10/12/2016

1

Pittsburgh Model: Pre-

Employment Transition

Services Continuum

Kim Robinson, Pittsburgh OVR PETS Supervisor

John Miller, Pittsburgh OVR Business Services Supervisor

1Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

Office of Vocational

Rehabilitation (OVR)Mission

To assist Pennsylvanians

with disabilities to prepare for,

obtain and maintain employment

and independence.

10/12/2016

2

OVR’s Impact

>

OVR provided services to over 70,000Pennsylvanians with disabilities in 2015

Increased Services to Youth with Disabilities:

• Requires State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to make “Pre-employment Transition Services” available to allstudents with disabilities (PETS).

• Requires State VR agencies to set aside at least 15 percent of their Federal VR program funds to provide pre-employment transition services to assist students with disabilities make the transition from secondary school to postsecondary education programs and competitive integrated employment.

• Allows State VR agencies to prioritize serving students with disabilities.

Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

WIOA Services to Youth with Disabilities

10/12/2016

3

Why do Pre-Employment Transition Services (PETS)?

Increased Services to Youth with Disabilities:

• Requires State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to make “Pre-employment Transition Services” available to all students with disabilities (PETS).

• Requires State VR agencies to set aside at least 15 percent of their Federal VR program funds to provide pre-employment transition services to assist students with disabilities make the transition from secondary school to postsecondary education programs and competitive integrated employment.

• Allows State VR agencies to prioritize serving students with disabilities.

WIOA Services to Youth with Disabilities

Pre- Employment Transition Services for Students

5 Required PETS Activities Include:

• Job Exploration Counseling

• Facilitation of Work Based Learning Experiences

• Counseling on opportunities for enrollment in comprehensive transition or post secondary educations programs

• Workplace Readiness Training

• Instruction in Self Advocacy, which may include peer mentoring and independent living skills

10/12/2016

4

WIOA Services to Youth with Disabilities

>

• Attend IEP meetings for students with disabilities when invited;

• Work with local workforce development boards, One-Stop centers, and

employers to develop work opportunities for students with disabilities;

• Work with schools, to coordinate and guarantee the provision of pre-

employment transitions services;

• Attend person-centered planning meetings for individuals receiving

services under Title 19 of Social Security Act, when invited.

4 Coordination Activities:

Pre- Employment Transition Services for Students

WIOA Services to Youth with Disabilities

Section 511

WIOA established two new requirements that must be met in order for a worker with a disability to be paid a subminimum wage (effective July 22, 2016): • 1) Individuals with disabilities 24 and younger (youth) must be

provided with various services designed to improve their access to competitive integrated employment, including transition services, vocational rehabilitation and career counseling services, before they are employed at a subminimum wage; and

• 2) All workers, including youth, must be regularly provided with career counseling and information about training opportunities as a condition of payment of a subminimum wage.

10/12/2016

5

WIOA does not eliminate the school’s

responsibility to provide appropriate

transition services. They should continue to

provide the same or enhanced transition

services to students.

School Role Remains Unchanged

Paid work experiences for students

Summer Academies

College for a Day

Job Shadowing

Customized Employment

Work Based Learning Experiences (WBLE): paid work

experiences for youth who need onsite supports

Independent Living Skills Instruction

Workplace Readiness Training

Self-Advocacy Instruction

13

NEW Services

10/12/2016

6

Career Exploration Starting at Age 14 (groups and events)

•OVR 101

•IEP Consultation

•Field trips

•Mock interviews

•Job Shadowing without supports

•Disability Mentoring Day

•Tours of postsecondary programs

•Employer presentations or guest speakers

•Career and/or resource fairs

•Volunteer opportunities in

•community

•Mentorship programs

•College for a Day programs

10/12/2016

7

Career Exploration Starting at Age 14 (groups and events)

•Group presentations on:

