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Careers of Choice
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Inclusion & Integration into Community Employment
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Enhanced Customized Employment Services
Dan's Case Study
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project on Customized Employment Customized Employment Case Study - The first step in delivering customized employment services is conducting Discovery to build rapport with and to get to know the job seeker. The focus is on the person’s strengths and interests as well as work preferences. Traditional assessments are replaced with qualitative interviewing and observations in the community. Job seekers are assisted in refining and identifying their interests for employment, and a position is negotiated that meets the person’s needs as well as a business need. Of critical importance is negotiating positions specific to job seekers’ interests and not trying to “fit” individuals into positions that are available. Trying to “fit” individuals with disabilities into existing positions has often excluded them from achieving integrated competitive employment outcomes. This case study provides details on how one young man was assisted in finding his customized position.
Journal Article
Defining customized employment as an evidence-based practice: The results of a focus group study - Customized employment has generated support at the national, state, and individual participant levels to expand employment for people with significant disabilities. The next step is movement from practitioner-based descriptions to evidenced-based practices that can be consistently replicated. The objective of this qualitative research study was to begin the development of a research-based description that agencies can use to replicate customized employment when supporting individuals with significant disabilities.
Upcoming Webcast - August 29
The Effectiveness of Customized Employment for Transition-age Youth with Disabilities - Virginia Commonwealth University was awarded a five-year grant to conduct research on Customized Employment for transition-age youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder. The grant's overall objective is to test the effectiveness of customized employment as an intervention to facilitate employment for youth with disabilities through a random control trial study. This webcast will provide a brief overview of the study but focus primarily on case study examples of the individuals who have achieved customized employment outcomes. This will include information on how each person's interests and preferences were identified through discovery and how their positions were customized.