Supported Employment

Cascadia’s Supported Employment program offers a new path for our clients — a path of independence, hope, and recovery. The support of an employment specialist can help give clients the confidence they need to move forward and create meaningful long-lasting change toward financial freedom. The work our Supported Employment team accomplishes is an important component to building a stronger community and supporting the whole lives of our clients.

Our Supported Employment Program is based on the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model, a nationally known, evidence-based practice backed by substantial research validating its success. Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model focuses on:

  • Individual strengths, skills, and abilities
  • Promoting individual recovery and wellness
  • Personalized and long-lasting services for long-lasting employee success.

Cascadia Employment Specialists provide personalized support throughout the job process — including the search, application, hiring processes, and transition (such as promotion and transfer).

For Employers:

Benefits of being a business partner

We learn about your company’s unique needs and culture. Then, we identify skilled and qualified applicants who align with those needs. Cascadia’s Supported Employment Program helps businesses by offering no-cost comprehensive services that include job placement, job training, on-site job coaching, and on-going support to your new hire (and their supervisor) throughout employment. Partnering with Cascadia’s Supported Employment program can reduce business costs and decrease employee turnover:

Placements are personalized to find the right match for your job

Applicants are pre-screened to meet your company’s needs.

Hiring individuals with disabilities enhances the diversity of your workforce.

Save your company time and money by reducing advertising and recruitment costs.

Employees receive positive ongoing coaching with each hire, lowering workforce turnover rates.

Work Opportunity Tax Credit: a federal tax credit available to employers. Can reduce federal income tax liability by as much as $9,600 per employee.

Partnering also brings positive change to our community, providing opportunity, income, and self-sufficiency to our participants.

A no-cost placement service helping companies find motivated, dependable, qualified employees.

Let Cascadia help you find your next employee

Meet with an Employment Specialist to discuss how the program can meet your specific business needs.

Go an informational interview/site tour to help a potential employee get a better understanding of the work environment.

Tell your business contact and network circles. We are open to partner with Oregon businesses that could benefit from this free service.

Join our steering committee. Assist in developing strategies to meet the business community’s needs.

Develop an apprenticeship/internship. Provide an opportunity for a candidate to gain the skills needed to work in your industry.

For Our Clients:

Benefits of joining Cascadia’s program

Enrolling in Cascadia’s Supported Employment program will provide you with help that is tailored to you to prepare you to return to work. We can help you choose an employment goal, find the right job, and support you as you go back to work. Our Employment Specialists provide personalized support throughout the job process including the job search, the application, and the hiring process. Enrolling in Cascadia’s Supported Employment program can assist you in the following ways:

Most people can work without losing their benefits. We can help you find out how a job could increase your income.

We can help you find a job that is related to your interests, the hours you want to work, a location that makes sense for you, and any other preferences you may have.

We can advocate on your behalf with employers; if, however, you would rather not have an employer know that you are receiving support, that’s OK too.

We will work with you even after you find a job to make sure that you are happy, and that the job is a good fit. If a job doesn’t work out for any reason, we can help you find another.

How can I get started?

If you are a current Cascadia client receiving services at one of our health centers, contact your counselor to have Supported Employment Services become part of your recovery plan.

If you are not a Cascadia client and you are interested in behavioral health services, please call Cascadia Access, Information & Referral at 503-674-7777. You can also find employment services through the Oregon Department of Human Services Vocational Rehab program, and through Worksource Portland.

Contact Supported Employment today