School-Based Supported W ork/Supported EDlploYDlent Cornelia Costello, EdD Special Education Administrator High School Zone Office Boston Public Schools Roxbury, Massachusetts
When I ask teachers what is happening to a particular student when he or she leaves high school and the teacher answers that she doesn't know, it makes me ask, "What else doesn't she know about this student?" If teachers do not know what is happening to their students posthigh school, have they really prepared these students for adult life? The mission of school systems in general is to prepare every student to pursue further training post-high school or to get a job and be able to function in society as an upstanding, moral citizen. Transition from school to employment has presented challenges for those involved in the lives of students with disabilities. Wehman, Kregel, and Barcus have described vocational transition in the following definition. Vocational transition is a carefully planned process, which may be initiated either by school personnel or by adult service providers, to establish and implement a plan for either employment or additional vocational training of a handicapped student who will graduate or leave school in three to five years; such a process must involve special educators, vocational educators, parents and/or the student, an adult service system representative, and possibly an employer.'
Wehman, Moon, Everson, Wood, and Barcus state that the key aspects of this definition include the following.
1. Members of multiple disciplines and service delivery systems must participate. 2. Parental involvement is essential. 3. Vocational transition planning must occur well before 21 years of age. 4. The process must be planned and systematic. 5. The vocational service must be of quality nature. 2 Because students with disabilities move from an educational system that is mandated to an adult system that is not mandated, responsibilities of placement and other transitional issues become nebulous. The amount of money allocated yearly from the federal government for the education of the handicapped is approximately $300 million per state. The alnount of money allocated for adult rehabilitation service yearly is approximately $30 million per state. At this rate only lout of every 20 special education students is able to be served. As a result, many students with disabilities are sitting home post-high school. If a majority of students are unable to be served by adult service agencies, and only a small percentage of students with disabilities are working post-high school, something must change in the school curriculum in order for the mission of the school system to succeed for those students with disabilities. At the federal level, Congress amended the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in significant ways by designating more responsibility to school systems and enabling students
WORK 1992; 2(2):11-14
Copyright © 1992 by Andover Medical Publishers, Inc.
12
W 0 R K / WINTER 1992
with disabilities to make a smooth transition to the adult service system. The amended act was signed into law by President Bush, effective October 1, 1990. For the first time, transition services were required to be written into the annual Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) for every student age 16 and over (age 14 when appropriate). The language that has been added is: The term "transition services" means a coordinated set of activities for a student, designed within an outcomeoriented process, which promotes movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living or community participation. The coordinated set of activities shall be based upon the individual student's needs, taking into account the student's preferences and interests, and shall include instruction, community experiences, the development of employment and other postschool adult living objectives, and when appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation. 3
Interagency responsibilities for transition services must also be written into the IEP. Chapter 766, the Massachusetts law for education of the handicapped, has followed suit by using the same language as the amended federal law in their proposed changes for July 1992.
BOSTON'S RESPONSE TO THE TRANSITION INITIATIVE Fortunately, the Boston Public Schools system has been fulfilling the requirements of the federal law for several years by provid~ ing a supported work program. PROJECT S.T.R.I.V.E. (Supported Training to Reach Independence through Vocational Experiences), a model Boston Public Schools program, has had great success in helping moderate-to-severe special needs high school students make the critical transition from the classroom to the workplace. PROJECT S.T.R.I.V.E. students learn how-to-work skills, explore career options, "tryon" a variety of jobs, and find one that best matches their
skills and interests. Once a match is made, the student begins the transition, attending school part-time and working part-time; by their last year in the program, most are employed fulltime. What makes PROJECT S.T.R.I.V.E. unique is that students are fully integrated into the workplace, working side by side with other employees. They are real employees with real jobs. PROJECT S.T.R.I.V.E. begins in grade 9 when students are identified by their teacher and a Career Instruction Manager (CIM). Along with their regular academic program, students learn the social aspects of work; they also begin job site visits. At each job site they are asked, "Do you see something that is interesting? A job you'd like to do?" At the end of this exploration phase, students are placed in a part-time job, with an on-site job coach for support, encouragement, and advice. Each site is supervised by a CIM. Though their primary role is that of job developer, CIMs also serve as liaison, advocate, trainer, and troubleshooter for the student, employer, and family. Each student's placement is a team effort, increasing the chance for success. The involvement of the job coach and CIM gradually lessen as students become more comfortable and independent at the work site. The CIM also begins the transition process with local and state agencies such as the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Mental Retardation, and the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. By the student's 22nd birthday the transition is complete, with the employer and agencies taking over full responsibility for continuing support. As of 1991, PROJECT S.T.R.I.V.E. has approximately 200 students in supported work. With unemployment soaring and costs ofliving rising, the staff of PROJECT S.T.R.I.V.E. in Boston faces the very difficult task of developing and identifying job vacancies and then placing and training disabled students in these jobs. To compound an already difficult situation, the majority of the students in the program represent an extremely wide range of cultural differences and diversity. The majority of students
