Discovery Begins at Home: Peter Smith on Customized Employment and the Family Discovery Model

What happens when we begin the employment journey not with a system—but with the people who know someone best?

In this episode of The Shining Beautiful Series, Katherine and Mikelle welcome Peter Smith, a long-time leader in the customized employment movement in Australia, for a thoughtful conversation about his emerging work on the Family Discovery Model.

Discovery has long been a cornerstone of Customized Employment, helping people with disabilities identify their strengths, interests, and ideal conditions for work. But Peter’s recent work asks an important question: What role do families play in that process—and what happens when we intentionally bring their knowledge, history, and insights into Discovery?

Drawing from research, practice, and decades of experience, Peter explores how families often hold the richest understanding of a person’s talents, rhythms, and possibilities. Yet too often that wisdom sits quietly on the sidelines of formal employment services.

Together we discuss:

• How Customized Employment and Discovery open doors to meaningful work

• Why families are an untapped resource in employment planning

• The ideas behind the emerging Family Discovery Model

• How practitioners and families can work together more intentionally

• What this means for people with disabilities seeking real jobs, real belonging, and real contribution

This conversation is not about learning a new “program.” Instead, it’s about sharing ideas across communities, reflecting on what we’ve learned through experience, and continuing to build pathways to employment that honor the full story of a person’s life.

For families, employment professionals, and advocates, this episode offers both insight and encouragement: the journey toward meaningful work is strongest when the voices closest to the person are invited into the conversation.

Sometimes the most powerful discovery begins right at the kitchen table.

Here is a link to Peter's work on Family Discovery.