In Spokane County, people 21 years of age or older with developmental disabilities and their families are able to choose the agency they would like to provide them with employment or community services and support. A Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) Case/Resource Manager makes referrals to specific agencies.

Placement and follow-up services necessary to help persons with developmental disabilities obtain and continue integrated employment in the community, in business, or industry. This service may include creating work opportunities, support to the employee's supervisors and/or peer workers to enable them to support the person on the job, on-the-job training, and modification of work site or tasks.

Supervised employment and training in regular business and industry settings for groups of no more than eight (8) workers with disabilities. The workers are individuals who have a demonstrated need for ongoing supervisions and support in order to maintain employment. Typical program examples include enclaves, mobile crews, and other business-based programs employing small groups of workers with disabilities in an integrated employment setting.

Training and long-term employment in businesses organized and designed primarily to provide training and/or employment to persons with disabilities. Training may include teaching a client such concepts as attendance, task completion, problem solving and safety. Specialized industries (often called sheltered workshops because of the setting in which the work takes place) generally employ or train groups of nine or more people with disabilities in the same setting, with fewer non-disabled workers than people with disabilities.

Services that assist people with disabilities to gain access to community activities in which people without disabilities also participate. This may include activities, special assistance, advocacy and education individualized to address growth and interaction needs and desires of persons with disabilities who: 1) are frail because of their medical condition; and/or 2) are unemployed because of the current inability of the system to meet their employment needs (e.g. expensive adaptive equipment); and/or 3) are age 55 or older who are retired by choice.

This model of services is for those who wish to manage their own employment plan. With the assistance of a Personal Agent, each person will organize a unique team of support and develop a personalized vision and plan for employment.Each person, with his or her team will then identify the resources needed, and have the ability to use these resources in flexible ways to achieve the work goals. In Spokane County, the Spokane County Self Determination Initiative provides Personal Agent services. This is a time-limited service.

Adult Program Specialist

Last Modified On: 10/28/2008