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What is Job Coach
Job Coach provides support for person with disabilities and their employers

Job Coaches are the key personnel of Supported Employment. They provide individualized support for persons with disabilities from pre-employment preparation stage right up to the follow-up stage during employment. The support provided varies from one person with disabilities to another, depending on the intensity of support needed. Persons with mild disabilities may need very minimal support while a person with significant disabilities may need intensive support for a much longer period.

Job Coaches also provide support for employers to develop employment opportunities through a range of support initiative and to facilitate development of an inclusive and accessible environment for the disabled employees.

Process of Supported Employment

Supported Employment include the following employment support process:

  • Assessment of Person with Disabilities: Evaluate and understand the individual’s preferences, abilities and difficulties.
  • Finding Work Place:Find appropriate job and workplace for the person with disabilities according to his preference and abilities.
  • Assessment of Work: Evaluate both physical and human environments at working place
  • Job Matching: Not simply “match”, but propose modification in working conditions when necessary
  • Intensive Support: Make a support plan and provide support for both persons with disabilities and employers & colleagues by using various professional skills, such as systematic instructions, etc.
  • Natural Support / Fading out: Create supportive atmosphere among colleagues for persons with disabilities
  • Follow up: Monitor and on-going support to help persons with disabilities retain in the job
Natural Support is one of the most important processes to create sustainable employment.

Natural Support

Natural Support is support provided by supervisors and co-workers, such as mentoring, friendship, socialising at breaks and/or after work, providing feedback on job performance, or learning a new skill together at the invitation of a supervisor or co-workers. Natural Support is essential because it enhances the social integration between the employee with a disability and his/her co-workers and supervisor. In addition, natural supports may be more permanent, consistently and readily available, thereby facilitating long-term job-retention.


Source: Department of Labour, cited in State of Maine (2008) Supported Employment (www.maine.gov/dhhs/.../DS/supports.../support-employment-dfinitions.pdf)


Skills of Job Coach
Job Coach must have a set of knowledge and skills as a professional to precede aforementioned process of Supported Employment. These skills include:
  • Assessment :Assessment of persons with disabilities and  working environment
  • Negotiation/Communication Skill: Developing rapport with employers and negotiation with different levels of management
  • Job Duty Analysis: Breaking down entire process of work with required tasks, performance, manners and schedule
  • Task Analysis: Breaking down each task into small steps to teach persons with disabilities
  • Job Matching: Propose modification of job duties and tasks when necessary
  • Systematic Instruction: Easy-to-understand teaching methods (4 levels)

 

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Contact us
Job Coach Network Malaysia
Department of Social Welfare
Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development
6th floor, No. 55, Persiaran Perdana
Presint 4, 62100 Putrajaya , Malaysia
Tel: 03-83231000 Fax: 03-83232063
Email: careerdevelopmentdivision@yahoo.com.my