School-to-Work Outreach Project 1995 Exemplary Model/Practice/Strategy

Work Resource Program (WRP) Jewish Vocational & Career Counseling Service California

Mission

To provide leadership and ensure a high quality, effective program by setting a common vision and goals, monitoring progress, resolving problems, facilitating open communications, conducting ongoing needs assessment and evaluation, in order to coordinate resources and to assist targeted students with disabilities in San Francisco, to better them for the world of work and to ultimately strengthen our community.

Organization/Program Context

The Work Resource Program (WRP) is a collaboration of seven organizations: Jewish Vocational and Career Counseling Service (JVS), Bridges... from school to work, San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Department of Special Education, SFUSD Department of State and Federally Funded Programs, Private Industry Council of San Francisco, San Francisco Division of Community Mental Health, and California State Department of Rehabilitation. Two organizations are active participants in WRP, providing direct services and staff. JVS is the lead and fiscal agent, and Bridges.... school to work is a subcontractor.

Community Setting

Major city. Students from throughout the city are served in this program. Both state and city organizations are involved in the collaborative effort.

Population Served

Program/Organization
See information below.

Model/Practice/Strategy
The Work Resource Program serves 270 students, the majority who have specific learning disabilities and some who have serious emotional disturbance. Students are from 14-18 years old.

Model/Practice/Strategy Description

The Work Resource Program (WRP) serves youth from many ethnic backgrounds of the ages 14 - 18. The program is comprised of both school-based learning and work-based activities. The school-based component, WRP Classroom, focuses on job readiness skills. This class reaches 265 students in 9th and 10th grade at schools and adolescent day treatment centers throughout San Francisco. Vocational Specialists teach the classes which are scheduled from 2-3 days a week, depending upon the school or center. The curriculum includes a variety of subjects: career exploration, understanding employer expectations, developing positive work attitudes and behaviors, building self esteem and work maturity, and learning job seeking skills.

Work-based learning is an integal part of WRP. Summer Jobs provides individualized training and support to 75 youth, targeting 10th grade students. Students are placed in various jobs (both competitive and supported employment) and are paid a stipend or wage, depending on their employer. Job coaches are available to povide individualized support at the level needed by the student. Two other services provided are a drop-in summer jobs clinic and employer advocacy. The drop-in clinic is a place where students can get job counseling and participate in activities such as attending a career fair or a workshop on how to find a job. Employer advocacy is available to employers participating in the Summer Jobs activity. JVS staff is available to answer any workplace questions or concerns regarding the students hired for the summer.

Work Experience is another work-based activity and is available to 50 students in 10th grade who work for one semester. WRP provides pre-employment support services (i.e. travel training) as well as support on the work site: job coaching, troubleshooting and addressing work issues as they arise. The students work after school or on the weekends. Some may receive a stipend while others who are in competitive employment are paid wages. At the end of the 10th grade students are referred to Transition Opportunities Program or TOP (supported by the California Department of Rehabilitation) for transition planning, additional work experience and job placement.

Prevocational Program for Students with Severe Disabilities is yet another component of WRP. It includes a combination of school-based and work-based learning for five students. A Work Counselor instructs the students, individually and in groups, on work adjustment issues using the WRP Classroom curriculum. The Work Counselor also arranges paid or volunteer work experiences for the students to reinforce classroom learning and to provide exposure to the world of work.

JVS and Community Vocational Enterprises/Keystone recently received a Federal grant which will allow them to provide WRP classroom and supported employment to 11th and 12th grade youth with severe emotional disturbance. This new component of the Work Resource Program is being initiated.

Exemplary School-to-Work Components

Collaboration - Connecting Activity
The Work Resource Program is a collaborative effort of seven different organizations and agencies (see "Program/Organization Context"). These agencies are involved in a variety of ways, such as supporting and implementing the program and conducting staff workshops and trainings. The Continuum Steering Committee oversees the program, and is committed to the realization of its goals and objectives. The committee consists of representatives from member agencies of the collaborative.

Program Evaluation - School-Based Learning
An independent evaluator conducts the evaluation of the Work Resource Program. Students, parents and teachers participated in year one of the evaluation. In the coming year employers will also be asked to participate. Evaluation methods include focus groups and surveys/questionnaires. The evaluation is essential to the program as it ensures that the program design and resources are improving students' vocational readiness and that this complements the standard special education curriculum which addresses vocational readiness.

