Instructions:
- Based on the students you serve, identify and briefly explain 2 career readiness or career exploration activities you could implement within your school.
- Then respond to one classmate’s post.
You will make a total of two posts. But feel free to respond to as many as you like!
1. To whom in your local area do you refer them for this assistance?
When a participant walks through our doors and needs housing and meal assistance, we refer them to local food banks and Housing Authority. We also use the Find Help website where we can find basic necessities based on zip code.
2. What techniques have you found especially helpful to use in an intake interview to discover barriers that a customer might be facing?
A technique that has worked during an intake session to identify any potential barriers is asking a participant if they see potential barriers that may prevent them from completing training or finding employment. By having participants think about the future, at times topics come up of what they are currently facing.
3. Describe 1-2 techniques you use that work well for you.
Another technique I use, aside from the one listed above, is asking open ended questions. This allows participants to start the conversation and list what they have going on in their lives that could help or hinder their training/job search.
Its great to have participants think and talk about their future because you can understand their goals but also it allows you to see what possible barriers they may have that could impact them reaching those goals in a certain time frame. It helps frame the road or path to their goals and thats where you come in to help them set up a step by step plan if need be.
I totally agree with this! Open ended questions create an open honest space.
1. To whom in your local area do you refer them for this assistance?
I would first enroll them with my program to be able to assist with resume writing, job search, other employment opportunities, (OJT, WEX). I would also refer them to our community partner, the local Housing Authority in the county and food stamps department.
2. What techniques have you found especially helpful to use in an intake interview to discover barriers that a customer might be facing?
Well I think they need to first be comfortable in order to answer honestly, which might include using a private room so that no one else can hear them. Also asking questions with regard to how they manage their time. Are they completely open or do they have barriers that can restrict their schedule? This helps to see if they can do a full time training or maybe an OJT or WEX etc…
3. Describe 1-2 techniques you use that work well for you.
I think not using a question then answer method so it doesn’t feel like an interrogation is best. Otherwise it feels like a quiz or test and they will likely not open up. A good way is to keep it conversational to a point so they feel comfortable speaking about their barriers. I also know that being in a safe space where no one can hear them is a big thing too.
Hello Melineh,
I agree with leading a question then answer method, otherwise the participant will feel like they are sitting in an interrogation room and not open up. Our end goal is for our participants to open up and trust that we are there to help them.
1.If a customer makes an appointment to find work, and the individual needs assistance with housing and meals, I would refer the individual to the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz or Housing Matters. I could also refer to individual to rental assistance programs that could possibly help like Community Action Board or Families in Transition. For assistance with meals, I could refer the individual to several assistance with hot meals program like Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes, The Salvation Army Watsonville Corps, Food Not Bombs, and Second Harvest Food Bank.
2.Some techniques that I have found especially helpful to discover barriers that a customer might be facing is making most of the interactions face to face when possible, being self-aware and present in the moment, and being transparent as possible with the individual. I also believe that implementing questioning and reflecting skills, will allow the individual to get a sense of comfort and trust with you.
3.I have found that simply just having a conversation which includes listening, asking questions, and words of affirmation like telling them know it’s a safe space and you’re there to help and support them goes a long way. As we had discussed first in Chapter 1. The most important thing we can do is offer our participants hope and that includes listening carefully to them, being present and attending, and reflecting off what they choose to share.
I definitely agree with you, I feel that having conversations is the most natural thing to do then to make it feel like this is an interrogation into my feel and why I have these barriers. It’s all about how we make others feel that is going to help them be more successful in the program.
I think being present in the moment is so important and agree with this. I love the human approach and sensitivity of letting the client know we are there to help.
I agree with you that being self-aware and present is good to have when having your 1-on-1 time with your clients.
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I can agree with you and your post. I would refer over people who might need assistance looking for housing. I also would provide them with our pamphlets to see their options if interested in the calfresh. there is resources that provide free meals like the some churches.
1. To whom in your local area do you refer them for this assistance?
I think it depends on the services that are needed at the time of the appointment it could be Public assistance, housing authority or EDD it just depends on what they are seeking at the time. I would just have all the assistance necessary that they might need.
