Individualized Career Planning for students with signiﬁcant support needs utilizing the Discovery and Vocational Proﬁle process

Sep 11, 2026

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Nationally, fewer than 8% of students with a disability leave school with sustained job outcomes, post-secondary enrollment, meaningful community recreation and leisure involvement, or independent living arrangements. Students most likely to exit without the skills and supports required for community work are those with the most significant disabilities. The Individualized Career Planning Model supplies a transition planning template based on Discovery, a Vocational Profile, a Customized Employment Planning Meeting, and a Representational Portfolio to support employment and related benefits.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time4 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Rationale for the Individualized Career Planning Model

Addressing transition and funding challenges

The Model

Purpose and target students

Core components and support linkages

Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 28 (2008) 85–96 85 IOS Press Individualized Career Planning for students with signiﬁcant support needs utilizing the Discovery and Vocational Proﬁle process, cross-agency collaborative funding and Social Security Work Incentives Ellen Condona,∗ and Michael Callahanb a Rural Institute on Disabilities, University of Montana, 634 Eddy, Missoula, MT 59812, USA E-mail: [condon@ruralinstitute.umt.edu](condon@ruralinstitute.umt.edu) Web site: [http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/transition/](http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/transition/)[ ](http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/transition/)bMarc Gold & Associates/EFA, Gautier, MS, USA [E-mail: micallahan@aol.com](E-mail: micallahan@aol.com) Revised /accepted July 2007 Abstract. Nationally, less than 8% of students with a disability exit school with a job, enrollment in post-secondary education, involvement in community recreation and leisure activities, or independent living arrangements [8] . Those students most likely to leave school without skills and supports necessary to work in the community are those with the most signiﬁcant disabilities. The Individualized Career Planning Model provides a transition planning template for these students. The process includes conducting Discovery, writing a Vocational Proﬁle, facilitating a Customized Employment Planning Meeting, and creating a Representational Portfolio. Using the model, students obtain Customized Employment/self-employment, are linked to collaboratively funded supports, and are assisted to access Social Security work incentives such as Plans for Achieving Self Support. Keywords: Individualized Career Planning Model, transition, youth, signiﬁcant disabilities, customized employment, Discovery, Vocational Proﬁle, Customized Employment Planning Meeting, Representational Portfolio, Plan for Achieving Self Support (PASS) 1. Introduction The Individualized Career Planning Model was developed in response to growing concern about poor transition-to-employment outcomes for students with signiﬁcant disabilities. Nationally, less than 8% of students with a disability exit school with a job, are enrolled in a post-secondary education institution, are in- ∗ Corresponding author. volved in community recreation and leisure activities, or are living in an independent situation [8] . Those students most likely to leave school without skills and supports necessary to work in the community are those with the most signiﬁcant disabilities. Poor post-school outcomes have been linked to the lack of vocational preparation, transition planning, and linkages to existing adult services and supports prior to graduation. The Individualized Career Planning Model is speciﬁcally designed to overcome these programmatic and funding challenges and barriers atthe same time that it promotes 1052-2263/08/$17 .00 􀀁 2008 – IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved 86 E. Condon and M. Callahan / Individualized Career Planning for students a customized approach to employment. The Model has been developing since 2001 in Montana with the support of two US Department of Education grants. These funds supported two distinct but integral implementation projects: WISER (Work Incentives and Alternative Resource Development for Student Employment \#H324M000089), and Linkages to Employment (\#H324M020140) . The Model was conceptualized, implemented, and ﬁeld-tested in nine Montana schools, each with very different challenges, resources, and populations. This article will introduce the Model and discuss its primary components. Wherever possible, case studies of participating students have been included to illustrate the different ways the Model or its components can be used and integrated into existing services and programs. This is followed by a brief discussion of some of the unique challenges to implementing this Model in rural Montana schools. We close with a candid assessment of the Model’s effectiveness and range o

FAQs

What problem does the Individualized Career Planning Model address?

It was developed to respond to poor transition-to-employment outcomes for students with significant disabilities, including weak vocational preparation and limited linkages to adult services before graduation.

What steps make up the Individualized Career Planning Model?

The process includes conducting Discovery, writing a Vocational Profile, facilitating a Customized Employment Planning Meeting, and creating a Representational Portfolio.

How does the model help students after they leave school?

It supports customized employment or self-employment, helps students access collaboratively funded supports, and assists them in using Social Security work incentives such as Plans for Achieving Self Support (PASS).

Sep 11, 2026

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