Mastering Your Own Life, Authoring Your Own Story

The customized employment program at Daily Companions, Inc is a four-step “Steps to Success” process toward entering the workforce into a position of competitive wage employment.  This lays the foundation for a rewarding career built around your own unique talents, interests, and abilities.

Step 1 – Getting to Know You, Getting to Know Us

This is an information gathering and relationship establishment process.  This is where we collect your personal information, then move on to getting to know who you are as a person.  Where you like to go in the community, who you like to spend your tie with where you live, and what you like to do.  This is a basic overview of who you are as a person and is the information we use in the future to target job searches.

Step 2 – Developing Your Interests and Identifying Your Employment Goal

During Step 1, part of the process is collecting information about tasks that you would like to perform.  For example, perhaps you help at home by gardening, cleaning the kitchen, cooking dinner, or taking out the garbage.  These can be representative of competitive job skills, and we will take them into account when going into the community and identifying tasks that others perform at their jobs. During this time, we may identify volunteer opportunities at various locations, to move on to Step 3.

Step 3 – Assessing Your Skill Level

This is where we go to job sites and perform certain actions that you may undertake if you were employed there or at a similar location.  This is to establish an understanding of your skill level, and help in determining what tasks best represent your unique abilities. This allows us to customize a job search and help guide you to meaningful employment that will fit both your needs as well as the employers.

Step 4 – Getting the Job

This is where you find your employer. This step includes negotiations with employers about job tasks, hours, pay, and support options that can be provided to you to help obtain and maintain your job. Though we will be standing behind you all the way, we stress that this part of the process is based on your wants, needs, and abilities.

This is your life, and you have the right to author your own life story.  We provide a toolkit for you in the form of professional support, but you build the foundation for your career and gain further independence.

Contact us to learn more about our customized employment program

Daily Companions Inc. is a vendor, or Community Rehabilitation Provider (CRP), for Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS).

In this capacity, we provide vocational support by working with individuals to explore, assess and/or find employment based on their individual vocational plan.

The process begins with a collaborative CRP planning meeting with the client, parent/guardian, DCI CRP staff, and the client’s DRS Vocational Counselor. Depending on the individualized service needs identified, we may facilitate a Community Based Assessment (CBA), which establishes an unpaid trial work placement in a supportive business environment or a community integrated facility-based program.

We also provide Job Coaching, Job Development, and Direct Placement Support. These services may include job readiness skills such as preparing for interviews, completing employment applications/questionnaires, meeting prospective employers, managers, co-workers, resume development, and assist with identifying skills, strengths and strategies to assist with customized support needs.

As a vendor for Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS), we assist with assessments of abilities, strengths, employment interest, and transportation.  Clients do not have to be on the waiver program.  Anyone who needs special assistance to secure employment may apply to the DRS.  Families may contact DCI and our Career Employment Manager will assist with the referral to DRS.  Upon completion of the referral, the client may request DCI to assist with employment opportunities.

Clients do not have to be on the waiver program.  Anyone who needs special assistance to secure employment may apply to the DRS.  Families may contact DCI and our Career Employment Manager will assist with the referral to DRS.  Upon completion of the referral, the client may request DCI to assist with employment opportunities.

Once assessments are completed, then employment opportunities are discussed and a direct placement is completed once employment is accepted by the client.  A job coach is then assigned and will be with the client until the client becomes independent and has peer support or the job coach will remain with the client.

Contact us if you would like assistance with the referral to DRS

Ok you have gone through all the steps to apply for the I/DD wavier and you have in your hand a letter that says you are eligible.  Now you have to wait for a slot for services to open.  Realistically due to the demand for services you will be waiting for about 5 to 6 years before a slot is available.

The good news is there are other resources and programs you may be able to use while waiting.  Along with your I/DD eligibility letter you should receive a list of other resources/programs that you might be able to use while waiting for your slot to open.  One of the programs listed is the Support Grant for Individuals on the West Virginia I/DD Wavier Eligibility Applicant List.

Contact information for this program is:

Web Site: www.wvdhhr.org/bhhf/mrdd.asp
Phone:  304 356-4811
Contact person:  Mr. Steve Brady

Steve will give you contact information for several agencies in your area that actively work with the Support Grant program.  Once you have established contact with an agency you will then need to have a face to face meeting with a Service Coordinator who will review program options with you and explain support you can receive while on the grant.  You, the Service Coordinator and a Behavioral Support Professional will develop an Individualize Program Plan for your grant application.  The application will be submitted along with the plan.  You will hear directly from Mr. Brady and the Service Coordinator about your status with the Support Grant.   The attached description gives you the type and amounts of support services that are available through the Grant.  This is a grant that will need to be reapplied for by your Service Coordinator every 3 months and will need to have a new IPP written every 6 months.  Eligibility is based on the availability of funds and needs of the individuals.

Waitlist Grant application

To apply for I/DD waiver the family or individual must complete the WEST VIRGINIA I/DD WAIVER APPLICATION and send it to APS Health Care as noted on the application.

The family will be contacted by APS within five business days.

APS will provide a list of approved psychiatrists from which the family chooses and makes an appointment for the evaluation.  Once the appointment is made, the family notifies APS of the choice and appointment day.   It is important for the family to bring documentation of services the individual received in school (copies of last 2 IEP’s and evaluations completed by the school as well as any information from OT, PT or Speech services provided) in order to establish that the condition developed was before the age of 21 and to show need for an ongoing program.

When meeting with the psychiatrist completing the evaluation, please remember that all questions asked are as if the individual was independent and had to do things totally on their own without any assistance or support.

For example, the question might be “Does he/she take their medications on a regular basis?”   A caretaker might want to answer “yes” to this question because when the caretaker gives them the medications the individual takes them and swallows them or he/she can take them from a pill box that is filled by the caretaker.

This is not what the question is asking-  The question is can he/she take the medications totally by themselves without help – meaning, can they tell time and know it is time to take the medications? Can they open the pills and get the right number of medications out – and take them the right way?  Do they know what they are taking and why?  The question in this context would get a “No” for an answer.

The evaluation is not about the successes of your loved one, though there are many.  It is about determining if services are needed.  If support (family, community, volunteer)  is already there to meet an individual’s needs why would the state pay for things that the individual is already receiving for free and therefore does not need them?

Please apply as soon as possible for waiver assistance as the wait list for services is four years long.

Daily Companions Inc does not endorse specific 3rd party resources, but the below are a list of those we think are helpful for general knowledge and information

Books and guides for parents and kids with behavioral disabilities

Parenting with Disabilities:  A guide to Home Modifications

How Financial Aid for Students with Disabilities Works

The Guide To Keeping Your Home Through Debilitating Disease

Long-term Disability vs. Short-term Disability Explained