Supported employment is a model designed to help people with disabilities, mental health conditions, or other barriers to employment find and maintain meaningful, competitive jobs in integrated work settings. The goal is to provide individuals with the necessary support and resources to overcome challenges and successfully participate in the workforce alongside their non-disabled peers.
Supported employment services often include:
- Job development and placement: Assisting individuals in identifying their skills, interests, and job preferences, and matching them with suitable employment opportunities. This may involve working with employers to create or modify jobs to fit the individual’s abilities.
- On-the-job training: Providing hands-on training and support to help individuals learn the necessary job tasks and perform them effectively. This can include task analysis, job coaching, and customized training materials.
- Job coaching: Offering ongoing support and guidance to help individuals adapt to their new work environment, develop good work habits, and resolve any workplace issues that may arise. Job coaches can also serve as a liaison between the employee and employer, facilitating communication and ensuring a successful working relationship.
- Assistive technology and accommodations: Identifying and providing any necessary assistive devices or workplace modifications to help individuals perform their job tasks more effectively and independently.
- Benefits counseling: Helping individuals understand and navigate the complex world of public benefits, such as Social Security and Medicaid, and how their employment may impact these benefits.
- Career development and advancement: Supporting individuals in setting and pursuing long-term career goals, including skill-building, education, and training opportunities that can lead to job advancement or new employment opportunities.
- Ongoing support: Providing continued assistance as needed, even after the individual has successfully transitioned into their job, to ensure long-term success and job retention.
ACS’s employment programs are offered through vocational rehabilitation agencies, non-profit, DSPD or Private Pay. The overall aim of supported employment is to foster inclusion, independence, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals who might otherwise face significant barriers to entering and maintaining employment.