Our Supported Employment Services (SEP) are provided to customers who by virtue of their support needs have been found eligible for long-term support by an adult service agency. For a list of applicable adult service agencies, select your state under “locations” in the About Us section (on the top right).

Local school systems also provide long-term support funding to particular students as long as they are enrolled in school.

Supported employment services include the development of community-based employment, supplemental training, and long-term job site supports. Job site training will be in addition to the training the employer naturally provides. In addition, the role of Work Opportunities is to assist with the customer’s independence level through the development of natural supports. The development of natural supports involves building capacity within supervisors and coworkers at the job site to support the customer on the job. If transportation training is necessary, Work Opportunities will also assist the customer in identifying the best transportation method, train them to utilize the resource successfully and ensure the customer effectively and safely utilizes the resource long-term.

For those individuals requiring SEP services Work Opportunities delivers the following Outcomes:

• Complete a Customized Service Plan(within 30 days)
• Prepare Client for Job Search (within 30 days)
• Obtain a Job (within 90 days)
• Retain Employment for at least 180 days
• Achieve Customized Plan Goals
• Community Skill Development

View an SEP Case Study

The person-centered plan called the initial Customized Service Plan, is completed within 30 days after Work Opportunities Unlimited has been chosen as a customer’s provider. The goal of this service is to provide an opportunity for the customer to make informed decisions about their goals and services; and to communicate their plan to his/her support network. After the initial Customized Service Plan has been completed the customer can alter it at any time. At the very minimum, the Customized Service Plan will be updated and the process revisited on an annual basis. The Customized Service Plan is designed to help the customer prepare for and develop goals and objectives for their annual plan meeting, as well as, establish outcomes pertaining to employment.

The planning process begins with describing the process to the customer in order to assess interest and understanding. If following this description, the customer consents to taking part in the planning process then it must be decided who will be part of the Planning Team. The Planning Team can consist of any person the customer would like to participate. In the past, the Planning Team has included such people as: parents, Service Coordinators, friends, and other family members. The Planning Team will have an opportunity to contribute to the plan and review the goals and objectives once the customer has completed their plan. Once the planning team has been identified and the meeting date has been scheduled, the first one-on-one meeting with the customer will take place. This meeting includes only the plan facilitator and the customer in order to provide a relaxing and non-confrontational atmosphere in which to work. At this meeting the facilitator explains the process in detail, the maps that are available to be filled out, and the goal of the process. The goal of this meeting is to empower the customer by helping them see the value of long-term planning and how they can control that plan. By the end of the one-on-one meetings information will have been gathered pertaining to the customer’s personal interests, history, and preferences. Now it is time for the customer to present the plan to their Planning Team. The final meeting will culminate in the confirmation of the goals and objectives, as well as, the Customized Plan Outcomes (hours, wages, level of support, and transportation method).

Upon entering services with Work Opportunities Unlimited, each customer participates in an Employment Preparation Assessment which includes evaluating a person’s ability to fill out a job application, their resume skills, interviewing skills. From there the customer is trained on the skills necessary to be proficient with job applications, interviewing and resume development. In conjunction with skill training, accommodations to be sought for securing a job are outlined. The purpose of these activities is to create an effective job seeking strategy that allows for the maximum participation of the customer receiving services.

In order to increase the chances for successful independence and achievement on the job, a job match must be developed. Work Opportunities Unlimited learns about the customer through Customized Service Planning. At the culmination of the planning process, WOU facilitates the achievement of the employment goals of the customer. This facilitation includes teaching the customer to fulfill their roles and responsibilities of the job search, as well as, fulfilling the roles and responsibilities designated for WOU.

The WOU team contacts companies that are relevant to the customer’s job goal and those that are specifically identified in the Plan. These companies are contacted with the intent of meeting with them to conduct an analysis of their jobs and to ascertain the hiring needs of the company. It is during this analysis that the staff person introduces the concept of “job carving” if job tasks will need to be added or omitted in order to facilitate a job match. In some cases, a job shadow might be utilized if the customer would like or would benefit from seeing the job and the company to determine if the job will be a suitable match to their interests.

Once a job placement has been secured, a Retention Plan is created which outlines the expectations of the employer, the skills of the customer and the intervention strategies to be implemented in order for the customer to meet the employer’s expectations. The staff person, customer, and the employer work together to identify interventions that will be implemented to raise the customer’s performance level to meet expectations.

Our goal is to progress the person to the highest level of independence possible to ensure the customer meets the expectations of the employer, which in turn provides opportunity for the customer within their company. It is during the first 90 days of employment that many strategies are implemented via job site supports and off site supports. Some of the strategies include: natural support development, adaptive equipment, training for coworkers, job site modification, task adaptation, and prompting strategies. In many cases, the details regarding transportation are also being worked out during the first 90 days on the job.

Once the customer has successfully transitioned into the work environment and they understand their responsibilities, the supports needed to ensure the ongoing success of the job are implemented. WOU takes a pro-active approach to supports. WOU believes that the development of natural supports is necessary to the long-term success of each customer. Natural supports are a product of good communication and relationship building, both of which are positive outcomes. The development of natural supports has included the following: ASL, seizure training, and the learning style of the customer. The ultimate goal is to assist the customer in achieving their goals relative to work hours, pay rate, independence, transportation, and community involvement.

A Work Opportunities Unlimited retention plan
helps Marjolaine achieve success

Synopsis: This video describes how a customized retention plan created for Marjolaine helped her achieve success at her job working at Heilind Electronics. She works with her Career Resource Specialist (CRS), Elizabeth, who assists her with completing all steps and tasks on the plan. Narrated by David Dwyer, Senior Vice President and Vocational Division Leader.

The ultimate goal is to assist each customer in the achievement of the goals and objectives identified at the beginning of the service. The customer’s job goal and the objectives to achieve that goal will be the primary focus, therefore data will be collected to measure progress. In addition, to the goal and objectives the customer will have identified his/her preferences regarding the following:

• Hours worked per week
• Wage earned per hour
• Method of transportation
• Supervision level
• Community hours per week

Once a job placement is secured, the job vitals are compared to the customer’s preferences cited above to determine the degree to which the preferences have been achieved. If the preferences have not yet been met, then additional services and action items will be identified in order to achieve those preferences.

In an effort to customize the service in a way that allows the customer to be involved in his/her community, not only through employment, but through other community activities, Work Opportunities Unlimited can offer assistance. In most, but not all cases, community involvement is facilitated through employment, however the following may be offered as a supplement to employment:

• Accessing volunteer employment
• Retain volunteer employment
• Participation in work assessments and other career exploration activities
• Accessing gym memberships
• Enrolling and support in further education
• Participation in community activities
• Budgeting and banking
• Accessing community services such as the library, public transportation, and the post office.