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Transition: Taking a Different Approach Katrina Billiot, MSW Bridging the Gap Specialist ***** Rebecca Hoffmann-Spears, LCSW-BACS Clinical Director
Transition: Taking a Different Approach
Katrina Billiot, MSW Bridging the Gap Specialist
***** Rebecca Hoffmann-Spears, LCSW-BACS
Clinical Director
Objectives:
• Participants will be able to describe basic program elements/topics.
• Participants will be able to recall at least three different methods to engage transition students.
• Participants will be able to list a minimum of five educational, activity resources to use with transition students in the classroom.
THE STORY OF THE WRIGHT FAMILY Activity 1
What is the program
• Bridging the Gap began during the 2007-2008 school year as a joint, part –time program between the Lafourche Parish School System, Louisiana Rehabilitation Services and Options for Independence.
• Since the 2009-2010 school year, the program is a full-time benefit in the Lafourche Parish School Systems public high schools.
• Each student who participates in the program receives training in job and life skill areas through a small group setting. All services are provided in a non-traditional classroom setting. Trainings are designed to help students in defining career goals and in gaining work related and life related skills that are transferrable to the workplace.
• Assistance in locating employment and job coaching are also offered.
How the program is taught and why
• Career Focused and Strengths Based
• Classroom and Community Based Training
• Resource Management
PROGRAM CORE CONTENT WORK MATURITY SOCIAL
FUNCTIONAL
SKILLS
GENERAL CAREER
EXPLORATION
PRE-
EMPLOYMENT
SKILLS
EMPLOYMENT JOB RETENTION
Punctuality Problem Solving/
Reasoning
Self Assessment of
Abilities and
Interests
Labor Market
Information
How to Get and
Hold a Job
Reinforce Work
Maturity Skills
Attendance Independent
Living Skills
Matching Abilities
& Interests to a
Career
Career Decision
Making
You Can Get the
Job
Quality Work
Positive Attitude/
Behavior
Decision Making General Career
Research
Job Applications Self-Concept and
Work
Workplace
Supports
Appearance Integrity &
Honesty
Information
Gathering-
Employer &
Employee
Contacts
Resume’ First Weeks of
Work
Communication
with Supervisor
and Peers
Interpersonal
Relationships
Personal
Responsibility
Identification of
Steps Needed to
Reach Career Goal
Interviewing
Techniques & The
Interview
Earning Money
Now
Ongoing
Independent Living
Needs to Maintain
Employment
Program Access
• Referrals – LRS and school system
• Permission forms- If under 18 years of age, a student’s parent must sign an interagency agreement permission form for participation. Once 18 years of age, the participant can sign it on his/her behalf.
• Data forms – each student completes one him/herself so that data can be tracked throughout the year.
• Pre-test – Each student completes a pre-test to gauge his/her level of understanding of key work related concepts.
THIBODAUX HIGH SCHOOL
CENTRAL LAFOURCHE HIGH SCHOOL
South Lafourche High School
Incentives Incentives are used regularly with students to reinforce behavior/ participation in the classroom.
The Extras
• Field Trips – Field trips are designed to
expose students to “up close/hands on” views of their career interest.
– Examples of previous field trips include: Oilfield Industry Companies, Hospitals, Community Colleges, car dealerships, “Charlie’s Rig” and Job Corp.
• Guest Speakers - Guest Speakers are invited into the class throughout the school year. Each guest speaker focuses on a particular topic that is relevant to the employment interest of that class and/or the instructional topic.
- Examples of previous guest speakers include: local bank representatives, local car dealership representatives, oil field representatives, LRS, military representatives, adult education representatives, major retail executives and many more.
Links to Jobs
• Job Fairs – Each school coordinates a
job fair for all seniors and participants of BTG.
– Eligible, work ready students participate in the Louisiana Workforce Commissions “Work Pays” job fair every fall.
– Any other community job fairs that are available and relevant to students are attended by work ready BTG students.
• Job Shadowing – Job shadowing allows
students to see past just what a business offers and more of an experience of some of the day to day tasks and functions of the employees.
