- Interventions can be thought of as assists that will be provided to help an individual work through the vocational plan toward one or more goals.
- Interventions must be provided within the context of an empathic, genuine, trusting relationship where the person is involved in a partnership to agree on and design the components of services he or she will receive.
- Services must be provided within a cultural context, i.e., attention must be paid to the nuances of language, values, upbringing and potential implications and limitations that may impact acceptance of services.
- Because of the very high rate of trauma experienced by individuals with serious mental illnesses, and our increasing knowledge of the importance of services that take this into account it is critical that services be provided within a trauma informed system and by providers with specialized training in this area (see: https://trauma-recovery.ca; Manitoba Trauma Information and Education Centre, 2013).
- Like objectives, interventions should be written in specific terms, identifying:
- What the intervention will consist of
- Who will provide it
- How often it will be provided and
- For how long it will be provided.
- Interventions can be carried out by family members, supporting individuals, or from resources available in the community.
Evaluating Progress and Making Revisions as Needed
- Reviewing progress and updating the plan on a regular basis is important to ensure that it remains focused on helping the person achieve his or her recovery goals.
- Reviews should take place when milestones are achieved or when problems arise that may interfere with progress.
- Progress reviews (with PWLE) can be a good time for assessing what has gone well, what has become a stumbling block, and what has been learned about all aspects of the plan and about the participants in the process. It should never be considered that failures have occurred; rather evaluating progress should be seen as a learning opportunity for personal growth.
- During the review process, the person can describe progress, thoughts about the plan, and discuss his or her satisfaction with its components, and those involved in helping with it and providing interventions. Any adjustments that need to be made to any aspect of the plan can be made during the review meeting.
- The planning team, led by the person served, can evaluate what has impeded accomplishment of the goal and the plan can be re-written to focus on something that may now be more important or more attainable.
- Plan changes should not be seen as failures – all of us encounter setbacks that require changes to even the best plans. Alterations should be viewed as learning opportunities where all can benefit from the knowledge gained about new or continuing strengths and challenges, both at the person or provider level and at the system or community level.
Making Transitions
There are several points when transitions will occur and planning for these is important.
Some of these include:
- The person is satisfied that goals have been achieved, requested services have been received
- The person indicates a readiness to move on
- Other life changes require transitioning to a different planning process with the person.
If the person is to remain connected to the service system, a new planning process may need to be initiated for the next phase of services.
Planning can occur as often as the person wishes; it does not need to be an annual event or occur only when transitions are foreseen.
Common pre-employment and vocational skill interventions include:
- Communication, interpersonal and problem-solving skills
- Disclosure and accommodations at the workplace
- Supporting a person to decide if they wish to disclose their mental health and or substance use history to an employer requires the PSR practitioner to help the person articulate the pros and cons of doing so from their perspective. The PSR practitioner can also point out that the person can disclose some components but are able to withhold other information (it is their choice). It is important for the PSR practitioner to help the person discover the potential limitations of disclosure as it relates to accommodations
- Resume writing, interview preparation, job sustainment support
- These specialized services are offered by certain organizations who offer education, practice and support either in a group setting or a one-to -one basis – referral to a local source may be ideal such as to Gastown Vocational Services, Coast Foundation, Work BC or to Open Door group
- Job development, job search
- Some service settings engage the business community in developing jobs and supporting people in those jobs – this specialized role widens job opportunities for our community and people receiving services
- Work experience placements, wage subsidies, Labour market trends, vocational exploration
- PSR practitioners working in Vocational Rehabilitation services need to be aware of work experience opportunities, education and wage subsidies and have a good sense of labour trends. Vocational exploration assists with career planning and helps the person find and sustain meaningful employment.