Working independently in the community is accomplished through Pathway’s Supported Employment Program (SEP). Thanks to a contract with the local DRS (Division of Rehabilitation Services) office, Pathway has the ability to provide a job coach with the person supported in the community, assisting that person with appropriate job skills, staying on task with job duties, following proper protocol and procedure while on duty and overall assistance with the role itself. This does not, however, suggest that the job coach does for the person supported. Rather, they do with the person supported until that person, or employee, shows the ability necessary to complete the role independent of the job coach. This level of independence on the job is the ultimate get for the people we support. There is nothing better than allowing our staff member to take a back seat to a coworker of someone in the program and allowing the coworker to then essentially serve as the job coach, or natural support, to that person on the job. All too often the people in our programs are around people who are paid to be with them throughout the entire day and night, working alongside people who have similar ability levels. The opportunity to pair a person in our program with a job in which they can excel and shed that layer of oversight is the best possible outcome for our workers.integrated employment, where they not only work at minimum wage or better, but also work around other people without disabilities and away from staff members paid to work with them. The ultimate goal for anyone serving on the Work Crew is to obtain a job in the community working at or for a local business.