2. What techniques have you found especially helpful to use in an intake interview to discover barriers that a customer might be facing?
A technique that I would use is asking open ended questions have been helpful, but I think just having a genuine conversation to get to know someone that would allow them to feel comfortable sharing the barriers that they could be facing.
3. Describe 1-2 techniques you use that work well for you.
I think having structured interviews have helped me in the past when I was doing case managing, but I would make it feel more of a conversation than an interview. The last thing I would want is for them to feel as to why I am asking so many of these questions.
Hi Erica, I agree that having a genuine conversation to get to know our clients and making them feel comfortable, will allow them to open up to share their barriers. Most of the time, all they hear is questions, it’s probably a nice feeling to have a normal conversation with someone.
1. To whom in your local area do you refer them for this assistance?
Depends on certain criteria cause some of the places we work with, a person has to meet certain criteria . We have collaborations with Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels and Aging alliance for Women. Housing Authority, DOR.
2. What techniques have you found especially helpful to use in an intake interview to discover barriers that a customer might be facing?
Asking questions and assessing immediate needs.
3. Describe 1-2 techniques you use that work well for you.
What works best for me is collaborating with the career coach to get to know the client and not asking the same questions but questions that in collaboration have not been asked yet and could help in delivering services that impact the individual needs.
1. Great job Terri! Those are great resources that the job seeker could benefit from.
2. Definitely asking questions is the best way to let the participant know our interest in helping him, and it shows the efforts that we really make to better understand their needs.
3. Once again, I truly agree with you. Working with the Career Advisor is great given that they have a better with participant’s that could.
1. I would first complete our initial assessment portion to get the participant enrolled in our program to assist in the job search. The initial assessment questionnaire leads to asking if they need assistance with housing or with anything else they would like to discuss. Once finding out what assistance they need I can refer them to local food banks or share with them the Find Help website where they can find necessities based on the city they live in.
2. Techniques that I have found helpful in figuring out barriers a participant might face is making sure I am giving my full attention when having our 1-on-1 meetings. Another technique I like to use is letting participants know our time is a safe space to speak a not be judged.
3. For me I have found listening carefully to what a participant has to say has helped me a lot make our meetings feel like more of a normal conversation. Also letting them feel they are in a safe place to speak and not be a judge
Hi, being able to acknowledge what techniques has helped you connect with people is super important because it allows you to utilize those techniques in many encounters. I do appreciate that you give your full attention to customers and provide them a safe space because asking for help is not easy, but with the way you handle situations, it seems you make customers who walk into your office feel more comfortable. Great job!
1. To whom in your local area do you refer them for this assistance?
Although refereeing a job seeker to our program sounds like a great idea. If the participant has no place to sleep and has no access to nutritious meals; the job seeker might be better suitable to places such as the food bank, meals on wheels, SNAP benefits, Cal aid, and other programs such as interim inc. who is able to provide a housing voucher depending on the client’s condition.
2. What techniques have you found especially helpful to use in an intake interview to discover barriers that a customer might be facing?
During intake interviews, I value asking open-ended questions, observing body language, and noting how participants communicate. Respecting and creating a judgment-free environment for each participant is always a priority.
Describe 1-2 techniques you use that work well for you.
When I’m doing interviews, I like to ask cool questions that get people talking. And I always pay attention to how they act – you know, their body language and stuff. Making sure everyone feels respected and not judged is super important to me.
1. To whom in your local area do you refer them for this assistance?
Being able to provide individuals with job opportunities, I will first have them enroll in our program to receive services that will help them increase the chances of employment. However during the initial conversation, I will ask questions regarding on what other services are needed other than job search, because that allows the individual to be vulnerable and admit what other resources are needed. Once, I have an idea of what those barriers are, I will immediately utilize the SAM’s guide to Monterey Family Resources because not every individual that walks into our offices has the time to wait for their case to be approved and then waiting for a call, especially if housing and meal resources are there main concern. I will search up local food banks, housing authorities to be able to apply for a vouchers, and SNAP benefits. Depending on what their needs are I will refer them to that department.
