Your Placement Specialist will set up an intake meeting with you to help you discuss your job goals, skills, and other information relevant to your job search. Placement Specialists search for jobs that would be a good fit for your background and skills and assist you with interview skills, resume-building, and can transport you to interviews if you do not have your own transportation.
After securing a job, you will meet your Employment Specialist (“job coach”), whom you will maintain regular contact with once you begin work.
Your Employment Specialist will attend work orientations, help to implement any accommodations you may need on the job, as well as provide work-related advice throughout the coaching period.
ENABLE will assist you to find a job that matches your interests, skills and experiences. Although many of the people we assist are looking for entry-level jobs, we have been successful in finding jobs for people with a wide variety of skills. It is our aim to help you find a job that fits your career plan or gets you started on the road to your desired career. We will also help you progress in your career.
Many factors affect the amount of time it takes to become employed. On average, we find it takes at least three months to secure a job that is a good match for your interests and needs. Your Placement Specialist will contact you regularly to discuss the progress of the job search or to talk to you about a specific job opportunity.
You can help speed up the process by returning phone calls promptly, being flexible about job opportunities, and being available when your Placement Specialist calls you for an interview appointment.
Depending on how much you earn and the type of benefit you receive, once you secure a job, you may get some reduction in your cash benefit. Many people will continue to receive some cash benefit while working and by adding a paycheck they have more available monthly income. Before accepting a job opportunity, your Placement Specialist will help you estimate the possible change in your cash benefit so that you can make an informed decision about working while receiving Social Security benefits. Additional information is available at: http://www.ssa.gov/disability/
When you meet with your Placement Specialist for an intake meeting, you
and your Placement Specialist will discuss the best communication plan
depending on your individual needs and the resources available to you. Your
communication plan can include a combination of in-person meetings, phone
calls, and possibly e-mails or text messages. Generally, it is recommended
that you keep in touch with your Placement Specialist at least once a week.
Your Placement Specialist can be reached Monday-Friday from 9:00am-
5:00pm and will return a missed call within 24 hours. You are also expected
to return calls from your Placement Specialist promptly.
No. The services that we provide differ from those of a staffing agency in
several ways. When you are referred to ENABLE, you will embark upon a
customized job search. This means that, rather than working from the
prospective of employers and delivering an employee to a posted job, we
work from the prospective of the job seeker. Also, unlike a staffing agency,
ENABLE provides support during the job search and you start work. We
understand the needs of individuals with disabilities and the
accommodations that may need to be put in place when you begin work.
ENABLE has built relationships with many employers. After completing
your intake meeting, your individualized job search will begin. To make the
right job match for you, your Placement Specialist may be contacting
companies that have not previously employed an ENABLE job seeker.
If you are experiencing any difficulties with your job, you should have a
conversation with your Employment Specialist, who can help you resolve
most issues. In the event of job loss, whether or not ENABLE can assist you
in another job search depends on the circumstances of the job loss and is at
the discretion of the referring agency.
Supported employment is a term used to describe a system of support for
people with disabilities. Supported employment provides assistance such as
job coaching, job development, job retention, travel instruction, assistive
technology, specialized job training, and individually tailored supervision.
Supported Employment refers to both the development of employment
opportunities and on-going support for individuals to maintain employment.
You have the choice of two types of job coaching: on-site, and off-site.
During on-site coaching, your job coach will travel directly to your job site
and assist you hands-on with learning work tasks. During off-site coaching,
your coach will not visit you on your job site, and; you will instead maintain
regular phone and face-to-face contact with your coach to discuss, and
resolve, and any work-related issues you may be having.
Job coaching is not mandatory, but highly recommended. Job Coaching,
whether on or off-site, helps you to fully understand and accomplish your
job duties as well as maintain employment.
You are not required to disclose your disability to a potential employer in
order to receive services. We will not share disability information with an
employer without your permission. However, you should be aware that
ENABLE is known as an organization that helps people with disabilities to
find and maintain employment. As we interact with an employer on your
behalf during your job search or employment, it may be inferred that you
have a disability. You should make your Placement Specialist aware of your
disclosure decision during your intake meeting if you do not want us to
disclose that you have a disability to potential employers.
The Placement Specialist will meet with you at the DVR office, your home or
another convenient location to gather information about your skills, interests
and past experiences. It is not a requirement to meet at the ENABLE office in
Livingston. The Director will then review the information provided at intake
and make a decision about your acceptance for ENABLE services.
Gather the following documents, which will be needed for the intake process:
• Picture ID
• Social Security Card
• Resume or work history with dates of employment and contact name/phone numbers.
• List of availability hours.
• List of any upcoming vacations, court hearings, doctor appointments, surgeries, etc.
• If you have a criminal background, a brief description of the charges and a letter of reference from your probation/parole officer.
Condense your ideal job list into one category you would like to pursue. For
example, Administrative, Food Service, Retail, etc. If you need assistance determining what environment is best for you, take our Career Interest Inventory, to help you learn where you might be the most successful.
If you believe you have the skills needed to excel in a certain vocational area, but are not completely sure, contact us for a testing session wit Prove-It. This computer assessment will test your abilities and rate your skills, which may be helpful to you and your Placement Specialist when job searching.
If you are worried about how to dress, these programs offer free career clothing. Your Placement Specialist can make a referral and schedule an appointment for you.
http://www.dressforsuccess.org
http://www.centerforwomennj.org/career_closet.html
Do you have a driver’s license and car? If not, how are you planning on getting to and from work? Here are a few helpful links to local public transportation systems.
NJ Transit: gives many options for bus, train, light rail and local paratransit.
NJTIP: offers travel instruction on use of bus, train, light rail and subways.
http://www.njfindaride.org: a directory of accessible transportation for individuals with disabilities.
