Community-Based Services offer support for people to participate meaningfully within their community. Available at home or within the community, people pursue volunteer opportunities and other community activities and build their daily living skills.

Everyone who has the desire to work should have the opportunity to pursue and maintain competitive, meaningful employment. Supported Employment provides the support people need to successfully find and maintain a job.

Each person works with a certified Employment Specialist to develop a flexible, personalized employment plan, taking their vocational strengths and interests into account.

Through the Discovery process, each person evaluates their interests based on specific aspects of the job market, as well as their skills, strengths, and the conditions under which they work best.

During Job Development, Employment Specialists facilitate relationships between the person and their employer, and work to match the needs of the employer with the skills, strengths, needs, and interests of the person.

Once the person has secured a job, an Employment Specialist then provides systematic instruction to assist the person to learn the skills necessary to successfully perform that job. Through subsequent job coaching, each person receives support to meet employment expectations, address job-related issues as they may arise, and maintain long-term employment.

People may also receive assistance to develop a personal business or find employment based on a personal assessment process.

Ellen Mercado, President of the Partnerships for People Self-Advocacy Group, attended the Keystone Human Services June Summit, where she joined advocates from around the world in discussions about advocacy, inclusion, and human rights. She shared the knowledge and skills she learned with the group. These networking and learning opportunities strengthen the global movement toward inclusion.

Learn More about KHS’s Advocacy