possible funding resources for all employment outcomes, including wage employment, resource ownership, and self-employment
• Understand and adequately implement strategies to provide support to the employee and employer in the event of a job separation or termination

11. Ongoing Review

Job Coach displays ability to structure ongoing review of both the employee’s performance and their satisfaction with the job, to determine additional or different support needs and explore opportunities for career advancement:

• Identify/develop tools, resources, and strategies to determine employer’s satisfaction with employee performance
• Identify/develop tools, resources, and strategies to determine employee’s satisfaction with their employment