SES has been providing employment services to businesses for over 30 years. But for most employers, the concept of Supported Employment is unfamiliar and sometimes confusing. Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions that we get from employers. We hope this FAQ will help explain SES services and process for helping you hire your next employee.
What is Supported Employment?
For many years, the general public has often perceived that individuals with disabilities were unemployable. Today, however, society is seeing and hearing about people with disabilities working in their communities. This is most often achieved through a service called Supported Employment. The objective of Supported Employment, is to provide people with a disabilities individualized employment support services designed to them help gain and maintain a competitive job in the community.
What is a developmental disability?
This term is used to describe people who experience cognitive disabilities who have difficulty learning and benefit from assistance to carry out the practical and social activities of daily life. It is a term that is used to describe a wide range of individuals with unique skills and abilities. Developmental disabilities include Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, and other less well-known conditions. This term is used to describe people who experience cognitive disabilities who have difficulty learning and benefit from assistance to carry out the practical and social activities of daily life. It is a term that is used to describe a wide range of individuals with unique skills and abilities. Developmental disabilities include Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, and other less well-known conditions.
What should I expect from an employee who experiences a disability?
People with developmental disabilities possess strengths, weaknesses, and abilities just like everyone else. They may have an interest or direct experience in your field. They display a strong work ethic, such as a positive attitude towards work, punctuality, integrity, attention to detail, willingness to learn, and high motivation. There is undoubtedly someone in your community today who experiences a disability who has some or all of the specific skills you are looking for to enhance your business.
How will this benefit my business?
Many employers find it hard to hire reliable, long-term, entry-level employees. People with disabilities are vastly underutilized by most industries and businesses. Our Job Seekers want to keep their jobs for as long as possible, and if we make a good job match, you can keep an employee in a high turnover position for many years. Many employers tell us that hiring someone with a developmental disability is not only great for the business community but also good for their bottom line.
What do I have to offer?
At first, you may think that there are no jobs at your workplace for someone with a developmental disability. Take a look around. Ask your managers to list the things that they need done and do not have time to do, or that take time away from highly skilled employees. The possibilities are endless but you don’t have to work this out alone. If you’re not sure how a person with a disability can fit into your business, our Job Developers will work with you to identify your specific needs. With that knowledge in hand, our Job Developers will help you identify the employee that will best suit your needs.
What about accommodating special needs?
If you think about it, you are accommodating the individual needs of employees all the time. This may range from providing hand rests for staff using computers, flex time programs, and task lists, to simply helping a co-worker with physical tasks that they are not strong enough to do. Most accommodations are simple and do not cost your business anything at all.
What is a Job Coach?
If you decide to hire someone through SES, a Job Coach will be available to help you and your staff train your new employee. As your new employee learns the skills needed for the job, the Job Coach will slowly fade support as appropriate. If you need help teaching your employee new skills in the future, a phone call is all it takes to bring the Job Coach back to the worksite.
How long does a Job Coach work with my new employee?
Job Coaching and training needs will be evaluated on a regular and ongoing basis depending on the demands and expectations of the workplace as well as employer and employee needs. Job Coaches will work with the employer and employee to ensure that the expected level of independence and proficiency is reached. Job Coaches will slowly decrease the level of support they provide as your new employee learns their job. Our ultimate goal is to fade support to brief weekly check-ins with the employer and employee while ensuring your expectations are continually met. In most cases, SES is able to continue this level of support as long as the employee is working.
What about liability?
As a responsible employer, you are already providing a safe workplace and your business already has Worker’s Compensation and general liability insurance. Hiring someone with a disability will not increase your liability. We take safety very seriously and will only present job candidates that can meet the safety expectations of your workplace. If there is a medical condition or anything else that might impact safety on the job, you need to know about it, just as you would with any other employee.