Certification Process for Discovery
Checklist I

Date Completed: / I. Preliminary Steps
Gather team
Assign roles to team members
Contact family and set-up meeting
Date Completed: / II. Initial Meeting
Explain customized employment to job seeker and family
Explain the discovery process to the job seeker and family
Get permission to take pictures for profile and portfolio
If a student, give them the “Family Transition Guide”
Get releases (such as access to information, photo releases) signed
Ask job seeker and family about the identification information in Part I of the profile. (If this information exists in another format, it is not necessary to ask these questions. Instead, confirm that the information is complete and accurate.)
Schedule initial meeting in the family’s home with job seeker and family:
Initial Meeting in Home Date: / Time:
Also ask::
Does the individual receive SSI or SSDI?
Does the job seeker (or family) have concerns, issues, or questions about SSA benefits?
Would the job seeker or family like you to schedule a benefits analysis?
What is the outcome for the discovery process?
Call a work-incentive specialist & give contact info for family (if requested).
Date Completed: / III. Before the Visit to the Person’s Home
Tour neighborhood
Note services in area
Note ease of walking to nearby areas
Make a list of businesses near the individual’s home
Date Completed: / IV. At the Initial Visit to the Person’s Home:
Chat with the job seeker and their family/loved ones (who they live with)
Ask Questions—(It’s not necessary to ask all of these questions at the initial meeting.
Also see “Suggested Questions for Discovery” document for a complete list of questions):
Weekday Daily Routines
Weekend Routines
About formal responsibilities, chores
About community activities
Volunteer work
Hobbies
What events or pivotal moments have most shaped the job seeker’s life?
What events and activities does the job seeker look forward to each year?
What skill does the job seeker have that most people don’t know about them?
Where/when are they at their best?
Where/when do they need the most support?
Other than immediate family members, whom does job seeker trust the most to give job developer information from a different perspective?
Close and trusted friends
Neighbors with good relationships
Professionals who care
Counselors
Teachers
Case managers
Service providers
Ethnic group/peer group
School friends
Church members
See:
Job seeker’s room (only if invited)
How job seeker does chores
How & what job seeker does for leisure
Schedule next visit to the home: Date: / Time:
Get details when job seeker is available for scheduled interactions/observations
Where: / Date: / Time:
Where: / Date: / Time:
Where: / Date: / Time:
V. Interviews

►  Contact and interview trusted people (from family’s suggestions). This activity is accomplished throughout Discovery, as scheduling permits. Try to interview two to three people each – not paid to deliver service, and paid to deliver service. Also, see list of “Suggested Questions for Discovery” for additional ideas.

Ask:

·  Describe your relationship with this person (how long you’ve known them, what context, etc.)

·  When you think about this person, tell me what you see.

·  Based on personal interactions with the job seeker, what would you say his or her interests are?

·  Based on personal interactions with the job seeker, what conditions would you say are necessary for he or she to be successful?

·  Have you had to modify tasks or activities for the job seeker? If so what did you do?

·  What were you doing when you had the best time with the job seeker?

·  When will job seeker and trusted person next be together? (possible observation time)

Date Completed:
Contact 1: / Time: / to
Call Notes:
Date Completed:
Contact 2: / Time: / to
Call Notes:
Date Completed:
Contact 3: / Time: / to
Call Notes:
Date Completed:
Contact 4: / Time: / to
Call Notes:
Date Completed:
Contact 5: / Time: / to
Call Notes:

►  Follow up with job seeker and family, describing the interviews that are being held, and clarify any confusing aspects of the interviews.

