Career Assessment

1. Career Assessment Making the Match: Role of Career Assessment & Job Analysis

2. Overview • Vocational evaluation (VE) is written in the Rehabilitation Act. • In IDEA, transition planning must be based on assessment (requiring collaboration between special education and vocational rehabilitation). • Vocational Assessment (VA) and Vocational Evaluation (VE) also required in the Workforce Investment Act (One Stops).

3. Overview • Vocational Evaluation (VE) can be used to include, not exclude consumers into the VR program by providing realistic vocational options. • VE increases the successful outcomes of VR consumers because assessment data provides realistic recommendations for vocational goals and plans. • VE promotes informed choice, as required by the Rehabilitation Act. • VE empowers consumers to take an active role in their VR program.

4. Evidence Based Practices: Vocational Evaluation • Longitudinal Study: Vocational Evaluation and Ongoing Assessment Improve Successful Transition Outcomes Project PERT (Post Secondary Education, Rehabilitation & Transition) of Virginia found that with initial vocational evaluation followed by ongoing assessment, transition planning, and exposure to work, youth became successfully employment with higher wages (Ashley, et al, 2007).

5. Evidence Based Practices: Vocational Evaluation • Longitudinal Study: Vocational Evaluation Positively Impacts Career Tech Ed (CTE) Placement and Outcome • Youth have higher CTE placement rates when vocational evaluation recommendations are followed • Youth have higher success rates (grades) when vocational evaluation recommendations are followed • Youth have higher employment rates following CTE programs when vocational evaluation recommendations are followed. (Reid, Scott, et al, 2001, 2005).

6. Evidence Based Practices: Vocational Evaluation • Longitudinal Study: Vocational Evaluation when followed by Employment Services contributes to successful outcomes for VR consumers, especially those who may not be successful otherwise. (Homa, 2006)

7. The Foundation of our Practice How does the rehabilitation act define career assessment?

8. VR Eligibility To be eligible for vocational rehabilitation services, an individual must: • Have a physical or mental impairment, which results in a substantial impediment to employment; and • Be able to benefit in terms of an employment outcome (A person with an impairment and impediment is presumed to be able to benefit; in the rare event that there are serious doubts about ability to benefit, the individual will be offered trial work experiences or a period of extended evaluation to further determine ability to benefit); and • Require VR services to prepare for, secure, retain or regain employment. (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, Title I, Part A, Section 102)

9. Presumed Eligibility for VR Services • Individuals who (1) receive certain benefits and (2) apply for VR services in order to achieve employment are presumed eligible for VR services. The following are presumed eligible: • SSI/DI recipients, and/or Individuals eligible for long-term supports of DDA/MHA and pursuing competitive or supported employment. (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, Title I, Part A, Section 102)

10. Documentation of Ineligibility • Ineligibility for VR Services: An individual may be determined ineligible for VR services for the following reasons: • The individual does not have a physical or mental impairment; or • The individual’s impairment does not result in a substantial impediment to employment; or • The individual does not require services to achieve employment; or • The individual cannot benefit in terms of an employment outcome due to severity of the disability, determined subsequent to trial work experiences or extended evaluation.

11. What does the Rehab. Act Say? • Assessment: 3 Phases • Use of Existing Assessment Data • If not available, appropriate assessment activities to obtain necessary additional data to make such determination and assignment • To make a determination of the employment outcomes, and the objectives, nature, and scope of vocational rehabilitation services, to be included in the Individualized Plan for Employment of an eligible individual

12. What does the Rehab. Act Say? Phase 1: Use of Existing information … information available from other programs and providers, particularly information used by education officials and the Social Security Administration, information provided by the individual and the family of the individual, and information obtained under the assessment for determining eligibility and vocational rehabilitation needs.

13. What does the Rehab. Act Say? • Phases 2 & 3: Comprehensive assessment to determine the unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice, including the need for supported employment

14. What does the Rehab. Act Say? • Comprehensive assessment may include an assessment of the personality, interests, interpersonal skills, intelligence and related functional capacities, educational achievements, work experience, vocational aptitudes, personal and social adjustments, and employment opportunities of the individual, and the medical, psychiatric, psychological

15. What does the Rehab. Act Say? Comprehensive assessment (cont’d) • an appraisal of the patterns of work behavior of the individual and services needed • referral, for the provision of rehabilitation technology services • an exploration of the individual's abilities, capabilities, and capacity to perform in work situations, which shall be assessed periodically during trial work experiences, including experiences in which the individual is provided appropriate supports and training.

