module 3-friendship ambassadors rehab/human resources

Rehabilitation andEmployment & Training Services

at Friendship Industries :

Put Friendship to Work for You!

Why Are We Here?And

What is Expected?

Our Mission

Friendship Industries develops and maintains

employment opportunities

for persons with disabilities

in integrated work environments.

Friendship IndustriesRehabilitative Services Department


The Rehab Department exists to serve our disabled employee population, referred to as “Clients”.

The Rehab Department consists of 4 separate Client Service components:

•Work Assessment/Work Adjustment•Extended Employment•Pre-Vocational Medicaid Waiver•Supported Employment


Friendship Industries receives funding from state and local agencies to provide these services to our Clients.

We are required to provide detailed reports to receive these funds.

Work Assessment /Work Adjustment

Testimonials

“The work I do makes me feel like I’m

worthwhile. The work helps my physical and

mental health by helping me to get up in the

morning…and accomplish something…..

Everyone gets along and works like a team

at Friendship.”

Work Assessment/Work Adjustment

The process begins when the Rehab Services Coordinator receives referrals from:

•family and friends of people with disabilities and

•from agencies VA Dept.-Rehabilitative Services (DRS)

local Community Services Board (CSB)

and local school systems


What is Work Assessment?

The Rehab Services Coordinator works with adults to assess their ability to complete work tasks who are:

•mentally or physically disabled or

•have had a work-related injury or illness


Work Assessment:

•period is usually 15 days

•Clients are exposed to a variety of evaluating tasks

•evaluate to find out what abilities can be used in a work setting


Feedback is gathered to form a well-rounded and accurate picture of each person’s capabilities from:

•Supervisors•Aides•Other Staff and•College Work Study Interns


After Work Assessment, the Rehab Services Coordinator helps develop a Work Adjustment Training Plan to identify choices or options by meeting with:

•the sponsoring agency counselor•the Client•family members or caregivers

THE GOAL: employment at or away

from Friendship Industries.


What is Work Adjustment Training?

•a twenty day program•Clients work on performance or behavioral objectives •objectives help him/her improve employment abilities

At the end of training, the Client again meets with counselors to plan for the immediate future.

Extended Employment

Testimonials

“The supervisors will show you what to do

and then watch to make sure you know how

to do it right. The people are nice and polite…..

I also made a lot of new friends at Friendship.”

Extended Employment

One choice commonly made by someone in Work Assessment/Work Adjustment:

•to become an “Extended” Employee

of Friendship•largest of the Employment programs •coordinated by the Director of Rehabilitative Services and the Employment Specialist

Extended Employment

Many Clients who work in Extended Employment also work with a Case Manager at the local Community Services Board (CSB).

This is not a requirement to be in Extended Employment with

Friendship Industries.

Extended Employment

Some individuals are privately funded and sponsored.

To qualify as an Extended Employment

worker at Friendship Industries, each Client has some basic, common abilities and goals required.

Extended Employment

The Employment Specialist and the Extended Employment Employee agree on:

•specific, customized objectives to work on

•an Extended Employment Plan during the coming year

Extended Employment

The objective is to review these goals monthly with the Client, with feedback gathered from:

•Supervisors•Aides•Other Staff and •College Work Study Interns

Extended Employment

Just like a traditional work environment:

•progress, personal development and growth are regularly evaluated

•performance is discussed and communicated with each Client

•goals are re-assessed and agreed upon in an annual progress review

Extended Employment

Objective in Extended Employment:

•focus on the unique abilities each person possesses

•give the individual choices and responsibilities in making choices

•concentrate on abilities rather than any disability

Pre-Vocational Medicaid Waiver

Testimonials“…when I tried to work on regular jobs my

health would hinder me…I felt like all my

life I couldn’t do anything right but staff

members here helped me to see that I could

do what they asked me to do – before, I had

low self-esteem…. Friendship Industries is

a good environment to work at. I really look

forward to coming to work…”


What is Pre-Vocational Medicaid Waiver?

•special funding from Virginia’s Medicaid Waiver Program

•small number of adults who are mentally ill or physically disabled

•teach “Pre-vocational” skills that each person needs before job training


Pre-Vocational Medicaid Waiver:

•select group of Clients, based on need

•60-day, one-on-one assessment with the Rehabilitative Services Instructor

•determine what individual training, support, or special supervision would be beneficial


The primary focus of Pre-Vocational Medicaid Waiver:

•prepare Clients for paid employment with skills that make them attractive employment Trainees

•cultivate attention span, refine or maintain motor skills, develop appropriate workplace behavior, and other basic work functions


The Client’s ability to apply those developing work skills in a practical workplace setting are assessed with feedback gathered from:

•Supervisors•Aides•Other Staff and •through formal Level of Functioning Assessments or LOFs


Prompt positive or constructive feedback for this group of Clients is especially important.

