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Important Links
The Community Based Work Program and the Supported Employment Program within the Transition Services Department of St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES supports approximately 300 students and adults with disabilities in either a work experience or competitive employment position.
Being community-based and not center-based, the strength to this program is in its versatility to adapt to individual needs. Students are often introduced to this program through an unpaid work experience, which leads to supported employment. For students, the IEP (Individual Education Plan) is the legal document, which guides on-going daily program activities toward adult outcome and ties work-based learning with school-based learning. Students come to this program from both district and BOCES special education programs and along with their parents are key decision-makers in their program planning and assessment.
Through a supported employment and job contract with VESID (for intensive job coaching) and OMRDD (follow-along support), these programs address students' needs while still in school and can continue to follow and support them into adulthood. It is this program's goal to have all students employed before leaving school, unless it is clear that they can secure employment on their own after leaving school or that they require a more structured setting. Within the last 2 years of school, students will be referred to VESID and the VESID counselor becomes a partner in the transition planning process.
Job Coaches are a critical component of the success of this program. The Transition Services Teachers oversee the job coaches, who directly support students and adults at their job sites.
Paperwork which guides the program include: IEP's, Vocational Assessments, program start-up information and forms, Work-Site Agreements, Daily Logs, Supervisor Evaluations, Situational Assessments, and various on-site job coach tools.
For more information, you may call the main transition office at 386-1175, or the Transition Service Teacher assigned to your school:
Marla Niederer
394-6312
Ogdensburg, Heuvelton, Lisbon, Hammond, Morristown
Lori Montpetit
353-6687
Canton, Potsdam, Norwood-Norfolk, Parishville-Hopkinton, Colton-Pierrepont
Carrie Dickinson
Gouverneur, Harrisville, Edwards-Knox, Hermon-DeKalb, Clifton-Fine
Mike O'Neil
Massena, St. Lawrence Central, Madrid-Waddington
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