LEAP Leading Employment & Achieving Possibilities

1. LEAPLeading Employment & Achieving Possibilities A Division of Solutions Employment Services JUNE, 2014

2. DELTA COMMUNITY LIVING SOCIETY • Delta Community Living Society(DCLS) began providing services in 1963. DCLS offers community based services for Employment, Residential & Home Sharing, Community Inclusion Programs , Recreation, Arts and self advocacy. • Currently 124people are receiving services from DCLS and are actively engaged in some type of employment.

3. SoLUTIONS EMPLOYMENT SERVICES • Our Customized Employment demonstration project (Solutions Employment Services) established in 2009 led the province in not only service delivery methods but in placement successes as well. • Solutions Employment Services currently supports 35 people in paid employmentin their community. • VIDEO OF PETER & GRAHAM

5. Purpose • Youth with disabilities are employed in a meaningful way before transitioning from school to work.

6. Benefits of Youth Employment During School Years • Provides functional and meaningful skills that carry into adult life. • Encourages building relationships early with employers and community. • Offers a purpose to their education. • Provides the environment for self determination. • Provides community based instruction with local businesses and industries.

8. LEAP: Community Pilot Project • The Delta Rotary Club is endorsing the project and will be contributing training support resources • Funding sponsors are the Vancouver Foundation and VanCity

9. LEAP: Community Pilot Project • Formation of partnership established with Delta School District • There are no Eligibility Restrictions to students who may not qualify for other services or funding

11. Young adults are trained as “Peer Mentors” and matched to a youth with a disability in high school seeking employment. Peer Mentors

12. LEAP Peer Mentors • The role of a LEAP Peer Mentor is to create greater independence and self-determination in the individual they support • Peer Mentors do not provide services but rather enhance the ability of the person they support to access services

13. RECRUITING PEER MENTORS • Posted the volunteer position to internet websites such as indeed, craigslist, volweb, kijiji, chartiy village… ect • Went to career fairs and held public information sessions, Rotaract • Asked local colleges & universities to share the volunteer opportunity within their networks • Tapped into our own social networks

14. Youth Leadership Curriculum: 7 Modules Overview • 1: Getting Started • 2: Communication • 3: Discovery • 4: Community Inclusion and Coaching • 5: Problem Solving and Conflict Resolution • 6: Motivation, Drive and Goal Attainment • 7: Part A: Journaling and Time Management Part B: Mentoring the Job Seeker

15. The LEAP Retreat • Thirty-four people met at Hatzic Lake for a remarkable two day retreat that included ice breaker activities, survivor themed team work, creation of personal profiles, floor hockey, campfires and lots of entertaining and interactive activities. • RETREAT VIDEO

16. Letter from a Parent “I participated at the last minute due to extreme anxiety that my son was experiencing around camp attendance. Our hopes for getting our son out of the house from the cocoon that he had built around himself and to direct him towards building a life were at risk of falling apart. The staff at DCLS quickly responded by arranging space for me to attend so that he would not bail on the weekend and would lose out on this excellent opportunity. Building connections is one of the important steps towards living a good life. By knowing that I was around he felt safe enough to head to camp and the staff immediately took over to promote his participation and independence. This gave me an excellent opportunity to help at camp and get to know the leapers, mentors and leaders that would be involved in my son’s life. I was immediately impressed.As the youth became more familiar with their surroundings and friendships began to be established, you could see everyone mix and mingle at different tables during meal times. The room would become louder as people shared laughter and stories. Relationships were being developed and a sense of community was evident. By the end of the weekend everyone was saddened to say their goodbyes. Hugs were abound and excitement in the air. Plans are already in the works to continue to reconnect and keep the friendships going. Goals are being made in order to support their transition from school to adulthood and these are the people that can obviously help us as parents to achieve this.”

20. HOW • Our Solutions employment specialists guide the Peer Mentor-Leaper relationships • Activities focus on each job seeker’s abilities, skills and choice for employment • Activities may be group based as well as individual, including a holistic approach to transition( social, learning, life skills, CAMERA assessments conducted during or after schools)

22. What is CAMERA? • CAMERA is an integrated assessment and curriculum system for adult learners interested in developing the skills they need at work • The assessment provides realistic workplace tasks and gives results in concrete easy to understand language • CAMERA tasks are selected from a wide variety of occupations and sectors

23. Workwrite Learners complete activities in workwrite to develop and practice the Essential Skills they will need at work • Workbook includes seven workbook/lessons in Organizing Information, Schedules, Information Forms, Workplace communications, Policies and procedures, Graphs and Charts and Numeracy

24. Customized Employment • Is a unique supported employment process designed to personalize the employment relationship between a job seeker and an employer in a way that meets the needs of both. • Four essential components; Discovery, Job Development and Negotiation, Training Orientation(job coaching) and Follow-up Support.

25. DISCOVERY • Hanging out with intent • It is not an assessment but rather being able to observe people in action • Look for strengths, interests, abilities, contributions, skills • What works and what doesn’t • Best settings, support needs, talents

26. Observations and demonstrations of chores & hobby tasks, revealed interests, the impact of disability • Where this person is most at ease, • When the individual is most in-flow or engaged and by what people or activities, • What supports are needed most in particular situations and how they are best delivered, • Situations and environments to be avoided • Get to know what lies beneath

27. Language Spoken Visible Ethnicity Gender Age Adventurous Dependable Shy Determined Imaginative Polite Sociable Loyal Trusting Are they Nurturers? Caregivers? Mechanics? Duty Fulfillers? Doers? Performers? Guardians? Artists? Executives? Scientists? Visionaries? Thinkers? Givers? Protectors? Inspirers? Idealists?

30. Social media is becoming increasingly more important, especially with youth. • We have created a closed/private Facebook group for our Peer Mentors. • Next Steps: expand the LEAP experience into a rich and interactive multi-media experience that can be easily accessed by the community at large. Using Multi-Media as a Tool

31. School To Work Transition Success • Youth secure employment, supported by peer mentors and Solutions staff from June through December 2014. • Intention is for all students to be supported long term through Solutions Employment Services. • Promotes financial and social Inclusion

32. Challenges so far • Recruiting 12 Peer Mentors • Intake process needs to be more refined. We need to find a balance between who would benefit most from LEAP and what services we can realistically provide for the amount of students we can take in • Coordinating with 12 Peer Mentors, 3 employment specialists, countless school staff, 16 students & their parents has been a challenge. We need to find new ways to streamline information (social media?)

34. INSPIRATION • Anthony @ Your Service

35. Questions?