16. National/Universal Definitions of Career and Vocational Assessment

17. Guiding Principles of Career Assessment • Vocational evaluation should use a variety of methods, tools and approaches to provide accurate vocational evaluation and assessments. • Vocational evaluation and assessment information should be verified using different methods, tools and approaches. Using alternative methods or approaches to validate findings. • Behavioral observation is essential in any vocational assessment process. Behavioral observation occurs throughout the assessment process.

18. Guiding Principles of Career Assessment (cont’d) • Vocational evaluation and assessment may be an on-going and developmental process in career development. • Vocational evaluation and assessment should be an integral part of larger service delivery systems. Vocational evaluation and assessment requires the collection of input from a variety of individuals and requires an understanding of how to use the results of the assessment process. Vocational evaluation and assessment should be current, valid and relevant. Position Paper of the Interdisciplinary Council on Vocational Evaluation and Assessment by Smith F., Lombard R., Neubert D., Leconte P., Rothernbacher C., & Sitlington, P.

19. Assessment is an integral part of the career development process. It is ongoing and can happen anytime and anywhere. The purpose is to plan how the individual is going to achieve their career goals.

20. Types of Assessment • Career Assessment relates to life-long career development, which affects life roles, and is ongoing throughout one’s life. • Vocational Assessment and Evaluation relate to the role of the potential worker (and employment).

21. What is Career Assessment? The on-going process of collecting information for career development and career planning. • Lifelong process • Addresses all aspects of life within career contexts • People come to understand themselves • Cyclical Process and Content: • Career Awareness • Career Exploration • Career Preparation • Career Assimilation and Change Review the Career Development Checklists posted in the Wiki.

22. What is Vocational Assessment? • A comprehensive, informal process conducted over a period of time, usually involving a multidisciplinary team with the purpose of identifying individual characteristics, rehabilitation, education, training, and placement needs, serving as the basis for planning an individual’s rehabilitation, employment, career development, education, and/or transition program(s), and that provides the individual with insight into vocational and career potential.

23. What is Vocational Evaluation? • A comprehensive process (with content) that systematically uses work, either real or simulated, as the focal point for assessment and vocational exploration, the purpose of which is to assist individuals with vocational development. Vocational evaluation incorporates medical, psychological, social, vocational, educational, cultural, and economic data into the process to attain the goals of evaluation. 30th Institute on Rehabilitation Issues

24. Levels of Career & Vocational Assessment Levels of Service • Level III: comprehensive career assessment/vocational evaluation. • LevelII: diagnostic and prognostic, exploration, go onto next level if more information is needed to make decisions. • Level I: make quick decisions; minimal assessment required, go on to next level if more information is required.

25. For Vocational Assessment • Levels I and II assessment can be coordinated and collected by anyone, hopefully with the consultation or coordination from someone Certified in Vocational Evaluation (CVE) by the Commission on Certification of Work Adjustment and Vocational Evaluation Specialists (CCWAVES) • Level III assessment should be conducted and coordinated by a CVE. (They can provide all 3 levels of service, but are the only ones qualified to provide Level III: Comprehensive Vocational Evaluation.)

26. Framework for Career Assessment • Examples of an Individual’s Attributes • Interests • Level of Career Development • Level of Self Determination • Temperaments • Skills • Preferences • Needs • Strengths • Examples of Ecological Attributes • Environments • Circumstances • Relationships • Situations • Resources Individual + Ecology = Congruence

27. Environment Observations Interviews Labor Market Info. Task Analysis Training Analysis Community Resource Survey Job Analysis Individual Observations Background Information Interviews Psychometric Testing Work Samples Work Tasks Transferable Skill Assessment Screening Congruence Behavioral Observation Assistive Technology Situational Assessment On the Job Evaluation On the Job Try-Out Vocational Profiling Follow-up Generalized Skill Assessment

