Questions:
1)Tell us a little about your site, what schools:
I am located in Madras and I serve Madras High School. Our site is currently Crook and Jefferson which includes Prineville and Culver High School. We also partner with Heart of Oregon Corps. Heart of Oregon has a fully operating thrift store here in Madras that serves as a job training site for current and potential YTP participants.
Howyou connectwith your with GenEd/SpEd departments? We maintain frequent and consistent contact with SpEd teachers/case managers regarding students who have upcoming IEPs throughout the year. We arrange with GenEd teachers to pull the student from class and meet one-on-one with the student to gather information by conducting an annual informal transition interview/survey. If the student is a senior, we also complete their ODE pre-exit interview. We type a report from the information that was gathered which can then be used in the IEP for post-secondary goals, transition planning, transition services, or summary of performance. This is also a perfect opportunity to screen potential YTP participants. During the interview/survey, we take the time to remind students of upcoming graduation requirements such as job shadowing in the community, community service or volunteer hours and their senior year project, AND how to upload the information onto the necessary school site. We use Naviance. If possible, we attend the IEP meeting and share the information that was gathered from the student during the interview/survey with GenEd and SpEd teachers that are attending the IEP meeting which is also an opportunity to network.
2)How do you manage and prioritize referrals?
Referrals are sometimes expedited if we are aware of an urgent need such as sudden employment or if a student is expected to exit school enrollment in the near future.
How does your site run on a day to day basis and how is the work week structured at your site (balance of training, outreach, job development, coaching)? Also, ideas for calendaring?When to do what during the year/seasons.
3)How do you obtain, manage, and prioritize student referrals?See above.
4)What about Pre-Ets, do you have a structured format already, if so, how does it work, and how are you tracking?
We are currently conductinga MEGIgroup which is a great activity for providing Pre-ETS. Students who are in job training at the thrift store receivePre-ETS the entire time they are on the clock. We also capture Pre-ETS with YTP participants who are in the job prep stage. Participants may be fulfilling their graduation requirement community service/volunteer hours or job shadow. We also create work experience opportunities for them such as perform cleaning duties at our local McDonald’s.
5)How do you work with VR, describe what you do, specifically how you collaborate on screening/referral, IPE development, development of employment, data captures, meetings etc.?
We set up appointments with our VR counselor when we have a client who has completed the application with our helpand provided all the necessary documents to begin the application process or when a client needs to meet with the counselor to begin drafting a plan or just meet to discuss progress. Most of the employment development happens without the VR counselor being directly involved and we maintain frequent contact via email, phone calls, texting, and meeting in person regarding the status of clients at various stages. This includes eligibility dates, IPE plan dates, employment status such as start dates and details such as hours, rate of pay, job title and duties, rehab dates, changes in hours or duties, when the client is in need of supplies, clothing, and equipment to be adequately prepared and supported while beginning or maintaining a job. We also often attendtrainingsand conferences together.
6)Any tips for success in marketing your program to the school and outsidecommunitythat lead to opportunities for students? Explain any substantial partnerships and how they were developed.
Exposure, exposure, exposure!! It’s all about who you know, the relationships that are developed, reputation, and being involved. It’s about educating partners and the community about our mission and what we have to offer. We attend chamber events, local employment 1stmeetingsand events, and communicate frequently with partners such as DD Services and Full Access. We are very conscientious about placing students in an environment that is a good fit and communicating to the employer that we truly believe the placement is a good match. We do everything in our power to make it work.