2004 S DSS - Orange Enterprises for Supportive Employment Services Contract Renewal

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State of North Carolina Division of Social Services Contract Application Page 7 of 7 III. Service Program Description The contract between Orange County Department of Social Services and Orange Enterprises, Inc. results from a need to provide intensive case management services to the hardest to serve Work First families. Orange Enterprises mission is to provide services that enable individuals with employment barriers to maximize their vocational potential through employment. Supported employment service was developed to serve individuals who have not been able to gain and maintain paid employment through more traditional approaches. Supports will be provided to Work First Participants in an employment situation in varying degrees of intensity, comprised of a combination of both on and off-site supports, but will always be designed to meet each individual's particular needs. The delivery of support services is a combination of direct and indirect involvement by a trained professional. The employment specialist will work with the supported employee, employer, and co-workers at the work site to facilitate development of natural employee-employer-coworker relationships given the particular work activities and work culture. The employment specialist will provide much of the direct training of the supported employee, or support the employer or a coworker in providing the training themselves. The involvement of the employment specialist will fade gradually over time to a level of support necessary to assure that the supported employee maintains his or her status as a valued employee. A minimum level of support of two contacts each month has been established when employment is obtained. Support employment is a holistic approach, which capitalizes on the strengths and abilities of each individual. The supported employment specialist will work with an individual to identify an employment objective and then implement a plan to achieve that objective. Barriers to employment are identified and then systematically eliminated by the specialist and others who make up the supported employee's circle of support. ORANGE ENTERPRISE' SERVICE DEFINITIONS Services: Vocational Evaluation: The purpose of an evaluation is to assess a person's current skills, interests, functional limitations, strengths, and barriers to employment. Evaluations consist of standardized testing as well as observation in different work settings. These may include job- sites in the community as well as at Orange Enterprise (OE). The length of the evaluation will be determined by the individual needs of the client. Work Adjustments Services: These services can be provided at OE, on a volunteer site, or on a temporary job site. The services include job club, skills training (problem solving, resume writing, interviewing, meeting employer expectations), and the opportunity to practice good work habits. Placement Services: Placement services include a wide array of services, which are individualized to meet the needs of the client. These services include job development, placement, job coaching, advocacy with employers, resume writing, interview skills training, devising and implementing strategies to overcome barriers to employment, and community resource training.