•How to receive accommodations

•Self-advocacy

•How to be prepared to work with OVR

•Overcoming barriers to employment

•Training programs

•Financial aid

•Career Fields

•Completing job applications

•Soft skills

•Interviewing

•Budgeting

•Early Reach Initiative

•Entitlement vs. Eligibility

•Self-Determination

•Transition milestones

•Goal planning

•Disability Sensitivity

Self Exploration11th Grade or 2 Years Prior to Graduation

(start of individual services)

•IEP Consultation

•OVR Application

•Eligibility determination

•IPE

•Collaboration meeting where career goals are discussed

•Tours of Project SEARCH

•On the Job Training (OJT) Contracts for seasonal, internship, or

temporary employment

•Authorization of incidentals for OJT placement (not PETS)

•21 and Able programs

•Governor's Summer Internships

•Vocational evaluations

10/12/2016

8

Self Exploration11th Grade or 2 Years Prior to Graduation

(start of individual services)

•Individual or group counseling on:•Employment barriers

•Completing job applications

•Soft skills

•Personal Work Adjustment Training

•Psychological Testing

•Job Shadowing

•Community Based Assessments

•Work Based Learning Experiences

•Job Shadowing with supports

•Promoting Academic Success (PAS)

*Any Group presentation from previous grades*

Career Planning12th Grade or Final Year of High School

(focus on individual counseling and planning)

•IPE Amendment to reflect training or other transition plans

•SSA benefits counseling

•Individual counseling on:

• How to receive college and job accommodations

•Postsecondary options

•Financial Aid

•Choosing a career goal

•Employment barriers

•Job requirements and suitability of goals

10/12/2016

9

Career Planning12th Grade or Final Year of High School

(focus on individual counseling and planning)

•Individual Counseling on:

•Completing job applications

•Soft skills

•Interviewing

•Authorization and individual review of:

•Project SEARCH

•Assistive Technology evaluations

•Driver's instruction (based on family income)

*Any group presentation and/or individual service from previous grades*

TransitionSpring of Final Year to Age 21

(Services and training)

•Complete financial aid paperwork

•OJTs for part-time or full-time permanent employment

•OJTs for internships, externships, and other work experiences

•OJTs for temporary and seasonal employment

•Referral for placement with Business Services

10/12/2016

10

TransitionSpring of Final Year to Age 21

(Services and training)

•Beginning of non-PETS activities that are based on FNT:

•Comprehensive Transition Programs

•Purchase of AT for training

•Job coaching contracts

•Financial aid for college/university

•Financial aid for vocational training

•Financial aid for apprenticeships, trade schools, and technical schools

*Any group presentation and/or individual service up to age 21 if student continues in postsecondary education*

How will we do this?

Increased collaborations with schools to coordinate and guarantee the provision of group

and individual pre-employment transitions services:

• Job Exploration Counseling

• Work Based Learning Experiences and Job Shadowing

• Counseling on enrollment in post secondary training programs

• Workplace Readiness Training

• Instruction in Self Advocacy and Independent Living

Increased collaborations with schools, employers and providers to develop job

shadowing and paid work experiences for students with disabilities;

Increased capacity to pursue cost sharing agreements with schools to develop

innovative programs

10/12/2016

11

It Begins with a Continuum Meeting!

• Pittsburgh has over 80 schools—every one is

different!

• Liaison counselors assigned to all schools for

more than 10 years

• Meetings started in August 2015: VRC, ERC,

and BSOD team member present on their

unique roles and evaluate district’s business

needs. RCDHHs, ODP, community agencies

included as appropriate.

