Using Customized Employment for Individuals with Disabilities Who H ave Criminal Backgrounds Randy Dicks and Elizabeth Coles InVision Human Services November

Using Customized Employment for Individuals with Disabilities Who Have

Criminal Backgrounds

Randy Dicks and Elizabeth Coles InVision Human Services

November 15, 2011

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• Understand the basics of customized employment, primarily Discovery

• Understand how Discovery can teach us when we see an individual function “at their best”

• Understand how to deal with our “fear” and the fear the community feels towards offenders

• Understand how to create a useful Vocational Profile that will address the behaviors, while maintaining the safety of the community

• Learn how to monitor and adapt the Vocational Profile and job development process as needed

• Hear stories of success

Goals and Objectives

TACE Center: Region IV, a project of the Burton Blatt Institute.Funded by RSA Grant # H264A080021. © InVision Human Services

Perseverance is the Key.

• Image: Cartoon character selling mud pies for 10 cents, says: “I’ve been doing this for 47 years. They say perseverance is the key to success.”

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• Discovery: to gain insight or knowledge of something previously unseen or unknown; to notice or realize; to make known, reveal, disclose

• Used with permission from Marc Gold & Associates©

The Essence of Discovery


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The Iceberg Analogy of Discovery

What we usually know about the people we try to assist – just the tip of the iceberg.

We need to know much more – bottom of the iceberg.

Used with permission from Marc Gold & Associates©


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Diving into Discovery• What are we feeling?

Fear? Uncertainty? Excitement?

• It is common to experience all of these when we embark on a process that is new to us. The key is to proceed

with caution, but keep moving. Don’t be stagnate.


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• The individual

• Supports Coordination/VR Counselor

• Family

• Friends

• Staff

• Anyone who knows the individual well

Who is Involved in Discovery


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• Getting to know the individual

• Observing interactions with others

• Observing daily routines

• Chores

• Patterns

• Understanding skills/tasks the person uses everyday

Who is involved in Discovery (cont.)


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The Need to Refocus• Our backgrounds teach us

to focus on deficits: Johnnie can’t be around

people Timmy doesn’t understand

boundaries Mary is a thief Susie has been arrested

nine times but wants to work in a daycare

• We all have deficits/baggage that we carry with us. In our own lives we tend to overlook it and focus on the positive.


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What Do We Learn from Discovery?

Discovery leads us to discover three critical areas:

• Conditions

• Interests

• Contributions


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What are Your Conditions of Employment?


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What are your Interests?


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What are your Contributions?


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How Do I Use the Information I Gained in Discovery?

OK….. So now I have information, but this person is still an ex-offender…


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Employment and Discrimination

• While employers are generally not allowed to have blanket bars against hiring ex-offenders, they are permitted to consider the relationship between the criminal charges and the position being sought.


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Disclosure

• How

• What

• Where

• When

• Why

• Ensuring that we proceed with permission from the individual we are representing


Success Stories

• Image: Person putting laundry into washing machine

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• Some tools that are available for individuals with Developmental Disabilities specifically related to problematic sexual behavior:

• RRASOR or Static 99: review of records, provides baseline score for re-offending, looks at prior offenses

• ARMADILO-S: looks at risk and protective factors that correlate with the likelihood of re-offending

Tools


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• Client Specific

• Environmental Specific

• Image: Polar bear falling by sign that says “Watch for ice”

Areas of Risk


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• Feeling a need to protect the individual, and holding information;

• Assuming that therapy for issues leads to reduced risk;

• Overlooking little things, which often are acute risk factors (i.e. loss of a friend, staff, or job).

Under-Estimating Risk


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Over-Estimating Risk

• Thinking that a behavior will progress and get worse if certain things are not avoided;

• We (staff) are responsible, so we are in control;

• People have their personal assumptions of what indicates risk, without knowing that constitutes risk;

• People get stuck on stories from the past.


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• Identifies who may be a target for offenses, and where and under what conditions these offenses are most likely to occur;

• Outlines specific supervision requirements across all settings;

• Identifies any restrictions or external controls that are needed to safely support the individual within the community.

Components of the Risk Management Plan


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Change Comes from Within……

• You first have to envision what you want to accomplish, and then take steps to make it happen.


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Motivation

• We are in the business to motivate, not persecute.

• As a supporter you need to be respectful, genuine and empathic.

• Give guidance, avoid harsh judgments, and remember that change cannot be forced.

• Support self-efficacy; the goal is to help teach self-management skills so they can rely on themselves, not us or the system.


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Comments & Questions


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InVision Human Services

Randy DicksManager of Community and Employment Supports412-456-2144 ext. [email protected]

Elizabeth ColesProgram Supervisor, Employment Supports 412-456-2144 ext. [email protected]

• Customized Employment Training

• Customized Employment Technical Support

• Behavior Support Plan Development

• Risk Screenings for Problematic Sexual Behavior

• Risk Management Plans for Problematic Sexual Behavior

• Staff Training• Program Evaluation and

Development


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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THANK YOU!


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Offender Webinar Series

Obtaining Employment Outcomes for Individuals with Disabilities who have Criminal Backgrounds

• Archived – Providing Employment Services to Individuals with Disabilities who have Criminal Backgrounds

• Archived – Overview of the Legal Consideration Providers and VRCs should know when working with Offenders

• Today – Using Customized Employment for Individuals with Disabilities who have Criminal Backgrounds

• December 14, 2011 – Forensic Employment Programs for Offenders with Mental Health Disabilities


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Education Credits

CRCC Credit - (2.0) – DUE November 25

• Approved by Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) Participants must score 80% or better on a online Post

Test and submit an online CRCC Request Form via the MyTACE Portal.

CEU Credit - (0.2)• Approved by the University College at Syracuse

University Participants must submit an online CEU Request Form

via the MyTACE Portal.

My TACE Portal: TACEsoutheast.org/myportal


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Southeast TACE (Region IV)

Toll-free: (866) 518-7750 [voice/tty]

Fax: (404) 541-9002

Web: TACEsoutheast.org

My TACE Portal: TACEsoutheast.org/myportal

Email: [email protected]


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Disclaimer

This presentation was developed by the TACE Center: Region IV© 2011 with funds from the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) under the priority of Technical Assistance and Continuing Education Projects (TACE) – Grant #H264A080021. However, the contents of this presentation do not necessarily represent the policy of the RSA and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government [34 CFR 75.620 (b)].


Documents

Using Customized Employment for Individuals with Disabilities Who H ave Criminal Backgrounds Randy Dicks and Elizabeth Coles InVision Human Services November