Employment Services

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An Overview of Employment Services

An increasing number of people who are mentally ill or have severe emotional problems want to be involved in some sort of meaningful activity.  For most of these individuals that equates to work. Unfortunately, traditional job development and work placement programs have failed due to a lack of attention to managing the emotional problems and mental illnesses that negatively interfere with obtaining and then maintaining community based competitive work. The cycle of failure in employment cannot be broken until all of the factors impacting upon an individual's ability to get and then keep a job are addressed. This is especially true for someone dealing with mental illness.

Employment Services are designed to improve each participant’s job seeking skills, to provide support during the job placement process and with job coaching once the placement occurs. An integral part of the program is to provide ongoing support to increase successful adjustment to competitive employment and ultimately increased job retention. 

Some of the skills participants need to develop include: completing job applications, writing resumes, and interviewing. Concentration on personal and interpersonal relations with supervisors and coworkers, appropriate work attire, punctuality, grooming and hygiene, socialization, transportation training, budgeting, coping skills and strategies, managing psychiatric symptoms in appropriate manner and the development of natural supports are also included.

The Center’s Employment Services is nationally certified by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and state certified by the Ohio Department of Mental Health.

Services Offered 

• CAREER TESTING 

  • Career Assessment Inventory    

    • Enhanced Version for college and non-college bound consumers 

    • Vocational Version for community college or trade school bound consumers

  • Career Ability Placement Survey

  • The Guide for Occupational Exploration Inventory

  • Barriers to Employment Success Inventory

  • The Job Search Attitude Inventory

  • SDS Assessment

  • SDS Job Finders

• COMMUNITY-BASED WORK TRIAL

• JOB COACHING

• JOB DEVELOPMENT 

• JOB PLACEMENT

• JOB SEEKING SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM 

  • JOB SHADOWING

  • PERSONAL AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT

  • WORK ADJUSTMENT

  • WORK EVALUATION

Employment Services and You

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES PROGRAM?

The goal of the program is to help you identify your employment barriers and secure part or full-time competitive employment in an area of occupational interest to you.

• Your initial appointment will either be with the Director of Employment Services or the Employment Services Social Worker. She/He will explain the employment program to you and, if necessary, complete a more formal mental health assessment. Following the completion of the paperwork, which includes a signed liability disclaimer, an employment services checklist and release of information forms, the Director or the Social Worker will schedule a second appointment to complete your Individualized Career Assessment.

• During the Individualized Career Assessment, we will discuss your current and future employment goals. We will review your entire work history and learn more about what is the best work environment for you. Emphasis will be placed on what stressors at work might trigger your mental health symptoms. We will also introduce you to the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR). BVR is a state-funded agency that could potentially help you to finance additional training or schooling in order to help you meet your vocational goals.

• If you are unsure of your employment goals, the Employment Department has numerous self-tests including the Job Search Attitude Inventory, Barriers to Employment Success Inventory and the Self-Directed Search. A licensed social worker will score your tests and review the results with you.

• If you are not utilizing any other services at The Counseling Center, the final step prior to being assigned to your Employment Services Specialist will be to develop and sign your Individualized Service Plan. This plan will determine both the specific and general behavioral and vocational goals that we agree to work on.

HOW CAN THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES PROGRAM HELP ME?

The Employment Services Program will work with you for a period of up to six months in order to help you obtain employment. Once you have become employed, we will provide supportive services for a period of up to nine months. After this period of time your services will be considered a success and you will continue on your own. You may, however, reenter services if you should lose your job or experience significant employment difficulties.

WHAT WILL MY EMPLOYMENT SPECIALIST DO FOR ME?

Your assigned Employment Services Specialist will provide job development, work adjustment, work assessment, and job coaching for you. It is important that you attend all scheduled meetings with your Employment Services Specialist so that your job search will be successful.

HOW CAN I MAKE MY JOB SEARCH SUCCESSFUL FOR ME?

Based on your individual needs, you may participate in the following services as designated by your Employment Services Specialist.

• Job Club: Job Club is a job readiness skills course which will help you to develop a resume, prepare for interviews and will give you the opportunity to interact with other individuals who are also looking for work. Job Club is voluntary and meets for two hours per week for a six-week period of time.

• Job Development: Your Employment Services Specialist will help you to make employment contacts in the community by helping you to fill out applications, offering you job leads and providing assistance with your resume.

• Work Adjustment: This is an opportunity for individuals who have not worked or who have a limited work history to spend a period of time (one to two months) learning specific employment skills in a competitive work environment.

• Work Assessment: Work Assessment is similar to Work Adjustment except that it focuses more specifically on determining your social, emotional and skill level for a period of up to three weeks. This is a voluntary work experience.

• Job Coaching: Your Employment Services Specialist will provide either on or off-site job coaching in order to acclimate you to your new work environment and maintain your job. Job Coaching consists primarily of providing the additional support needed for you to handle difficulties that might arise in the work place especially those that might involve your co-workers or supervisor.

The Employment Services Program is dedicated to helping you overcome those barriers that are preventing you from obtaining and maintaining employment; but the motivation to work and the desire to succeed must come from you!