Community Employment

Expanding Opportunities Across Ohio
COUNTIES: Ashtabula, Butler, Clark, Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Delaware, Geauga, Greene, Hamilton, Knox, Lake, Licking, Mahoning, Medina, Montgomery, Morrow, Portage, Preble, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Warren.

Waiver Services

Accessible to individuals with I/O, Level 1, Self Waiver, and Local Funding.

Career Exploration:

Career exploration assists an individual to interact with job holders and observe jobs and job tasks. Career exploration may include informational interviews with and/or shadowing persons who are actually performing the job duties of the identified occupation. When possible, the individual will be given an opportunity to perform actual job duties as well

Job Development

Job development is an individualized service to develop a strategy to achieve competitive integrated employment. The service may include resume assistance, interview skill-building, analyzing a job site, identifying necessary accommodations, and negotiating with an employer for customized employment. This service is intended to result in achievement of competitive integrated employment consistent with the job seeker's or job holder's personal and career goals as identified in the individual service plan, as determined through career exploration, situational observation and assessment, career discovery, and/or the employment planning process.

Individualized Employment Supports

Individual employment support means individualized support for an individual to maintain competitive integrated employment. This service encompasses job coaching to assist with learning a new position or task and follow-along services to ensure that the position is maintained.

OOD Services

Comprehensive Support for Employment

Bridge Support Services

Includes assistance with ID Obtainment/Replacement, purchasing work clothing, and community connections (accessing childcare, addressing homelessness, and more.)

Community Work Experiences

Paid working experiences that help to identify a participant's strengths, barriers, accommodation needs, and employment preference

Career Exploration

Career exploration assists an individual to interact with job holders and observe jobs and job tasks. Career exploration may include informational interviews with and/or shadowing persons who are actually performing the job duties of the identified occupation. When possible, the individual will be given an opportunity to perform actual job duties as well

Job Search Assistance

A package of services utilized to prepare and assist participants to contact businesses, apply and interview with employers, and to secure CIE which matches their employment outcome. JSA should include, but may not be limited to: instruction and guidance about how to locate potential job opportunities (e.g., networking, use of OMJ and other electronic job boards, newspapers, online, and “cold” calling); development of a resume, mock application template and cover letter; how to answer interview questions or issues including, but not limited to: gaps in employment histories; requesting reasonable accommodations; addressing justice involvement; and managing online profiles/social media.

Job Coaching

Utilized to provide assistance such as: instruction to learn job tasks; to assess, request, and implement any accommodations; to utilize interventions; to develop natural and peer supports; and to assist a participant in being successful in the work environment.

Pre-Employment Transition Services

Currently available in Lake and Ashtabula Counties, these services are provided to students with disabilities who have been determined eligible or are potentially eligible for VR services. They are designed to help students identify career interests and improve the transition of students from school to postsecondary education and/or employment outcomes and include the following five subcategories:

Counseling on Postsecondary Opportunities
Instruction in Self-Advocacy
Job Exploration Counseling
Work-Based Learning, and
Workplace Readiness Training.

Connect with Brittni Sample, CESP to Learn More!

Director of Community Employment & Outreach