Description of Service
This service helps the person adjust specific work behaviors or issues to improve job readiness.
Per Opportunities for Ohioans (OOD) guidelines, Community Work Experience or Community Work Experience (Adjustment) “are utilized to assist [people] in preparing for employment by improving their job readiness. Once a person is job-ready, the Community Work Experience or Community Work Experience (Adjustment) is complete and the person served can progress into other services such as Job Development. Community Work Experience or Community Work Experience (Adjustment) occur in competitive and integrated settings, except for limited circumstances when a person’s needs cannot be met in the community. Capabilities will create a service plan that outlines what steps are required to be able to transition a person into a competitive and integrated setting.” This plan must be approved by your OOD counselor.
What does the Service Look Like?
After your interests, strengths/weaknesses, and availability are discussed, your Career Consultant set up an appropriate site to complete the Community Work Experience or Community Work Experience (Adjustment). Tax paperwork and two forms of identification is also collected at this time to ensure you can be paid for the work completed during the service. A temporary work schedule is developed and you either meet your Career Consultant at the established site on your assigned days or are transported there by the Career Consultant if requested by your counselor. A specific plan that includes training goals and benchmarks, outlines training techniques, and establishes timeframes for adjustment is developed. After you and your counselor have agreed upon a plan, you complete the Community Work Experience or Community Work Experience (Adjustment) service at a local employer site with your Career Consultant, who is present throughout the entire service. The goal is to adjust a specific work behavior or issue to prepare you for future services like Job Development but is not designed to teach specific occupational or employer skills to get hired or develop a work history. Your Career Consultant collaborates with the employer to gather input regarding your performance and any potential areas of concern, as well as your self-assessment of your physical and mental capabilities to do the job, which is beneficial when you begin to seek competitive, integrated employment.
Benefits
For the Job Seeker: Work Adjustments help to prepare an individual for community employment by improving his/her job readiness.
For the Employer: Sites developed as assessment locations for Work Adjustments will have the pleasure of helping strengthen their community and assist people in improving their job readiness.
For the Funding Source: When we have the opportunity to directly observe and assist in the growth of a person’s abilities while working in the community, we become better able to provide exceptional services in the future.