Professional Development Recommendations

These best practices may guide internal professional development planning.

Structured Onboarding and Mentoring

• Develop a structured onboarding process with gradual increases in responsibility and caseloads.
• Assign new staff to experienced peer mentors with strong communication and listening skills.
• Clearly define expectations for collaboration and feedback.
• Maintain regular check-ins to monitor progress and address challenges.

Comprehensive Training Curriculum

Base the training on established competencies and best practices, including qualification requirements, ACRE, APSE and IPS standards.

Use varied delivery methods such as workshops, webinars, online modules and group discussions.

Core topic areas may include:

• Principles of supported employment and Employment First.
• Job development and retention strategies.
• Benefits counseling and work incentives.
• Systematic instruction and teaching job skills.
• Soft skills development and workplace behaviors.
• Ethical considerations and professional boundaries.
• Supporting diverse populations (e.g., individuals with autism spectrum disorder, traumatic brain injury or sensory disabilities).
• Transition planning and long-term support coordination.

Training should be tailored to staff roles and populations served.

Continuous Feedback and Evaluation

• Collect ongoing feedback to evaluate training effectiveness.
• Use multiple methods such as quizzes, observations, surveys and performance metrics.
• Assess knowledge transfer, skill development and employment outcomes.
• Review data regularly to improve training and staff development plans.

Foster a Culture of Learning

• Leadership should model and support continuous learning.
• Provide development opportunities for supervisors in coaching and mentoring.
• Encourage participation in professional development activities.
• Maintain a training budget to support registration, materials, technology and staff time.

Professional Development Activities (Examples)

Professional development activities should:

• Relate directly to employment support services.
• Expand knowledge or skills beyond routine job duties.
• Be documented (e.g., certificate, attendance record or supervisor verification).

Examples of Activities that Strengthen Employment Service Skills

• Webinars, workshops or conferences focused on employment services.
• Structured in-service trainings.
• Teaching or co-facilitating trainings.
• College or university coursework related to employment services.
• Leadership, committee or policy work related to employment services.
• Publishing articles or research related to employment services.

Activities Less Likely to Advance Employment Service Skills

• Training unrelated to employment support (e.g., CPR, Mental Health First Aid, HIPAA).
• Activities that are part of routine job duties.
• Social or networking events without structured training content.

DVR recommends the following topic areas to strengthen staff knowledge and service delivery.

Service Provider Core Knowledge Areas

• Ethics and professional boundaries.
• Informed choice and self-determination.
• Disability rights and history (ADA, Olmstead, Employment First).
• Social Security work incentives and benefits counseling.
• Cultural competency and implicit bias.
• Person-centered planning.

Service-Specific Practices

• Discovery and career planning.
• Job development techniques.
• Job coaching and natural supports.
• Workplace accommodations and assistive technology.
• Retention planning and follow-along supports.
• Employer engagement strategies.
• Remote and hybrid support models.

Specialized Populations and Strategies

• Youth and school-to-work transition (pre-ETS).
• Mental health in the workplace.
• Autism and neurodiversity.
• Trauma-informed employment services.
• Justice-involved job seekers.
• Rural employment strategies.

Provider Operations and Quality

• Documentation and report writing.
• Team collaboration (internal and DVR partners).
• Supervising and mentoring staff.
• Using data and quality improvement.
• Compliance with DVR service expectations.

Implementation Tips

• Plan professional development plans based on staff roles and needs.
• Prioritize competencies aligned with qualification requirements and service fidelity.
• Use varied learning formats (in-person, online and peer-led).
• Maintain internal records of professional development activities.
• Encourage shared learning communities.
• Include perspectives of individuals with lived experience.
• Monitor completion and identify skill gaps.

Examples of free or low-cost resources include:

• National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials
• TAC-QE (Technical Assistance Center for Quality Employment)
• APSE
• RAISE Center Webinars (Youth Transition)
• NTACT (Technical Assistance Center on Transition)
• GW Center for Rehab Counseling Research and Education
• Supported Employment Program Best Practices Guide
• VR Development Group (costs vary)
• VCU-RRTC-IDD (Virginia Commonwealth University- Rehabilitation and Research Training Center on Employment of Persons with Intellectual and Development Disabilities)