GPSEA
OVERVIEW
Greater Pittsburgh Supported Employment Association
Jessica
Krizmanich
President
Marisa
Pelto
Treasurer
Stacey
Dowden
Secretary
(GPSEA)
P.O. Box 4983
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 391-1129 Ext. 110
jkrizmanich@achieva.info
This
page is maintained by
Greater Pittsburgh
Supported Employment
Association.
Designed
by
John Krizmanich
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Overview
of GPSEA Mission: The mission of GPSEA is to advocate, promote and practice the principles of community employment for persons with disabilities. Goals: To provide public awareness and education to families, consumers and employers of individuals with disabilities. To develop and advocate public policy for community employment. To identify and pursue funding resources for community employment. To compare and share technical information about community employment. To promote and assist in the growth and development of the Employment Specialist Association. |
What is supported employment? Supported employment is paid employment for persons with disabilities for whom competitive employment at or above the minimum wage is unlikely and who, because of their disabilities, need ongoing support to perform their work. Support is provided through activities such as training, supervision, and transportation. Supported employment is conducted in a variety of settings, particularly, worksites in which persons without disabilities are employed. Features of supported employment Six important features of supported employment programs help to explain how they differ from traditional service approach. Employment.
The purpose of these programs is employment with all the regular
outcomes of having a job. Wages, working conditions, and job security
are key considerations.
Ongoing
support. The focus is on providing the ongoing support required
to get and keep a job rather than on getting a person ready for
a job sometime in the future.
Jobs
not services. Emphasis is on creating opportunities to work rather
than just providing services to develop skills.
Full
participation. People who have severe disabilities are not excluded.
The assumption is that all persons, regardless of the degree of
their disability, have the capacity to undertake supported employment
if appropriate on-going support services can be provided.
Social
integration. Contact and relationships with people without disabilities
who are not paid caregivers are emphasized. Social integration can
occur with co-workers, supervisors, and others at work, near work,
during lunchtimes or breaks; or during nonwork hours as a result
of wages earned.
Variety
and flexibility. Supported employment does not lock programs into
one or two work options. It is flexible because of the wide range
of jobs in the community and the many ways of providing support
to individuals in those jobs.
DEFINITION OF SE: Wehman, P., & Kregel, J. (1992). Supported employment: growth and impact. In P. Wehman, P. Sale, & W. Parent (Eds), Supported employment: Strategies for integration of workers with disabilities (pp.4-5). Massachusetts: Andover Medical Publishers.
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