The King County School-to-Work Program (S2W) aims to help students with developmental disabilities leave school with a job and a seamless transition to adult life and support services.

School-to-Work takes a team approach to offering direct services to students. Students work with an Employment Specialist who will partner with the student's team of educators and collaborate with parents and the adult service system to help the student find a good job match before they leave school. School-to-Work offers training, benefits planning, and resource coordination for students and families enrolled in the program.

Students must be turning 21 years of age and in their last year of eligibility for school services.

• Students who wish to apply for the 2012-2013 school year must be born between September 1,1991 and
  August 31,1992.

Students must be connected with the key funding agencies listed below.

• Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD)
• Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)
• Enrolled in a school district within King County
• Students are highly encouraged to apply for benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA)

Students must have a desire to have their own job in the community.

School-to-Work accepts students regardless of level of disability.  The key ingredients to successful job placement are the individuals' desire to work and a strong support team with a belief in and vision for community based individual employment.

School-to-Work supports all students to create a vision of community-based employment In accordance with the Working Age Adult Policy implemented by the DSHS/DDD in 2006.

Students should apply to the program in the winter or early spring prior to their last year of school. There is more than one avenue available for you to apply to S2W.

1.    Attend an annual Transition Resource Fair: 
       King County hosts two annual resource fairs in early Spring. Attending these events will give you valuable information
       regarding the project, provide you with the necessary orientation and connect you with resources.

                        The following is information for the 2012 Transition Resource Fairs:

2.    Ask your teacher: 
       Ask your teacher about the project to learn how your school helps with enrollment. Some teachers assist families
       individually and some schools organize group meetings where families learn about the project, its requirements, 
       and complete the application. Some schools have pre-selected an employment specialist that will work with students.
       For these schools, the employment specialist may also assist with orientation and application.

If your teacher has not heard of the program, please have him or her contact the S2W Program Manager, Richard Wilson at 206-263-9044.

3.    Complete the orientation online, download, and mail the application: 
        You may complete the orientation video online and download the application at the following links:

    School-to-Work Orientation - Video

School-to-Work project orientation - video presentation 
        School-to-Work project orientation - Power Point presentation        

    School-to-Work Application - Download

         School-to-Work Application

Attend a Transition Resource Fair:
Even if you complete your orientation and application with your school or online, students and families should attend a Transition Resource Fair to meet supported employment agencies, learn about community resources, and attend workshops with important information about the adult service system. Ask your teacher or check our website early in the year for details about these events.

Choose a Supported Employment Agency:
School-to-Work currently uses two models. In some schools, students and families choose an Employment Specialist from one of the KCDDD's supported employment agencies who are contracted to provide S2W services. Some schools have pre-selected the supported employment agency. Ask your teacher if your school project has pre-selected a supported employment agency or if you interviewed and selected a supported employment agency.

School-to-Work provides a list of questions for students and families to use when interviewing their provider. Students are encouraged to interview at least three agencies to make a thoughtful choice and find the right fit. Most agencies work with a limited number of students. Students are encouraged to apply early and choose their employment agency as soon as possible, no later than June.

Working with the Supported Employment Agency
Students can begin working with an Employment Specialist in July of the summer before their last year of school begins. Ask your supported employment agency about the services they are able to provide over the summer.

Inter-agency planning meeting and collaboration throughout the year
School-to-Work uses a team approach to planning and individualizes services for each student. Once school begins, each student will have a planning meeting with an inter-agency team including parents, teachers, employment specialist, DSHS/DVR Counselors, and other key people the student wishes to include. This meeting is required, so that everyone has a chance to share their ideas and set clear expectations for communication and shared responsibilities for the individual's plan for employment. Good communication has proven to be critical to success in S2W.

When students begin working
It is impossible for S2W to guarantee or predict when a student will get a job. However, the goal is that students will begin working as soon as possible in their last year of school. A few students may find a good job match the summer before school begins, while others may find jobs later in the school year. Despite the best efforts of the team, some students do not find jobs before leaving school. Even if students do not leave school with a job, they will have taken important first steps on their pathway to employment by connecting with the key adult agencies.

