Community Care Connections provides numerous services that empower adults with disabilities to live more independently in their local communities. One service is Supported Employment.
Community Care Connections receives referrals through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and their Supports Coordinator through the Office of Developmental Programs. CCC’s Supported Employment services will then assist participants in experiencing, obtaining, and maintaining a beneficial occupation.
Overall, the program helps individuals with disabilities achieve their employment goals and become more integrated within the community. It is more than a paycheck. Having a job gives them a sense of direction and purpose. Enjoying their daily work activities and gaining meaningful friendships is an added benefit. The program is beneficial for individuals with disabilities and employers for these reasons.
Along with continuous support, our specialists provide job coaching, job development, and customized employment. It is a ‘win-win’ strategy that meets the needs of businesses and job seekers.
Job coaching and job development are both processes that help individuals identify and achieve their career goals. It involves working with an employment specialist who provides guidance and support to help the individual develop their skills. The employment specialist assists the individual with resume writing, interview preparation, dressing for success, and job search strategies.
The goal is to help individuals find fulfilling and meaningful jobs that match their interests and skills. Our employment specialists guide the job seeker and individual throughout the hiring process and within their job setting until they are ready to fade out of employment support.
The other part of the program’s services is customized employment. Customized employment is creating a space in a business where there was not one before. CCC’s team collaborates with the employer to create a position that will benefit both the business needs and the needs/abilities of the job seekers. The plan is to use a prospective employer’s specific needs to match the job seeker’s abilities. This part of the program is incredibly beneficial to both the clients and the local businesses who agree to participate.
By observing, researching, and performing a needs analysis, CCC’s specialists identify a business’s needs at no charge to the employer. When a match is found, a job description is customized to suit both the business and the job seeker. It is a win-win. The participant now has a gainful job that meets their needs. The employer has a new resolute employee who could speed up production, has access to personal training from a job coach, and is a valuable tax deduction. Job coaching and tax deductions are just two general benefits that companies utilize upon participation in customized employment.
Since these positions are tailored to the needs and wants of both the participant and the business, the list of benefits is numerous! The focus is on improving performance and the efficiency of workers by targeting specific tasks that enhance the existing jobs within a business.