– Examples of job shadowing opportunities include: car dealership service and body shop departments, warehouse operations and manufacturing businesses.
Classroom Competitions
REGULAR COMPETITIONS
Class competitions are used regularly to reinforce taught skills. Competitions include:
• Mini Applications
• Mini Thank you
• Review of materials taught
• Best project or presentation
END OF THE YEAR COMPETITIONS
End of the year competitions consist of five categories that are taught throughout the school year. • GROOMING • FOLLOW UP THANK YOU LETTER
• APPLICATIONS • INTERVIEW • FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT A student is chosen from each category and awarded a prize. An overall winner is also chosen at each school based on highest overall point value in all five categories.
Job Development/Placement
• Time spent away from the classroom is largely spent in job
development and placement. Each workforce development specialist is expected to know his/her students’ career interest and seek out employment opportunities in those fields.
• Job Development and placement is always available to students: throughout the school year, after graduation and after previous successful job placement.
• For students involved with LRS, supported employment and job development/placement services are available. With this program, job coaching or follow-up through the agency is provided and reimbursed through LRS.
• Examples of job placements: retail, offshore, health industry (CNA), restaurant, etc.
Outside the Program
• Referrals Out – Similar to case management,
referral to outside agencies for housing, pregnancy related issues, further education, LRS, etc. are provided.
– Referrals within the school system itself are also provided: guidance, school social worker, drop out prevention specialists and PAC staff.
The Extras:
In order to provide everything needed for a student to obtain a job and independence, the program also covers cost for:
• Birth certificates
• TWIC cards
• State ID Cards
• Work uniforms
• Transportation costs to field trips, social security office, job corp., etc.
Putting all the Pieces together
As with any program, BTG requires that all of the different systems work together. On a regular basis, the program works in conjunction with the following staff: • Teacher of IEP authority • LRS counselor for each school • School drop out prevention specialist • Guidance Counselors • School social worker • Assistance principal over special education services • Pupil Appraisal staff including special education liaisons. • Business leaders – must work with employers to get jobs • Transition Core team members
Data
• Data System- Options for Independence used funding to develop a secure database system that records and tracks data for the program. The system was developed using the Louisiana Rehabilitation Services approved forms.
• Post test – At the end of the school year, each student completes a post test which can then be compared to the pre-test in order to see how much growth that student has gained over the course of a year.
• Satisfaction surveys – given out to each student upon exiting the program for the school year. The surveys are used by administration to make needed changes to the program.
Our Impact 2009-2010
Our Impact 2010-2011
Our Impact 2011-2012 School THS CLHS SLHS
Attendance Rate: 94% 90% 85%
# of students in program
56 54 61
# who submitted job applications
15 48 20
# successfully employed
6 28 33
# of students who “dropped out”
11 7 5
# of students who moved
0 3 2
# of students who returned for 2012-2013 school year
31 12 25
Funding
• LRS – Bridging the Gap is supported through a pilot with Louisiana Rehab
Services. Through this pilot, the following funding is provided based on how many days a registered student attends class during a month: • 1-2 = $50.00 • 3-4 = 100.00 • 5-6 = 150.00 • 7+ = 200.00
• School System – To provide for a full time program, it costs $50,000.00 per school per
year.
• Magellan – Organization is currently trying to work towards connecting supported
employment funding through Magellan with the work that is being done in the classroom. With this, school system funding may be decreased.
RESOURCES
M&M MADNESS Activity 2
What the Students Say:
• “I want to achieve all of my goals.”
-THS, G.T. 2010-2011 • “I wanna be successful.”
-THS, D.T. 2010-2011 • “I know where I’m headed in life.
Soon to be a college girl.” -THS, S.C. 2010-2011
• “I know that I can do these things.
I want to finish and be something.”
-THS, M.J. 2010-2011
• “I will miss you very much. I loved this class as well.”
-CLHS, B.B. 2010-2011 • “I’m the only person in my family
whose going to finish school and do something with my life. I want to be better.”
-SLHS, A.M. 2011-2012 • “ I like sitting in this class.”
-SLHS, T.E. 2011-2012