School-Based Supported Work/Supported Employment
are from economically disadvantaged families. Many of these families are experiencing serious dysfunctional situations related to problems such as neighborhood and domestic violence, drugs among youths as well as adults, and alcoholism. In addition, many of the program's students reside in inaccessible housing and have led sheltered lives in regard to tasks of everyday living, such as traveling on the public transit system or learning how to access and enjoy community facilities. All of these situations affect whether the student's competitive job site placement will prove to be a positive and viable experience. For example, a student placed in a challenging, paid job in the competitive sector but who receives negative parental attitudes at home regarding the idea of work is treated "differently" at work. This student may begin to dislike the particular job, or worse, the concept of work in general and ofleaving the safety of home and school for the integrated community setting. The staffofPRO]ECT S.T.R.LV.E. have developed specific strategies for dealing with negative family and parental attitudes toward work and independent living for their sons and daughters; possible prejudicial climates of the workplace toward members of minority groups and/or minority groups with special needs; and implementing effective and motivational community-based training whereby the students receive a full range of needed and "tailor-made" services. These strategies and services have included the following. 1. Counseling groups teach the students how to effectively and appropriately deal with and respond to possible prejudice in the workplace as well as other negative attitudes toward persons with disabilities that may occur at the job site and in other settings. 2. Meetings with parents and siblings instill the importance of independent skills training for the student. 3. Workshops and trainings for employers discuss cultural differences as well as issues related to employees who have disabilities. 4. Training and educational information to the school department, employers, and
13
families inform them about the new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the changes in special education legislation as reflected in the Individuals with Disabilities EducationAct(IDEA)of1990, PL 101-476 an amendment to PL 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975). Community-based training teaches students how to access public facili ties, utilize their earnings' ride the public transit system independently, make friends, deal with unfamiliar persons and places, and so forth by working directly with students. Also included in the project is job placement and training in competitive job sites. In summary, the project offers a full range of services to students who face a number of potential barriers which are not related solely to the various disabilities. Speaking a language other than English, living in dysfunctional home settings, and facing the daily threats related to street violence, crime, prejudice, and drugs are considered by the project staff when compiling a profile of each student. Realizing that various situations make each student unique, the project staff also realizes that it is essential to recognize the issue of cultural and racial differences while training students with disabilities to live and work in a complex society.
SUMMARY Supported work is a necessity at the high school level as the vocational option for those students who are unable to generalize from their vocational class at school to the workplace. The social skills that are necessary to succeed in the workplace are not included as part of the normal vocational curriculum; therefore, it is important to teach these skills in the natural environment of work. Lack of social skills is the primary cause of termination from a job for people with disabilities. It is also important to note that many of these social skills are transferable to the community and to other jobs. Ajob coach is able to teach and monitor appropriate
14
W 0 R K / WINTER 1992
social behavior on the job. If students are able to explore various jobs while in school, a good job match can be made for that student. Students who have worked in a competitive employment site are the most likely to succeed post-high school. During the high school years the job coach is able to gradually fade away while natural supports in the workplace (i.e., floor supervisor) take over. By the time students have reached 22 years of age, they are able to successfully continue in the job to which they are best suited; the amount of involvement by the adult service agency becomes minimal. In order to maximize the potential of supported work programs, social interactions with nondisabled peers prior to entering the workplace is imperative. Sometimes work has been the first experience that has been totally integrated for these students. In integrated settings, the opportunity for nondisabled and people with disabilities to engage in positive and reciprocal social interaction is critical, as crossgroup social interactions are necessary in order for people with disabilities to profit from friendship formation, attitude change, and observationallearning. 4 Social interactions which occur as incidental learning for most regular education students need to be taught in natural environments for special education students. Community-based
curriculum throughout elementary and middle school can enhance social skills and allow students to have a more varied high school vocational experience and easier transition to the workplace. Keeping students segregated has promoted learned helplessness and dependence. Integrated settings, community-based curriculum transition planning, and supported work during the school years maximize the potential for students leaving high school. School systems curricula needs to change at all levels so that these students are better prepared for work and the independence of adult life.
REFERENCES 1. Wehman P, Kregel], Barcus]M: From school to work: A vocational transitional model for handicapped students. Excep Childr 1985; 52(1): 25-37. 2. Wehman P, Moon 8M, Everson]M, Wood W, BarcusJM: Transition From School To Work. Baltimore: Paul Brookes, 1988. 3. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (PL 101-476). 4. Guarlni....k MJ: The efficacy ofintegrating handicapped children in early childhood settings: Research implications. Top Early Childh Spec Ed 1981; 1(1):57-71.
