Promising Practices

This programs and practices highlighted below were developed by Job Corps staff to better serve applicants and students with disabilities. If you have a promising practice you would like to share please, click here.

Learning Disabilities

• The center has implemented a special education task force to assist students with IEPs. Their activities include a peer-mentoring program. Click here for more information on the program including mission statement, goals, and benefits of peer mentoring. (Northlands)

• The center has a full-time inclusion teacher provided by the school board. The teacher reviews IEPs and IAPs, identifies students having problem in the classroom that may need accommodation, and works with students receiving accommodation. (Shreveport)

• The center’s charter school does evaluations of student’s suspected of have a learning disability. (FG Acosta)

• The center does Structures of Intellect (SOI) testing for students with suspected learning disabilities, including vision testing (accommodation, focus, etc). This test measures over 90 different forms of intelligence, learning styles, and matches abilities to career technical choices. If the student qualifies for vision therapy, and has insurance that will pay, the student goes off center twice a week for 10-12 weeks to do "exercises”, light therapy and activities that help coordinate eye and brain function. (Alaska)

• During CPP and CDP center has an evaluation form that instructors can fill out if they think a student is having problems. The area director then brings the names to the monthly MDT meeting and the disability coordinator determines what services this person may need. (Phoenix)

• The center has a charter school on center with a resource instructor who is able to do Woodcock Johnson testing for students who may have learning disabilities. The resource instructors then refer the student to a testing psychologist if needed. (Phoenix)

• Developed linkage with the Department of Education of P.R. who provides the center with a full- time special education teacher. The Department of Education also provides a psychologist and occupational therapist who visit the center on a monthly basis. The CMHC meets with the special education teacher as needed. (Ramey)

• The center has entered into a partnership with the Sacramento Public Library Literacy Service Program who will provide the center with two trained tutors from AmeriCorps (beginning in January 2004). The tutors come on center for two hours, Tuesday thru Friday to work with small groups of trainees whose reading skills are below fourth grade level. Tutorial hours are incorporated into student’s regular class schedule, during the first two periods of the day. Eight trainees, two groups of four each, participate in this voluntary program. (Sacramento)

• The center has a special education instructor that modifies classes to accommodate the individual needs of our students with learning disabilities and works on individual education plans (IEPs). The CMHC gives the WRAT test (reading, arithmetic, and spelling) and the K-BIT (Kaufman brief intelligence test) and provides the results to the academic department for follow up. (Guthrie)

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Reasonable Accommodation

• As some of our students have reading problems, I enlisted the help of a local Girl Scout troop (who were looking for a service project) to read and record our culinary arts textbook to audiotape. Each girl did one or two chapters (one chapter per tape) and then we made copies for the girls who needed the extra help. We are now thinking about putting our own girls to work doing the same thing for our nursing text. There are a number of girls who have completed their coursework but who are waiting for their “clinicals” so they have some free time. It’s a good review for them too. *We are also thinking about putting our tests on tape so it will free up instructors’ time when an accommodation is having tests read to students.
  (Elvera McLees at Blue Ridge)

  *There is a caution when having someone record “tests” because it is more involved than reading general text. Some considerations are inflection and phrasing. There should be a natural flow to the reading with inflection to aide the listener in understanding the material. Also you should do a test sample to check for clarity and pace. There are some benefits to having tests read on tape. It is easier than being a reader in person because you don’t have the potential of unintended non-verbal cues. An individual with a learning disability may have a processing deficit and certainly they can rewind the tape to have the information repeated. Other things to consider are the use of variable speed recorders so the student can slow down the speech on the tape and it will still be understandable and/or creating these files so they can be converted into MP3 format to use via computers and MP3 players.

• The Dallas regional office created this checklist for centers to use when evaluating a reasonable accommodation request. Centers must complete this document and forward to the regional office when the center believes the requested accommodation cannot be provided. (Dallas Reasonable Accommodation checklist in MS Word format)

• Individual assessments for accessibility are conducted for all students who are wheelchair users. Several staff members including the health and wellness manager, safety officer, and maintenance manager accompany the student throughout the center to determine and find solutions to accessibility issues. Since maintenance and safety staff participate in the assessments, many of the issues can be corrected immediately. (Shriver)

• A cooking timer is used for ADD/ADHD students that have a recommended accommodation of shortened assignments. Students welcome the effort to manage their disability. The time is adjusted according to the accommodation recommendation. The reward for working the entire time can be drawing time. (FG Acosta)

• Use industrial earmuffs designed for ear protection, to accommodate ADD/ADHD and other easily distracted students. Students remain on task for longer periods of time. Local GED testing center has adopted this practice after observing its effectiveness. (FG Acosta)

• Center has developed a sample referral form (MS Word format) for center staff to complete if a student is having trouble successfully participating in the program. The student is referred to the center mental health consultant who evaluates the need for reasonable accommodation. (Long Beach)

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Partnerships/Community Linkages

• The center provides on center WBL sites for VR clients. In return VR provides necessary services for Job Corps students. (Mississippi)

• The center has created an internship program with the University of Southern California (USC). A USC student (doctoral level) will have a one-semester practicum in psychological assessment, and will be doing psychological and educational testing on center. The interns’ work benefits the center with more than 1,000 hours of cost-free services under the license and supervision of the CMHC. (Long Beach)

• The center has an MOU with the local department of vocational rehabilitation (VR) who has a residential training center within 15 miles of the center. The Job Corps center can co-enroll 10 students that may come to the Job Corps center for classes, go to the VR center for classes, or be placed completely at one center or the other based on the student’s goals and needs. When one of the VR center’s students co-enrolls at Job Corps, the VR center provides any accommodations needed to assist the student and transports the students to the center.

