Developmental Services: An Innovative Approach to Employment

Scan here to watch a video about Developmental Services at CCN.

CCN’s Developmental Services (formerly known as CAP) has a new name and a stronger focus on career development for its clients. The arm of the agency that supports children and adults with developmental disabilities has introduced a new structure, making Employment and Transition Services its own department, with its own dedicated staff. Previously, employment services were offered as part of a larger and more general program of community supports.

“We’ve tried to create more continuity and focus within our program, both for our direct support staff and the individuals we work with,” says Jess Nadeau, Program Manager for the newly formed department. “Historically, our direct support people have been pulled in too many different directions, with average caseloads of 17 people. Helping people find jobs was just one thing they did. With this new structure, our staff schedules are more secure, and there is more continuity for individuals we support. It gives us the ability to be more intentional.”

Staffing for the new program includes the addition of Career Development counselors, who will receive specialized training and carry caseloads of four to six people. A career ladder within the program offers a way to do employment supports without having an actual caseload, and the program also employs a number of fully trained “floaters” allowing greater flexibility. Evangeline Theodorou fills the newly-created role of Employment Supports Supervisor, giving the entire employment/transition team a single contact to report to.

“Traditionally, supervisors were out doing everything and there was a lot of confusion about who to go to,” says Evangeline. “Now there’s no more guessing. We’ve tried to minimize the chaos in the schedule.”

Another key piece of the department’s updated structure is the expansion of its Transition Services. Transition planning is the vehicle educators use to help students with developmental disabilities live as independently and self-sufficiently as possible after high school. A Transition Grant secured through the UMass Institute for Community Inclusion is helping fund these efforts in a big way. “That part of the college is very involved in disability services,” says Jess, “especially employment and transition. They received funding to work with different states in the nation. Vermont was selected because of our reputation and the work we’ve done in this area.”

The grant, awarded through the Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, gives the agency roughly $250,000 over the next two years to support transition services and to build on an innovative pilot program introduced in 2019.

“We are redesigning the way we do transition services, based on the Supported Decision-Making pilot we developed with Fair Haven High School,” says Jess. “Under the old model, we would start in January or February of a student’s senior year, get to know the person, then find them a job. That’s not a huge amount of time. With the new model we’ll start as early as freshman or sophomore year, slowly move into their junior and senior year, and intentionally develop that transition plan. This way of serving them is extremely different, but will result in better outcomes for the students.”

Services include self-advocacy training, workplace readiness training, work experience, counseling in post-secondary opportunities, and job exploration. This first year the program is looking to enroll 6 students from Fair Haven High School, with a goal in the second year to add 6 more students from another area high school. Jess’s plan involves having all ten area high schools on board by year four, and serving 40 to 50 students over that period.

“We are creating a new normal for our staff and for the people we support,” says Jess. “We‘ve been in this place where, if we need to find somebody a job, then we move into job search mode. We should not be focused solely on job placement, but rather on building a career path that is driven by the long-term goals and dreams of the individuals we support.”

The program has established relationships with a number of Rutland County employers, including Applebee’s and Rutland Regional Medical Center, and is looking to build more partnerships throughout Rutland County. The current staffing shortage has opened doors for the agency with several new employers, and recently, Evangeline made a connection at Petco for an individual who loves animals. “It’s an amazing feeling to bring someone in for a job they really want.”

Jess Nadeau hopes that the enhancements being made to Employment & Transition Services can serve as a best practices model for other agencies looking to improve delivery of services. “I get excited about making big changes. To be able to pave the way for the system itself, and make changes that are going to affect people right here in Vermont, and hopefully in other states – that is incredibly rewarding.”

Developmental Services clients shared their goals and dreams through an art project at the Summer 2021 Developmental Services Picnic.