Tammy’s Story
Working Together Works -
An Adult Provider Perspective
Colleen Koch
Employment Specialist, MontanaWorks

My involvement with Tammy began when I received a referral and authorization from the local Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) office. Tammy had chosen our agency, MontanaWorks, to assist with her employment goals. Typically my customers are adults, so Tammy’s situation was unique. She was a high school senior just beginning her vocational exploration. School staff had completed Tammy’s Vocation Profile, and VR provided me with a copy. This document was invaluable - before I even met Tammy, I felt I already knew her. I also had a better sense of what direction to take with Tammy’s job development.

After an introduction by Tammy’s transition teacher, Tammy and I met briefly to review her Vocational Profile and Employment Planning Meeting results. It was an excellent and efficient way for us to get to know one another. I also think it helped Tammy gain a better understanding of my role in her transition from the school setting to the complex world of adult services. I explained to Tammy that I would assist her in setting up a work experience opportunity at one of the employers she targeted during her Planning Meeting. With help from VR funding, Tammy would earn $5.15 an hour and she’d be paid every two weeks. We discussed the I9 and W2 employment forms, necessary for her to receive a paycheck. Tammy completed the forms and her teacher ensured Tammy’s parents had an opportunity to review the documents.

My next step was to arrange the work experience. This was a very simple process because from Tammy’s Planning Meeting notes, I already had a list of specific employers. The Good Food Store topped the list, so I called them and scheduled an appointment. During this meeting, I explained what a “work experience” entailed and introduced Tammy to the employer by using her Portfolio. Tammy and her transition teacher developed this photographic resume and it proved to be much more powerful than a traditional written one Shortly after my presentation to the Good Food Store, I received a phone call that they’d love to have Tammy complete a work experience at their business.

After sharing the good news with Tammy and her transition teacher, I delivered the completed I9 and W2 to Summit Independent Living. (MontanaWorks partners with Summit to pay our customer’s wages and Workers’ Compensation during their work experiences. VR then reimburses Summit for their expenses.) To facilitate this, I called Tammy’s VR counselor and asked her to send Summit a reimbursement authorization.

Now we needed to find Tammy a job coach. We were extremely lucky because a paraducator with whom Tammy had worked throughout her high school years happened to be available and interested in job coaching. This eliminated the need for extensive training and familiarizing someone new with Tammy’s preferred learning styles. The school district agreed to pay for job coaching during school hours. To cover school vacations and holidays, MontanaWorks hired the same job coach as a temporary employee on our staff and paid her wages when the district couldn’t. This offered Tammy access to a consistent coach, further enhancing her ability to learn job responsibilities and excel in her work environment. I continued my involvement with Tammy and her job coach so we could brainstorm ways of fading the coaching and so we would be prepared to develop new employment opportunities for Tammy when the Good Food Store work experience ended. I also continued to apprise Tammy’s VR counselor of her progress. VR authorized MontanaWorks to orchestrate Tammy’s job development, allowing our agency to bill VR for the services we provided (and continue to provide).

Tammy’s work experience went smoothly, in large part due to the cooperation and team approach taken by the school, MontanaWorks, VR, Summit Independent Living, the Good Food Store, and Tammy and her family. The school facilitated and accelerated job development by completing the Vocational Profile and the Portfolio, and by supplying a job coach. VR enabled MontanaWorks to be actively involved in Tammy’s paid work experience by funding my time spent as her employment specialist. VR also allowed Summit to play a key role by reimbursing them for wage assistance. The Good Food Store agreed they could benefit from Tammy’s contributions and they welcomed her as an important member of their organization. Tammy and her family actively participated in the whole process, guiding the team to ensure Tammy’s interests, skills, and ideal working conditions were always kept in mind. Tammy will graduate from high school with a better understanding of how VR and other agencies can help her achieve her goals. Ideally, she’ll already have paid employment, be connected to appropriate adult service providers, and have her ongoing support systems in place.

An Update on Tammy:
Tammy graduated from high school in June 2003. Although her job trials didn’t turn into ongoing paid employment, they did prove to Vocational Rehabilitation that Tammy didn’t need Long Term Follow Along supports (so she didn’t need to be place on the waiting list for extended employment!). Vocational Rehabilitation authorized MontanaWorks to continue job development for Tammy. Because she recently expressed an interest in being a housekeeper, Tammy’s job developer secured her an interview at the Holiday Inn in Missoula. Hopefully she’ll be working again in the very near future.

Once Tammy is employed and earning over $85 per month, her wages will reduce her SSI check and she’ll become eligible for a PASS. The PASS can be used to pay for the supports Tammy needs to maintain her job or advance her career. (Note: Vocational Rehabilitation will authorize funds to entities, such as MontanaWorks, to write PASS plans for individuals.

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