28. Continuum of Assessment Informal Assessment Any assessment that involves collection of data by anything other than a norm-referenced (standardized) test. Salvia/Ysseldyke- Assessment, 1995 Formal Assessment

29. What to Assess • Vocational Appraisal: Integrative Assessment of the Total Individual • See Vocational Appraisal Handout posted in the Wiki • Secretaries’ Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) • See SCANS web links posted in Wiki • Interests, Aptitudes, Preferences

30. Vocational Appraisal Values Behaviors Self Concept & Self Esteem Values Behaviors

31. SCANS (Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills) The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) identifies the level of skills required to enter employment, including • define the skills needed for employment; • propose acceptable levels of proficiency; • suggest effective ways to assess proficiency. http://wdr.doleta.gov/SCANS/

32. SCANS (Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills) • These workplace essential skills and the associated rating scales can be utilized to measure youth progress, thereby holding the standard expectation for individuals with and without disabilities. • Workplace Essential Skills are identified as workplace competencies and foundations skills, also referred to as “Workplace Know-How.” Teaching the Scans Competencies: http://wdr.doleta.gov/SCANS/teaching/

34. Interests • Career exploration • Intended to broaden career perspectives • Dynamic not static

35. Aptitudes • Aptitudes involve specific skills that are not always demonstrated by the consumer to his or her potential. Aptitudes in areas such as mechanical, spatial, musical or artistic ability, or physical coordination may not be fully developed. This could be due to lack of interest or to lack of opportunity.

36. Aptitudes • The Department of Labor has defined aptitudes in twelve areas. It may be helpful if educators were familiar with these aptitudes as they offer a different way of looking at skills. Even when using formal testing, your observations and interviews are helpful to validate the results. Most formal assessment tests evaluate according to these twelve areas:

37. Aptitudes G – Intelligence General ability to learn, reason, and make judgments V – Verbal Ability to understand and use words effectively N – Numerical Ability to understand and perform mathematical functions

38. Aptitudes (cont’d) S – Spatial Ability to visualize three dimensional objects from two P – Form Perception Ability to perceive and distinguish graphic detail Q – Clerical Perception Ability to see and distinguish pertinent detail K – Motor Coordination Ability to coordinate eyes, hands, fingers

39. Aptitudes (cont’d) F – Finger Dexterity Ability to finger and manipulate small objects M – Manual Dexterity Ability to handle placing and turning motions E – Eye/Hand/Foot Coordination Motor responsiveness to visual stimuli C – Color Discrimination Ability to match/discriminate colors

40. Temperaments • Temperaments are personality traits that relate to the requirements of occupations. If these traits are a “match,” then there is a higher likelihood of job satisfaction. There is formal assessment for temperaments. The DOL defines temperament requirements as:

41. Temperaments D – Direct, control or plan an activity F – Interpret feelings and ideas from a personal point of view I – Influence people’s opinions, attitudes, or judgments J – Generalize/decide based on sensory or judgmental criteria M – Generalize/decide based on measurable or verifiable criteria

42. Temperaments P – Deal with people beyond giving or receiving instructions R – Perform repetitive work according to set pace or procedure S – Deal with stress in critical/ emergency/dangerous situations T – Precisely attain set limits, tolerances, and standards V – Do varied job duties without loss of composure or efficiency

43. Formal Assessments

44. Formal Assessments • Formal assessments utilized standardized testing with norms. For example, formal assessments can be provided by Psychologists, Neuropsychologists, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, and Speech Therapists. • Often times, we can decrease the amount of testing required by focusing on informal assessments and use of existing data.

45. Informal Assessment

46. Informal Assessment Data: Interviews • Interviews with the Consumer • Family Interviews • Interview with other Members of Teams (e.g. teachers, community rehabilitation providers, employers)

47. Informal Assessment Data: Observation • Observing an individual is an excellent way of gathering information about their strengths, aptitudes and interests, and experiences. • The biggest mistake you can make is that you do not consider the setting in which you are observing!

48. National Definitions and Characteristics of Community Based Vocational Assessment (CBVA)

50. Community Based Vocational Assessment • A holistic assessment of an individual’s interests, needs, and abilities in a job/worksite setting located in the community.