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Beacon of Employment Excellence Grant at Step By Step, Inc.
How the BEES Grant
Impacted Step By Step
Vocational Services Department
The Purpose of the BEES Grant
• To build the capacity of Community Rehabilitation Programs to provide high quality employment services as described in the “Quality Indicators for Competitive Employment Outcomes & Indicator Form” available at: http://www.worksupport.com/research/viewContent.cfm/631
• Beacons of Employment Excellence are programs that are committed to an employment first priority for services focused on work that provides individuals with a disability real jobs with full community integration, the potential for benefits, and the dignity that arises from gainful employment.
• These programs are intended to be the foundation for a statewide network of providers that can serve as mentors and leadership examples for other programs seeking to strengthen their employment services and supports.
Recommended Activities from the RFA
• Organizational development activities that focus on developing an employment first mission and goals for the program
• Staff reorganization and staff development that position the program to expand capacity and sustain high quality employment services
• Activities with program participants and their families that facilitated informed choice on employment preferences
• Marketing and related activities that strengthen linkages with the local business community and expand potential employment opportunities
• Other organizational development activities focused on strengthening sustainability of employment first mission and goals
Step By Step, Inc.
An Introduction
Step By Step, Inc. (from the website: stepbystepusa.com )
• Since 1977, Step By Step, Inc. has provided community support services to children and adults in Pennsylvania with mental illness, intellectual disabilities and autism. We are a non-profit agency committed to enhancing the quality of life and personal growth of those we serve.
• Step By Step provides services to more than 2,000 individuals, in the Northeast, Southeast, Lehigh Valley and Western regions of Pennsylvania. The Agency is a Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) “qualified provider” of more than 25 distinct services, which are offered to 14 counties in the Commonwealth.
• All of our services are either licensed by DPW or are fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation facilities. (CARF)
• Whether providing day programs for adults and seniors or finding jobs and housing for clients, our singular focus is improving the lives of people with disabilities.
Some Information about our Vocational Program
• Step By Step, Inc.’s Vocational Program is CARF accredited in three service areas. The areas of accreditation are: Employment Services: Community Employment Service: Job Supports, Employment Services: Community Employment Service: Job-site Training, and Employment Services: Employment Planning Service
• The program is designed to serve people with all disabilities. From initial contact throughout the life of the job Step By Step, Inc. Vocational Services works to maintain relationships with consumers and employers that are beneficial to both parties. Our philosophy is that a good job match leads to greater success for both the consumer and employer. It is equally important to recognize problems sometimes occur. Often these problems are easily resolved but we also know that sometimes we must dissolve a relationship. This allows for us to continue good relationships with our consumers and employers.
• We began fiscal year 2009/2010 with 97 people in service. Throughout the year we had an additional 81 referrals. In total we served 178 individuals in fiscal year 09/10
• As of 8-31-2010 we have a total of 93 individuals in service. 28 people are in extended service. Of those 28, 5 people have a mental health diagnosis and the remainder have a developmental disability.
Staffing
• And those 178 individuals were served by
• 2 full time employment specialists
• 2 part time employment specialists
• 3 part time job coaches
Step By Step, Inc. Vocational Services
Receives a BEES Grant
The grant allows for up to $25,000.00 in reimbursement.
Our grant was to focus on enhancing our services to individuals with mental illness.
In response to the grant we determined a series of Goals
• Goal #1: Raise the consciousness of all staff in the organization as to the value of community employment and related activities.
• Goal #2: Create a greater “public presence” within the program area by developing a structured public relations program.
• Goal #3 : Recognize the need for and provide training and technical assistance to all program staff in implementing the best practices of Supported Employment and Illness Management and Recovery.
• Goal #4: Improve the ability to collect useful outcomes data regarding employment and related activities. This data will allow for better program evaluation to determine how and when to make adjustments to services.
And so it began
• The first action taken in response to our goals was to register the supported employment staff, employment specialists as well as job coaches, to take the Virginia Commonwealth University Supported Employment Class for Individuals with Mental Illness. ( this was a partial solution to goal #3)
The Step By Step Vocational Department is primarily funded through the OVR contract. Our standard contract is generally 80 hours. Some funds are available for extended services once the contract is fulfilled. Our only additional resources are from grants. Therefore, it had been difficult to justify the use of staff time and resources to participate in the class.
Thanks to the BEES Grant all department staff received national certification. Even long term staff found the class to be valuable.
Next steps…
• Goal #4 was addressed next. Meetings with our IT department found that they had a long abandoned, never completed, data collection system that could be resurrected and modified to work well to capture the information we would like to track. Most of the information was available to us but our system for keeping the information was inefficient, to say the least, and not readily available or easily accessed.
• As you can see, we are now able to track the 1st, 5th, 45 and 90th day of work. Also built into that data is the number of days it actually takes us to reach each of those marks. We now have the ability to track wages, employer information, and more. The program allows us to print reports and automatically figures averages for our entire program. (previously we hand calculated this information).
• An additional screen tracks information for folks in extended service.
Working on goal #1
• Raise consciousness as to the value of supported employment… on September 30th, Northern Management Consultants, will make a presentation entitled “Work is Everybody’s Business”.
• The anticipated audience is program staff, case managers, residential staff, other providers, employers and individuals with mental illness and Step By Step Board Members.
• Additional trainings are planned for this goal. We have purchased training materials that will be available for agency staff and will continue trainings long after the grant cycle has ended.
Last but not least, Goal #2Create a greater “public presence” within the
program area by developing a structured public relations program.
This is a major focus area for the grant. We decided that we needed an image change in addition to a public relations program.
When we are working with individuals with mental illness we felt that there is certain amount of stigma associated with “supported employment” agency services.
• We began working with a consultant to create an image that was separate from our agency logo.
• We chose the name PROGRESSIVE EMPLOYMENT SOLUTIONS and our consultant created some options for our new image.
Some Options we had to choose from
And the winner is….
• Plans exist to use the alternative identity when working with individuals who don’t wish to disclose they are working with a “job coaching agency”, but rather an “employment agency”.
• Advertising and outreach will focus on our ability to provide employment solutions for employers. Individuals without disabilities will be welcome if they are willing to self pay.
Other benefits of the BEES Grant
• We were fortunate to add new technology to our program, we added a television and DVD player for trainings, as well as, a laptop computer for presentations to employers and groups (we had used large flip tablets and an easel in the past).
In Conclusion
• The BEES Grant allowed us to give a great deal of thought as to how our program operates. Much of what we learned we were extremely happy about but some things we recognized needed to be amended.
• We look forward to continuing to use what we have learned to enhance our services.
Contact Information:
• Marbee Sulitka
• Step By Step, Inc.
• 744 Kidder Street
• Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
