Leadership for Diverse Communities

Syllabus for
Counseling 268B
Workability IV Project
Thursday 1:00pm - 4:00pm


Project Director/ Instructor Carrie England, M.S., C.R.C
Office: ED 62
Classroom location: ED 55
Office phone: 278-0452
Email: cengland@csufresno.edu
Office hours: By appointment

Prerequisites: COUN 252



Course Description

The Workability IV Project at California State University, Fresno is designed to provide services to clients of DOR who are students at Fresno State in their final year of academic study (or have graduate within 6 months) who are in good academic standing (G.P.A. 2.0+). The intent of these services is to prepare and assist these individuals with disabilities in obtaining and maintaining meaningful employment after graduation.

The unique part of this program is that Student Placement Managers (third semester graduate students in the Rehabilitation Counseling Program) will assist in the service delivery to each DOR client. The Student Placement Managers will spend the semester learning and practicing their counseling skills under the direct supervision of the Workability IV Staff. This has double benefit: The clients receive hands on individualized assistance in the education to employment transition, and the graduate student placement managers have the opportunity to obtain hands on experience working with real clients while at the same time helping to prepare students to work in the Department of Rehabilitation in the future.


Primary Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:
 Apply counseling skills with clients on their caseloads;
 Learn and use effective case management skills;
 Develop Individualized Service Plans and conduct intake interviews;
 Effectively job develop and advocate for clients;
 Acquire a broad referral base of community agencies;
 Effectively maneuver through the Department of Rehabilitation and utilize available services;
 Analyze each client individually and effect appropriate services;
 Maintain diligent documentation and record keeping for future use of Department of Rehabilitation;
 Effectively interact with Department of Rehabilitation staff and clients in a professional manner.

Course Requirements:

Please turn cell phones and pagers to silent mode before coming to class. You may not tape record the lecture or bring visitors to class. Please do not distract other students by eating or drinking, reading newspapers, or talking out of turn during class. Please do not chew gum in class. Please do not leave the room during staffing. Thank you.

Email:
The use of email is required for the course. The University provides free email accounts to all students. Students may sign up for email online at https://zimmer.csufresno.edu/csuf/index.html.

Telephone:
The use of a telephone or pager is required for the course. If you for any reason are unable or unwilling to provide clients with your own phone number, please let the instructor know immediately so other arrangements can be made to facilitate contact between you and your clients.

Text:
You are required to purchase Beyond Traditional Job Development by Denise Bissonette. The text will be available at the Kennel Bookstore.

You are required to purchase Job Search Handbook for People with Disabilities by Dr. Daniel Ryan. The text will be available at the Kennel Bookstore.

Recommended but not required is No One is Unemployable, Creative Solutions for Overcoming Barriers to Employment by Debra Angel and Elisabeth Harney. This book will is available at www.amazon.com.
Participation/Attendance:
You are expected to attend all classes. Due to the nature of the course, each absence will result in a 25-point deduction from your final grade. 4 or more absences will result in a failing grade in the course. Please arrive to class on time. Late arrivals and early departures are distracting to the instructor and other students when staffing cases. Please phone the instructor if you know that you will be absent.

Weekly Staffing of Cases:
The course takes a team approach in providing services to clients facing various challenges in attempt to support each individual in retaining their current employment or exploring vocational options (in collaboration with the Department of Rehabilitation Counselor) that will lead to financial self-sufficiency and job security after graduation. Each week each Student Placement Manager should come to class prepared to discuss their clients, to speak to the job developer about openings and solutions to employment problems, and brainstorm potential solutions to challenges presented.

Case Notes:
You will be required to maintain accurate and complete case notes on each client. Case notes are to be typed in the format discussed in class. Case notes are due to the instructor at the beginning of each class (see attached schedule for due dates). Case notes are worth 20 points. You will turn them in 5 times over the semester for a total of 100 points toward your final grade. You should email a copy of the case notes to the DOR SVRC in charge of your client’s case.



Monthly Progress Reports:
You will be required to submit monthly progress reports on each of your clients. The reports are due to the instructor at the beginning of each class (see attached schedule for due dates). Progress Reports are worth 10 points each. You will turn them in 3 times over the semester for a total of 30 points towards your final grade. These reports go to the Department of Rehabilitation after review by the instructor. Please make sure there are no spelling errors and that the reports are objective and detailed.

