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Informed Choice Toolkit

QWE Practice Guideline: 200 – Create opportunities for work of choice

Target group: Professionals that help individuals with disabilities consider their employment options

Practice Summary

The Minnesota Department of Human Services developed a toolkit of resources and information to help guide professionals in determining and supporting the employment interests of individuals with disabilities. Emphasis is placed on ensuring individuals make an informed choice about their employment options.

Practice Implementation

  • Access and review the toolkit
    • The toolkit is laid out in 10 sections and each section contains activities, videos, and documentation. The following is an overview of each section
      1. Prepare yourself to be sure you understand employment first, person-centered planning, and informed choice
      2. Hold engaging conversations that help you identify a person’s preferences and use open-ended questions
      3. Figure out where the person is at in relation to employment using different assessment tools
      4. Person is ready and interested in working then you can start job exploration
      5. Person is not sure about work or does not want to work, so you need to determine why and discuss how their goals may be impacted
      6. Addressing barriers and pitfalls is important to prepare for, so have a plan and resources ready
      7. Person decides not to work and that is ok, just make sure they understand what this means for their life
      8. Using work as a solution if it is not stated as a goal should be discussed if appropriate
      9. Knowing informed choice happened requires documenting the process you used, including each activity and conversation you had
      10. Setting up a myDB101 account access additional resources and document collected information (only for those in Minnesota, though a similar program may be available in your state)

Outcomes

  • Utilizing this toolkit will help professionals prepare to engage in employment conversations with individuals with disabilities, help professionals encourage individuals with disabilities to explore employment as an option, and help professionals facilitate successful employment outcomes

NPA: Minnesota Department of Human Services
Location: St Paul, MN
Date Submitted: 2022
Website: https://mn.gov/dhs/

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