Ask the Expert – Finding Balance: How to Provide Appropriate Support as a Job Coach
If you ask anyone who works with individuals on the spectrum, or anyone in a social service setting for that matter, why they went into the specific type of work that they did, whether it is a teacher, case manager or job coach, it’s certainly plausible to assume that most, if not all of them, would respond with some form of an answer that identifies a desire to help people. It is perhaps in this primordial thought that the best of intentions presents the potential for unnecessary consequences. Perhaps more often than we should, social service professionals want to get involved, do more, and really try to help those in need. In many instances, the desire to be involved in such ways is more than just helpful, it is crucial to ensure people are being supported in ways that are most appropriate.
However, the real challenges that social service professionals are faced with are almost always rooted in two core constructs. First, they must prudently identify exactly when support is needed, and second, specifically how much of said support is actually needed. If too little support is provided, individuals in need of services are left unserved or underserved. In this scenario, needs go unmet. Yet if too much support is provided, individuals are prevented from experiencing the types of less restrictive and more autonomous environments that afford opportunities for learning and growth. Moreover, they become reliant on a professional to do things for them that they could and should be learning to do for themselves. In the context of employment and job coaching, this type of clarity from a professional can be the determining factor in whether or not an employment opportunity becomes a successful employment outcome.