Connecting People to Community Resources:

As more supported employment programs appear around the Province, Employment Opportunity Consultants connect an increasing number of people to those programs for their employment needs. Part of the EO Consultant’s role is to work with these programs on a consultative basis assisting them and ensuring that they provide support to individuals who have intellectual disabilities. In our work with individuals it is common for EO Consultants to refer people to organizations that provide support in areas such as residential, recreational, health, and general advocacy. For the 2008-2009 reporting year EO Consultants connected/referred over 130 individuals to a variety of programs around the province.

Job Development and Maintenance:

For SACL, although assisting individuals to get jobs is indeed important, it is also just as important, maybe even more so, that resources and efforts be put in place to assist individuals to keep the jobs they already have. Once again, EO Consultants when and where possible, refer/connect individuals who are already employed but need continued support, to supported employment agencies within their own community. However, EO Consultants do continue to provide a signifi cant amount of support directly to individuals who are currently employed and/or to their employers.

For SACL's EO Consultants, job development for adults is becoming less of a role. However, working with students, it is continuing to grow.

Working with Students:

As stated, working with students continues to be a critical area for EO Consultants. EO Consultants worked with students in the transition from High school to the world of work supporting when and how they could. This often meant presenting to groups of students and parents talking about transition planning and what resources/opportunities exist. Sometimes it also meant being a part of a transition planning team meeting.

In our endeavor to support students, in 2008-2009 we continued our involvement with the Student Employment Experience, (SEE) administrating the Enhanced Access for Students with Disabilities Sector. For the past several this has increased the likelihood that students with disabilities will obtain summer and/or part time after school jobs.

Community Development:

The EO staff, with funding from SETI, are active on several committees that work towards community development support. As well, the SACL has undertaken a Transition Project that explores how to systemically enhance the transition process in the education system.