In 2012, Jay Nolan Community Services in partnership with Easter Seals was awarded a grant by the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. The recently completed grant, called Education, Empowerment and Employment for Success, was designed to explore what it will take for young adults with developmental disabilities (ages 17-30) to have the same opportunities for their adult lives as others without disabilities. The two year grant was implemented by Jay Nolan Community Services in the Los Angeles area and by Easter Seals in the San Diego area.
The opportunities Jay Nolan Community Services has assisted to young people to pursue included the ability to define, develop and sustain meaningful employment for their adult lives. JNCS has also included the option to pursue educational opportunities beyond high school, such as college, technical training, skill building courses, and certificate programs. At the core of JNCS’s efforts was the intention of assisting young people with disabilities to have a voice in their lives and understand they have a right to pursue the life they envision for themselves.
Over the course of the two year Grant, 76 young adults were supported to create career path ways, 29 jobs were obtained, 3 small businesses were created, 7 paid internships opportunities were developed and 22 young adults went on to attend a college/university and/or vocational program to increase their employment options.
The work completed on the grant assisted JNCS to inform the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities how to increase positive outcomes for young adults leaving the educational system. In the final report, Jay Nolan Community Service’s discusses:
- How attitudes and values about what is possible for people with disabilities affect the support that people with disabilities receive to pursue and sustain meaningful employment.
- Which employment practices work best to facilitate the development of meaningful employment for students and adults with disabilities.
- What is needed for service provider organizations to support meaningful employment for individuals.
- How systems can work together to better facilitate the development and ongoing support of meaningful employment for people with disabilities.
Jay Nolan Community Services has laid out recommendations for things California can do to improve the opportunities for people with disabilities to leave high school with an effective path to meaningful employment. To review the final report and watch a short documentary on the Education, Empowerment, and Employment for Success grant participants please go to https://jaynolan.org/.
About Jay Nolan Community Services
The mission of Jay Nolan Community Services, Inc. (JNCS) is to enable individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities to live fulfilling lives as members of the community by providing support services customized to their individual needs. Since 1975, JNCS has served over 9,750 people with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities in the community. With over 550 full and part time staff. JNCS ensures each individual is given the opportunity to utilize consultation services, enhanced support, supported employment, supported and independent living options, as well as family support services.
Click Here to Read the Final Report
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