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“Wherever a door is closed to anyone because of a disability, we must work to open it. Wherever any job or home or means of transportation is unfairly denied because of a disability, we must work to change it. Wherever any barrier stands between you and the full rights and dignity of citizenship, we must work to remove it, in the name of simple decency and simple justice.”
President George W. Bush (2001)
In-Roads to Employment
This is the Employment Services Division of the Occupational Center of Union County, a non-profit community vocational training facility. We are not an employment agency, but rather a specialized placement program, utilizing a person-centered approach. One person. One job. There’s no fee to the employer or our candidates for our services. To ensure job retention, we take the time to make the right job match. Our strategy is not just to get someone a job, but to make sure that the candidate and the employer are better off because of our efforts.
We specialize in placing pre-screened, pre-assessed quality candidates to match you employment needs. Employers have been very happy with our services and we would be proud to supply references for you to verify. Our clients are hardworking, dedicated and tend to be some of the longest retained employees. We work at this by providing strong and thorough follow up with our candidates and their employers after they are employed. This is an added value service at no fee to the employer.
In-Roads
“People with disabilities are a source of qualified workers that is frequently overlooked. This pool of workers represents one of the largest groups seeking employment in today’s market - some 9 million unemployed Americans with significant disabilities want to work.
Employers tell us that, once hired, this labor source provides some of the best employees within a corporation. They are generally dependable, dedicated, hardworking, and productive. In fact, employers report that the work ethic of disabled employees has a positive effect on the morale and production of their colleagues.”
Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (2003)
Advantages of using In-Roads to Employment
1. Perfect job match - capitalizing on the candidate’s strengths and maximizing their productivity.
2. Intense Job Coaching Services - at the beginning of a person’s employment with gradual fading out based on the individual employee’s needs.
3. Continual follow-up services available after successful placement.
4. Long-term valued employees, who historically have low absentee rates and strong loyalty to their jobs.
Definitions
Supported Employment is a program that presumes the employability of everyone in some type of job related to the individual’s interests and skills. A job developer works with the individual to identify the appropriate job and facilitates the process of attaining employment. A job coach provides the proper level of support needed to ensure the success of the individual. The ultimate goal - a satisfying career for the individual and a satisfied employer.
Job Developer is a trained professional who analyzes and meets the needs of their candidates and the business community. The job developer carefully matches job candidates with job requirements, thus saving the employer recruitment and interviewing time and expense.
Job Coach is a trained professional who assists an individual in learning the new job and succeeding in the work place. In addition to job-site training, job coaching includes related assessment, job development, counseling, advocacy, travel training, and other services needed to maintain the employment of a supported employee - at no cost to the employer. The job coaching is more intense at the beginning, and then can be faded out or go long term as needed.
Job Preparation and Placement
All of the Center’s participants are eligible for placement services including preparatory work as well as job matching leading to direct placement, or with the additional service of job coaching under Supported Employment funding.
What is the Ticket Program? The Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program is an employment program for people with disabilities who are interested in going to work. The Ticket Program is part of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 – legislation designed to remove many of the barriers that previously influenced people’s decisions about going to work because of the concerns over losing health care coverage. The goal of the Ticket Program is to increase full time work opportunities and choices for Social Security disability beneficiaries to obtain employment, vocational rehabilitation (VR), and other support services from public and private providers, employers, and other organizations.
What happens next when someone gets a Ticket?
»This is a voluntary employment-related Program. When an individual gets a Ticket, he or she is free to choose whether or not to use the Ticket as well as when to use the Ticket. If they decide to "assign" it (use it), they take it to a participating Employment Network in their local area or they can take it to a State VR Agency.
»Beneficiaries can only "assign" their Ticket to one EN (or VR Agency) at a time. They can change ENs if they are not satisfied with the services as long as they inform (in writing) the MAXIMUS Employment Network Coordinator that they wish to do so and why.
»Once a Ticket-holder identifies the EN (or the VR Agency) they want to "assign" their Ticket to, the Ticket-holder talks with and develops a written Individual Work Plan (IWP) with the EN, or an Individual Plan for Employment (IPE) with the VR agency, so that together they can agree on the employment goals desired. After this is done, the Ticket is considered "in use".
»When a person's Ticket is in use, no Medical Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) take place, as long as the beneficiary demonstrates they are making "timely progress" and/or working to meet the goals identified in their IWP. Demonstrating timely progress allows them to continue to benefit from suspension of their CDRs.
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