Customized Employment:Customized Employment:Shifting from Promise to Demonstration to Shifting from Promise to Demonstration to

Ongoing Practice in GeorgiaOngoing Practice in Georgia

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned Individual ContributionsIndividual Contributions Financial and Personal BenefitsFinancial and Personal Benefits Power of Person-Centered ApproachesPower of Person-Centered Approaches

What is Customized Employment?What is Customized Employment?• ““Customized employment means individualizing the Customized employment means individualizing the

employment relationship between employees and employment relationship between employees and employers in ways that meet the needs of both. It is employers in ways that meet the needs of both. It is based on an individualized determination of the based on an individualized determination of the strengths, needs, and interests of the person with a strengths, needs, and interests of the person with a disability, and is also designed to meet the specific needs disability, and is also designed to meet the specific needs of the employer.of the employer.

• It may include employment developed through job It may include employment developed through job carving, self-employment or entrepreneurial initiatives, or carving, self-employment or entrepreneurial initiatives, or other job development or restructuring strategies that other job development or restructuring strategies that result in job responsibilities being customized and result in job responsibilities being customized and individually negotiated to fit the needs of individuals with individually negotiated to fit the needs of individuals with a disability.a disability.

• Customized employment assumes the provision of Customized employment assumes the provision of reasonable accommodations and supports necessary for reasonable accommodations and supports necessary for the individual to perform the functions of a job that is the individual to perform the functions of a job that is individually negotiated and developed.” (Federal Register, individually negotiated and developed.” (Federal Register, June 26, 2002, Vol. 67. No. 123 pp43154-43149.)June 26, 2002, Vol. 67. No. 123 pp43154-43149.)

What are the Key Features of These What are the Key Features of These Customized Employment Stories Related to Opportunity, Customized Employment Stories Related to Opportunity,

Quality of Life and Cost Effectiveness?Quality of Life and Cost Effectiveness?

• Vocational Assessments that Assume Vocational Assessments that Assume Employability and Do Not Screen Out Due to Employability and Do Not Screen Out Due to Level of DisabilityLevel of Disability

• Partnerships Between the State’s Employment Partnerships Between the State’s Employment Resources and Supports in the Form of Resources and Supports in the Form of Customized Support Teams Customized Support Teams (customer, family, advocate, employer, (customer, family, advocate, employer, provider, benefits navigator, vr, wia, and misc. others)provider, benefits navigator, vr, wia, and misc. others)

• Dollars that Follow the Individual Providing for Dollars that Follow the Individual Providing for Creativity and Flexibility in the Negotiations Creativity and Flexibility in the Negotiations with Employerswith Employers

DC – DC – Tender Loving Care Dog Grooming ServiceTender Loving Care Dog Grooming Service

Through resource ownership, DC has been Through resource ownership, DC has been able to translate his love of animals into a able to translate his love of animals into a viable career path that is valued by his viable career path that is valued by his employer and customers because he cares employer and customers because he cares about the animals and provides them with about the animals and provides them with extra care and concern. DC has a extra care and concern. DC has a renewed sense of self and noticeable renewed sense of self and noticeable changes in his self esteem.changes in his self esteem.

Lee – Lee – Abercrombie ArcadesAbercrombie Arcades

Through self employment, Lee has now Through self employment, Lee has now found his niche and has been able to found his niche and has been able to establish a support system that assists establish a support system that assists him with the varied aspects of running a him with the varied aspects of running a small business. After years of working in small business. After years of working in sheltered work and a variety of supported sheltered work and a variety of supported employment experiences, the activity that employment experiences, the activity that Lee enjoyed most in his leisure time led Lee enjoyed most in his leisure time led him to an idea for work.him to an idea for work.

George – George – Teacher’s Aide / Book AuthorTeacher’s Aide / Book Author

A creative job carve supported George to do the A creative job carve supported George to do the things he values most – helping others who live things he values most – helping others who live with developmental disabilities. His part-time job with developmental disabilities. His part-time job has leveraged an opportunity for self has leveraged an opportunity for self employment, as well. George was known in his employment, as well. George was known in his community as a caring man who always offered community as a caring man who always offered to help others and had written a small book (now to help others and had written a small book (now writing a second book) about his own life writing a second book) about his own life experiences that he is now marketing for experiences that he is now marketing for additional income.additional income.