Employment Proposal
You will be required to develop a professional employment proposal for one client using the guidelines suggested in class and in the text. The assignment is worth 100 points towards your final grade.

Experience Paper:
You will choose one client from your caseload. Think about the educational background, all case information provided by the Department of Rehabilitation, the employment needs, abilities, and interests of that client. With the assistance of the Workability IV Job Developer, over the semester you have spent some time job developing for your client, identifying potential employers for placing your client, initiating meaningful relationships with employers on behalf of your client, revising and creating resumes for your client, making phone calls to employers, and looking for job openings for the client. The assignment is worth 175 points towards your final grade.

You are to write a paper summarizing your experiences job developing for your client. Talk about:
• Your thoughts and impressions of our client’s potential and ability to gain employment in the field (is their career choice a good fit for them? will they be able to work at the places they’ve applied to? will they be able to work anywhere? Etc.) (30 points)
• Whether or not your client was ready for job placement and steps you have taken to prepare them for placement. (25 points)
• Your experiences, thoughts, and feelings about finding and contacting potential employers for your client. (30 points)
• Do you think that your contact with the employer helped your client’s chances of being given an interview or offered a job? Discuss. (25 points)
• What are some of the potential issues or problems your client might encounter if placed on the job? What are some accommodations you might suggest to help the client succeed at this job? (40 points)
• Difficulties or disappointments you had along the way (with your client, with employers, with this assignment, etc.) (25 points)
• Include the business cards or the name, address, phone number, and contact person for the employers you contacted. (25 points)

The paper should be typed, double-spaced, 12-point font. The paper should be 2-4 pages in length. The paper is worth 200 points toward your final grade.

Placement Plan:
You will write a placement plan for each of the clients in your caseload. The plan should detail the steps you will take with the client, the client responsibilities, and the counselor’s responsibilities. This plan should be written with your client, not for your client. The assignment is worth 35 points toward your final grade. More will be discussed in class. (See attached schedule for due date.)


Transition Plan:
You will write one transition plan for each of the clients in your caseload. The plan should detail the steps you have taken in working towards the clients goals, the steps the client will take once they are no longer working with you, and any other information you think the next student placement manager who is assigned the case should know. The plan is worth 35 points towards your final grade. More will be discussed in class. (See attached schedule for due date.)


Grading:

Total possible points for the class are as follows:


Case Notes (5 @ 20 points each) 100 points
Monthly Progress Report (3 @ 10 points each) 30 points
Experience Paper 200 points
Placement Plan 35 points
Transition Plans 35 points
Employment Proposal 100 points

Total 500 points

Grade assignment is based on the total points achieved during the semester as follows:

450-500 points A
400-449 points B
350-399 points C
300-349 points D
Less than 300 points F




University Policies

Policy on Students with Disabilities. Upon identifying themselves to the instructor and the university, students with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodation for learning and evaluation. For more information, contact Services to Students with Disabilities in Madden Library 1049 (278-2811).

Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism. Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for the purpose of improving one's grade or obtaining course credit; such acts also include assisting another student to do so. Typically, such acts occur in relation to examinations. However, it is the intent of this definition that the term 'cheating' not be limited to examination situations only, but that it include any and all actions by a student that are intended to gain an unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means. Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating which consists of the misuse of the published and/or unpublished works of others by misrepresenting the material (i.e., their intellectual property) so used as one's own work. Penalties for cheating and plagiarism range from a 0 or F on a particular assignment, through an F for the course, to expulsion from the university. For more information on the University's policy regarding cheating and plagiarism, refer to the Schedule of Courses (Legal Notices on Cheating and Plagiarism) or the University Catalog (Policies and Regulations)

Computers. At California State University, Fresno, computers and communications links to remote resources are recognized as being integral to the education and research experience. Every student is required to have his/her own computer or have other personal access to a workstation (including a modem and a printer) with all the recommended software. The minimum and recommended standards for the workstations and software, which may vary by academic major, are updated periodically and are available from Information Technology Services (http://www/csufresno.edu/ITS/) or the University Bookstore. In the curriculum and class assignments, students are presumed to have 24-hour access to a computer workstation and the necessary communication links to the University's information resources.