Daily intensive training in specificareas of focus is conducted,progress is tracked daily, andformal reports are filed monthly.


The Rehabilitative Services Instructor often has weekly progress consultations with each person’s Case Manager at Community Services Board (CSB), caregivers and family members –

- the level of involvement is similar to having a personal guidance counselor.


Each person’s program progress is •discussed with them daily•formally assessed and revised quarterly, and •new customized programs are developed annually

A Medicaid Waiver recipient must be actively participating in an activity for no less than 4 hours per day.

Supported Employment


What is Supported Employment?

•service offered to assist people in returning to work

•the Supported Employee works closely with a Job Coach who:assists them in returning to work or finding their first jobguides them through the application process and interviews and makes sure they are comfortable in their new job


The Job Coach receives referrals:

•internally through Extended Employment•from the local school systems•from insurance companies•from the local office of the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) and the local Community Services Board (CSB) and•from Workers’ Compensation


Friendship…•Works with Community Employers to problem solve their employee needs.

•Recognizes the critical need to quickly find the right candidate for the right job.

•Respects the Employer’s bottom line by providing on-the-job training and continued support to ensure the Employee continues to meet the high standards of their business.

•Examines potential barriers and addresses them through simple accommodations or training.


Friendship…•Provides Employer Services at no fee; other incentives might include tax credits, employer education, and technical assistance.

•Provides recruitment services at no fee to the Employer, including routine follow-up visits, Rehab Engineering solutions, and sensitivity training to staff.

•Takes pride in our 40+ years of experience in finding motivated and dedicated candidates to meet the unique employment needs of the Valley.


Friendship Industries is the Community’s Employment Problem-Solver in…

Food ServiceManufacturingJanitorial/CustodialGrounds-keeping/LandscapingShipping/ReceivingGeneral LaborData EntryTelephone OperatorCall Center WorkerAssembly Laborand other employment solutions

CARF Rehabilitation Accreditation

Commission

Testimonials

“…it’s just a happy place to work….

If I had to go to work at (another business)

everyone would pick on me – it would be

hard to go back there.”

CARF Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission

What is CARF?

•an independent organization that certifies each Employment Services Organization (ESO) is following Best Business Practices

As an ESO, Friendship Industries

is voluntarily accredited under CARF.


CARF auditors spend 2 days in our facility interviewing Board members, Staff, Aides, Clients and other Stakeholders.

They are the accreditation monitors for 3 of our Rehab Programs.


CARF looks at our:

•business plans and finances•commercial operations•safety and training records•accessibility and assistance plans•personnel records•fundraising practices•effectiveness and efficiency of services•and scrutinizes how we address and meet our Mission

Some of the things the CARF auditors look for are:

•Establishment of the mission and the direction of the organization

•Promotion of value in programs and services offered

•Balancing the expectations of both the persons served and other stakeholders

•Financial solvency

•Compliance with insurance and risk management requirements

Some of the things the CARF auditors look for are:

•Ongoing performance improvement (of the company and personnel)

•Development and implementation of corporate responsibilities

•Compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements

•Policies on waste, fraud, contractual relationships

•Demonstrated corporate citizenship


What happens after a CARF Audit?

•auditors make recommendations for improvements or changes in our practices, policies or record-keeping

•we write and implement a Quality Improvement Plan

•we commit to a date of completion and for reporting on the progress of meeting these self-imposed deadlines


So far, Friendship has earned two 3-year accreditations.

Transportation

Transportation

More than one-half of Friendship’s trainees and on-site Extended Employment Employees are transported to work and home again by our transportation system:

•our five (5) vans travel over 500 miles each day in their efforts to get everyone to and from work

•Harrisonburg Transit City Bus System and

•Paratransit services

Terminology•Work Center, Employment Services Organization (ESO), or Community Rehab Program (CRP), rather than Sheltered Workshop

•Persons with Disabilities, rather than Handicapped or Retarded

•Employees or Our Workers, Clients or Consumers, rather than “those” people

•Integrated Work Environment, rather than we work with “those” handicapped people

•Productive workers, not a Charity

•Not-for-Profit is a tax status, not the way we do Business

From the Rehabilitation Department Staff

George Homan, Vice President-OperationsPaul McFarland, Rehab Services DirectorColleen Mullen, Rehab Services Job Coach Kent Stoneburner, Rehab Services CoordinatorPatricia Craft, Human Resources Manager

[email protected]

801 Friendship DriveHarrisonburg VA 22802(540) 434-9586

module 3-friendship ambassadors rehab/human resources

Business

work tasks

putfriendshipto work

employment abilities

extended employment

extended employment

inextended employment

employment programs

traditional work environment