Vocational Support
The Arc Southern Maryland provides Vocational Support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through various programs, including Supported Employment, DORS Services, Transitioning Youth Services, and Pre-Employment Transition Services.
Supported Employment
The philosophy of Supported Employment is the belief that every person with IDD is capable of working competitively in the community, if the right kind of job and work environment can be found. Individuals are offered help finding and keeping jobs that capitalize on their personal strengths and motivation. Thus, the primary goal is to find a natural “fit” between the individuals’ strengths, experiences, and jobs in the community.
Supported Employment can include an Employment Discovery and Customization process, which may include the following components:
- Assessment – exploration of interests, vocational profile, employment plan.
- Skills training – support through social interaction, job exploration, role playing, career exploration, networking, working cooperatively with others, learning how to reduce distractions, paying attention to detail and quality of work, internships, and more.
- Job finding – customized based on job interests, skills, and preferences. Vocational Support Professionals (VSPs) provide one-on-one support for career exploration, resume writing, interview preparation, conducting a job search, and travel training.
- Job supports – facilitating success in competitive employment by working with individuals on the job site as they learn job skills, providing guidance and support to employers, and advocating for change in the work environment as needed.
- Case management – ongoing communication between the individual, employer, family, interdisciplinary team, etc., once employment has been obtained, in order to support the individual in his or her work and promote continued success.
To read about our Vocational Support options (Transitioning Youth, DORS, Pre-Employment Transition) click here.
For more information and to apply for services, visit the Arc Admissions Portal.
