Providing Effective Employment Supports

Providing Effective Employment Supports

Facilitated by Penn-Mar Human Services Consulting

July 14th, 2025

Virtual

9AM - 12PM

Registration Fee:

Member: $75       Nonmember: $125

During this session, participants will learn best practices, strategies, and tools for developing effective workplace supports.  The role of the job coach will be discussed, including how to create an employment support plan, which ensures the new employee enters the job in the most inclusive manner possible.

Participants will learn how to use systematic instruction for teaching employees new job tasks for career advancement.  Fading principles and strategies will be taught including the importance of natural supports and how to facilitate the development of those supports.  Attendees will learn how to implement a fading plan based on a completed job analysis and collected data.

Job coaches should be knowledgeable about employment first principles, customized employment, best practices, and resources available.   Therefore, the following topics will also be reviewed during the session:   

• Basics of Employment First and Maryland as an Employment First state.
• Competitive integrated employment, self-determination, informed choice, and rights/ responsibilities.
• An introduction to customized employment and pathways to employment.   
• Self-employment strategies and resources
• Basic SSI/SSDI benefits awareness and how benefits may be affected by earned income and other factors.

This session is intended for Direct Support Professionals, Job coaches, Employment Coordinators, Employment Specialists, Supervisors, and Managers providing Employment Supports.  Participants will have the opportunity to share with others their experience with providing employment supports, successes, and challenges.

All registrants will receive the ZOOM Meeting Webinar link and handouts one week prior to the training session.

Facilitator: Kevin Walker has over 30 years of experience with Penn-Mar Human Services, and served in various direct support, managerial, and administrative ​roles before becoming the Director of Business Development.  Kevin spearheaded Penn-Mar’s Employment 1st initiative in 2009, and for the past 7 years has provided training and technical assistance to like-minded provider organizations.  In July of 2020, Kevin assisted with the development and launch of Penn-Mar’s consulting division. 

Kevin is a Certified Workforce Incentives Practitioner and a 2020 graduate of Leadership Baltimore County.  He is a certified ACRE trainer and led in the development of a Penn-Mar centric ACRE endorsed curriculum.  Kevin has been involved in ACRE projects in California, District of Columbia, Maryland, Minnesota, and Oklahoma, and is also a curriculum reviewer for ACRE.  Kevin serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy on the National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network (NEON) project and has provided training and technical assistance to providers in Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, and Washington for NEON.

Facilitator: Tricia Zeltwanger has been employed with Penn-Mar Human Services since 1991. She began as a DSP and later became their Contract Manager. In 2012, Tricia transitioned to the role of Job Developer and in 2020 Tricia began supporting Penn-Mar’s consulting division. Tricia is responsible for establishing connections with the community by networking and building relationships with employers. She graduated from Leadership York in 2014 and is a certified ACRE trainer. Tricia has also earned the Certified Employment Support Professional (CESP) and Marc Gold certification for the Discovery process.

In 2015, Tricia founded the York Business Networking Group and has served as its President. Tricia is an Ambassador for the York County Economic Alliance and has previously served on the Board of the Southern York County Business Association. Tricia trains new hires on Customized Employment and is dedicated to understanding the unique needs and goals of each employment seeker. Tricia has demonstrated a high level of success in placing many employment seekers in community employment.