Supported Employment: Training Frontline Staff - SAMHSA Store ...

First, help Mary become calm by getting her a
Kleenex and a glass of water. Help normalize the
situation by saying that lots of people find the first
day at a new job difficult but that initial problems
are often solved.
Then ask Mary to describe what happened. You’ll
learn that Mary’s boss had asked if Mary could
begin working an hour earlier than had been
originally arranged. Wanting to please her new
boss, Mary said she could begin at the earlier
time. However, on the first morning, Mary found
it difficult to get her children off to school in time
to run for the bus. She then got on the wrong bus
and arrived late to work. During the bus ride, she
became more and more worried about what her
boss would think and began to seriously doubt her
ability to do the job.
After understanding the situation, respond in a way
that is consistent with Mary’s coping strategies. For
example, you may know from previous sessions or
team meetings that Mary can become overwhelmed
with worry, but that she responds well to direct,
practical support.
If Mary still wants to work, she may realize it will be
impossible for her to start at the earlier hour. You
and Mary need to work out a plan that gives her the
confidence to continue in the job.
The plan may include how Mary could talk to her
new boss about her work hours. You and she could
role-play the phone call. To provide support, offer
to stay nearby while Mary makes the call.
When starting a new job, consumers can benefit
from reviewing the transportation plan for getting
to work. You and Mary may want to ride Mary’s bus
route to work together, timing how long the trip
takes and writing out the bus changes on a card that
Mary can carry as a reference.
Finally, congratulate Mary for staying at work
through a hard first day. She reached out to you for
support and assistance in problem solving in just
the right way.
Interventions aimed at the consumer’s
support network
Consumers’ support networks play an important
role in providing effective job supports. As Mary’s
employment specialist, you’ll want to update
team members about what is happening and ask
their views on the situation. Is everyone on the
team supporting Mary’s current work effort For
example, if the psychiatrist expresses concern about
work causing stress, you might describe how others
have achieved greater levels of independence by
learning ways to deal with stressful work situations.
Addressing family concerns and enlisting their
support helps consumers in their work efforts. With
Mary’s permission, call Mary’s mother. What are
her worries You may learn that she believes you
are pushing work on Mary when she believes Mary
is not ready. Setting up a meeting with you, Mary,
and her mother can give Mary a way to clearly
communicate to her mother that she wants to work.
Families can be very supportive, particularly if
someone on the team addresses their concerns and
gives them information about the advantages of SE.
Interventions aimed at the consumer’s
social and physical environment
The third area of support is the social and physical
environment at the workplace. With the consumer’s
permission, you can speak directly with the work
supervisor to problem-solve. Mary may want you
to tell the boss about her struggles with anxiety and
depression, but also to communicate her desire to
succeed at the job.
What is the employer’s assessment of the
consumer’s work performance You may learn that
Mary’s boss had noticed that Mary had been late
the first day but had thought that, generally, the day
had gone very well and found she caught onto the
routine quickly.
Training Job Supports Frontline and Collaborations Staff 3 Module 4