Rationale:

The vision of the Vocational Services program is to provide goal directed employment preparation for individuals based upon their dreams and aspirations. Individuals are involved in job search, resume development and interviewing skills through matching the individual with a Community Disabilities Services Practitioner (CDSP) that is responsible for fostering growth and opportunities within the community. Vocational Services is highly personalized and there are many options available for individuals that are working towards enhancing their personal development skills.
The Vocational Services program has also ongoing Community based Training sites where an individual can hone their employment readiness skills in order to be successfully employed at an independent location. Individuals are supported with an onsite CDSP that offers on the job training and provides continuous communication and safety awareness within an employment structured program. .

Program Outline

The Vocational Services Program focuses on achieving employment and volunteer outcomes that includes but is not limited to the following components:

• Personalized approach to service planning
• Comprehensive Assessment
• Life Management Courses
• Resume Development
• Interviewing Skills
• Job Search
• Marketing support
• Exposure Course Training
• Training on the Job
• Work Experience
• Employment/Volunteer outcome support
• Employment Readiness skills

Chrysalis also provides optional outcome support. Outcome support offers further employment/volunteer retention. The CDSP will fade out support when the Individual and their support network are in agreement that services are no longer required.

When services are no longer required the CDSP will place the Individual's file on inactive status.

Goals and Outcomes for each Participant

• To actively learn and use principles of time management to promote personal and job responsibility.
• To actively develop communication skills such as effective listening, giving and receiving feedback and asking appropriate questions in order to enhance relationships and job competence.
• To actively research employment/volunteer opportunities within the community.
• To actively build positive self-esteem by naming and expressing feelings and working with anger management strategies in order to apply principles of assertive behavior and achieve conflict resolution.
• To actively learn and practice various problem-solving methods in order to cope with identified work and personal stressful situations.
• To actively prepare for work/volunteer situations through developing self-awareness of personal abilities and goals, and to practice steps necessary for acquiring employment such as networking, interviewing, communication and computer/literacy.
• To actively follow through on recommendations made by CDSP in order to achieve dreams and aspirations.

Reporting

Once an individual is deemed to be eligible through PDD, a comprehensive ten day assessment is completed. The results of the assessment are forwarded to the individual and support network for review. An action plan is formulated that is tailored to the individual's needs. There are regular contacts made by the CDSP and a yearly Client, Parent Guardian Survey is forwarded for completion. The results of the survey are posted on the Chrysalink and follow-up completed by the Vice President.




 

Click to read Testimonial

"Over the years, I have seen some unbelievable improvements in a lot of the individuals accessing our services. There are times when people first get to Chrysalis, that expectations for what can be accomplished are very low. It's amazing to see how much hard work our individuals put into improving their situation. Once the changes start taking place, our individuals are seen more for their gifts and abilities rather than their disabilities."

- Chrysalis Staff