Disruptive Classroom Behavior. The classroom is a special environment in which students and faculty come together to promote learning and growth. It is essential to this learning environment that respect for the rights of others seeking to learn, respect for the professionalism of the instructor, and the general goals of academic freedom are maintained. ... Differences of viewpoint or concerns should be expressed in terms which are supportive of the learning process, creating an environment in which students and faculty may learn to reason with clarity and compassion, to share of themselves without losing their identities, and to develop and understanding of the community in which they live . . . Student conduct which disrupts the learning process shall not be tolerated and may lead to disciplinary action and/or removal from class.

Copyright: You will be provided with digital and/or print materials to support your learning in this course. As all of these materials are proprietary in nature, and most are protected by copyright, you may not reproduce or retain any of the materials for purposes other than class work.

Make Up Policy for Planned and Unplanned Absences: In the case of unplanned student absence, papers, tests and/or homework assignments due during the time the student is absent may be made up only if the student contacts the instructor as soon as practicable after the absence occurs and works out a plan. In the case of authorized absences due to university-sponsored activities, students should expect to submit their work to the instructor on or before the due date, or as arranged with the instructor. This includes papers, tests, and/or homework assignments. See grading policy in syllabus for additional information.

When a student is absent for an extended time period, a viable make-up plan may not be feasible. In these circumstances, other options such as dropping the class for a serious and compelling reason or withdrawal from the university may be appropriate.














Date Activity/Lesson Readings/Assignments Due
8/31 Introductions, overview of Workability IV, and review of course syllabus; Confidentiality; Case Notes and Reports; Review of boundaries between client and counselor; ethics review; Eight characteristics of a job developer; the power of paradigm;

** Cases Assigned**

Read Ch 1-2 Bissonette
Review case files.
Review syllabus for due dates.

9/7 Discussing difficult issues with clients: Interpersonal Skills; Professional attire; Hygiene issues, unrealistic goals, inappropriate attire or actions, etc.; Motivating your consumers; Intro to Placement Planning; Video “Job Search Tactics”
Contact DOR Counselors and Consumers by today.
9/14 Employment Proposals; Resume and Cover Letter Development; Video “ Resumes and Applications for People with Disabilities”; introduction to staffing cases
Placement Plans Due
Read Ch 4-5 Ryan
Read 3 Bissonette
9/21 Business Trends and translating trends into jobs; Researching a company; Networking; Developing relationships with employers; Disclosure; Interviewing Skills; Illegal Questions; Video “Job Interviewing for People with Disabilities”; Staffing Read Ch 6 Ryan
Read Ch 4-5 Bissonette
Case Notes Due


9/28 Video “How to win jobs and influence employers”; CAP presentation (CIL Guest); Career Center Tour; staffing Read Ch 10-11 Ryan
Progress Reports Due
10/5 Guest from CIL—Anne Marie Rennells to discuss benefits planning. Come with specific questions and invite your consumers to attend with you. Read Ch 7 Ryan
Read Ch 6-7 Bissonette
Employment Proposals Due
10/12 Targeting new employers; Initiating contact with employers; Video “Interviewing Edge”; Understanding Employer needs and concerns; Communicating with Employers; Staffing Read Ch 12 Ryan
Read Ch 8-9 Bissonette
Case Notes Due
10/19 Brief Review of the ADA; Accommodations; Assistive Technology; Resolving Employer Concerns; staffing Read Ch 13 Ryan
Read Ch 10 Bissonette

10/26 FEHA; Tax credits; Providing Quality Service to Employers; Staffing Read Ch 11 Bissonette
Case Notes Due
11/2 Multiculturalism and Diversity; Staffing Progress Reports Due
11/9 Discuss transition planning; Staffing

11/16 Staffing
Transition Plans Due
Case Notes Due
11/23 No class- Thanksgiving holiday
11/30 Discussion of Experience Papers; Saying Goodbye – how to end the counseling relationship; Staffing Progress Reports Due
Experience Paper Due

12/7 Discussion of Transition Plans; Course Review; Saying Goodbye; Staffing Case Notes Due
Turn in all cases with completed paperwork to instructor.

LAST CLASS DAY—THERE IS NO FINAL EXAM IN THIS CLASS.

12/14 FACULTY CONSULTATION DAY (NO CLASS)
Available by appointment to discuss your grade in the course.
The schedule and procedures for this course are
subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.