Continuing to Describe the Natural Support Process

Abstract

This study extends previous research by continuing to describe the natural support process. Specifically, we focus on the roles that co-workers and job coaches assume in supporting a worker with a disability. First, we discuss research related to co-worker involvement in work settings and provide a rationale for considering various roles for co-workers and job coaches. Second, we propose a framework for a continuum of six support strategies for co-workers and job coaches and show how prior research supports these strategies. Third, we offer suggestions for selecting an appropriate support strategy in a particular work setting. Finally, we discuss research areas that are still needed to clarify the natural support process. DESCRIPTORS: natural supports, supported employment, co-workers, instructional strategies, culture of work settings Natural supports continues to be an important issue in the supported employment movement. Although there is still debate over whether natural supports is a concept or a strategy (e.g., Butterworth, Hagner, Kiernan, & Shalock, 1996; Mank, 1996; Test & Wood, 1996a), and there is limited research about the effectiveness of its implementation (Test & Wood, 1996a), natural supports seems to be integrally meshed with supported employment services (Mank, 1996; West, Kregel, Hernandez, & Hock, 1997). West et al. (1997) reported that 85.2% of 385 respondents emphasized the use of natural supports in their delivery of supported employment programs. After interviewing key person-This publication was supported under Cooperative Agreement DE-H158M50001 from the

Handbook of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

“…This research suggests that the role of paid direct service personnel may need to change. Rather than being totally responsible for an individual with a disability and providing all of the orientation, training, and supervision, direct service personnel might function more as consultants and facilitators of training and supports (Grossi, Banks, & Pinnyei, 2001;Ohtake & Chadsey, 2001). In addition, if employees with disabilities are more independent in their work, they may be more self-determined.…”

“…Another way to decrease dependence upon paid direct service personnel is through the use of typical strategies that occur naturally in work settings (e.g., Butterworth, Hagner, Kiernan, & Schalock, 1996;Mank et al, 1999;Ohtake & Chadsey, 2001;Test & Wood, 1997). With typical or natural support strategies, supervisors or coworkers might teach or help to maintain vocational skills, thereby lessening the training responsibility of the direct service personnel.…”

“…In particular, causal demonstrations are necessary to show which strategies on the continuum result in improved vocational outcomes for individuals with disabilities who have varied needs. In addition, research is necessary to identify the types of work cultures that more readily support more typical forms of support (Ohtake & Chadsey, 2001). It is possible that coworkers in some work cultures will not want to play a very big role in supporting a worker with a disability, or they may want to offer support but do not have the necessary skills to do so (West, Kregel, Hernandez, & Hock, 1997).…”