Supported Employment Program-South
Edgewater, Maryland
Contact
Christine Marley-Metz
Work Coordinator
Kristina Cooley
Job Coach
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
140 Stepney's Lane
Edgewater, Maryland 21037
Phone: 410-956-5150
410-956-5885
Fax: 410-956-5889
Mission
The Supported Program is based on the belief that programs for students with severe disabilities should be operated under a non-exclusion theory, where employment is the desired outcome for all students as they exit school. Transitioning for these students should begin building options and opportunities for independent and successful work and living needs at or about age 14, and continue until age 21 or completion of the educational program; and the individual needs of students are best met through the development of programs based on input from the student, parent/s, school personnel, and all relevant persons.
Organization
Organization Type: Education Agency, Local
Geographical Area: County
Primary Setting: Community-based training site, Competitive employment worksite, Supported employment worksite
Funding: No special external funding source
Consumers
Target Population: Secondary education students with disabilities
Disability Areas: All disabilities
NTA Framework Categories
Description
The Supported Employment Program-South (SEP-S) is a partnership between Anne Arundel County Schools and the area business community. It provides a community-based work experience and employment training program for nearly 100 students with disabilities from seven secondary schools in the mid to south and western portions of the county. Those schools in alphabetical order are: Annapolis High, Arundel High, Broadneck High, Central Special Education School, Phoenix Annapolis, Southern High, and South River High.
Based on research showing that people with cognitive disabilities do not generalize well from simulations to real settings, the Supported Employment Program provides vocational training to the students from ages 14 to 21 years in actual employment settings. This blended instruction takes place in area businesses through the cooperation of SEP-S’s outstanding business partners.
Each student has a "job" in one of the three categories of work training experience: enclave (team), individual (training), or individual (placement).
Enclaves (Training Teams)
An enclave is a group of 3 to 5 students trained at a worksite under the supervision of a job trainer. The job trainer teaches and documents progress toward IEP (Individualized Education Plan) objectives through jobsite tasks. Students are transported to and from the jobsites by public school bus. They work each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday that school is in session on a regular time schedule. They depart their home schools at 10:30 a.m. and return by 2:00 p.m. On the job time is approximately 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This is non-paid work experience training. The FSLA (Fair Labor Standards Act) guidelines are met in that student training assignments are reviewed every 9 weeks, with most students working at one site for 18 weeks. Most students have the opportunity to sample various job tasks over several years in this phase of instruction.
Individual (Training)
This step is an intermediate move used only when a student needs more independence to prepare for individual job placement or when no position matching his/her abilities has been found. The student works individually (not with a team) at a job site. Initially, a job trainer works with students intensely and fades as the student learns the job. The overall objective is to reduce the amount of direct job trainer/coach supervision needed by the student. The trainee's independence builds as s/he learns the duties of the job and learns to depend on the staff and procedures of the business place (natural supports). Ideally, the worker would increase skills to be on his/her own with the job trainer making periodic visits to document progress toward objectives and train new skills.
Individual (Placement)
The goal is for the student to hold a paid position. Job coaching is at a high intensity level at the beginning fading when job skills are learned and natural supports are in place. Incentives such as tax credits and other programs encourage employers to hire workers with disabilities. During the spring of graduation year (for most students), provided funding is available, the job coaching is transitioned through DORS (Division of Rehabilitation Services of the Maryland State Department of Education) to the Adult Service Provider chosen by the student. This adult service provider will provide the continued job coaching services needed by the client in the long term. These services are funded by the Developmental Disabilities Administration of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Evidence of Success
· Twenty-seven out of 32 students are already receiving S.S.I.
· Two students currently have applications in process with S.S.A.
· One student was turned down due to disability determination
· One student was turned down due to financial status
· One student was already receiving survivors benefits from S.S.A.
Updated 11/3/00