Position Title:           Facilitator, Skills Training and Supported Employment

Report to:                  Manager, Skills Training and Supported Employment

Purpose and Scope of the Position

Inclusion NWT is a non-profit organization providing services to individuals with intellectual, developmental and other disabilities and their families, assisting them in living meaningful lives in supportive communities.

The Facilitator delivers Skills Training and Supported Employment services that offer meaningful support and assistance to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities/brain injury as they work toward achieving their employment and skills development potential.  Every effort is made to provide support that reflects the specific needs of each individual and to continuously re-evaluate that support to ensure it is appropriate for each client.

Skills Training and Supported Employment works with each individual to help them maximize their potential to contribute to the economy and community through paid employment, contract services and volunteer opportunities. Service elements include:

Employment Skill Development – providing training on the job, job coaching, and supervision on employer’s job sites based on the individual’s needs to promote community inclusion in the workforce.

Business Services - helping clients learn employment skills with staff support in  paid contract areas such as recycling, paper shredding, poster distribution, yard work, snow shoveling and mail and courier routes.

Social Skill Development - identifying areas of social challenge and working with the individual in modifying, remedying or removing things which get in the way of interacting with others outside of Inclusion NWT and giving them additional tools to communicate with others and cope with changing circumstances.

Literacy Skill Training - Providing avenues for literacy activities such as letter and number recognition, value and monetary skills, vocabulary definitions, word pronunciation and enunciation, verbal and nonverbal communication strategies and American Sign Language communications

The job coaching part of the position is varied, and is dependent upon the particular needs of the person whom they are supporting. Support is usually bi-directional; i.e., facilitators function to increase the skills of clients while assisting employers to provide reasonable accommodations. Facilitators also assist clients develop appropriate workplace behavior and social skills, and solve practical issues; e.g., getting to and from work.

The Facilitator ensures the consistent application of a philosophy that supports the independence of each client by not doing for them but doing with them.  Each client is encouraged to participate in all facets of community engagement, skills improvement and worklife to the extent that they are able.

The Facilitator also works closely with other Inclusion NWT staff to provide the best fit of services and consistency for client service.

Key Responsibilities

1. Direct Service

The Facilitator delivers supports for all clients assisted by Skills Training and Supported Employment including:

• employment skill development through one-to-one job coaching and small group instruction and modelling
• opportunities for employment, education, and social involvement in the community
• support for specific community-based positions in the workforce (paid and volunteer)
• practical social skills development through one-to-one real-life situations and activities
• literacy skills development through one-to-one and small group instruction
• transition support of students with intellectual/developmental disabilities from the education system to adult learning and employment choices.

1. Suggesting practical solutions on job sites to typical workplace problems and/or determining reasonable accommodations
2. Working cooperatively with other staff to implement programming to meet the client’s needs
3. Building relationships with clients and assisting those clients in identifying employment, educational, social and personal goals
4. Assisting clients in working towards identified goals
5. Recommending activities to the Manager that promote employment, participation in the community, address the needs and goals of the clients, strengthen social and community awareness and address safety issues;
6. Coaching clients
7. Assisting clients with personal care and hygiene needs;
8. Ensuring that the needs and rights of the client are of prime importance in all decisions

The Facilitator offers supported decision making to help clients develop skills and knowledge to increase their level of independence in employment situations.

Services may include specific programming for clients at a common path of their employment journey or for common work types (ie odd jobs).

1. Communication and Advocacy

The Facilitator

• engages in communication with other team members to share information relevant to supporting the clients
• Works as a job coach to enable workplace participation of clients
• Uses a variety of tools and techniques to support clients
• Offers ideas to the team for how to assist each client with their inclusion and independence in learning and employment settings

1. Other Duties as Assigned

The Facilitator will be required to carry out other duties related to Skills Training and Supported Employment or Inclusion NWT, as assigned by management.

Values, Skills and Abilities

The Skills Training and Supported Employment Facilitator requires experience, knowledge and skills ideally achieved through a diploma in a relevant field. This is combined with at least one year of relevant experience. A strong background in serving people with disabilities is highly beneficial. Equivalencies will be considered.

The position requires an understanding of Inclusion NWT’s mission and an ability to communicate and advocate an inspired vision of inclusion in all parts of an individual’s life.

The Facilitator should have the following:

Ability to support adults with disabilities to live safely and with dignity in homes of their own

Ability to work collaboratively with team members

Ability to support delivery of service

Good organizational, communication and time management skills

Ability to adapt to change and problem solve

Ability to manage crisis in a calm and confident manner

Ability to engage in physical activity, indoors and out

Ability to lift 23 kg

The following certifications are required or preferred:

Valid class 5 driver’s license  (required)

Successful criminal records check   (required)

First Aid/CPR certification   (required)

Non-violent Crisis Intervention Certification (preferred)

The above job description describes the general nature and level of work performed by this position and is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and activities required of the position.

Inclusion NWT encourages all staff to participate fully in the work setting and to embrace the vision of inclusion.  This includes supporting clients as needed, assisting with yard and building maintenance (including snow shoveling), pitching in to help with special events and a number of other activities not specifically related to the job title.

Inclusion NWT provides lifelong support for individuals with disabilities and their families in the NWT, since 1962.