Realizing the Possibilities
Family Employment Awareness Training: From school to employment and everything in between
The Center on Community Living and Careers (CCLC) is collaborating with IN*SOURCE, Indiana’s parent training and information center, to deliver Family Employment Awareness Trainings (FEAT) to Hoosier families, their young adults with disabilities, and the professionals who support them. This new training series is sponsored by the AWS Foundation.
Indiana is one of five states offering FEAT as a way to increase expectations and support for competitive integrated employment for individuals with disabilities. FEAT’s goals are in keeping with those of the state of Indiana, which supports Employment First—real work in the community for real wages—as a first option for young adults transitioning from high school.
FEAT training is designed to increase family, student, and professional knowledge of state, federal, and community resources that support employment. The two days of training include individual and group activities, discussions, pullout sessions for young adults, and presentations from local employers, entrepreneurs, and community resource agency members. FEAT training facilitators follow up with technical assistance sessions to support participants in taking steps toward achieving competitive integrated employment.
Topics covered include:
- Indiana’s Employment First policy;
- Outside-the-box employment possibilities;
- Success stories;
- Family/parent role in supporting employment;
- Transition to adulthood (healthcare, work, postsecondary education/training);
- Employee and employer resources;
- Information to support gaining and maintaining employment; and
- Antidiscrimination laws.
