Employment Services

Community Employment Services (CES) assists individuals with disabilities in Waterloo Region and Wellington County to obtain competitive, paid employment. CES offers a range of employment supports through three services:
Bridging Employment Supports, Links To Work, and Employment Support Coordination which is available through the Centres for Mental Health.

Employment supports include:

Individualized information and referral
In-depth assessment of employment goals and barriers
Personal employment planning
Brokerage/case management
Pre-employment/job search skills
Individualized mental health employment support and marketing plans
Job development
Job coaching

Bridging Employment Supports (BES) receives funding from Employment Ontario to provide needs identification, assessment, planning and brokerage services for all people, 16 years of age and older, who experience a disability as a barrier to employment. Barriers may also be related to system factors, for example, people who are eligible for Employment Ontario programs (such as EI and reach-back recipients) may experience disabling conditions and not yet qualify for Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) services, or establish effective links to ODSP Employment Support. This service approach ensures that people have support throughout the process and receive information to make informed choices.

Criteria to access service through BES includes:

Anticipated completion of employment support services within a 52 week time frame
Recent work experience and/or extensive volunteer work (e.g. during last 1-3 years)
Positive and possible employment goal can be identified
Skills and education are present for desired occupation (i.e. able to start immediately), or are willing to acquire skills through a Skills Development application
Typically, participants are not current long-term recipients of disability pensions from Provincial or Federal governments (ODSP, CPP-D), and do not have an active WSIB claim
Other areas of life may interfere with ability to focus on employment (i.e. all other support areas) are addressed and other essential resources ( e.g. housing, health supports) are established.

Links to Work (LTW), funded by Employment Ontario, is a comprehensive job development service that assists individuals 16 years of age and older who identify that mental health issues are their main barrier to finding and keeping employment.

Criteria to access service through LTW includes:

a completed "Return to Work Action Plan" through an Employment Assessment Centre which outlines that the person has a clear employment goal and the skills required for the job
other areas of life that might interfere with focus on employment (i.e. all other support areas) are addressed and that other essential resources (e.g. housing, health supports) are established, and
the individual is not eligible for services from other providers (e.g. Ontario Disability Support Program-Employment Supports)

Upon completion of the Return to Work Action Plan, individuals who identify Links to Work as the service of choice meet with the Program Coordinator and a Job Developer to create an Individualized Service Plan.

LTW provides a range of supports to assist the individual to achieve success with respect to their employment goals. The Program Coordinator assists in the development of a " Service Plan and a Mental Health Employment Support Plan" through an exploration of individuals' strengths and challenges related to past and current work-life wellness. This plan identifies the supports, accommodations and strategies that will help each person in maintaining wellness as he/she prepares for, obtain and begin a new job.

Job Preparation Support includes a range of service supports such as internet job search training, interview skills practice, work-life balance and resume development skills. Once individuals have completed their identified pre-employment skills, a Job Developer meets with them to develop a personalized Job Development Plan which includes identification of job search strategies, assistance to apply for wage subsidy programs if appropriate, direct employer contact, attendance at interviews, and interview follow-up support. Job Coaching support is available once individuals secure employment to help them achieve a successful transition to their new job and workplace. Support may be regular (e.g. twice per week), occasional, or on an as needed basis for up to three months in order to help people maintain employment.

Employment Support Coordination is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care provides supports to people with significant mental health issues who are active in Long-Term Support Coordination through the Canadian Mental health Association (CMHA) Grand River Branch (Centres for Mental Health). This service supports people to acquire and maintain competitive employment under expectations that meet the requirements of the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Support Coordination services of CMHA.

Support Coordinators assist individuals to complete a Recovery Plan and an employment action plan in addition to providing strategic assistance in employability skills and job preparation. Support from the Job Developer involves assistance to create a job development plan to secure employment opportunities and support during the interview process. In addition, the Job Developer will provide initial practical support on-site as required to ensure successful transition to the workplace.

Criteria for acceptance into Employment Support Coordination include:

Individuals with significant mental health issues who are active in Long Term Support Coordination with CMHA.
Completion of Recovery Planning,
Identification of employment goals and barriers,
Development of a plan to address barriers,
Completion of volunteer placement, and
Other areas of life may interfere with focus on employment, however, sufficient steps have been completed to address issues (e.g. crisis plan completed)