employment services

empowering people to live their best lives

What is Supported Employment?

Supported Employment is a program that provides ongoing support services to adults who experience disabilities to help find competitive community employment.

Empowering people to find meaningful jobs. It’s that simple.

Working with Our Team

MV Advancements’ Employment Consultants match individuals’ skills to jobs and provide ongoing support to the employer and the employee for successful and fulfilling long-term careers.

The advantages of bringing an MVA supported employee onto a workforce are many. Statistically, they stay at their jobs longer and have better-than-average attendance. Their safety-on-the-job records are high, and their training costs are low.

I was interested in partnering with MV Advancements because I think everyone deserves a chance. No matter what the circumstances are I think we all should get a shot at finding something we love to do.

MVA white heart logoCindy Lorenzen, Sage Restaurant, McMinnville, OR

What it Means to be a Partnered Employer

When you hire an employee supported by MV Advancements, that makes your business a Partnered Employer. That means that you get access to all the resources MV Advancements has at our disposal, and that our large supporter base will know that by supporting your business, they will also be supporting MV Advancements. Our Employment Consultants work with our Partnered Employers and the people we support to create the best job matches possible. Please visit the list of employers to see who’s taken advantage of this valuable opportunity.

steps toward employment

If you experience a developmental disability and are looking for supported employment or you are a business looking for your next employee, MV Advancements can help. We do this by matching job seekers with a local business looking for hard-working, capable employees. We use a process of matching skills, abilities, and interests to the job. We also provide training and ongoing support that benefit both the employee and employer. For details on currently available services visit ODDS.

This is the process by which we learn about skills and interests our job seekers may have. Knowledge of these facts can guide us in helping them find successful employment.

During discovery, we may ask:

  • What do you do at home?
  • Do you have a job right now?
  • Do you volunteer?
  • What is your favorite activity or place?
  • What does your day look like?
  • What skills and interests do you have?
  • What do you dislike about your regular day?

After case management refers someone to complete a discovery profile, an Employment Consultant will spend time with the job seeker. This discovery process could take several months.

We support many job-seekers who are motivated to work but aren’t quite sure what kind of job they would enjoy and be well-suited to. Through Employment Path, these people can sample a variety of vocational settings while building essential skills in preparation for the world of work. This may include business touring and job shadowing, volunteering, exploratory work experiences and vocational training, community-based classes, or assessment for creative solutions in Assistive Technology. Referrals for this service are sent by Case Management.

Small-Group Employment is a skill-building option for individuals on their path toward employment. This service is time-limited.

This service assists job seekers to find employment in their community. An employment consultant assists job seekers with meeting and interviewing with local businesses that fit their employment strengths, interests, and employment goals. The employment consultant will contact businesses on the behalf of job seekers and keep them informed of the progress. Vocational Rehabilitation is the agency that refers individuals to MV Advancements for job developing.

Job coaching is a service job seekers use after they have been hired. MV Advancements wants and empowers new hires to succeed in their jobs. An employment consultant ensures clients have the tools and support necessary to learn job duties, facilitate reasonable accommodation if necessary, and provide employment counseling outside the workplace. This service is funded by Vocational Rehabilitation for 90 days after workers are hired.

Long-term or on-going supports help workers maintain their jobs. An employment consultant will visit the job sites, meet supervisors, and work with natural supports. MV Advancements also assist with retraining or training on new tasks. We want people to be successful in their new careers, and we maintain contact with employees and employers on a regular basis.

employee and employer support

Employee Support Services

  • Hard and soft skill training
  • On-the-job coaching and evaluation
  • Discovery assessments
  • Job development
  • Assistive technology assessments
  • Employment matching
  • Long-term on-the-job supports

Employer Support Services

  • One-on-one skills training
  • Job analyses
  • Adaptive equipment
  • On-the-job training
  • Onboarding support
  • Work-site analysis

Project SEARCH

MV Advancements is partnering with Friendsview Senior Living Community to bring Project SEARCH, the nationally acclaimed nine-month internship program, to Yamhill County.

Project SEARCH provides employability training for individuals who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities by fully immersing them within a host business. Interns will learn job skills while working in various departments within Friendsview and in classroom-like settings from a skills trainer.

To inquire about available placements for Project SEARCH, please email Kelli Kobs at [email protected].

Is Project SEARCH a good fit for you?

  • Do you have the desire to seek competitive employment, with assistance throughout the
  • entirety of the internship and after the Project SEARCH program?
  • Are you at least 22 years of age at the time of application?
  • Do you meet the eligibility requirements for Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation Services?
  • Do you meet eligibility requirements for the State of Oregon Developmental Disabilities
  • Services or Brokerage services?
  • Can you provide documentation for legal right to work in the U.S.?
  • Are you willing to participate in the program 6 hours per day, 5 days per week?

How to Apply for Project SEARCH

  • Complete the application and submit it by the deadline.
  • Interview with the Project SEARCH committee.
  • Complete host business required drug, background, and health screening.