Community Support - CDS

Employment Support Specialist

Community Developmental Services is a Division of Washington County Mental Health Services. We provide comprehensive services to children and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities, autism, and/or other pervasive developmental disorders. The direct supports provided will depend on the job location, job responsibilities, and the specific abilities of the client. The number of clients supported will be determined by the number of hours worked and the type of schedule they have. Hours and bundles of work schedules are diverse and can cover a variety of options during the 7-day week. This could include weekends depending on the employment needs of the client served in each position.

Employment Coaches

Employment Coaches are part of the services we offer at Community Developmental Services. They provide daily one on one job coaching to clients who have intellectual/developmental disabilities or are on the autism spectrum and who have achieved the acquisition of a competitive employment position in their community. Employment Coaches play an instrumental role in identifying and guiding the client in accessing the necessary skills inherent in becoming a successful employee and maintaining rewarding employment. As each client and their job is unique the Employment Coach utilizes the skills of trainer, consultant, resource developer, and advocate to create an experience that instills pride and self-reliance in the client. The Employment Coach assist clients in realizing their full potential through a person-centered and supported employment model which encourages empowerment and self-determination in each client.

A Typical Day for an Employment Support Specialist

A Typical Day for an Employment Support Specialist may entail:

• Provide transportation to and from the work site in your vehicle.
• Cultivate effective job skills in clients to complete their specific job requirements.
• Act as a bridge builder between the employer and employee. Assist the client in advocating for themselves around topics like vacation, hiring practices, and job tasks.
• Provides "hand over hand" techniques when necessary to complete tasks, such as teaching the client how to use a knife safely.
• Assisting the client to remain on task and/or adapt to changes in task completing schedules directed by the employer.
• Role model professional behaviors on the job such as how the client communicates with other employees.
• Ensuring a client safety through observation and redirecting when the client performs an unsafe task at work.
• Assist in monitoring the use of assistance technology, such as communication IPADs in providing for successful communication of task assignments.

Community Support Specialist

Community Supports Specialists are the foundation of the services we offer at Community Developmental Services. They work one on one daily with clients who have intellectual/developmental disabilities or on the autism spectrum. CSS's play an instrumental role in providing guidance, encouragement, coaching, advisement, and on-going personal support to the clients we serve in diverse environments and under a variety of circumstances. Community Support Specialists assist clients in realizing their full potential through a person-centered model which encourages empowerment and self-determination in each client.

A Typical Day as a Community Support Specialist

A Typical Day as a Community Support Specialist may entail:

• Ensuring client safety by assisting with medications in take or making sure they have the appropriate wear for various weather conditions.
• Assisting clients in accessing and participating in a wide variety of activities and healthy lifestyle experiences such as hiking, fishing, attending concerts, or our Learning Collaborative programs.
• Fostering community integration by accessing activities and events in the community such as fairs, museums, movies etc.
• Supporting clients in learning and improving their independent living skills. Examples, teaching how to clean their apartment, buying groceries, paying bills, riding the bus etc.
• Supporting a client to participate in self-advocacy activities such as attending a Vt. State legislative meeting or cueing a client as they provide a training.
• Assisting client's in scheduling a variety of appointments.
• Transporting a client to and from a doctor's appointment, team meeting, recreational activity etc. in own vehicle.
• Providing employment coaching to ensure client success on the job.

Communication Support Specialist

Communication Program works with individuals who have alternative means of communication, other than verbal. The positions are Community Support based, but with the added aspect of supporting an individual's with their communication. There are Communication Plans, which explain how best to support each individual person in the program regarding their communication needs.

A Typical Day as a Communication Support Specialist

A Typical Day as a Communication Support Specialist may entail:

• Will mirror a Community Support Specialist typical day but has the added training and duty to be a communication partner with clients.