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Vocational Goals & Skills
Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes PhD, LPC-MHSP, LMHC, NCC

CEUs available at: https://allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/515/c/

Objectives
– Identify the purposes of vocational goals
– Learn ways to help people explore vocational wants and needs
– Learn about the CGOE online
– Define and explore the concept of functional assessment
– Review skills related to finding, getting and maintaining a job
– Discuss job coaching
Why I Care/How It Impacts Recovery
– Jobs
– Provide structure
– Fill time
– Help clients practice new interpersonal, coping, refusal skills in a semi-structured environment
– Reinforce the concepts of honesty, faith, trust and hope
– Provide a sense of accomplishment
– Financially support
Vocational Needs and Wants
– Needs
– Regular hours (preferably not overnight)
– Boundaries
– Drug free environment
– Reasonable stress
– Extrovert vs. Introvert
– Structure vs. Spontaneous (Judging vs. Perceiving)
– An effective supervisor
Vocational Wants
– Wants
– Pay
– Opportunity for advancement
– Power
DOT and CGOE Online
– Dictionary of Occupational Titles
– Guide for Occupational Exploration
– Print
– O*NET OnLine
– Interest Profiler
– Results can be directly linked to over 900 occupations in O*NET OnLine
– Checklist
– Identifying Skills

Finding and Getting a Job
– Create a resume
– Use skills and abilities identified from ONet functional assessment
– Keep it one page
– Be prepared to address gaps in employment
– Interview
– Dress for the occasion
– Be on time
– Don’t overdo the perfume/cologne/makeup
– Stay positive
Finding and Getting a Job
– Vocational
– How To Ace The 50 Most Common Interview Questions
– 50 Most Common Interview Questions – Glassdoor Blog
– Ten Tough Interview Questions and Ten Great Answers – CollegeGrad.com
– Top 10 Interview Questions (…And How To Answer Them)
– Top Job Interview Questions | Monster.com
– 31 Most Common Interview Questions and Answers | The Muse

Maintaining a Job
– Punctuality
– Make the tasks you hate manageable
– Find solutions
– Ensure frequent rewards
– Review the benefits of your job regularly
– Review your job expectations on a regular basis and identify areas for improvement
– Maintain a support system outside of work
– Remember that you often recreate your family of origin at work
– Regularly discuss work relationships with your coach/sponsor/therapist

Burnout
– Burnout work environments are common
– Characteristics
– Unclear requirements
– Discipline without reinforcement/recognition
– Impersonal
– High stress with no down time
– General stress
– Personal Stress
– Lack of personal control/no say
– Poor communication

Related Issues
– Money Management
– Direct deposit
– Co-Signer on withdrawals larger than $50
– No ATM
– No debit card
– Prepaid credit cards to rebuild credit
– Budgeting –New job can seem like Christmas
– Work addiction/compulsion
– Set long term occupational goals
Job Coaches and OneStops
– Have awareness of local hiring trends
– Have connections with addiction and disability friendly employers
– May be aware of certain programs
– Federal Bonding Program
– Supported employment
– Article about hiring people with a mental illness
– SAMHSA Supported Employment Best Practices
Summary
– Employment provides a variety of benefits to the person in recovery
– Self-Esteem
– Structure
– Financial independence
– Social Support
– A safe(er) place to practice new skills
– ONet provides an online resource to identify career skills and abilities and jobs that fit the person
Summary
– The first 6 months of employment often require significant support from a coach/sponsor/therapist
– Maintaining Motivation
– Identifying family of origin issues