Customized Employment Guide

Discovery

What is Discovery?

Discovery is a person centered planning approach where you begin with finding out who the participant is today and what skills they reveal in a variety of environments beyond the typical job setting.

What skills and interests can you discover by seeing them perform everyday activities at home and in the community with friends and neighbors?
What are the ideal conditions of employment?
What are the important support considerations?
What environment fits best and who else can help?
What other activities will help the team develop three broad vocational themes that describe this person's interests and skills and will be the basis for employment planning? (Griffin Hammis Associates)

Tips

  1. Are you interviewing all the significant people who know the individual and can provide information about skills and interests?
  2. Are you observing the participant in a variety of settings (home, community, employment) to see skills performed?
  3. Are you recording observations, skills and interests to begin developing vocational themes?

Links

Discovery and Exploration, One Stop Webcast and Powerpoint, Session 2
http://www.onestops.info/website.php?page=cearchives

Discovering My Abilities by Joe Steffy
Joe Steffy is an individual with multiple complex developmental disabilities. Watch Joe's PowerPoint Show that he created telling his story to owning Poppin Joe's Kettle Korn.
http://www.worksupport.com/training/online_seminars/steffy/steffy.cfm

Discovery applied to students transitioning from school to work. Principles are applicable to adults with disabilities also. Sample Forms are included. Work of Ellen Condon from University of Montana.
http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/transition/Discovery.asp

Using the Discovery Process to Custom Tailor Employment for William, a descriptive case study by Kim Brown and Ellen Condon
http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/transition/art_William_TASH.asp

The Ohio Microenterprise and Customized Employment Project. Griffin Hammis articles and resources along the right side.
http://griffinhammis.typepad.com/the_ohio_microenterprise_/

Webcast with Ellen Condon: Age Appropriate Transition Assessment and Discovery
http://www.ocali.org/ocali_on_demand/video/81