Two people enter the same workplace.
One is introduced as, “This is our new team member.”
The other is introduced as, “This is someone I work with.”
Even if both people perform the same tasks, they will likely be perceived differently.
How a person is perceived influences how they are treated, what opportunities they receive, and how they see themselves.
This course introduces Social Role Valorization, a framework that helps employment specialists support people in becoming valued, respected members of their workplace and community.
Every day, employment specialists influence how others see the people they support. This influence affects whether someone is seen as capable, independent, and valuable. Social Role Valorization (SRV) helps guide how we support people in obtaining valued roles. These roles increase opportunity, inclusion, and stability. This course will help you understand how to apply SRV directly in your work.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Define Social Role Valorization
- Explain why valued roles matter
- Identify strategies to enhance social image
- Apply SRV principles in Discovery, job development, and workplace support
- Reflect on how your actions influence valued roles
- The successful learner will recognize the difference between negative and valued roles and how social roles impact one’s life experiences.
Content derived from the work of Dr. Wolf Wolfensberger
Wolfensberger, W. (1997). A brief introduction to Social Role Valorization: a high-order concept for addressing the plight of societally devalued people, and for structuring human services (3rd rev. ed.). Syracuse, NY: Training Institute for Human Service Planning, Leadership & Change Agentry (Syracuse University).