Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT)

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The Sherlock Center offers Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) to help individuals with disabilities, their families and the professionals who support them explore the possibilities of employment. FEAT provides tools, resources and real-life examples to show that employment is achievable.

We offer two versions of FEAT:

  • FEAT-Y – Designed for youth with disabilities (ages 14–22) and their families, this four-part training helps build a vision for employment, understand the role of schools and families in transition planning, explore a wide range of employment options, and learn about adult service systems and supports.
  • FEAT-A – Tailored for adults with disabilities and their families, this two-part training introduces employment options in Rhode Island, including supported, customized and self-employment. Participants learn how to access adult service systems, hear directly from adults who are successfully employed and use tools to map strengths and create a plan for employment.

Both trainings aim to expand what families know about employment, increase expectations and provide the knowledge needed to take the next steps toward meaningful work.

Learn more about FEAT-Y

Learn more about FEAT-A

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Customized for Rhode Island

FEAT, developed at The University of Kansas Beach Center on Disability, is based on research and has been proven to be effective in meeting the goals of the training. The Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities has adapted FEAT for use in Rhode Island.

Upcoming Trainings

The Sherlock Center provides a FREE opportunity to learn about employment possibilities for adults with developmental disabilities, their family members, and professionals who support them. Attendees must attend both sessions. Each session will be a live, interactive training offered in person and virtually through Zoom.

  • event_note -
  • access_time Various times
  • place Sherlock Center