mg&a marc gold & associates discovery: finding the direction to facilitate successful...

MG&A

Marc Gold & Associates

Discovery: Finding the Direction to Facilitate Successful Employment

The touchstone of customization:

“Who is this person?”

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Marc Gold & Associates4101 Gautier-Vancleave Rd. Ste. 102, Gautier, MS 39553 (228) 497-6999

We need to discover

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

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What we usually know about the people we try to assist

We need to know it all

The Iceberg Analogy of Discovery

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The role of discovery

Discovery provides, in a non-traditional, common-sense form, the information needed to determine the strengths, needs, and interests of any person with complex life issues.

This is accomplished by simply

addressing the question, “Who is this person?”

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Discovery and Customization

These are compatible concepts that are used sequentially to facilitate employment for students who might otherwise not achieve employment.

Discovery provides the foundation information for individuals that is then used to customize a position with an employer.

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To Test or Not to Test…

In the 1970’s Marc Gold admonished the disability field to “Train, Don’t Test”.

Today, Customized Employment extends that admonition to “Discover, Don’t Test”.

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Discovery and Traditional Assessment

Discovery seeks to identify already-existing information rather than developing information solely for the purposes of evaluation.

Identifying a direction for employment is based on information obtained from the person's entire life and not from an instance of performance.

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The discovery process focuses more on ecological validity than predictive validity. It is more important that the direction to employment makes sense in relation to a person's life than to attempt to predict success based on test performance.

The information of discovery is used only as a guide for matching and customization and may not used to systematically exclude a person from employment.

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The use of discovery frees the individual from the necessity of taking standardized or norm-referenced tests to prove their readiness. Readiness to begin work is assumed for all applicants.

The profile strategy seeks to empower and involve applicants, their families and friends rather than to exclude them. Natural, common sense approaches to employment are given priority over strategies which rely solely on professional judgment and service.

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Need for Discovery

Discovery is often assumed, we think “what we see is what they’ve got.”

Information on an individual is often disjointed, different people have different parts of the “puzzle.”

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Need for Discovery

Complexity is like a fog, obscuring the best of who people are. Discovery shows us the impact of

life complexity on work. When we discover rather than test, a

useful description of a person starts to emerge.

It shows possibilities and leads to things a person is motivated to do rather than to fears, negativity and deficits.

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Discovery is…

A process that involves getting to know people, or helping them get to know themselves, before we help them plan

Spending time with applicants, instead of testing or evaluating them, as a means of finding out who they are

The best way to find out the best that people have to offer

A common-sense strategy to determine complexities and preferences

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Discovery is…

A way to identify the unique contributions offered by those who might not compete as well as others

Enhanced when we get to know people in settings where they are most who they are

Not a plan, but the foundation of employment planning, that seeks to customize outcomes

Compatible with self-determination and customer choice

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Beyond Asking

Asking works for some of the people some of the time.

What about for others? Different people ask and get different

answers. The same person can ask at different

times and get different answers. Too often, people simply do not have

an accurate, thoughtful sound bite with which to answer such a question as important as “What do you want to do?”.

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Rule of Thumb for Asking

It’s more important to look at what people do than it is to simply follow what they say.

Of course, we always listen, but it’s necessary to get well beyond listening to verbal answers, into people’s lives.

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Discovery allows us to determine who the applicant is, their complexities, and potential contributions to employers.

Discovery Process

Responsibilities

Challenges

Transportation

Complexities

Hobbies

Skills

Interest Areas

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Approaches to Discovery

Discovery can either be: 1. Facilitated by someone else,

typically an employment professional

Who is he?

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2. Part of a group experience

These guys will

help me

discover

myself

It’s a two way street

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3. Accomplished through “self-discovery”

Individuals can “paint” their own picture of who they are.

Who am I?

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The tools of Facilitated Discovery

The tools of facilitated discovery can be intuitive and informal, but they are also the time-honored tools of qualitative researchers: interview and conversation, observation and time together, review of existing information and organization of newly discovered information.

