Successful Employment: Partnering in the Job Search Process
Training and Planning Support
to Improve Employment Opportunities and Outcomes
Friday, June 12, 2015
Catholic University of America’s Pryzbyla Center
620 Michigan Avenue, NE, Washington, DC.

This Successful Employment: Partnering in the Job Search Process is an interactive day designed for a number of audiences.

• Staff who have been trained as trainers in Customized Employment.
• People leading Provider Transformation efforts in their agencies
• Family advocates/leaders from the Supporting Families Community of Practice
• Self-advocates/leaders from Project ACTION!
• People involved in the transition-to-careers process for youth.
• Members of DC APSE
• DDS/DDA staff supporting provider transformation

The District of Columbia is committed to Employment First and support for creative career assessment and job development through the use of Discovery and Customized Employment strategies and approaches. Also, given that most people get jobs through networking, sessions will focus on the importance of building and using personal networks for career exploration and employment.

9:00 a.m. Registration & Networking

9:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon – General Session

• Overview of State-of-the-Art employment strategies, Discovery and Customized Employment, and current activities in the District supporting Employment First across agencies and across the life span.
• Partnering in the Job Search Process Panel: This panel, representing service providers for youth and adults, parents, self-advocates and key staff from District agencies that fund and support employment, will discuss how to partner in the job search process to maximize the use of community networks and resources to promote person- centered best practices.  Specific methods and examples of community based discovery and assessment, job development and customized employment will be discussed. Panelists will discuss strategies for implementing Employment First practices for all key stakeholders to support employment for youth and adults.

12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m. – Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Breakout sessions

Breakout Session 1: Partnering in the Job Search Process Workshop
This breakout session will discuss specific ways that family members and self-advocates can partners with provider organizations, school staff, and District agencies in the job search process, using community-based discovery processes leading to career exploration, work experiences, and job development.  This session also will focus on opportunities to build and use community networks and resources with and on behalf of youth and adult job seekers and to collaborate to ensure employment success.

Breakout Session 2: Leading Organizational Change: Increase the Capacity of Organizations to Achieve Employment Outcomes
This breakout session is designed for current and future trainers on Discovery and Customized Employment and service providers participating in one of the District’s Provider Transformation projects, all who are interested in increasing their capacity to provide customized employment services.  This capacity-building session will discuss strategies for orienting, training and supporting employment staff to provide effective customized employment services, and to support non-employment staff through the transformation process.  This session also will discuss approaches for determining how additional training, technical assistance and/or the work of a community of practice could support staff development and agency transformation leading to employment.

To register, please send the following information to Jestina Heroe at [email protected] and copy Rebecca Salon at [email protected]. If you do not have email, please call Jestina Heroe at 202-730-1586 or Rebecca Salon at 202-679-1262.

• Name:
• Group or Organization You Represent:
• Whether you are a provider, family member or self-advocate:
• Email address:
• Best phone number:
• Whether you will just attend the morning general session or the entire day

Co-sponsored by the:

• DC Developmental Disabilities Council
• DC Department on Disability Services
• St. John’s Community Services
• Project ACTION!
• Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities