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Project Trains Oregon Parents as Job Developers
excerpt from Point of Departure, Vol. 4, No. 2...PACER Center...Winter 1999
"A lady never goes anywhere without her copy of the Rehabilitation Act and IDEA."
-Debra McLean
Vibrant and funny, Debra McLean entertained and enlightened staff from RSA parent training projects at a 1998 TATRA workshop. McLean coordinates the Oregon Family Management Project, a project of the Oregon Technical Assistance Corporation. This private, nonprofit agency is helping Oregon families find paid employment in the community for their family members with disabilities.
McLean's project, received the Association for Persons in Supported Employment (APSE) 1998 Best Practice Award. The project was initially funded in 1994 using state lottery dollars. Its goal, says McLean is to "negotiate short-term dollars into long-term supports." Although the project was funded as an experiment, it has become part of Oregon's regular economic development activities budget.
The project has assisted over 50 families in 3 years, resulting in over 40 people with disabilities working in community jobs. The mean wage is $5.25 an hour. According to APSE, the grant program has so dramatically shifted the thinking of one high school special education department that they have vowed no student will graduate without a paying job.
Families that have a youth with a developmental disability between the ages of 18 and 26 not currently receiving vocational services are eligible. Families apply by describing the employment goals of their family member and the approach they would use to reach these goals. Once approved, funds of up to $3,000 are held in an escrow account for each family. Each family then decides how best to spend the money. Grant funds have been used to develop paid internships, purchase job development and job coaching services, and other creative approaches. Project dollars can't be used for tuition, however, staff will help find tuition dollars from other sources.
Person Centered Planning is an important part of the process. Once strengths, interests and goals are identified, responsibilities are assigned to help reach an individual's goals.
The project also provides free one-on-one training to families on the topics of job development, coaching, advocacy and access to other services. Parents learn that it is okay to ask for job coaching and job development as part of a student's IEP. For 18 to 21 year olds, a job is written into their transition plan. McLean calls part of the training provided to families "VR as a second language." Parents learn that "in 'VR speak' a '26' means a successful job placement." Parents can then approach VR counselors with a persuasive argument, "My child is a perfect '26'." Project staff maintain a toll-free number and voice mail so staff can respond to questions quickly.
In most cases, a parent serves as primary manager of the employment plan. Some families do job development themselves; some use their funding to hire someone to be their job developer.
Successful Job Development Strategies of Oregon Families
- Think about your son or daughter's interests, preferences, and abilities and how they pertain to employment.
- Network with teachers, agencies, and other families to learn about services and people that can help.
- Brainstorm with family, friends, and others to identify personal contacts that might be potential employers.
- Approach places you do business with about possible job opportunities.
- Make face-to-face contacts with employers and follow-up with telephone contacts.
- Focus on your son or daughter's talents and abilities when speaking with potential employers.
- Apply to the state VR agency for help to purchase work-related special equipment and services.
- Develop an IRWE Plan to set aside earning for employment and related expenses. (See page 4.)
- Hire an experienced job developer to identify job development strategies; contact employers; train employee, co-workers and supervisor; and maintain contact with the employer to ensure things go smoothly.
- Participate in typical employee training programs and rely on natural supports in the workplace.
Oregon Family Management Project
The Oregon Technical Assistance Corporation
3886 Beverly Ave N.E.
Building I, Suite 21
Salem, OR 97305
503/364-9943 Voice
Staff from the Oregon Technical Assistance Corporation are available to assist other states interested in establishing similar programs in their states.
PACER's site offers many PDF files for download, which require 
