Are you a young adult between the age of 14 and 26? Would you be interested in free life and career coaching support? We have a new program just for you.
QSAC is excited to announce the expansion of our GOALS Program for transition-age youth with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. The expanded program builds upon the success of a pilot that we launched last year.
GOALS stands for Generating Opportunities through Advocacy and Learning that promotes Success. The program is available free-of-charge for students between the age of 14 and 26. Specifically, the program seeks to bridge the gap in services between high school and adulthood. The program provides a series of core offerings including:
Each learner is assigned a GOALS Advisor who works one-on-one with the student and their family to provide individualized ongoing support to help facilitate a successful post-secondary plan. The GOALS Advisor provides life and career coaching in addition to supporting the development of executive function skills (e.g., organizational skills, time management, etc). GOALS Advisors meet with students as frequently as one to two times per week depending on the student and family's preferences. Students still in high school can include the GOALS Advisor as an advocate in IEP and transition planning meetings.
Skills-based workshops seek to support a successful transition from high school to adulthood. Workshops focus on job-seeking skills, work readiness, independent living, self-advocacy, self-determination, social and interpersonal skills, and civic engagement. Students attend workshops for an average of five hours per week while completing the “onboarding” component. For six months, students complete a predefined learning series covering various content areas.
For students who exited high school without a diploma, we offer a New York State-approved alternate pathway to earning a high school equivalency diploma through our partnership with CASAS and the National External Diploma Program (NEDP). QSAC also offers industry-recognized credentials that demonstrate proficiency in those skills most in-demand in today's job market commonly referred to as "soft" skills. QSAC offers the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) and the Work Skills Certification System (WSCS).
QSAC facilitates a series of work-based learning activities to help expose young adults to an array of occupations. At the same time, these experiences seek to provide learners with hands-on opportunities to experience different types of careers to help inform their own career planning and to learn about different pathways to work as well as training that may be available and appropriate. Career awareness is critical to career development and planning.
There are four types of workshops offered as a part of the program: (1) 21st Century Success Skills, (2) Self-Advocacy and Self-Determination Skills, (3) Independent Living Skills, and (4) Social and Interpersonal Skills. Below are outlines of the topics included under each of these workshop types.
Social and Interpersonal Skills
Developing Self-Awareness
Personality traits
Communicating emotions
Handling and resolving challenges
Developing Friendships
Conversational skills
Choosing friends
Using text messages and email appropriately
Handling arguments and disagreements
Navigating difficult social situations (e.g., gossip)
Cultural Literacy
Exploring Leisure Activities
Living Independently
Daily Living
Using to-do lists
Handling stress
Grooming and making a first impression
Planning and Managing Your Home
Understanding a lease
Using utilities
Managing your home
Handling accidents when they happen
Understanding safety at home
Cleaning your living space
Buying and caring for clothes
Food and Nurtition
Healthy eating
Simple, but healthy meal preparation
Food shopping
Using the tools you find in the kitchen
21st Century Success Skills
Career Exploration
Understanding and planning for the transition to life after high school
Introduction to work-based learning
Employer expectations for the workplace
Career Planning
Developing self-awareness
Making career decisions and setting goals
Researching and preparing for different careers
Job-seeking skills
21st Century Skills for Workplace Success
Skills for succeeding on the job
Effective communication skills for work, independent living, and community
Applied math for the workplace
Using technology on the job
Teamwork and Leadership
Teamwork and problem-solving skills
Leadership development
Diversity in the workplace
The World of Work
Succeeding in today’s job market
Working remotely
Entrepreneurship
Managing Your Money (Financial Literacy)
Understanding your money
Managing spending and budgeting
Understanding credit and insurance
Maintaining a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Personal health and wellness
Managing family and work
Being a civic leader
Rights, Responsibilities, and Resources
Self-Advocacy and Self-Determination
What is self-advocacy?
What is self-determination?
Communicating Effectively when Advocating
Identifying Strengths
Advocating in School and Life
Individual Education Program (“IEP”)
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”)
Life Plan (“LP”)
Section 504 Plan (“504 Plan”)
Understanding the History of Disability Rights in America
Americans with Disabilities Act
Advocating in the Workplace
What is disclosure?
Ways of disclosing a disability to an employer
Reasonable accommodations
Civic Engagement
Voting
Government works for you
To be eligible for this program, students and young adults must:
Between the age of 14 and 26
Have a diagnosis of autism or another intellectual or developmental disability
Be willing to commit to the regular coaching sessions and workshop attendance including work-based learning activities
Work with QSAC staff to facilitate the application for services from the State's vocational rehabilitation agency to help support post-secondary employment success
For more information or to apply for the program, please click here.