What Makes it Work?

Collaboration
The program is a collaborative effort, with various agencies responsible for funding and staff. Collaboration with county and state agencies assures a continuation of work-based experiences to students as they continue through school and into the adult working world.

Program Evaluation
Evaluation is critical to the evolution and planning of the program, as data and feedback influences the direction of the program.

Staff

• Director of Rehabilitation (JVS)
  1 full-time
  * Coordinates referrals
  * Conducts program development and planning
  * Develops and monitors budgets and expenses
  * Develops grants and contracts

• Program Supervisor (JVS)
  1 full-time
  * Develops, implements, evaluates and monitors the program
  * Acts as liaison to community-based organizations, all project collaborators, local high schools and the business community

• Vocational Specialist (JVS)
  4 full-time
  * Teaches WRP Classroom
  * Conducts the Summer Jobs Program
  * Performs job coaching and job development
  * Provides individualized assistance to students as needed

• Vocational Aide (JVS)
  1 full-time
  * Performs clerical duties
  * Compiles data for program reports
  * Assists instructors and Vocational Specialist

• Work Counselor (Bridges... school to work)
  2 full-time
  * Develops stipended employment sites
  * Performs job coaching
  * Maintains communication with employers, families, service providers, and all other relevant parties

Maria entered the Work Resource Program at the adolescent day treatment center she had been attending for three years. Maria is diagnosed with severe emotional disturbance. According to the center's staff, she was self-destructive in class yet she was a precocious reader but painfully withdrawn whenever an attempt was made to get her to participate. Maria entered a vocational education class which she seemed to enjoy. Her behavior improved as well as her attendance. Her mother urged her to take a child care position so that she could become a better caretaker of her two younger brothers. For three years during the summer she worked as a preschool child care counselor with a youth employment program. Maria enrolled in the Work Resource Program Classroom. The class, taught by a Vocational Specialist, covers applied subjects such as job applications, resumes, and cover letters as well as social skills, decision making and on-the-job conflict resolution. The Vocational Specialist was impressed with Maria's energy in class but saw that it needed to be channeled more appropriately. She worked with her on self-presentation and communication skills. Maria's behavior improved - she became a positive classroom leader and the teacher's aid. She recorded key words on the blackboard, encouraged participation from reserved classmates and helped individuals who were having difficulties with written assignments. She was the one who kept the WRP class in order when other students were acting out. The Vocational Specialist asked Maria about her job interests, separate from her mother's expectations. Maria told her that she had never been asked that question and that she had always dreamed of "doing office work for a big, very influential agency." The Vocational Specialist learned that Maria would much rather collate files than quell preschool fights. That summer a two month office clerk position was developed and it was to be filled by one WRP student. Maria and five other students expressed an interest in this job at a large downtown architecture firm. Maria, filled with self-doubt about entering the world of work beyond her summer program, was the last of the students to interview. After the interview the personnel manager told the Vocational Specialist that she was particularly impressed by Maria's poised and professional appearance. Maria was offered the job. For the next two months the Vocational Specialist checked on Maria's job performance with weekly telephone calls to Maria's supervisor and visits to the job site. By the end of her two months with the firm Maria learned to operate a main-line switchboard, organize a mass mailing and perform data entry on a computer. She had missed only one day of work and had never been late. On the last day of Maria's term of employment the Vocational Specialist received an unexpected telephone call. Maria spoke in an excited voice, "I wanted you to be the first to know that my supervisor has asked me to stay on a month-to-month basis." That afternoon she entered the firm's new employment training program. Three months later Maria is still their successful employee.

In the classroom, Maria learned valuable communication, decision making and conflict resolution skills that helped her secure a job in the area of her interest.

This profile was generated by the School-to-Work Outreach Project at the Institute on Community Integration (UAP), University of Minnesota. The development and dissemination of these profiles was supported in part by grant #H029B30142 from the U.S. Department of Education.

For further information, contact the School-to-Work Outreach Project, Institute on Community Integration (UAP), University of Minnesota, 101D Pattee Hall, 150 Pillsbury Drive SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455.

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