2. What techniques have you found especially helpful to use in an intake interview to discover barriers that a customer might be facing?
I found being an active listener goes a long way. It gives the customer the opportunity to put their guard down and discover what other barriers they may be facing by having an open discussion with no judgement. Listening to their concerns and providing potential solutions allows the customer to be heard, and not feel alone.
3. Describe 1-2 techniques you use that work well for you.
The techniques I use that has helped me connect better with customers are, making sure judgment is out the door the moment I have a conversation with a customer. Also, being open minded has helped me see the bigger picture and being able to understand what the customer is going through and acknowledge their barriers. Lastly, being relatable. I found customers open up more when I try to relate somehow, not to the extreme of their situation but if I can add in something relatable, it allows the customer not feel alone and embarrassed asking for help.
Hi Jordan, I also think SAM’S Guide is a great resource to utilize when it comes to referring our customers to resources they may need. I had a customer in the past that I provided housing resources to and had a great outcome. I think you are doing a great job on how well you come to understand them and being able to help them with their current situation. Great job! I hope you continue with helping many others.
1. To whom in your local area do you refer them for this assistance?
I work in the Monterey County. I would try to obtain information through SAMS’ Guide which is a guide we use here at our office to be able to refer participant’s who are in need of assistance with housing, meals or any other resources. I would refer them to local food banks and also to the Monterey County Social Services were they could obtain more information on how to apply for SNAP benefits.
2. What techniques have you found especially helpful to use in an intake interview to discover barriers that a customer might be facing?
Active listening because it allows you to understand the customer and be able to better understand any barriers the participant is currently facing.
3. Describe 1-2 techniques you use that work well for you.
Two techniques are putting yourself in their shoes, so the process runs more smoothly when it comes to assisting the customer and not being judgmental
Hello Janet,
I like how mentioned the SAMS’ guide, we have something similar here in Santa Cruz County but it’s called the Santa Cruz Free Guide, which it also provides a list of resources that participants can get. These guides are important for our jobs since we can offer them to the participants who are in need.
1. To whom in your local area do you refer them for this assistance?
I would refer the participant to several local agencies that assist with housing and meals. For housing, I would refer to Housing Matters, United Way, and Community Action Board. If they attend a specific training, for example, Cabrillo College I will refer them to the NEST department, where they can get assistance with housing, food, and other necessities. Another resource that I will provide is the Santa Cruz Free Guide which gives a list of resources. For meals, I would refer my participant to Second Harvest food bank for free produce, Cal Fresh, Fish and Loaves, Meals on Wheels, and other local agencies that can assist them in finding meals.
2. What techniques have you found especially helpful to use in an intake interview to discover barriers that a customer might be facing?
The best technique that has been helpful to use during the intake interview to discover what barriers participants have been facing is to ask them if they have the basic needs to complete their training. Basic needs include housing, transportation, childcare, and food. I also asked them if they received government assistance such as Cal Fresh or CalWORKs.
3. Describe 1-2 techniques you use that work well for you.
A technique that worked well for me when checking in on participants and seeing what their needs are if we communicate every month. Creating a safe space for them has also worked, a safe space includes attending to them, and asking them open-ended questions.
A customer makes an appointment with you to find work. The individual needs assistance with housing and meals.
Use the link below that corresponds to your Cohort. You will make 1 original post and respond to at least 1 classmate’s post.
1. To whom in your local area do you refer them for this assistance?
If an individual is needing assistance with housing, I will refer them to either our Sams guide it is a list of housing where individual can call and seek assistance or referral them over to the housing authority. For meals, the customer can go to the Social Services office and see how they can qualify for the Benefit card to receive foodstamps. Another good option is the church across our street they provide free meals to individuals.
2. What techniques have you found especially helpful to use in an intake interview to discover barriers that a customer might be facing?
Our WIOA Application has a section if they have any barriers to check off the boxes to which ever it applies to the individual. I will address at time of Eligibility process.
3. Describe 1-2 techniques you use that work well for you.
When asking if the customer is receiving public assistance or if facing another other barriers. Normally the customer will tell us a little bit about themselves that is why the WIOA application comes into play to see how we can best support the customer