Affiliations: Cobb and Douglas Counties Community Services Boards,
Smyrna, GA, USA | Virginia Commonwealth University, Rehabilitation
Research and Training Center, Richmond, VA, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Nancy Brooks-Lane, MS, Director,
Developmental Disabilities Services, Cobb and Douglas Counties Community
Services Boards, 3830 South Cobb Drive, Smyrna, GA 30080, USA. Tel.: +1 770 434
7911; E-mail: nbrooks@cobbcsb.com
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze a seven-year
systems change effort focused on developing customized employment opportunities
through a community rehabilitation program (CRP) that provides supports to
persons with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and addictive diseases
in Georgia. By using case studies and qualitative data, the path to real and
effective organizational improvement in the area of customized employment
outcomes is explored. Seven points of analysis on systematic organizational
development emerged from the data review: (1) staff development; (2) community
partnerships and diversified funding; (3) sustainability; (4) shift in
managerial approaches and supervision; (5) changes in human resource processes;
and (6) expanding customized employment to diverse populations; i.e. offenders,
youth, welfare to work. This examination illustrates the need for: best
practice staff training, person-centered and community-based vocational
assessments, customer-directed personal budgets, flexible funding, focus on
evidence-based customized employment outcomes as performance indicators,
values-based human resource processes, CRP executive leadership involvement
with staff and customers to break down barriers and achieve organizational
momentum for outcome-driven change. Case studies for individuals who achieved
customized employment outcomes are provided.
Keywords: Customized employment, job carving, job creation, job sharing, negotiation, organizational change, conversion, resource ownership, business within a business, self-employment, individual development accounts, individual training account, micro-loans, WIA one stop
