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Supported Employment Program

Our Success Stories

  • Jose G. Has been employed at TLD Law in Long Beach for 27 years. He was recently honored with a bronze plaque. Jose orders supplies for the company and takes care of incoming and outgoing mail.
  • Aaron B. has been employed at Stater Bros. in Long Beach for 28 years. He is a certified butcher.
  • Salvador M. has been employed at CVS for over 20 years as a salesfloor associate. Sal has overcome several challenges at CVS; despite these obstacles, Sal has shown what a dedicated and committed employee looks like. James D. has been employed at Albertsons as a courtesy clerk for 16 years.

About The Supported Employment Program

The intent of The Arc LAOC’s Supported Employment Program (SEP) is dual.

  • To help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) secure rewarding, long-term employment of their choosing.
  • To support those individuals in their jobs so that they successfully maintain their employment.

A Three-Pronged Approach

SEP empowers people with IDD to form, work toward, and achieve goals through training based on their individual abilities and interests. We offer a targeted program of activities designed to enable each participant to achieve their self-designated goals of employment in the community, thereby maximizing their functioning in the work setting while increasing independence.

  • The Job Development Team provides counseling and case management tailored to each individual. Participants are given guidance with work-related problems, behavioral issues, goal planning, and any other needs that may come up over the course of a day.
  • We coordinate with each individual to determine a job-procurement strategy based on the individual’s specifications.
  • Participants work with a designated Job Coach guiding them.

The Arc LAOC’s job development and placement methods include following industry trends for job openings, collecting all data on existing openings in the community, cold calling companies, sourcing rosters of licensed businesses from local cities, calling on new businesses before they open, etc.

Steps to Success

The Arc’s Job Development Team sets an initial evaluation period to assess each individual’s functioning levels, strengths, and challenges, as well as their dreams, goals, and aspirations.
  1. With the guidance of a Job Coach, each participant identifies their strengths and interests, and determines their career development goals.
  2. The Job Coach assists the individual in obtaining outside employment based on their strengths and interests.
  3. Once the participant secures employment, they learn the job with the assistance of their Job Coach, who supports them to become as successful as possible in that employment.
  4. Our Job Coaches provide long-term support for each individual with the goal of job satisfaction, retention, and promotion.
Participants become familiar with and adjust to the atmosphere and demands of employment in real work settings. Our qualified Job Coaches assist participants as they learn new skills, develop healthy work relationships, and work professionally with their management team, as well as with non-workplace issues that may hinder an employee’s ability to perform successfully on the job. Check out the article on resumegenuis.com about our employment programs and the unique job-search challenges that face the IDD community. For more information about the Supported Employment Program, please contact: Margoritt Aquije 562-855-3467 maquije@thearclaoc.org