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- Employment (3)
- Success Stories (4)
- Uncategorized (3)
Responsibilities:
Supervise and assist developmentally disabled adults to train and improve vocational skills. Develop and implement programming designed to increase daily living skills and personal and social adjustment. Use paid and simulated work to modify individual work behavior by bringing about achievements and maintenance of acceptable work attitudes, habits and productivity. Monitor all production duties in the department including set-up, quantity and quality checking, work assignments and necessary paperwork. Develop and instruct downtime and work skill activities. Develop, design, implement and revise individual service plans including long and short-term goals. Assist with the preparation and management of all individual case files in accordance with Vocational Guidance Services’ Case Management Procedures and CARF requirements. Ensure all required paperwork is completed such as monthly reports, consumer plans and documentation, program evaluations, and case notes. Supervisory responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems. Complete payroll of participants and employees.
Responsibilities:
Part time Administrative Assistant needed to complete clerical work and minor administrative and business detail by performing the following tasks. Read and route incoming mail. Prepare outgoing mail and correspondence, including emails and faxes. Locate and attach appropriate file to correspondence to be answered by employer. Compose and type routine correspondence. Make copies of correspondence or other printed materials. Organize and maintain file system, file correspondence and other records. Coordinate schedules and make appointments. Coordinate and arrange meetings, prepare agendas, reserve and prepare facilities, and record and transcribe minutes of meetings. Answer and screen telephone calls. Greet visitors and conduct to appropriate area or person. Order and maintain supplies, and arrange for equipment maintenance. Arrange and coordinate travel schedules and reservations. more…
Vocational Guidance Services (VGS) is proud to count the following organizations among our partners, accrediting agencies and/or referral sources. For more information on each agency, please click on their link below.
http://abilityone.org/index.html
http://www.rsc.ohio.gov/default.htm
http://www.unitedwaycleveland.org/site/c.gpIOKZOxFoG/b.5152581/k.BDC2/Home.htm
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100000
Taquilla, a young woman whose barriers to employment include a developmental disability as well as deafness, came to Vocational Guidance Services frustrated due to her lack of communication skills outside of sign language. Taquilla had a deep desire to overcome those barriers so that she could obtain her brighter employment future.
At VGS, Taquilla met with our vocational rehabilitation staff to determine her employment goals and design a plan to accomplish them. Her plan began in our Custodial Work Adjustment Program. Thanks to this program Taquilla received vocational training through paid work experience and developed critical job keeping behaviors such as punctuality, productivity, and work-appropriate appearance, as well as many others.
Taquilla’s Job Coach/Interpreter noted that she has seen a change in Taquilla and that VGS’ custodial work adjustment training program has enabled her to acquire the proper skills to succeed; Taquilla now understands what is expected of her by her employer. She comes to work on time, in work –appropriate attire, and she works hard to achieve the goals she has set for herself. In fact, her supervisor has noted that her general outlook and behavior have changed a great deal. Taquilla loves working at VGS and recommends that many of her friends who are deaf attend the Work Adjustment Program.
Today, Taquilla is a member of a custodial crew that is responsible for the daily maintenance of two large facilities (over 130,000 square feet). Taquilla’s custodial supervisor says that “she has become a leader in her program and has even begun to train some of the other consumers who work with her.”
Each year thousands of individuals facing physical/mental disabilities or other barriers to employment come to VGS with hope for a brighter future. Each week 1,000 individuals overcome their barriers and collect a paycheck thanks to the innovative vocational rehabilitation programs and social enterprise work opportunities that are offered at VGS.
Florence Miller came to Vocational Guidance Services without hope. She had been diagnosed with depression and health concerns revolving around a ten-year-old injury that affected the use of her upper neck, back, wrist and hands. While dealing with these issues, she became despondent due to her condition and her inability to find suitable employment.
