Customer initiated supported employment

Abstract

One of the recurring problems reported by supported employment participants has been an overall lack of involvement in the process. People with disabilities have reported feeling powerless within programs which offer no opportunity for choice and control. This creates a need to provide opportunities within supported employment to maximize consumer participation. The Consumer Initiated Approach to Supported Employment demonstrates how to promote full consumer inclusion. The authors provide an overview of this approach. Key model components include: customer lead assessment, customer driven job selection, individualized vocational supports and customized job retention services. The outcome data from this federally funded demonstration project are also provided.