Intensive Support • Early Career • Goal 5:
Identify Needs and Funding Sources for Job Supports
Action step 1.
Explore eligibility for job support services.
If you need direct support to be able to work, you might be eligible for job support services.
- Each state has a Vocational Rehabilitation (VR or Voc Rehab) agency that provides employment services to people with disabilities so they can get and keep a job. VR is paid for by the federal and state government.
- Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) vary from state to state. They are designed for people who choose to live in the community but need support to do so. Some states have programs for adults with developmental disabilities that include job coaching services.
- Social Security's Ticket to Work program offers career development and job coaching support for Social Security recipients who want to work.
Resources
- From the Council of State Administrators on Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) - Directory of State VR Agencies
- From Medicaid.gov - Home and Community-Based Services
- From the Center for Medicaid Services - State Resources Map
- From the Social Security Administration - Ticket to Work
- From Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) - Autism Center for Excellence
- From the Job Accommodation Network - Job Coaches
Words to know
Action step 2.
Plan for increased support needs during adjustment period.
The first few weeks at a new job are the most stressful, but you can plan ahead to make sure your needs will be addressed through workplace supports.
- Use a schedule, visual routine or task checklist.
- Set up a meeting with your job coach before your first shift.
- Visit your workplace or ask to set up a tour before your first shift.
- Prepare communication cards for key sitations, such as disclosing your disability or requesting a break.
- Develop stress management strategies for during and after your work day.