The OVR Transition Team

• School personnel

• Early Reach Coordinator

• VR Counselor

• Business Services Team member

• RCDHH (if applicable)

• ODP (if applicable)

• Community providers (if applicable)

10/12/2016

12

Early Reach

• Community outreach

• Provide group presentations to

students

• Preparing students to be ready for

individual OVR services

Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling

• Individual services begin 2 years prior to date

of graduation

• Point of contact

• Completes applications, IPEs, eligibilities

• Provides and/or authorizes all individual

services

10/12/2016

13

Business Services

• Employer outreach to connect

high school students to job

sites for exploration and

learning experiences

Core Pre-Employment Transition Business Services

• Workplace tours

• Job Shadowing (without supports)

• On the Job Training (OJT) Contracts

• Employer Presentations/Career Days

• Mock Interviews

10/12/2016

14

Click to add footer text >

OVR Jobs for AllOn the Job Training (OJT) – Designed for youth age 25 and younger)

* Paid Internships and Non-Permanent Employment:

Temporary, seasonal or summer work for youth that may not

be consistent with the youth’s long term employment goal.

OVR can offer wage reimbursement to an employer to offset

training costs for a negotiated rate.

* Permanent Employment: Full-time or part-time work that is

consistent with the youth’s long term employment goal.

OVR can offer wage reimbursement to an employer to offset

training costs for a negotiated rate.

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

Example: Paid Work Experiences

10/12/2016

15

MY Work Initiative

Partnering with local government:

• 9+ municipalities in Allegheny County participated in the Municipality Youth (MY Work Initiative) program

• Positions were created within local municipalities to give students valuable work experience and income this summer.

• 50+ high school students with disabilities were hired

• Students worked to 30 hours per week at $8.50 per hour.

• Most positions are outdoor maintenance, office assistants, indoor maintenance, and program assistants in childcare or eldercare.

• Positions were easily accessible and in the students’ local community

• Communities benefited from beautification projects and additional summer help.

Example: Career Exploration

Launch Academy

• Program focused on exploration of STEM careers

• Students visited 7 training programs

• Students met with 15+ employers through current employer

partnerships:

• Worksite tours

• Reverse job fair

• Demonstrations

• Mock interviews

• Employer panels

10/12/2016

16

Example: Counseling on Postsecondary Options

• CollegeBound with CCAC (9th grade-11th grade)

• College for a Day with CCAC (11th grade and up)

• Promoting Academic Success (PAS) with CCAC--

pre college class for students starting in 11th grade

Example: Paid Work Experiences

Pittsburgh Public Start on Success (SOS)

Pittsburgh Public has had a long standing program that has

included paid work experiences in the senior year

Pittsburgh Public, OVR, and the Three Rivers Workforce

Investment Board (TRWIB) are collaborating to fund the

student wages through On the Job Training contracts (OJT)

10/12/2016

17

Example: Self Advocacy Instruction

AIU• Includes 3 schools currently serving students with the

most significant disabilities: Mon Valley School, Sunrise School, and Pathfinder School

• Schools currently contract with AIU for services such as community based assessments, work based learning experiences with job coaches, independent living skills instruction, mobility training, etc.

• Provider agreements will allow Pittsburgh BVRS to expand current services and reach all suburban school districts and charter schools in Allegheny County

Example: Workplace Readiness Training

BVRS Giant Eagle Program

OVR took over program as of July 2016

BVRS is available to provide workplace readiness training

to students interested in working for Giant Eagle

Successful students may be placed into OJT contracts with

Giant Eagle

Job supports may be available to students who need onsite

training or assistance

10/12/2016

18

Example: Workplace Readiness Training

• Full school year program

• Approximately 12 students

• Led by certified instructors and job coaches.

• Students in their final year of high school

• Students rotate through unpaid internships and

receive continual feedback.

• Goal is competitive integrated employment

• At the end of the program, students may be

eligible for employment.

Project SEARCH

Where are we now?

• Over 75% of schools in Allegheny County have already

met with their OVR teams and begun the conversation

about collaboration

• 175 11th graders have open cases to receive individual

services

• Over 500 12th graders (and beyond) have open cases to

receive individual services

10/12/2016

19

What’s Next?

• Contact our Early Reach Coordinators to

start group services for youth starting at

age 14

• Students with disabilities who are within 2

years of graduation should apply for OVR

services

• Stay in touch through our newsletter

Launch

10/12/2016

20

Questions?