United States Department of Labor

Integrated Employment Toolkit

	Youth			Adult
		The transition from school to employment is a critical time in the lives of youth with disabilities. Collected here are strategies to help youth and their families access the full range of support available to prepare them for successful transition into integrated, competitive employment.

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Q&A: Individuals and Family Members - Youth

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1. How can I make sure that my school helps prepare me for a job?

Title Author Resource Guideposts for Success The National Center on Workforce and Disability/Youth (NCWD) PDF These five guideposts mark the path of successful transition into the workforce for youth with disabilities. Each guidepost provides examples of experiential learning opportunities and recommended supports. Successful Transition Models for Youth with Mental Health Needs: A Guide for Workforce Professionals National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) PDF This brief suggests successful service models for helping youth with mental health needs transition from school into the workplace. Based on a study of exemplary youth service delivery programs offering integrated care focused on career preparation, it reviews the six design features of successful transition programs. Graduation Requirements and Diploma Options for Students with Disabilities: What Families and Advocates Need to Know National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) PDF This guide explains the different types of high school diplomas that schools can offer, and provides a framework for youth, families, and Individual Education Program (IEP) teams to decide which is the best fit based on the student's needs and career goals. Person-Centered Planning: A Tool for Transition The PACER Center (Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights) PDF This brief explains "person-centered planning" as a process of involving youth with disabilities and the people who know them best in mapping out how to help them achieve their goals for adulthood. School staff members can serve as facilitators for this process. Self-Employment Q&A: Information on Entrepreneurship for Youth with Disabilities Barbara Kaufman, Christy Stuart, Joan Willis, Rhonda Basha, and Rachel Dorman PDF Entrepreneurship education teaches more than just how to start a business, it also teaches how to solve problems and develop leadership skills. This brief explains how entrepreneurship education and other work-based learning experiences can be a meaningful part of the transition from school to work.

2. What is available to help me get and keep a job when I leave school?

Title Author Resource Customized Employment: Solutions for Youth with Disabilities The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy Video This video showcases customized employment as a strategy for transitioning youth with disabilities moving into employment. (00:05:10) The Work Site: About the Ticket to Work Program The Social Security Administration URL This Web site explains the Ticket to Work Program and other Social Security Administration programs and work incentives to help you transition into work without losing your benefits. Making the Move to Managing Your Own Personal Assistance Services (PAS): A Toolkit for Youth with Disabilities Transitioning to Adulthood The National Center on Workforce and Disability/Youth (NCWD) PDF This toolkit guides users through deciding if Personal Assistance Services (PAS) would be a good support for them while living independently and pursuing school or employment. It addresses how to identify your needs and write a clear job description, interview and select PAS candidates, and manage and evaluate the PAS. Customized Employment Q&A: Workplace Supports Virginia Commonwealth University and the Institute for Community Inclusion PDF This fact sheet explains what workplace supports are - partners and procedures that help people get their jobs done efficiently and effectively - and how they are used by employees with and without disabilities. It also covers how to assess when additional supports are needed and who can help implement them. The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with Disabilities The National Center on Workforce and Disability/Youth (NCWD) PDF This interactive workbook guides young adults through making the decision about disclosing their disabilities using a self-determination framework.

3. What can my family members do to help me and my school prepare for a job when I leave school?

Title Author Resource Creating a Path to Employment: Tips for Parents with Children with Disabilities The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy PDF This resource offers some simple ideas for how parents can help their young adult children with disabilities explore their future work and education, such as ways to create leadership opportunities and develop social skills. Addressing Parental Concerns Fact Sheet Katherine Inge PDF This fact sheet addresses common questions a parent might have about community-based employment, like "how would my son/daughter learn the skills in the workplace?" and "wouldn't going to work mean losing the friends my son/daughter has made in the extended employment program?" Family Manual: Transition to Employment and Adult Services for Youth with Developmental Disabilities in Illinois The ARC of Illinois PDF This comprehensive guide for families of youth with disabilities addresses special education and transition planning, adult services and supports, and health insurance during employment. It gives examples of ways families can help their children prepare for transition throughout their childhood, even as early as elementary school. Self-Employment Q&A: Frequently Asked Questions from Families Cary Griffin and David Hammis PDF This fact sheet answers parents' questions about self-employment for their children with disabilities, including how to turn a hobby into a business, if community-based wage employment is a necessary precursor to self-employment, and how to finance a small business. Making the Move to Managing Your Own Personal Assistance Services (PAS): A Toolkit for Youth with Disabilities Transitioning to Adulthood The National Center on Workforce and Disability/Youth (NCWD) PDF This toolkit guides users through deciding if Personal Assistance Services (PAS) would be a good support for them while living independently and pursuing school or employment. It addresses how to identify your needs and write a clear job description, interview and select PAS candidates, and manage and evaluate the PAS. Youth and Disability Disclosure: The Role of Families and Advocates The National Center on Workforce and Disability/Youth (NCWD) PDF This brief helps family members understand the benefits and potential disadvantages of disclosure for youth with disabilities, both in the workplace and in post-secondary education. Graduation Requirements and Diploma Options for Students with Disabilities: What Families and Advocates Need to Know National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) PDF This guide explains the different types of high school diplomas that schools can offer, and provides a framework for youth, families, and Individual Education Program (IEP) teams to decide which is the best fit based on the student's needs and career goals.

4. I want to make my own decisions about where I work. How can I do that?

Title Author Resource Networking: A Consumer Guide to an Effective Job Search The Institute for Community Inclusion PDF This guide demystifies "networking," including what it means, how you do it, and how it can help you land the perfect job! It also provides some sample questions to ask during an informational interview. Making the Move to Managing Your Own Personal Assistance Services (PAS): A Toolkit for Youth with Disabilities Transitioning to Adulthood The National Center on Workforce and Disability/Youth (NCWD) PDF This toolkit guides users through deciding if Personal Assistance Services (PAS) would be a good support for them while living independently and pursuing school or employment. It addresses how to identify your needs and write a clear job description, interview and select PAS candidates, and manage and evaluate the PAS.

5. If I have Social Security benefits, how will working and earning wages affect my benefits?

Title Author Resource Get a Job! How Employment Affects Your Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid Benefits Connie Ferrell, Valerie Brooke, John Kregel, and Elizabeth Getzel PDF This simple guide explains how working affects your SSI and Medicaid benefits. It includes information about SSI employment supports: 1619 A&B, earned income exclusion, impairment related work expense, blind work expense, Plan for Achieving Self Support (PASS), and Expedited Reinstatement (Easy Back On), and gives detailed examples of how people have managed the finances of working, going to school, and supporting themselves. Customized Employment Q&A: Addressing Concerns Related to Losing Social Security and Health Care Benefits Virginia Commonwealth University and the Institute for Community Inclusion PDF This fact sheet answers common questions about SSDI/SSI/CDB eligibility, how to maintain Medicaid and other benefit coverage when going to work, how and what to report to the SSA when you go to work, and work supports and incentives.