Students remain enrolled in school even if they begin working full time
While the team works to find a good match, students often lose their first jobs. If a student stays enrolled in school, they will have a safety net of services while looking for another job. However, if they choose to leave school, they may not be able to return.

Students are highly encouraged to meet with a benefits planner within a month of starting to work. Many students and families are confused about how working will impact their social security benefits. The KCDDD and the DSHS/DVR offer benefits planning services to help people understand their responsibilities in reporting income to the Social Security Administration and the rules around their benefits.

Many students require follow-along support to maintain success in their job
Employment agencies will try to train students to become as independent as possible on the job by developing natural supports and accommodations in the workplace. However, many individuals with developmental disabilities benefit from ongoing services to help them keep their job when changes occur - such as the need to learn new tasks, or deal with a change in schedule, management or co-workers. This service is provided through the end of the school year with S2W funds; however, it is not guaranteed after school. It is very important that students and families learn about the funding options for long-term or follow-along employment support.

What to expect after School-to-Work ends
Most students choose to continue to work with their supported employment agency after S2W. Once a student leaves school, there is no guarantee that they will have funding to provide ongoing employment support services.

Funding for adult services is not an entitlement in Washington State. This often comes as a surprise as people transition from school services, where all students are entitled to a "Free and Appropriate Public Education" per law. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) relies on funding from the State Legislature to be able to provide funding for services for each new group of students who leaves school at the age 21.

This funding is referred to as Transition Proviso Funding, and is intended to pay for the long-term supported employment services. It is important that students and families learn about their eligibility for long-term funding by talking with their DSHS/DDD Case Manager and S2W staff.

King County Developmental Disabilities Division (KCDDD) spear-headed S2W in 2005 by meeting with school districts and government agencies and encouraging all partners to pool resources and work together for a shared outcome: students leaving school with jobs.

The KCDDD has formed partnerships and worked with students from most of the school districts in King County. Each participating school district has signed a Memorandum of Agreement where they agree to participate in trainings related to supported employment, partner with adult employment service providers and direct school resources to support students to leave school with jobs and become as independent and safe as possible in their communities.

The KCDDD contracts with Supported Employment Providers to partner with educators to provide necessary services to students to help them leave school with a job.  THese services may include: person-centered planning with a career focus; an assessment of a student's vocational skills, interests and support needs; job development or job carving by working with local employers to find a good job match for a student and make reasonable accommodations in the work place, so the student can be successful; intensive job coaching or training to help the student learn the job; and follow-along services to help students keep their jobs.

The KCDDD works closely with DSHS/DDD. King County and DSHS/DDD, Region II. King County and DSHS/DDD, Region II staff collaborate on an ongoing basis to coordinate long-term services. The DSHS/DDD Case/Resource Managers are invited to be part of the employment planning process and authorize state funding for employment supports after school. They are key team members in planning for other aspects of adult life, such as residential and personal care.

The KCDDD works with the Washington Initiative for Supported Employment (WiSe), O'Neill and Associates, and The Arc of King County to offer training and technical assistance on Best Practices in Transition Services to educators, students, and families.

The KCDDD has two Employment Resource Coordinators on staff who provide training on Social Security Benefits and Work, and Navigating the Adult Service System. The KCDDD Employment Resource Coordinators and DSHS/DVR Benefits Planners offer individualized benefits planning and assistance for individuals who receive benefits from the Social Security Administration.

School-To-Work Program Reviews

Since it inception, two reviews have been conducted of the S2W Program. Together they cover the project from its beginning in 2005 through the 2008-2009 school year. Both used available data collected by KCDDD and each gathered additional information from participants, families, schools, and other stakeholders. The following are links to the full reports:

The KCDDD Transition Initiative, External Evaluation Report - Prepared by David Michael Mank, Ph.D., Indiana University.

The S2W Program Evaluation, Final Report - Prepared by Karl Tegenfeldt, MSW Intern and Program Manager, KCDDD.

Contact
If you have any questions about the S2W Program or need assistance, please contact the S2W Program Manager, Richard Wilson by phone at 206-263-9044.