Region VI CRP-RCEP eNewsletter



New Project Director - MARTHA GARBER Well, it's not quite news anymore, but we're still happy about it! Martha Garber, formerly of the Rehabilitation Services Administration Regional Office in Dallas , Texas , was named Project Director. She joined the Region VI CRP-RCEP in May 2006 as Co-Director and assumed the duties of Director in February 2007. She's been hard at work continuing to build on the strong partnerships the Region VI CRP-RCEP has established. Martha brings a wealth of experience from both the public and private sector. She believes in strong collaborative efforts among consumers, people significant to consumers, agencies and providers that create better and fuller futures. For the past several months, she has been meeting with our stakeholders including the Advisory Committee, traveling to various training sites and conferences, and conducting a few training courses herself. Former Region VI CRP-RCEP Director Linda Holloway is still working as our Principal Investigator and Program Advisor in addition to her duties as Associate Dean and Faculty Member in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service. Meet Yvonne Raffini We are delighted to announce the addition of Yvonne Raffini, Ed.D., NCC, LPC, our newest Organizational Consultant. Yvonne comes to us straight from the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) where she worked as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for one-and-one-half years specializing in the Division of Blind Services. Prior to that she lived & worked in Wisconsin at the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, in mental health as a case manager at Children and Family Services, and as a Guidance Counselor (District AODA Coordinator), and Project Director/ Instructor at Benito Martinez Alternative Middle School. Among the areas she will be training are Supported Employment and Job Coaching. With her impressive credentials, we believe Yvonne will make an excellent addition to our already talented staff. We hope you think so too! Yvonne can be reached at our offices in Denton, Texas (940) 369-7477 or via email at yraffini@pacs.unt.edu. Meet all of our staff at the Region VI CRP-RCEP website: www.crp.unt.edu Supported Information Interview Tool to Understand Needs of Employers: An information interview is a way to begin to understand the employer's needs. Most employers are willing to meet when the goal is to learn about the business. An informational interview is not selling the employer; it sets the stage for potential negotiations that may occur later. The job seeker can be present at the time the employment services provider meets with the employer to ask the employer key questions. General concerns about work tasks and disability-related issues can be discussed without specific reference to the job seeker. It is a good idea to maintain an agenda related to information gathering. If the job seeker is present, be prepared to talk about strengths and contributions that this person would like to make to the workplace. Also, prepare to provide examples of successes the job seeker has had in the past when using supports. Questions to Consider Asking in an Informational Interview What is your business most proud of? (It never hurts to give the employer a chance to brag about what they do.) How are you different from [name of competitor]? Are there specific hiring procedures? How does work get done? Are there challenges to getting work done? Is there a particular area where you need more help? Can you show me how to do [task]? Kate Lorenz, Editor from Career Builder.com (6/2007) also suggests asking: What is your typical day like? What emerging trends do you see affecting your job or industry in the next five years? What skill sets and abilities will I need to be successful in this line of work? Additional Resources Here are some resources on Informational Interviews you might also find helpful in your work. www.t-tap.org www.employmentforall.org/ ruralinstitute.umt.edu/training www.t-tap.org/training/onlineseminars/callahan/callahan_discovery.htm www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/custom/index.htm www.onestops.info/category.php?cat_id=9 Next Month: Mental Health & Employment We receive inquiries frequently on the topic of mental health & employment, which is why we've chosen it as next month's Hot Topic! Let us know what topics you would like to see in the future.	Training Schedule July 31 - August 1, 2007: Supported Employment: Basic Skills Clinic, Houston, Texas August 21-22, 2007: Supported Employment: Basic Skills Clinic, Baton Rouge, Louisiana September 5-6, 2007: Job Coaching Strategies, Covington, Louisiana September 18-19, 2007: Building Employer Relationships: Marketing & Job Development, Albuquerque, New Mexico September 27-28, 2007: Individualized Assessment, San Antonio, Texas October 16-18, 2007: Certificate in Employment Services Session I, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Session II: November 27-29) October 30-31, 2007: Supported Employment Basic Skills Clinic, Dallas, Texas November 7-8, 2007: Job Coaching Strategies, Austin, Texas November 14-15, 2007: Supported Employment: Basic Skills Clinic, Albuquerque, New Mexico Customized Employment Success Story A large department store hired Scott, a job seeker with a disability, after several informational visits by his employment services provider, Shaina, who negotiated a new way for the store to handle merchandise delivery. Originally, store clerks unloaded and repackaged new merchandise. Shaina suggested that the job seeker perform this task. This customized job freed the clerks to spend more time serving customers. As a result, sales increased. Have You Heard? New minimum wage increase from $5.85 an hour to $7.25 an hour by 2009. Find out how this wage increase impacts benefits and other issues for individuals with disabilities at: www.communityinclusion.org Here are some previews of what to look for in future issues of e-News Transitioning Youth Autism Substance Abuse
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