Employment Services
Work gives people hope, enhances their income, improves their self-esteem, and provides an overall better quality of life.
Steady employment can have a long-lasting, positive effect on people living with mental illness, addiction, a criminal background, and other issues that may otherwise keep people from living a full life in the community. Pillars Community Health offers a supported employment program called Individual Placement & Support (IPS) Employment Services. The IPS Employment Services program uses an evidence-based approach to help individuals with a severe mental illness find and maintain regular employment. All Employment Services are provided at NO COST to clients or employers.
Employment Support
Our IPS Employment Services offer the following benefits to clients:
Eligibility based on client choice
We provide employment services to all clients who are interested in employment, regardless of their history or current symptoms.
Attention to worker preferences
We pay attention to what kinds of jobs our clients want. We work with each client to help him or her find employment—and competitive wages---based on the individual client’s preferences, strengths, abilities, and experiences.
Rapid job search
When a client expresses they want to find a job, we work with the client to make contact with an employer within 30 days of entering our program. Clients are not required to complete work readiness or other vocational assessments before seeking employment in the community.
Ongoing job support
We accompany clients during their job search, advocate for new opportunities, support the clients in meetings with employers, and even help clients and their families understand their potential benefits (such as health care). Support is flexible and available for as long as the client wants it.
Coordination with Mental Health
Our staff coordinate and integrate our services with the larger Mental Health Services offered at Pillars Community Health, ensuring there is communication between our team and the client’s counselor(s).
To be eligible, clients must express a desire to gain employment, be at least 18 years old, have a diagnosed severe mental illness, and be a current client of Pillars Community Health, or working with the Illinois Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS).
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Benefits for Employers
Pillars Community Health offers a dedicated, motivated, and reliable pool of candidates. At no cost, the employer can gain access to our employment specialists who can provide ongoing support:
- Applicants are prescreened to ensure they meet your unique needs.
- Businesses can potentially earn federal tax credits for employing persons with disabilities.
- Employers can gain insight into America’s third largest market segment (people with disabilities) while adding more diversity to their staff.