Upcoming Online Courses!
Supported Employment for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury - May 11 - This course will offer participants an overview of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the supported employment literature suggestions on specific strategies to use to get to know the job seeker, look at possible workplace supports with an emphasis on compensatory memory strategies and some insight into ways to provide pro-active job retention services. Details
Overview of Self-Employment for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities - May 25 -
The success rate of small business is surprisingly high, despite widely accepted folklore to the contrary. The U.S. Small Business Administration reports that over 79% of small businesses are still operating after the initial eight years. And, the long term trend in employment is smaller firms. Self employment and small business are a defining characteristic of America's economic landscape, and a tremendous opportunity for those most challenged by the competitive labor market. Details
Employing People with Disabilities: A Business Perspective - June 1 - This online course designed for employers who want solutions to increasing disability workplace diversity. At the conclusion of the course, participants will be better able to build a more diverse and inclusive culture by implementing a number of practical and forward-thinking strategies. Details
Customized Employment - June 1 - Customized employment is a process for individualizing the employment relationship between a job seeker and an employer in ways that meet the needs of both. It is based on a match between the unique strengths, needs, and interests of the job candidate with a disability, and the identified business needs of the employer or the self-employment business chosen by the candidate. Customized employment uses a flexible blend of strategies, services, supports, and funds to facilitate employment outcomes for job seekers with complex needs through negotiated employment relationships. Details
Supported Employment Web-Based Certificate Series - ACRE Certified - August 17 - This course provides an extensive overview of supported employment and how to facilitate competitive jobs for individuals with significant disabilities. Topics include: federal policy; customer profile; job development; working with employers; job-site strategies; support plans; and alternative funding. Details
Supported Competitive Employment for Individuals with Mental Illness - ACRE Certified August 17 - This course provides an extensive overview of supported competitive employment for individuals with mental illness. Topics include: individual placement model; marketing to businesses; support needs; job development; and benefits counseling. Details |
Understanding Plans to Achieve Self-Support 
Choosing Your Interns
The process of Discovery is a person-centered approach to gathering information about a student prior to discussing potential jobs, employers, or job tasks. Discovery assists in revealing the student’s interests, skills, and supports in environments and activities where the student is at his or her best. Discovery seeks to understand various facets of a student’s life in order to discover who the person is rather than what he or she wants to do. This strategy utilizes already existing information instead of information developed through typical evaluations.
The VCU-ACE How To Series demonstrates evidence-based practices for students with ASD. These short videos are approximately 5 minutes and are intended to provide a quick look at implementing a particular strategy. The How To videos provide a short description of the topic with real life video examples of how to implement the evidence-based practice in the classroom with students with ASD. 
