Vocational Support

The workplace  provides us with a place to earn money to pay our bills and, depending upon the nature of our work, can fill us with a sense of purpose and meaning. The workplace is also a place where we develop a majority of our social connections as well as the main source of future employment opportunies. Most hiring managers fill their job openings through referrals from the colleagues and employees, so having a strong social network of friends and business associates is essential to finding and keeping work with a self-sustainable income.

The Life Coach supports the young adult in finding volunteer, unpaid, and paid work opportunities in the community. The Vocational Support Coordinator will coordinate workplace supports for the young adult on the job to assist with problem solving, making positive social connections, and self-advocating for workplace accommodations. To help strengthen friendships made at work, it is important for our young adults to be able to socialize outside the workplace. This involves going to lunch with co-workers and spending time together sharing positive experiences after work and on weekends.

To help strengthen these social ties, the Vocational Coordinator will help the young adult facilitate opportunities to socialize with co-workers away from the workplace. Once the plans are initiated, the Vocational Coordinator will coordinate scheduling with the Residential Unit Manager to plan and confirm that a Match A Friend companion or another member of the support team will be availabe to accompany the yougn adult.

To help create work environments where the young adult is accepted and understood, Autism Unites will offer complimentary autism training to help co-workers, managers, and supervisors value these young adults as assets to their organization. Workplace education about autism is the best way to create an environment that is supportive and self-sustainable for young adults on the autism spectrum.