When I ask teachers what is happening to a particular student when he or she leaves high school and the teacher answers that she doesn't know, it makes me ask, "What else doesn't she know about this student?" If teachers do not know what is happening to their students posthigh school, have they really prepared these students for adult life? The mission of school systems in general is to prepare every student to pursue further training post-high school or to get a job and be able to function in society as an upstanding, moral citizen. Transition from school to employment has presented challenges for those involved in the lives of students with disabilities. Wehman, Kregel, and Barcus have described vocational transition in the following definition. Vocational transition is a carefully planned process, which may be initiated either by school personnel or by adult service providers, to establish and implement a plan for either employment or additional vocational training of a handicapped student who will graduate or leave school in three to five years; such a process must involve special educators, vocational educators, parents and/or the student, an adult service system representative, and possibly an employer.'
Wehman, Moon, Everson, Wood, and Barcus state that the key aspects of this definition include the following.
1. Members of multiple disciplines and service delivery systems must participate. 2. Parental involvement is essential. 3. Vocational transition planning must occur well before 21 years of age. 4. The process must be planned and systematic. 5. The vocational service must be of quality nature. 2 Because students with disabilities move from an educational system that is mandated to an adult system that is not mandated, responsibilities of placement and other transitional issues become nebulous. The amount of money allocated yearly from the federal government for the education of the handicapped is approximately $300 million per state. The alnount of money allocated for adult rehabilitation service yearly is approximately $30 million per state. At this rate only lout of every 20 special education students is able to be served. As a result, many students with disabilities are sitting home post-high school. If a majority of students are unable to be served by adult service agencies, and only a small percentage of students with disabilities are working post-high school, something must change in the school curriculum in order for the mission of the school system to succeed for those students with disabilities. At the federal level, Congress amended the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in significant ways by designating more responsibility to school systems and enabling students
WORK 1992; 2(2):11-14
Copyright © 1992 by Andover Medical Publishers, Inc.
12
W 0 R K / WINTER 1992
with disabilities to make a smooth transition to the adult service system. The amended act was signed into law by President Bush, effective October 1, 1990. For the first time, transition services were required to be written into the annual Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) for every student age 16 and over (age 14 when appropriate). The language that has been added is: The term "transition services" means a coordinated set of activities for a student, designed within an outcomeoriented process, which promotes movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living or community participation. The coordinated set of activities shall be based upon the individual student's needs, taking into account the student's preferences and interests, and shall include instruction, community experiences, the development of employment and other postschool adult living objectives, and when appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation. 3
Interagency responsibilities for transition services must also be written into the IEP. Chapter 766, the Massachusetts law for education of the handicapped, has followed suit by using the same language as the amended federal law in their proposed changes for July 1992.
BOSTON'S RESPONSE TO THE TRANSITION INITIATIVE Fortunately, the Boston Public Schools system has been fulfilling the requirements of the federal law for several years by provid~ ing a supported work program. PROJECT S.T.R.I.V.E. (Supported Training to Reach Independence through Vocational Experiences), a model Boston Public Schools program, has had great success in helping moderate-to-severe special needs high school students make the critical transition from the classroom to the workplace. PROJECT S.T.R.I.V.E. students learn how-to-work skills, explore career options, "tryon" a variety of jobs, and find one that best matches their
skills and interests. Once a match is made, the student begins the transition, attending school part-time and working part-time; by their last year in the program, most are employed fulltime. What makes PROJECT S.T.R.I.V.E. unique is that students are fully integrated into the workplace, working side by side with other employees. They are real employees with real jobs. PROJECT S.T.R.I.V.E. begins in grade 9 when students are identified by their teacher and a Career Instruction Manager (CIM). Along with their regular academic program, students learn the social aspects of work; they also begin job site visits. At each job site they are asked, "Do you see something that is interesting? A job you'd like to do?" At the end of this exploration phase, students are placed in a part-time job, with an on-site job coach for support, encouragement, and advice. Each site is supervised by a CIM. Though their primary role is that of job developer, CIMs also serve as liaison, advocate, trainer, and troubleshooter for the student, employer, and family. Each student's placement is a team effort, increasing the chance for success. The involvement of the job coach and CIM gradually lessen as students become more comfortable and independent at the work site. The CIM also begins the transition process with local and state agencies such as the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Mental Retardation, and the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. By the student's 22nd birthday the transition is complete, with the employer and agencies taking over full responsibility for continuing support. As of 1991, PROJECT S.T.R.I.V.E. has approximately 200 students in supported work. With unemployment soaring and costs ofliving rising, the staff of PROJECT S.T.R.I.V.E. in Boston faces the very difficult task of developing and identifying job vacancies and then placing and training disabled students in these jobs. To compound an already difficult situation, the majority of the students in the program represent an extremely wide range of cultural differences and diversity. The majority of students
