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State of North Carolina <br />Division of Social Services <br />Contract Application <br />Page 7 of 7 <br />14 <br />III. Service Program Description <br />The contract between Orange County Department of Social Services and Orange Enterprises, <br />Inc. results from a need to provide intensive case management services to the hardest to serve <br />Work First families. Orange Enterprises mission is to provide services that enable individuals <br />with employment barriers to maximize their vocational potential through employment. <br />Supported employment service was developed to serve individuals who have not been able to <br />gain and maintain paid employment through more traditional approaches. Supports will be <br />provided to Work First Participants in an employment situation in varying degrees of <br />intensity, comprised of a combination of both on and off-site supports, but will always be <br />designed to meet each individual's particular needs. The delivery of support services is a <br />combination of direct and indirect involvement by a trained professional. The employment <br />specialist will work with the supported employee, employer, and co-workers at the work site <br />to facilitate development of natural employee-employer-coworker relationships given the <br />particular work activities and work culture. The employment specialist will provide much of <br />the direct training of the supported employee, or support the employer or a coworker in <br />providing the training themselves. The involvement of the employment specialist will fade <br />gradually over time to a level of support necessary to assure that the supported employee <br />maintains his or her status as a valued employee. A minimum level of support of two contacts <br />each month has been established when employment is obtained. <br />Support employment is a holistic approach, which capitalizes on the strengths and abilities of <br />each individual. The supported employment specialist will work with an individual to <br />identify an employment objective and then implement a plan to achieve that objective. <br />Barriers to employment are identified and then systematically eliminated by the specialist and <br />others who make up the supported employee's circle of support. <br />