Work is crucial to feel that sense of belonging - being a part of the community. The mission of our employment services is to prepare participants for a competitive job in the community.
We Provide Support Where & When Needed
We believe in matching employee skills and interests to employment opportunities - earning at or above minimum wage. Our service is offered on a continuum where competitive employment is the goal. Individual placements can include a variety of options including working in a supermarket, retail store, or restaurant, just to name a few. EPI also contracts with area businesses to provide enclave/work crew opportunities.
Supported Employment Services
We see success training individuals through increasing degrees of difficulty in an enclave setting to build job skills and stamina. We provide an individualized program of services which focus on developing the following:
- Appropriate job skills
- Work habits
- Behaviors
- Socialization
- Adjustment to a job so persons served are successfully integrated into a community workplace.
Choose the Services You Need
Job Development
We work to find a placement integrated into the workforce (earning at or above minimum wage) consistent with each person's preferences, strengths, and needs with the goal of becoming an employed and active member of your community.
Support is available for all parts of the job search process, including:
- Resume development
- Finding open positions that match interests
- Obtaining and completing applications
- Preparing for interviews
- Making follow up contacts
Job Coaching
Job coaching is designed to assist you with learning and maintaining your position at a business integrated into the community – earning at or above minimum wage. As your needs change within your job, a job coach can offer more or less support to help you maintain long-term employment.
Job coaching trains and provides ongoing supports (appropriate and job specific to your skill level) while teaching and coaching you on the following:
- Work habits
- Behaviors
- Socialization
- Learning and maintaining core job responsibilities
Community Worksite Assessment
This type of assessment involves opportunities for a job candidate and the team to try various work settings to focus upon talents and occupations that create opportunities for successful employment. The purpose of the assessment is to assist the person in determining vocational options, directions, goals, and training needs/strategies. A job candidate’s skills, aptitudes, capabilities, and interests may be assessed in order for team members to evaluate the appropriate job fit and employment options.
Discovery
Discovery services help the job candidate understand their contribution (what they have to offer the employer), their conditions (what do they need to be successful in a job) and their interests (and how these might translate into an employment goal).
Customized Employment
Customized Employment aims to fist successfully place a job candidate within the context of competitive hiring processes and then to provide supports as needed to maintain employment.
Occupational Skills Training
Vocational preparation training prepares a job candidate for employment. The goal is to enhance and improve a job candidate’s ability to perform specific work, learn the skills necessary to do a specific job, minimize negative work habits and behaviors that impede job retention, develop skills in finding a job, and learn how to navigate transportation systems to get to and from work.
Transportation Training
Transportation training teaches a job candidate how to use mass transit to get to and from work. The training includes learning the bus routes appropriate to the needs of the person, practice using the bus system with the assistance of a coach, and successfully navigating mass transit demonstrated by independent trials.