School-Based Supported Work/Supported Employment
are from economically disadvantaged families. Many of these families are experiencing serious dysfunctional situations related to problems such as neighborhood and domestic violence, drugs among youths as well as adults, and alcoholism. In addition, many of the program's students reside in inaccessible housing and have led sheltered lives in regard to tasks of everyday living, such as traveling on the public transit system or learning how to access and enjoy community facilities. All of these situations affect whether the student's competitive job site placement will prove to be a positive and viable experience. For example, a student placed in a challenging, paid job in the competitive sector but who receives negative parental attitudes at home regarding the idea of work is treated "differently" at work. This student may begin to dislike the particular job, or worse, the concept of work in general and ofleaving the safety of home and school for the integrated community setting. The staffofPRO]ECT S.T.R.LV.E. have developed specific strategies for dealing with negative family and parental attitudes toward work and independent living for their sons and daughters; possible prejudicial climates of the workplace toward members of minority groups and/or minority groups with special needs; and implementing effective and motivational community-based training whereby the students receive a full range of needed and "tailor-made" services. These strategies and services have included the following. 1. Counseling groups teach the students how to effectively and appropriately deal with and respond to possible prejudice in the workplace as well as other negative attitudes toward persons with disabilities that may occur at the job site and in other settings. 2. Meetings with parents and siblings instill the importance of independent skills training for the student. 3. Workshops and trainings for employers discuss cultural differences as well as issues related to employees who have disabilities. 4. Training and educational information to the school department, employers, and
13
families inform them about the new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the changes in special education legislation as reflected in the Individuals with Disabilities EducationAct(IDEA)of1990, PL 101-476 an amendment to PL 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975). Community-based training teaches students how to access public facili ties, utilize their earnings' ride the public transit system independently, make friends, deal with unfamiliar persons and places, and so forth by working directly with students. Also included in the project is job placement and training in competitive job sites. In summary, the project offers a full range of services to students who face a number of potential barriers which are not related solely to the various disabilities. Speaking a language other than English, living in dysfunctional home settings, and facing the daily threats related to street violence, crime, prejudice, and drugs are considered by the project staff when compiling a profile of each student. Realizing that various situations make each student unique, the project staff also realizes that it is essential to recognize the issue of cultural and racial differences while training students with disabilities to live and work in a complex society.
SUMMARY Supported work is a necessity at the high school level as the vocational option for those students who are unable to generalize from their vocational class at school to the workplace. The social skills that are necessary to succeed in the workplace are not included as part of the normal vocational curriculum; therefore, it is important to teach these skills in the natural environment of work. Lack of social skills is the primary cause of termination from a job for people with disabilities. It is also important to note that many of these social skills are transferable to the community and to other jobs. Ajob coach is able to teach and monitor appropriate
14
W 0 R K / WINTER 1992
social behavior on the job. If students are able to explore various jobs while in school, a good job match can be made for that student. Students who have worked in a competitive employment site are the most likely to succeed post-high school. During the high school years the job coach is able to gradually fade away while natural supports in the workplace (i.e., floor supervisor) take over. By the time students have reached 22 years of age, they are able to successfully continue in the job to which they are best suited; the amount of involvement by the adult service agency becomes minimal. In order to maximize the potential of supported work programs, social interactions with nondisabled peers prior to entering the workplace is imperative. Sometimes work has been the first experience that has been totally integrated for these students. In integrated settings, the opportunity for nondisabled and people with disabilities to engage in positive and reciprocal social interaction is critical, as crossgroup social interactions are necessary in order for people with disabilities to profit from friendship formation, attitude change, and observationallearning. 4 Social interactions which occur as incidental learning for most regular education students need to be taught in natural environments for special education students. Community-based
curriculum throughout elementary and middle school can enhance social skills and allow students to have a more varied high school vocational experience and easier transition to the workplace. Keeping students segregated has promoted learned helplessness and dependence. Integrated settings, community-based curriculum transition planning, and supported work during the school years maximize the potential for students leaving high school. School systems curricula needs to change at all levels so that these students are better prepared for work and the independence of adult life.
REFERENCES 1. Wehman P, Kregel], Barcus]M: From school to work: A vocational transitional model for handicapped students. Excep Childr 1985; 52(1): 25-37. 2. Wehman P, Moon 8M, Everson]M, Wood W, BarcusJM: Transition From School To Work. Baltimore: Paul Brookes, 1988. 3. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (PL 101-476). 4. Guarlni....k MJ: The efficacy ofintegrating handicapped children in early childhood settings: Research implications. Top Early Childh Spec Ed 1981; 1(1):57-71.
