Employment Preparation

Community Supported Employment (CSE)

To provide employment supports to adults with developmental disabilities who are working toward and/or involved in competitive employment/volunteer placements in the community. To support and encourage community employers to hire persons with special needs; to modify their work places and/or to consider unique methods to meet with ever changing staffing needs in today's business community.

Program:

As a component of our program's service delivery, we establish regular contact with the business community. In partnership with the business community, we develop rewarding work experience/job placements, provide on site support, and work towards natural supports within the workplace for persons with disabilities.

Persons with disabilities, who feel they want to further their employment skills and/or are ready to obtain employment/volunteer positions in the community, can apply to this program for assistance. Applicants may be required to fulfill a probationary work experience program and/or skill assessments prior to advancing to competitive employment opportunities in the community.

Ongoing supports are available to individuals in competitive employment positions in the community. The individual's hours in the program may vary depending upon the employer's demands, their schedules and their options within the employment setting.

Basic Admission Criteria

• A primary diagnosis must fit within the mandate of the funder (Northeast PDD Board, St. Paul School Division #1 or Alberta Mental Health).
• Age: 16 to 18-plus, depending on the criteria.
• An application must be submitted to the Client Services Director at Habitat Enterprises (780) 645-3133 and be approved by the funder.
• Vocational training and support is a voluntary program. Interested applicants must have a desire to participate.

Community Employment Support Services applicants may be referred by themselves, a guardian, a program area supervisor or the St. Paul Abilities Network Director of Client Services. New referral applicants must be approved for service through the funder of record (Northeast PDD Board, Children's Services, School Division, and Alberta Mental Health).