The Maintenance Program at VGS gave Florence the confidence and push she needed to get her life back on track. When asked about the program she stated, “The Maintenance Program gave me the encouragement and confidence to compete with an all male class, which in turn prepared me to deal with an all male workforce. The hands on training and interaction with VGS staff gave me the confidence I needed to get back into the workforce.” more…
Monday through Friday
3pm to 8pm
Responsibilities
Job coaches are responsible for providing training in the custodial field for VGS consumers, assisting individuals with the development of appropriate job-keeping behaviors, task analysis, skills to complete specific job tasks, natural supports, and the identification and implementation of reasonable accommodations at the job site. Job coaches assist the program supervisor in the development of an Individualized Success Plan for each consumer, and are responsible for implementing the success plans to aid consumers in achieving measurable objectives. Job coaches implement the appropriate positive behavior interventions and support techniques to enhance each individual’s success. more…
Service Providers like VGS seek accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Accreditation is a process that demonstrates that a provider has met strict quality standards for its services. CARF also evaluates how well a provider is serving people and how the provider can improve. As a step toward accreditation, a provider invites CARF to send a team of professionals called surveyors to visit its sites and evaluate its services. Based on the surveyors’ review, the provider may be awarded CARF accreditation for one or three years. Vocational Guidance Services has invited CARF surveyors to evaluate our services again this year. They will be at VGS August 19 – 21, 2009. The surveyors will interview people who use our services, their families, our staff and others. VGS has the honor of being one of the first four agencies ever accredited by CARF, and is one of only two that have achieved 14 consecutive maximum 3-year accreditations. Our CARF Task Force is capably led by Rick Lakatos who is himself a CARF Surveyor. He is joined by 13 individuals representing each of our divisions, departments, and facilities. Potential accreditation areas include: Employment Services, Comprehensive Vocational Evaluation, Employee Development Services (Work Adjustment), Skills Training, and Community Employment Services (Placement) – Job Development, Job Training and Job Supports. This will be the first year that our Columbus operations will be surveyed.
Geraldine has confronted many challenges on her path to a brighter future. She struggled early on as a result of being born with congenital glaucoma and yet she was never discouraged. She lost her right eye in 1973 which led her to seek services through the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI). That’s when Geraldine’s path led her to VGS.
With limited eyesight in her remaining eye, Geraldine knew that she could not give up and that she did not want to rely on others to take care of her. She started in Sewing Training and Manufacturing Training programs at VGS. She was hired at VGS, working in the contract shop manufacturing Doby Pads. She was eventually laid off due to the loss of the contract. Geraldine was down, but refused to give up. She volunteered at several organizations throughout the city during her time away from work. But that wasn’t enough. She got back in touch with VGS and was able to return to work in the contract shop. “I like working at VGS,” said Geraldine. “I wanted to come back because I knew that I could work and I wanted to work at VGS.”
Geraldine’s commitment and determination has helped her to overcome barriers on her pathway to success and employment in the VGS Sewing Department. more…
Dwight Tuttle is a U.S. Army veteran, trained as a Supply Clerk and Wireman. Never in a million years would he have thought that he would have to learn how to function all over again. But that is exactly what happened in 1989 when Dwight suffered a stroke that affected the entire left side of his body.
In the months to come, he had to endure grueling therapy to regain most of his motor skills. He was very discouraged and thought he may never be able to put his life back together. Gainful employment was out of the question as far as he was concerned.
That is until he was referred to Vocational Guidance Services through the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Dwight was entered into the Work Evaluation program where his instructor worked with him to explore job possibilities and transferable skills. She was helpful in finding a new direction for him since his stroke and encouraged him to explore employment in the customer service field. Dwight was then placed in the Customer Service/Call Center Training Program at VGS. Dwight attributes VGS staff with being instrumental in keeping him focused and helping him throughout training. Initially he was unsure about doing telemarketing and customer service, but through the support of his Placement Consultant, Dwight was placed at Preferred Marketing.
Within a year, Dwight moved from his position as a telemarketer to one as the assistant manager of the call center. Dwight is extremely thankful to VGS and feels he has overcome many obstacles because of the tremendous encouragement and assistance he received.
In 2008, VGS developed and implemented 41 new contracts/programs that provided employment for more than 70 additional full time equivalent (FTE) transitional workers and enabled VGS to serve more than 391 additional consumers. These new programs allow VGS to both refine and expand its mission, provide more real work experience, on-the-job training and employment slots and, in an ever-changing and increasingly difficult economy, solidify the future of our mission. VGS staff is encouraged and determined to continue their remarkable track record of continuously improving what they do each day: listening to the needs and desires of the individuals we serve and finding creative mission-related means to meet and exceed their goals. They work closely, cooperatively and supportively to help fulfill VGS’ mission of “preparing people with barriers to employment for a brighter future.” more…