GoodwillEaster Seals Minnesota

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Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota

• Creating Solutions, Changing Lives Through the
  Power of Work

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Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota

• 89 year provider of Workforce Development
• 12,000 Minnesotans served in 2007
• 752 individuals went to work and 126 individuals
  advanced in their careers
• 740 participants received Transitional Employment
  Services
• 70 were placed in unsubsidized jobs

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Transitional Employment Services
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Demographics

• Ethnicity

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Demographics contd.

• Gender
• Male 56
• Female 44

• Age
• 11-20 12
• 21-30 34
• 31-40 20
• 41-50 22
• 51-60 10
• 61 1

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Employment Barriers

• 18 non English-speaking
• 16 functionally illiterate
• 46 no significant work history
• 54 transitioning from public support (TANF)
• 33 no high school diploma or GED
• 30 re-entering from corrections
• 58 individuals with a disability
• 17 transition age youth
• 12 homelessness

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Transitional Employment

• Assists individuals with barriers to employment
  in achieving their optimum level of vocational
  development by providing
• Paid work history in a real work environment
• A positive work reference
• Resource referrals to other organizations
• Opportunity and motivation to enhance
  employability through a stable work experience

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Services

• Intake
• Situational Assessment
• Work Experience
• Skills Training
• Job Placement Assistance
• Long-term Support Services
• Career Advancement

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Corrections
Youth Transition Services
State Refugee Services
TANF
State Vocational Rehab Services
Referral source
Intake
Work Experience
Situational Assessment
Vocational Evaluation (pencil/paper)
Skills Training Programs
Job Placement Assistance
Long-Term Support
Career Advancement
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G/ESM Model

• Paid Work Experience 6.15/per hour
• Participants work 32.5 hours per week
• Monday Friday, 9 am to 4 pm - scheduled
  hours/days of the week are flexible
• Average length in program is 3 months depending
  on individual needs
• Comprehensive Case Management Services

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Worksites

• Participants work in one of 17 Goodwill/Easter
  Seals Minnesota store or operations locations.
• Possible positions include
• Salvage operations Participants work with
  donated goods that are sorted, recycled, hung,
  tagged, moved and priced for sale in our Goodwill
  stores.
• Retail Sales stocking product, providing
  customer service, creating displays, accepting
  donations.
• Transportation/Forklift Moving donated and
  salvaged materials internally.
• Administrative Assistant typing, filing,
  collating, preparing mailing and special projects
  as assigned.

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Worksites Contd.

• Equipment Loan inspection, cleaning and repair
  of donated medical equipment.
• Facilities maintenance and Janitorial
• E-Commerce Sorting, photographing, writing
  descriptions, posting, packaging and shipping
  specially selected Goodwill products for sale
  online.
• Receptionist
• Additional Transitional Employment sites with
  private employers in the community.

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Case Management Services

• Provide guidance and support to help participants
  re-establish skills, attitudes and work behaviors
  for success in long-term competitive employment
• Along with the program participant, Case Managers
  (CM) develop an individualized program plan (IPP)
  that assists participants in the development of
  work related soft skills.
• Participant progress is monitored using verbal
  feedback, weekly report sheets completed by
  supervisors and direct case manager observations.

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Case Management Services Contd.

• Meet with participants monthly to discuss IPP and
  together determine next steps in program.
• Community Resource Assistance
• Assists participants in recognizing crisis vs.
  non-crisis situations and guides them through
  both so they are able to address future
  situations
• Coordinate or provide a variety of support
  services that meet individual participant needs.

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Support Services

• Educational Opportunities - English Language
  Learning, GED Classes Computer Skills Classes
• Mens Womens Groups
• Assistance with State IDs, social security
  cards, birth certificates
• Career mart weekly job development class.
• Employment Readiness Training (ERT) A 5 day
  class offered once per month to participants
  ready to begin working that focuses on job
  seeking and keeping skills.
• Retention Group Monthly group offering
  participants the opportunity to discuss ways to
  maintain employment, handle difficult work
  situations, and advancement strategies.

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Community Resource Assistance

• Winter Warmth Coat Coupons
• Twin Cities Community Voice Mail answering
  service for those without phones
• Emergency Cash Assistance up to 150 for items
  such as drivers education, license fees, energy
  bills, phone bills, haircuts, emergency dental
  work, emergency day care, bus passes, gas cards,
  etc.
• Visiting Nurse Program On-site clinics,
  classes, flu shots, blood pressure checks, etc.
• Medical Needs Funding for hearing aids, co-pays
  glasses, dental work, mental, chemical and
  physical health needs.
• Furniture Assistance - Memberships to 2 local
  organizations who provide furniture and moving
  assistance.
• Rent Assistance

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Social Enterprise Model

• Transitional employment program utilizing
  Goodwill retail stores and operations for
  participant work sites.

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Role of Partners Participant

• Express the desire and commitment to gain and
  maintain employment.
• Make efforts towards achieving identified and
  agreed upon goals
• Work within Goodwill/Easter Seals policies and
  procedures
• Communicate issues and concerns to supervisory
  staff and/or case manager as issues arise.

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Role of Partners Retail Supervisor

• Provide work-related supervision direction to
  participants
• Provide daily job assignments
• Provide orientation and worksite training
• Seek intervention by the case manager as
  participant issues arise
• Follow established participant Individualized
  Program Plan as stated on weekly report sheets
• Provide written feedback /- weekly via weekly
  report sheet
• Communicate regularly with Case Managers
  regarding observations, accomplishments,
  concerns.
• Notify Case Manager immediately if participant
  issues cause safety concerns.
• Maintain participant confidentiality throughout
  program

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Role of Partners Case Manager

• Develops Individualized program plan (IPP) for
  each participant
• Monitors progress via supervisor feedback both
  written/verbal and through direct observation of
  participants
• Assist supervisor with training ideas that
  provide the participant with individualized
  assistance they may need to learn the job.
• Provide direction for job assignments that meet
  participant goals.
• Respond to requests for assistance immediately,
  intervene and assist with participant issues.
• Problem solve areas of concern with supervisor

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Role of Partners Case Manager contd.

• Provide regular feedback to participant on job
  performance and work-related behaviors
• Communicate regularly with each supervisor to
  assure that they are familiar with the
  individuals objectives, the techniques to be
  used, and their role in implementing the IPP
• Help participants structure and prioritize their
  daily needs
• Identify other support service needs and teach
  participants how to take care of these needs,
  ultimately leading them to be more
  selfsufficient in dealing with future issues.
• Communicate with case management team so that
  whole team is effective in meeting each
  participants needs.

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Challenges of Model

• Short-term looks expensive
• Individualized nature of services (strength
  challenge)
• Managing multiple work sites and work site
  relationships
• Mission focus vs. profit focus
• Funder restrictions

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Strengths of Model

• Model can be adapted to work with many different
  populations.
• Individualized Services centered around
  participant needs.
• Comprehensive model that meets work and non-work
  needs related to future employment success
• Staff work as a team to ensure that participant
  needs are priority.
• Quality Staff, Placement, Retention Career
  Advancement

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Strengths of Model contd.

• Real work
• Integrated work environment
• Easier to obtain employment when already working
• Supportive work environment to build work
  history, self esteem, and work skills

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Sheila Olson Employment Services
Director Goodwill/Easter Seals 651-379-5864 solson
_at_goodwilleasterseals.org