The objectives for today’s post are as follows:
1. To define what a job coach does and the role of the job coach. 2. To explain the overall goal of the job coach. 3. To explain what outside of work job coach support is. 4. To provide information about the types of things you will see a job coach do. Many job seekers I meet with during the Ready, Willing, & Able intake think a Job Coach is a person who will do the job for the employee. If this is what you thought too, you are incorrect. On the work site, a Job Coach:
information that will help them do their best at the job.
When the employee is independently completing their job tasks, navigating their work environment, and has the necessary advocacy skills and strategies to ask for accommodations and adaptations to handle change in the work environment on their own, the Job Coach will transition away.The Job Coach usually works for 8-12 weeks on the job with the employee, slowly transitioning until the employee is completely independent. The role of a Job Coach is diverse. First and foremost, a Job Coach supports the employee, however, Job Coaches are also required to understand the needs and expectations of the employer and become familiar with the work site and various job tasks involved with the employee’s job. The overall goal of a Job Coach is to ensure the employee gains independence within their job, advocates successfully for supports and utilizes natural supports that exists in their workplace.Natural Supports are people within the workplace with whom you can turn to for help and assistance when the Job Coach has faded from the job. What will you see a Job Coach doing?
Here is what one job seeker has to say about receiving Job Coach support: Having a Job Coach helped one job seeker “feel less anxious when I started working. I knew she would help me learn how to do my job properly, and gain confidence. She also helped me understand my supervisors' expectations and to become more comfortable communicating with co-workers. I was sad when she finished, but I knew I was ready.” But what if you’re a job seeker who needs support, just not on the job? Autism Nova Scotia also offers 1:1 support outside the job provided by Autism Works or your Employment Agency. It is common for some employees to work with a Job Coach outside the work place to navigate the social situations of a workplace. For instance, a Job Coach working outside the job could work with the employee on knowing when to end a conversation, unwritten rules of a workplace or anything the employee feels they wish to improve upon. Job Coaches who provide support outside the workplace are still required to understand the needs and expectations of the employer and become familiar with the work site environment and various tasks involved with the employee’s job. The Job Coach is also expected to ensure the employee gains independence within their job by applying the skills they are learning and teaching the job seeker when/where to recognize and use natural supports that exists in their workplace. If you’re a job seeker who needs a Job Coach or a job seeker who requires support outside of the work place contact Sheila Pearson with Autism Works. Autism Works has a list of qualified, trained Job Coaches who can work 1:1 with an employee on or off the job. If you have been hired for a job and need a Job Coach contact Sheila Pearson at [email protected]
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