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Strategies for Facilitated Discovery

Conversation

Interview

Time together

Observation

Participation with the applicant in activities both familiar and novel

Finally, Review of records

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Additional Strategies for Facilitated Discovery

When above strategies are not sufficient:

Structured situational assessments or discrepancy analyses

Targeted evaluations to answer specific questions

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The “Who” of Discovery

The person of concern

Their family and loved ones

Close and trusted friends

Neighbors with good relationships

Professionals who care Counselors Teachers Doctors Service providers

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The “Where” of Discovery

Home: Discovery starts where relationships start – at home

Neighborhood Local Community

Places where the person is “most who they are”

School One-stop center Outdoors/

Recreation

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Let’s Experience Discovery: Ask your partner:

1) What is something about you that most people don’t know?

2) Where/when are you at your best?3) Where/when are you at your worst?4) Other than spouse/parents/partner/

kids, who knows you best?5) What makes it worth – other than your

work – getting out of bed in the morning?

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Meet Andrew in High School

Andy was a typical young person with a disability

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The School’s view of Andy

At eighteen years old, he was still viewed as a young child who was not “ready” to enter into a life as an employed adult

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Testing results…

“able to remain focused for approx. 30 minutes

“he would say ‘too hard and cease work’

Reading Comp: 1.6 grade level

SRA non-verbal reasoning test: 4th percentile

Minn. Clerical test: 1st percentile, timed & un-timed

WREST: “very poor range in all areas

Productivity rate 6% On work samples:

“accuracy improved very slowly with practice and constant one-one supervision”

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The negative impression of testing

“Relative to all work samples administered, it appeared that Mr. Cosel’s performance was best when tasks involved no more than one or two steps.”

“Due to Mr. Cosel’s very low level of productivity and his need for constant supervision, traditional employment is not feasible at this time. Training and education which enables him to practice simple manual skills such as packaging and sorting should be explored in the future.”

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Beyond the Evaluation

In order to find an optimistic path towards employment, in light of poor test performance and low expectations, it was necessary to get to know Andy much more deeply than who he seemed to be those who knew him professionally.

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New dimensions of his personality, skills and interests

His pastime activities gave us insight into skills that the tests did not identify

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Andy’s hobbies and interests gave perspective to his overall character

From Computers

To musical interests…

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Getting personal

From bathing…

To toileting accommodations

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Family and friends

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Support from his service dog

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Employment experiences

Delivering cash receipts

Assisting warehouse personnel

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Importance of Discovery

Facilitated Discovery provided a clear, alternative picture of Andy. It provided sufficient information and direction to develop a plan for customized job development.

Andy started work at teaching hospital at SUNY Stoney Brook on Long Island after job development by his family.

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Andy was responsible for delivery of data processing information to 82 departs. within the hospital

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Still working…

Although Andy is still working today, ten years later, if he loses his job or wants another he will still need customized strategies and supports to become re-employed. Here is what a customized representation strategy might look like…

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Discovery strategies…The individual’s home:

1. Set a time to visit the individual’s home with parents and family available.

2. Before or after the meeting, drive throughout the immediate neighborhood for a radius of about 1/4 to ½ mile noting relevant dimensions.

3. Meet with the individual and his/her parents or representatives at their home. The meeting should last approximately 1½ hours. Permission should be obtained.

4. Return to the individual’s home for additional information, unstructured conversation, observation and interviews.

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Discovery strategies…

Interviews with family, staff and others:

1. Interview selected staff who have provided the person of concern with instruction and support.

2. Contact advocates, neighbors and close friends of the student to gain information concerning the student’s social life, skills, preferences and connections.

3. Have both structured and informal conversations with the student, as appropriate, to determine their perspectives.

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1. Focus on the student of concern for observation as he/she participants in routine aspects of classroom activities.

2. Hold a group sharing experience with student peers that generates positive comments

3. Implement a “unit” approach for Phase 1 students in the classroom

4. Enlist the assistance of fellow teachers, school staff and administrators to offer perspective on student.

Discovery in school

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Observations and participation in the neighborhood and community:

1. Observe the person in a sample of the activities – school, home & community -- that comprise the majority of his/her day.

2. Accompany the person on planned community activities, both familiar and novel.

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