Vocational Consultation and Services

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it." - Steve Jobs

The Vocational Consultation and Services Department, in partnership with local community businesses, strives to provide real-life work experiences and related training that facilitates a student’s transition to employment or volunteer opportunities. We provide opportunities for students from junior high through Transition age to engage in career exploration, counseling, shadowing, interning, paid employment and more. We utilize assessment data in order to support students in learning about their best matched area of employment. We work with students to develop independent skills needed to gain and maintain employment opportunities. Additionally, we provide vocational education through our Vocational Curriculum, PAES™ Lab, and job coaching services.

Vocational Consultation

Vocational Consultation services focus on providing students, families, case managers, and other stakeholders with support in the area of employment. Employment is one of the four critical elements of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) Transition Plan. Consultation services focus on students’ post-school goals, IEP goals, and are driven by individual student needs, interests, and preferences. Our vocational team provides a variety of assessment services that lead to recommendations focused on employment outcomes.

Vocational Services

The vocational services that we offer are individualized to meet the needs of our students. Some of what we offer includes: career exploration, job matching and placement, job training, volunteer experiences, job coaching, interview skills, resume building, job application skills, vocational task development, and more.

Communication and Planning

• Customized schedule and staff support based on student needs
• Communication and updates to various stakeholders
• Input on IEP/Transition goals and updates, as requested by the case manager
• Participation at IEP meetings, as requested by the case manager

Assessment and Reporting

• Quarterly report to districts on progress toward IEP, Transition, or Job Placement goals
• Progress monitoring of vocational goals aligned to the TrueNorth Essential Skills Vocational Curriculum; Student will:
  • develop and maintain positive work habits.
  • develop self awareness through identifying their vocational interests and abilities.
  • demonstrate the steps and skills needed to obtain a job or volunteer opportunity.
• Access to PAES lab for additional assessment or development of specific skill area, as requested by the case manager.
• Annual completion of ‘Employability and Life Skills Assessment’ to provide information for future vocational planning.

Skill Development

• Drive towards independence in Essential Skills Vocational Curriculum goal areas, utilizing the fading process and building in natural supports.
• Development of self-reflection and assessment for student use upon completion of vocational routines/semester/experience.
• Job placement readiness skills including mock interviews, job shadows, and access to employees and managers at partner sites, as appropriate

Integrated Service Delivery

• Services per IEP (OT, PT, SLP, AT)  can be delivered on vocational sites, as appropriate to meet the goals and generalize skills.