VIEWS ON WORK AND PROFESSIONALISM
In a recent workshop, Dr. Longie discussed what it means to be a professional.
His point was that a successful employee will be organized, know what she needs for the task, focus on the task at hand and have a plan for competing it well and on schedule. What does this have to do with IPE goals, especially transition planning?
Employers, particularly on the reservation, are impressed with punctuality and attendance because lateness and absenteeism are problems which cost small employers thousands and larger employers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Here is another thing to keep in mind. For a student who is 16 years old, or for an individual with a mental illness or who is recovering from a substance abuse addiction or who has received a traumatic brain injury - a job may be a year or two in the future. It is good to track steps to employment along the way.
Please do not just write, "Get a job" as a goal on an IPE!
In planning for employment, reasonable goals include:
- Write three applications a week for jobs.
- Within the next month, Mavis will contact the tribal administration and casino personnel offices, obtain applications for clerical positions and submit at least three applications.
What both of these goals have in common is that each is specific, measurable and has a defined time period. At the end of a week or a month, the counselor and Mavis can see if she met the goal or not.
Next page, services on an IPE