Supported Employment: The SE program serves both adults and students with special needs. Individuals can be referred to these services from schools, partial care, extended employment programs, DVRS, or other outside agencies. This program offers services to help individuals gain and maintain community employment. Each participant in this program is assigned to an Employment Specialist/ Job Coach, who works individually with him or her to determine vocational interest areas, ability level, and placement opportunities in the community. These specialists assist in a variety of employment areas, such as resume development, preparing for interviews, attending interview process, soft skill development, and even shadowing participants in the initial stages of community employment. Job coaches gradually fade back as the person settles into his or her new job, but remains available to them as needed.
Services provided through Supported Employment are:
- Pre-placement services
- On-site training and Job Coaching
- Long term support services
- Trial work experiences
- Job samplings
- Pre-employment transition services
The Career Academy: This program is exclusive to students. We have a separate area which houses students from different districts who need vocational and skill set training. Students are assessed on their skill level and based on those assessments a program is designed to help them achieve their maximum vocational potential. Students work with the program coordinator on vocational skill sets and daily living skills. Students will have the opportunity to work and be trained in the areas of production/warehouse, computers, clerical administration, retail, maintenance, and hospitality. Many districts send a group of students to compliment their academics. This program runs from 9-3; however, many students come for a half day program. CVR is currently developing a community component to afford the students the opportunity to put what they have learned in-house to task in an organic setting. Will add employment opportunities, eventually.
Trial Work Experience (TWE): The TWE program is geared for individuals that need to be assessed as to their capability of working in the community. DVRS will refer people that want to work; but may not have the skills necessary to succeed at the present time. This program is a tool to evaluate success in the workplace. If a person is deemed ineligible to work at this time; he or she is referred for additional training to get their skill sets increased so to better prepare them for success.
Pre-Employment Transition Services: DVRS will refer students to CVR that can benefit from pre-employment services before being placed in the
community. The employment specialist will work individually with the student on career culture/awareness, resume design, interviewing skills, soft skill development; as well as, job samplings. Once the student is ready to work a placement will be developed and he or she will be trained in the position attained.
Paid Internships: Students can be referred by their local school districts as well as DVRS to partake in a paid internship. This program combines the aforementioned components. This program allows students to understand career culture and gain valuable experience while earning a paycheck.
Joseph Kohen Training Center Career Services: CVR collaborates with the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI) to provide a work experience program for the students that attend the Joseph Kohen Rehabilitation Center (JKTC). Students go through a fourteen (14) week program that prepares them to live and work with their visual impairments or blindness. They attend courses in computers, technology, daily living skills, braille, etc. After completion they are entered into one of CVR’s job samplings in the community to put to task the skills attained at the center. We offer opportunities in hospitality, clerical administration, communications, retail and higher education. Exclusive to JKTC participants