Date Completed: / VI. Home/Living Context Observation Time: / to
These visits and observations occur throughout discovery, and may deviate from the planned sequence.
Observe:
Typical Routines
General Interactions/Relationships/Associations/Friendships
Responsibilities/Tasks
Challenges/Solutions
Document Remarkable Moments (unplanned moments with behaviors/performances that merit documentation and description):
Motivation indicated
Supports offered/used
General Performance: Pace, correctness, consistency, stamina
Specific Tasks: what is it; does performance vary with tasks?
Connections
Concerns
If applicable, collect samples of the individual’s work.
Document Intentional Moments (occurring during a planned time of observation and described, even if they are seen as insignificant):
Motivation indicated
Supports offered/used
General Performance: Pace, correctness, consistency, stamina
Specific Tasks: what is it, doe performance vary with tasks?
Connections
concerns
Continue formal and informal conversations
Date Completed: / VII. Observation of Typical Life Activities Time: / to
Based on the previous interactions, target two to three typical life activities for observation throughout the remainder of Discovery.
Describe typical life activities in observation notes.
Scheduled interaction or general interaction?
For any observation of life activities, note if it is scheduled or general. If it is general, not if it is an intentional or remarkable moment.
Document Remarkable Moments:
Motivation indicated
Supports offered/used
General Performance: Pace, correctness, consistency, stamina
Specific Tasks: what is it; does performance vary with tasks?
Connections
Concerns
If applicable, collect samples of the individual’s work.
Document Intentional Moments:
Motivation indicated
Supports offered/used
General Performance: Pace, correctness, consistency, stamina
Specific Tasks: what is it; does performance vary with tasks?
Connections
Concerns
Conduct Informal Interviews
Document Focused Group Interactions
Date Completed: / VIII. Participation in Typical Life Activities Time: / to
This activity is distinguished from observation of TLA in that the facilitator participates with the individual during the activity as a companion/observer, rather than a remote observer.
These are scheduled interactions. Be careful to allow the individual to initiate the various decisions that are required to complete the activity. Be sure to intervene if negative consequences are likely to occur (fear, embarrassment, safety of individual).
Document Remarkable Moments:
Motivation indicated
Supports offered/used
General Performance: Pace, correctness, consistency, stamina
Specific Tasks: what is it; does performance vary with tasks?
Connections
Concerns
If applicable, collect samples of the individual’s work.
Document Intentional Moments:
Motivation indicated
Supports offered/used
General Performance: Pace, correctness, consistency, stamina
Specific Tasks: what is it; does performance vary with tasks?
Connections
Concerns
Conduct Informal Interview
Document Focused Group Interactions
Date Completed: / IX. Participation in Familiar Activity Time: / to
This aspect of Discovery should reference an activity in which the person is most familiar, experienced, and competent. The value of this activity is that it gives insight as to the supports needed and the competency of the individual in their employment setting, after familiarity and competence have been established 9time). Suggestions based on previous Discovery are welcome. One to two of these activities should be accomplished during Discovery.
Describe the activity step-by step through the process
Schedule a familiar activity late in training
Plan for the interaction by either visiting the context in advance, or reflecting on your knowledge of the activity in advance by writing decision steps that are necessary to accomplish the activity.
Motivation indicated
Supports offered/used
General Performance: Pace, correctness, consistency, stamina
Specific Tasks: what is it; does performance vary with tasks?
Connections
Concerns
If applicable, collect samples of the individual’s work.
Date Completed: / X. Participation in Unfamiliar Activity Time: / to
This aspect of Discovery should reference an activity that the individual has not yet participated in, but has shown interest in participating. The value of this activity is that it gives information for necessary supports early in employment. Be careful in selecting novel activities to match the individual’s conditions for success as closely as possible based on previous discovery.
Document Scheduled Interactions
Document Remarkable Moments:
Motivation indicated
Supports offered/used
General Performance: Pace, correctness, consistency, stamina
Specific Tasks: what is it; does performance vary with tasks?
Connections
Concerns
If applicable, collect samples of the individual’s work.
Document Intentional Moments:
Motivation indicated
Supports offered/used
General Performance: Pace, correctness, consistency, stamina
Specific Tasks: what is it; does performance vary with tasks?
Connections
Concerns
Conduct Informal Interviews
Document Focused Group Interactions
Date Completed: / XI. Return Visits to Individual’s Home Time: / to
One to three additional visits are typically necessary to gather all remaining information about the individual. Continue to focus on information NOT captured on previous visits to the individual’s home. These return visits become more informal, more in-depth, and possible longer, as the relationship with the individual with the individual and their family deepens. Continue to refer to the “Questions for Discovery” as a source.
Observe:
Typical Routines
General Interactions/Relationships/Associations/Friendships
Challenges/Solutions
Date Completed: / XII. Review Records/Record information Time: / to
This activity represents one of the final aspects of Discovery. Be sure to focus on the most positive aspects of existing records. If you find conflicts between what you see in the records, and what you know about the individual, lean toward what you know about the individual when writing the profile. If the written documents are available to you, it is not necessary to make additional notes. If the written records have to be returned, make notes about the contents of the record.
Files
Newspaper
Certificates/memorabilia
Internet/social network sites
Records of past and current activities
School Records
What was school Experience?
Inclusion or self-contained classes?
Same special education staff or moved to many schools?
Good attendance?
Accommodations used?
Prior vocational programming/performance:
What type?
Instructions?
Performance-level?
Supports?
Environmental conditions?
Job tasks?
Cautions
Solutions

Material compiled by Linda McDowell and Melynda Ross from information provided by Marc Gold and Associates (2010.) 1/13