Keys for Case Managers

Case managers are either County Service Coordinators (SC) who work for a County DD Program or Personal Agents (PA) who work at a local Brokerage. Both Service Coordinators and Personal Agents play pivotal roles in advancing employment for persons with developmental disabilities at the community and the individual level.

Take Action

1. Using the Employment Tools below, work with 5-10 individuals to improve their employment options and opportunities.
   
   
2. Share a story with us of one person's path to employment throughout 2011.
   
   
3. Tell us what's working and what's not working.
   

Employment Tools

• Employment Core Functions provides direction to Service Coordinators and Personal Agents working on Employment First implementation with individuals and the community. It describes primary functions and “Other Things You Can Do”.
  
  
• Employment Conversation Talking Points may be helpful when used along with stories and videos when discussing employment and Employment First with individuals, families, service providers, educators, officials, and the public.
  
  
• Employment Guide To Planning. The guide is designed to assist SC, PA and others to discuss interests, activities and strengths and to choose and implement a “Path To Employment."
  
  This Tool provides sample discussion questions, direction, and possible ISP content for the Paths to Employment:
  
  
  • Individual is currently in a job or career
  • Individual is unemployed or underemployed and wants a job this year
  • Path or individual is not clear - employment goal is within 2 years (This year conversation and discovery)
  • Individual not focused on employment (conversation only this year)
    
    
• Employment Action Plan Form (and samples) standard format used within the existing ISP process for individuals on the comprehensive waiver (group home, foster home, or supported living).
  
  
• Vocational Profile is a document that gathers all of the essential person centered information for customized employment planning. This form may assist the DD case manager, VR counselor, and designated provider(s) in collaborative plan development and review.