Plan to Placement Cohort Series 

Join Debra McLean and Chisa O'Quinn over 6 sessions to strengthen a cohort of Supported Employment Providers through coaching/mentoring to skillfully gather Person-Centered Employment Planning information to assist job seekers in obtaining Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) that fits their skills and desired needs.

This Course Series is now approved for CESP Continuing Education Credits 

Cohort participants are asked to attend all 6 sessions. Additionally, we will ask that 5 or 6 participants bring a job seeker who they are currently serving to the first two sessions. This series is sponsored for those who live and/or work in King county and the state of Georgia.

Participants will be actively building their skills and at the end of this project, will be able to:

• Define and outline steps to gather Person-Centered Employment Plan information, utilize tools created within the cohort for practicum/homework activities
• Have a toolkit of strategies and resources for Person Centered thinking and Job Development
• Describe how to utilize Person-Centered information for successful job development 
• Gather Person-Centered information on at least two job seekers 
• Develop Job Seeker Employment Resource Tool

Session Dates

• January 10, 12:30-2:00pm PDT
• January 17, 12:30-2:00pm PDT
• February 7, 12:30-2:00pm PDT
• February 21, 12:30-2:00pm PDT
• March 7, 12:30-2:00pm PDT
• March 21, 12:30-2:00pm PDT

Registration for this series is $750. Wise will follow up with payment information prior to the start of the cohort.

*This training is sponsored for those that work and/or live in King County and the state of Georgia.

 Session Outline & Synopsis

The first two sessions of the Plan to Placement Cohort Series will walk participants through a person-centered employment planning process alongside job seekers chosen by participants. The following four sessions will weave in job development techniques for the job seekers who are currently in job development services. During each session, we will reflect on how to apply the techniques to specific steps on behalf of each job seeker. The goal of this process is that job seekers will be close to placement by the end of the series. Participants time in this cohort can be considered part of the job development process.

10/25 Person-Centered Employment Planning Part 1- "My Day" and Gifts & Strengths (with a Job Seeker)

11/8 Person-Centered Employment Planning Part 2- Strategies for Success, Ideas & Brainstorming, Vision for the Future, and How to Get There (with a Job Seeker)

11/22 Job Development Part 1- Marketing Materials & Video Resumes

12/6 Job Development Part 2- Labor Market Research, Community Mapping, Informational Interviewing

12/13 Job Development Part 3- Common Objections, Features & Benefits

12/20 Job Development Part 4- Negotiating with Employers, Proposals

Debra McLean

Debra is passionate about seeing all people obtain employment. She has been intrigued with community building and person centered planning as a way to see individuals with disabilities succeed in jobs that fit them since 1988. She has worked on a number of projects involving people with disabilities and employment. Debra provides training and consultation on employment and person centered planning in Washington and Oregon, and she has taught classes on these topics at Portland State University in the Teacher Education Program and for Highline Community College. She has worked with schools, families, agencies, businesses, and individuals, both in the U.S. and in Australia. Debra holds an MS in Rehabilitation Counseling and Deafness, and she is an enthusiastic walker and family member.

Chisa O'Quinn

Chisa O’Quinn is a Social Worker who has traveled with individuals through the worlds of Corrections, Counseling, Disability Services, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse. What sets her apart as a leader and advocate in the field is her ability to creatively seek solutions in difficult situations, as well as her focus on person centered planning strategies. Chisa holds a Masters in Social Work from Portland State University. She has been in the field of Developmental Disabilities since 2003, starting as an Employment Specialist, Supported Employment Program Manager, and Personal Agent in Vancouver and in Oregon’s Brokerage system. Chisa is an avid spectator who enjoys watching sporting events, comedy shows, theater, movies and generally saying “yes” to new opportunities and activities that cross her path. Her primary focuses include Transition, Person Centered Planning, Community Building, and Diversity initiatives.