Graceful Transitions

  Welcome back as we continue to discuss Employability Skills and the Local Industry standards. We will continue to look at ways you can support your individual NOW for competitive employment. We will pick back up looking at Work Preparedness.  Work Preparedness: Manage personal grooming and hygiene In the world of work, clean is king! Aside from the typical thought process with hygiene of showering, dressing, and brushing teeth, sneaky Independent Living joins the party too.  Family Practice Ideas: Encourage the use of a napkin when eating. If this isn’t where you thought we’d start, you’re right, but a common thing seen in training programs is food on the mouth or clothes after lunch or a snack break. A wonderful worker can enter work with the help of family looking shiny and ready and end it all in a 15 minute break.  Work the individual’s morning routine to having them brush their teeth in their pajamas or before they put their work shirt on and wipe their mouth ...

  Welcome back as we continue to discuss Employability Skills and the Local Industry Standards. We will continue to look at ways you can support your individual NOW for competitive employment. We will pick back up looking at Work Preparedness.  Work Preparedness: Self-manage medications It may seem odd to look at managing medication when thinking about employment, it seems a better fit for Independent Living, however it falls in both categories. It falls under both categories because many individuals with disabilities have medications that require ongoing specific usage to perform at its best, therefore managing medications is an important part of successful employment. In some workplaces there is a location where acetaminophen and ibuprofen are available for employees to access independently when they need it.  Family Practice Ideas: Include your individual when calling or entering refills, have them complete the parts they can, assist where you must. This could mean wri...

  Welcome back as we continue to discuss Employability Skills and the Local Industry standards. We will continue to look at ways you can support your individual NOW for competitive employment. We will pick back up looking at Workplace Tolerances.  Physical Abilities and Workplace Tolerances: Demonstrate Work Stamina for at least 4 Hours Competitive part-time employment typically has a minimum of four hours per shift. This is why this standard was set the way it was. After four hours is when a lunch or longer break can be given. In addition, part-time employment is typically preferred by Vocational Rehabilitation.  Family Practice Ideas:  Encourage enjoyable physical activity for 30 minutes 3-5 days a week.  Keep an 80/20 nourishing diet as possible.  Encourage hydration with water and electrolytes.  Limit screen time, I know, I know. But, there is quite a bit of evidence connecting screen time, attention and sleep. Here is a supporting article from Pe...

Welcome back as we continue to discuss Employability Skills and the Local Industry standards. We will continue to look at ways you can support your individual NOW for competitive employment. We will pick back up looking at Workplace Tolerances.  Physical Abilities and Workplace Tolerances: Tolerate Environmental Conditions for Job of Interest This means an employee can tolerate the conditions of the job as defined in the job description. For example, individuals who have seizures that are triggered by heat wouldn’t seek outdoor positions and be able to recognize and explain this. The important part of this is distinguishing between tolerate and unhealthy. For example, I can tolerate fluorescent lighting, but find it helpful to eat lunch outside to have a break from it. These are skills and strategies that can and should be taught.  Family Practice Ideas: When in various settings, discuss ways to keep healthy and safe. For example, when at a community event outside, when and ho...

  Welcome back to our installments of Employability Skills and the Local Industry Standards. We will begin looking at standards for Competitive Employment, as it is one of the most common goals among individuals with disabilities seeking employment. According to the Local Industry Standards the definition of Competitive Employment is, “work performed by a person with a disability in an integrated setting at minimum wage or higher and at a rate comparable to non-disabled workers performing the same tasks”.The first section is Physical Abilities and Work Tolerances. It is important to keep in mind when discussing Competitive Employment that accommodations cannot change items in the job description, but make them easier to complete. While accommodations can be provided for individuals who need them for physical needs, the skills noted are common requirements in inclusive employment. Physical Abilities and Work Tolerances: Independently Navigate the Environment This skill means an empl...

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, “46% of new employees fail within 18 months, and of these 89% fail because of a lack of soft skills, such as professionalism or the ability to get along with others.” What was once known as “soft skills”, now known as employability skills, are a set of  interpersonal skills an employee demonstrates, not the actual job tasks. Most of the time an employee with good Employability Skills can be taught hard skills. This is especially true in the population of individuals with disabilities. It is frequently found that if individuals with disabilities can be coached to have good Employability Skills they regularly prove to be better employees. Businesses who have employed individuals with disabilities report better retention, better attendance, and more consistent work performance.  In St. Louis the Community Transition team and Special School District of St. Louis County developed Local Industry Standards that align to Missouri...