Why are jobs important for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities?
For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, employment means greater economic self-sufficiency, an opportunity to develop & use their skills, and experience more active participation in community life.
STARS Family Services believes that God gives each person talent, and that all people can make significant contributions in the workplace. SFS’ goal is to help working-age STARS with intellectual and developmental disabilities explore, discover, and then leverage their unique abilities to build meaningful careers.
Goals of the STARS Partner Program
One of the primary goals of the STARS Partner Program is to help train STARS in the necessary skills that will enable them to be employed in the workplace. Participants in the College Church STARS Disability Ministry Program are eligible to become STARS Partners. Interested STARS must review the Job Description and complete the application, which includes references and the Health Form.
Stars Partner Training Guidelines
All STARS Partners undergo a trial period of up to 60 calendar days or 40 work hours to assess the STAR’s fittingness to the tasks at College Church sponsored Resale Shops and other job opportunities as they develop. During this time STARS Partners will try various tasks as instructed by the Partner Job Coach. The Partner Job Coach will assess their performance, provide training to determine abilities and determine the best job placement. During this time, STARS will be considered a “STARS Partner in Training”. At the end of the trial period a STAR will become a full partner, if recommended by the Partner Job Coach. Partner Job Coaches will use a mixture of verbal cues, visual prompts, and modeling to train STARS in all aspects of the selected tasks at the Resale Shop. The Partner Coach, in consultation with the store or job location’s Manager, will assemble and schedule individuals to perform the assigned tasks as deemed suitable to the needs of the STARS and the store or business.
STARS Partner Values
(Adapted from Shepherd’s Ministries, Union Grove, WI.)
All Participants in the STARS Partner Program will perform their tasks according to these values:
• Excellence: We will perform tasks to the best of our ability and use the gifts God has given us.
• Service: We will serve others as an expression of our love for Jesus since Jesus came to serve. This includes serving customers, employees, volunteers, and fellow Partners.
• Love: Everything we do will be done out of love and have the best interest of the other person.
• Progress: We desire to grow to reach our full potential and be all that God intends us to be.
• Respect: We will be respectful of the STARS Partner Job Coaches, customers, employees, volunteers, and other Partners. We will do what the Job Coaches ask us to do and always speak respectfully to them.
Criteria For Participation in The Partner Program
Must participate in 1 or more weekly programs with STARS Disability Ministry at College Church with 75% or better attendance. Programs that qualify include:
STARS Sunday School
STARS Choir
STARS Praise in Action!
Responsibilities And Job Description Summary
Primary duties: Tasks will be assigned at the sole discretion of the Partner job coaches. Such tasks may include Greeting customers, hanging clothes, pricing merchandise, sorting clothing by color, light cleaning, vacuuming floors, dusting, washing windows, loading, and unloading cars, handling donations, and taking out garbage or other duties unique to the job site.
Hours: STARS Partners at STARS or Twice is Nice Resale Shops will have a maximum shift of 3 1/2 hours including a 30-minute break. Shifts will generally occur during the hours of 10:30 – 2 PM. Other job sites may have different hours. The specific hours will be provided prior to a candidate being assigned a position.
Reports to: Partner Job Coach
Communication and Social Skills: Applicants must be able to understand written, verbal, or visual instructions; exhibit appropriate social skills; follow guidelines listed in Handbook.
Physical Demands: Depending on the activity, some light lifting and moving equipment like a vacuum may be involved, and extended periods of standing.
Training and Experience: This is an entry-level position and training will be provided. Previous experience working with a job coach is an asset.
Schedule: STARS Partners will demonstrate good attendance habits, which mean the following:
To arrive at the resale shops 10 minutes prior to the start of the shift. Any tardiness without advance notice will result in loss of readiness points for the day.
To remain at the resale shop during the entire shift, unless excused by the STARS Partner Job Coach.
To leave promptly at the end of the shift unless advance permission has been granted from the STARS Partner Job Coach to stay past that point.
Each shift includes a break. The break may be up to 30 minutes if the shift covers the lunch hour.
Transportation: Transport to and from the STARS Resale Shop is the responsibility of the family of the STARS Partner or their designated representative.
To learn more about the SFS Partner Program, please contact Dr. Sharon Coutryer, Executive Director, at scoutryer@starsfamilyservices.org or call us at 630-206-0243.