  The VR center has case managers that conference call with the Job Corps center’s career counselors on a monthly basis and VR case managers make visits to assist their students as needed. VR has assigned a case manager that comes to the center bi-weekly to screen any students interested in VR services based on a referral and assessment done by the center’s disability coordinator. After meeting with the student, VR arranges a tour of their center and any testing that may need to be done (e.g., psychological).

  The VR center also assists with placement services and provides disability training to students and staff yearly at no cost. (Carl D. Perkins)

• The center is in a partnership with SiaTech, an onsite charter high school. SiaTech evaluates assessment data for students with disabilities and provides individualized academic instruction and innovative computer programs to help these students obtain high school diplomas. The partnership has been very successful; the first trainees with disabilities enrolled have completed a vocation and are interested in going on to college through disability services at the local community colleges or university. In April 2002 two students, who had previously been enrolled in traditional public schools special educational programs, will graduate with their high school diplomas. (Phoenix)

• The center will participate in an adaptive recreation program that will allow trainees with disabilities a recreational opportunity within the community. (Phoenix)

• The center is in the process of establishing a linkage with the City Of Phoenix Clear Path Job Internship Program. This program provides a 200-hour internship program with 160 hours involved in job training with a mentor or job coach. The requirements of this program are the following:

  • Eligible for vocational rehabilitation

  • Live in Phoenix

  • Be 17 or older

  (Phoenix)

• A special education instructor from a local high school comes on center to help develop strategies of success for people with learning disabilities. This program provides the help of a special education instructor for 16 hours per week. This high school is funded through the state. (Inland Empire)

• Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) comes on center every week to sign up students for services and provide orientation. (Inland Empire)

• The center has developed a linkage with VR. VR does evaluations, case management, evaluates IEPs, and make recommendations about reasonable accommodations. (Long Beach)

• The center established a partnership with VR. A VR representative comes to the center weekly to conduct group orientations and enrolls students. VR also provides adaptive equipment, tutors and assists with GED preparation. (Phoenix)

• VR attends weekly disability assessment meetings on center. They provide input on assessment, placement, and referrals and will interview students regarding academic and career technical planning and help set up an individual program to help students succeed in Job Corps. Multiple disciplines on center attend the weekly disability accommodation meetings. (FG Acosta)

• The center has a contract with local medical center for free psychiatric services; psychiatry residents rotate through center to complete their last year of residency training. Job Corps is considered part of the community outreach program, which is mandatory for psychiatry residents. The center mental health consultant oversees this program and meets weekly with the physicians. (Phoenix)

• The center collaborates with a local state agency for people with severe mental disabilities. Students can receive free psychiatric services and medication and are assigned case managers who attend staff meetings on center. (Phoenix)

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Training

• The Disability trainer on center tries to implement or provide tools for accommodating students throughout the center. During the training a laminated card is given to all staff as a resource guide. The areas covered are: broad subject areas, ADD and ADHD, Asbergers, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The card resources include: websites (including Job Corps Disability), local and national phones, and the Job Corps Disability Hotline. The purpose was/is to have resources readily available to all staff, from instructors to RA, and Drivers to Cafeteria. (Quentin N. Burdick)

• The center has developed an interactive Social Skills Training (SST), including activities to help students understand what it's like to have a disability and how to use "people first language" when refering to someone with a disability. Click here to see examples of activities. (Treasure Island)

• The center mental health consultant provides training to admissions counselors on a regular basis. Some of the topics included in the training are inclusion, offering accommodations, and recording observations and concerns. Click here for an outline of the training. (Phoenix)

• The center mental health consultant provides a formal presentation to all new students on learning disabilities. He shows a video called "Fat City" and then encourages discussion afterwards. The video is user friendly and involves interviews with people who have learning disabilities. (Long Beach)

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Innovative Programs

• The center mental health consultant developed learning disability and ADD brochures ("Do I Have a Learning Disability") that provide information on the disability and how to get accommodations on center. (Long Beach)

• All students taking psychotropic medications attend a three-visit educational group that provides information on these medications. This group is lead by an intern and helps students gain a better understanding of their medication, its side effects, compliance, and maintenance. (San Diego)

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Other

• The center has contracted with a family nurse practitioner (FNP) who specializes in psychiatry. The FNP will work on an on call basis, in conjunction with the center MD and CMHC to better manage student health and medication. (Oneonta)

• The center has adapted a learning styles inventory (VARK) and administers it to all students. This questionnaire helps students find out how they like to work with information, their preferred learning style. (Phoenix)

• The center has developed a form, the CDP Readiness Checklist, to use when the Manager of Training/disability coordinator meets with new students to discuss their TABE scores and develop individualized schedules. This form is shared with appropriate staff including the special education teacher if a learning disability is suspected (TABE scores below 460 or at least a 50 point gap in scores). Information from this form is used to develop accommodation plans if necessary. (Quentin N. Burdick)

• The Center Director participates in monthly regional disability teleconferences led by the regional nurse consultant and regional mental health consultant. His participation:

  • Sends a message to center staff that the disability initiative is important

  • Gives him access to the latest information

  • Provides an opportunity to request any technical assistance that is needed

  (FG Acosta)

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