June SEEC Insider

SEEC Insider

June 2019 | Issue Ten

Planning For A Bright Future

SEEC's Strategic Plan Revealed

SEEC is pleased to announce the unveiling of an organizational strategic plan to guide our initiatives and services for the next ten years! The strategy is a culmination of over two years of collecting stakeholder input through efforts such as a staff survey that had over a 60% response rate; focus groups; family input; board surveys; and feedback from people who receive our supports. The plan is driven by four primary pillars which serve as a lens through which we vet proposed initiatives, determine the success of current projects, and guide future activities toward common outcomes.

Stay tuned as we further explore each pillar of the strategic plan in upcoming newsletters.

Find Out More!

Inside This Issue

Planning For A Bright Future: SEEC's Strategic Plan Revealed
Project SEARCH Graduations: SEEC In The News
Community Partner W.S. Jenks Holds Hiring Event
NADSP Competency 14: Crisis Prevention and Intervention
Individual Supports Holds Information Session

SAVE THE DATE: Footgolf is September 28th! More information coming soon!

Community Partner Holds Job Fair

W.S. Jenks and Son Promote

Inclusive Hiring

W.S. Jenks & Son, along with businesses affiliated with the H Street community organization in DC, ho sted a job fair for students from SEEC’s Project Search program at W.S. Jenks & Son's store in DC on June 6th. Twelve employers and 25 job seekers participated in the event.

According to Mike Siegel, W.S. Jenks Communications Director, “Last year, we hired Vincent Williams from the program and he has become an important part of our team at Jenks. These are highly skilled and highly motivated young people who are from a part of our population that often goes overlooked when it comes to finding employment." SEEC is proud to have W. S. Jenks as an inclusive partner fostering tremendous employer support in the community and appreciates all the businesses that turned out to interview!

Thank you to the following businesses for their support of inclusive hiring:

Project SEARCH Graduations

SEEC In The News

CONGRATULATIONS to the 2019 graduates of Project SEARCH! Project SEARCH is a one-year school-to-work transition program designed for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are either in their last year of high school or are recent graduates. The cornerstone of Project SEARCH is classroom learning combined with total workplace immersion in a host business and related agencies.

SEEC operates four Project SEARCH sites in conjunction with our public and private partners. The sites are located at the Smithsonian Institution, Montgomery County Government, Embassy Suites by Hilton, and the National Institutes of Health. Last week, twenty nine students celebrated successful completion of this work training program and all look forward to bright, rewarding futures as employed members of our community!

In addition to SEEC's pride in our interns and staff, we were exceptionally proud to be included in a feature article published in the Washington Post highlighting inclusive hiring, the success of the Project SEARCH model, and the experiences of the seven interns graduating from the Smithsonian program.

Check out the Washington Post article on Project SEARCH Smithsonian at this LINK .

Check out the graduation photo albums on SEEC social media at this LINK.

NADSP Competency 14:

Crisis Prevention & Intervention

Q&A with Kenneth Lawrence,

Community Living Activity Specialist

Crisis can be defined as a moment in time when an individual in your charge loses rational, and at times even physical, control over his or her own behavior. This can be very challenging and anxiety producing for those responsible for intervening. Due to the chaotic, unpredictable nature of a crisis, it is vital that staff stay calm and proceed with a plan. These crisis moments do not sprout into being without roots; there are almost always warning signs that let you know an individual’s behavior is escalating. By following the tips listed here, you can often intervene before the crisis becomes dangerous.

Individual Supports Holds Info Session

Discovering Individual Supports A Success

There was a fantastic turn out for the first Discovering Individual Supports Information Session held on June 13th at the SEEC offices. Community members and current SEEC participants heard from program leadership, family members, and people currently supported by SEEC services. The program plans to hold more sessions highlighting their services throughout the year. Congratulations on a job well done to the entire team!

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