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Transition, Employment, and Careers Capacity Building (TEC)


LA-Louisiana State University Human Development Center - New Orleans, UCEDD/LEND
Program Type UCEDD Fiscal Year 2020
Contact Susan Killam, MEd, CWIC, CESP
Email [email protected]    
Phone 504-556-7564    
Project Description
NEED: Supported Employment providers in the state need access to quality, comprehensive training that responds to the needs of job seekers as well as the requirements of state agencies.

OVERALL GOALS/OBJECTIVES. This Project (more properly thought of as an intitiative of the UCEDD spanning several small projects through a variety of activities including: (a) 40 hour competency-based core curriculum for Supported Employment provider executives, job coach/employment specialists, and state agency (e.g., VR, I/DD, Medicaid)personnel, case managers, and 15 hour Continuing Education training, (b) SE awareness and advocacy training targeting persons with I/DD, families and advocates, c) technical assistance through mentoring SE agency staff to support difficult to serve job seekers through the employment seeking and reimbursement process, and d) direct services to job seekers (e.g., assessment and job-sie support).

UNUSUAL FEATURES. The core SE training uses a combination of formats, i.e., 3 days in classroom, 8 hours of online learning, 1/2 day follow-up with case studies and 3 portolio assignment reviews per participant. Job-seeker/self-advocate, advocate awareness and advocacy training is provided to attempt to build grass roots demand and higher expectations for access to, and quality of, SE services. Finally, the TA-mentoring actitivies are designed to assist local SE provider agencies gain experience successfully supporting persons whom they have not successfully suppored to acheive employment outcomes in the past.
EXPECTED BENEFITS. This comprehensive approach ensures that all the necessary elements for systems change are in place, at least locally. We anticipate that building the capacity to achieve positive employment outcomes "one person" and "one agency" at a time will result in greater demand from job seekers and families-which will translate to more interest and capacity among service providers and state agencies.