Kory – Kory – Bowling Alley Worker and “Business Within A Business”Bowling Alley Worker and “Business Within A Business”

Kory’s person-centered plan revealed Kory’s person-centered plan revealed people in his life who supported his people in his life who supported his interests and free time. When explored interests and free time. When explored with an eye for CE, those relationships led with an eye for CE, those relationships led to major changes in his life – a job, an to major changes in his life – a job, an oppty to get a driver’s license, car, a oppty to get a driver’s license, car, a girlfriend and his own apartment. A few girlfriend and his own apartment. A few years ago, nobody would have imagined years ago, nobody would have imagined these quality of life changes.these quality of life changes.

Ifeanyi – Ifeanyi – Administration / TrainingAdministration / Training

Dr. Aniche has tapped into his personal Dr. Aniche has tapped into his personal network of supports in the context of his network of supports in the context of his need for system and professional need for system and professional assistance. Ifeanyi is blind and required assistance. Ifeanyi is blind and required adaptive equipment to perform at his best adaptive equipment to perform at his best and demonstrate to employers the many and demonstrate to employers the many contributions he can make to the contributions he can make to the workplace.workplace.

Lois – Lois – ArtistArtist

Lois represents the compilation of reasons why Lois represents the compilation of reasons why our system must revamp the way in which we our system must revamp the way in which we provide services and supports. Lois is the named provide services and supports. Lois is the named plaintiff in the Olmstead Case and has gone from plaintiff in the Olmstead Case and has gone from the abuse and restrictiveness of an institution the abuse and restrictiveness of an institution into somewhat low expectations of sheltered into somewhat low expectations of sheltered community support services to finally finding her community support services to finally finding her voice (or should we say palate) to express herself. voice (or should we say palate) to express herself.

Impact and IdeasImpact and Ideas Georgia recognizes that access to meaningful, competitive or self Georgia recognizes that access to meaningful, competitive or self

employment employment should be an option for every person in the employment employment should be an option for every person in the state, no matter what their level of disabilitystate, no matter what their level of disability

-Establishment of a development center, non-profit entity to -Establishment of a development center, non-profit entity to hold individual accounts (both cash and virtual) on behalf of hold individual accounts (both cash and virtual) on behalf of customized employment customers in the statecustomized employment customers in the state

Georgia has a rich history of recognizing the injustices of isolation and Georgia has a rich history of recognizing the injustices of isolation and poor access to community resources (e.g.: the Olmstead Decision and poor access to community resources (e.g.: the Olmstead Decision and a strong advocacy network for persons with disabilities)a strong advocacy network for persons with disabilities)

-Establish a steering committee and collaborative advisory -Establish a steering committee and collaborative advisory organization to advise and make policy recommendations for organization to advise and make policy recommendations for building a better infrastructure in Georgia to support CE building a better infrastructure in Georgia to support CE

Georgia is a major player on the national scene of demonstrating “best Georgia is a major player on the national scene of demonstrating “best practice” techniques for including persons with significant disabilities practice” techniques for including persons with significant disabilities in meaningful work opportunities (e.g.: evolving network of DOL and in meaningful work opportunities (e.g.: evolving network of DOL and WIA career and one stop centers; multiple federal grants WIA career and one stop centers; multiple federal grants demonstrating advancements in supported and customized demonstrating advancements in supported and customized employment) employment)

-Establish a mechanism for individuals and employers to -Establish a mechanism for individuals and employers to come come together on a regular basis to foster individual and employer together on a regular basis to foster individual and employer run run innovative projects related to CE and Micro-enterprisesinnovative projects related to CE and Micro-enterprises

Removing Barriers and False Assumptions Removing Barriers and False Assumptions Creates Opportunities and Changes LivesCreates Opportunities and Changes Lives