Supported Employment: A Customer-Driven Approach

       

 
Jobs Employment, Career Job, Employment Job

   A relatively short time ago, there was a pervasive perception that individuals with significant
disabilities were incapable of competitive employment job. The predominant philosophy during this
period suggested that individuals with significant disabilities needed to be “fixed”, “cured”,
“prevocationally trained”, or “habilitated” before they could have a legitimate work life. Over the
past 15 years, this perception has been drastically altered. Supported employment job has played a major
role in changing these perceptions.
         One of the greatest strengths of supported employment is the sheer simplicity of its concept:
to assist persons with severe or significant disabilities in obtaining and maintaining community
integrated competitive employment through specifically planned supports. The philosophy completely
turns the old service delivery paradigm aside and puts the focus on the consumer or customer of the
service. Yet, the field has been fraught with confusion, even from the very early years of supported
employment. Evidence of this con-fusion can be found in the original Job Coach Training Manual
published by VCU-RRTC in the early 1980's. The glossary of terms defined the similarities and
differences between the supported work model of competitive employment, supported competitive
employment, job coach model, individual placement model, supported jobs, competitive employment,
bench work model, mobile work crews, and transitional employment. Many national supported
employment experts have attributed the loss of focus and intensity in supported employment
implementation efforts to the confusion about the basic premise of supported employment and a lack
of understanding of best practices and technology. This chapter will attempt to remedy this issue
by sharing historical information, current best practices, as well as a new customer-driven approach
to supported employment.