Community Participation Support

This service is designed to foster community inclusion while supporting individuals in developing the skills, interests, and potential needed for competitive employment. Facility-based prevocational services emphasize the development of essential worker traits, using work itself as the primary method of training. Depending on individual needs, these services may take place in licensed facilities, community hubs, or other local settings, offering flexibility in the level and type of support provided.

Work Experience for Adults

Work Experience for Adults (WEXA) provides individuals with the opportunity to gain exposure to the world of work, helping them explore preferences, build skills, and prepare for permanent community-integrated employment.

This program is especially valuable for adults who did not have access to Pre-Employment Transition Services as youth, have worked in segregated subminimum wage settings, or are not yet making satisfactory progress toward a community employment goal.

WEXA placements can last up to 12 weeks, with participants working up to 40 hours per week, and individuals are paid an hourly wage for their work, providing both meaningful experience and fair compensation.

Wood Shop

  • Prime manufactures of wooden line blocks​
  • Marketed throughout the United States and Canada​
  • Can be labeled to a customer’s requirements

Light Industrial

  • In conjunction with wooden line blocks, we manufacture a metal line twig​
  • Line twigs can be labeled to a customer’s requirements
  • We also provide a variety of packaging, assembling, labeling, gluing,and/or inspection for a number of companies in the area

Janitorial

  • Maintain a number of contracts throughout the area​
  • Services would included daily tasks as well as floor and carpet care​

Drivers License Centers

  • Contract with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation through Unique Source​
  • Provide photo license technicians for driver license centers​
  • Locations: Jeannette, Indiana, Kittanning, & New Kensington

Community Based Work Assessment (CBWA)

This service evaluates an individual’s ability to work independently in the community by placing them in actual competitive, integrated job sites. The assessment focuses on identifying the person’s preferences, abilities, and behaviors to inform future vocational planning. The length of time spent at each job site is determined collaboratively by the assessor and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation under established contracts. During this trial period, participants are not paid; instead, local companies provide a valuable community service by offering opportunities to engage in typical work-related tasks found in competitive employment.

Small Group Employment

This service helps participants transition to competitive integrated employment by providing work opportunities in community-based settings rather than facility-based environments. The goal is to support individuals in achieving meaningful, long-term employment in integrated workplaces, where participants earn at least minimum wage and receive compensation comparable to workers without disabilities performing the same type of work. An integral component of this service includes transportation to work sites, though providers are not responsible for transportation to and from a participant’s home unless specifically designated as the transportation provider in the individual’s service plan. Small Group Employment also ensures that participants receive necessary personal care supports when such needs cannot, or would be inappropriate to, be met by coworkers or natural supports.

Supportive Employment

Supportive Employment Services are delivered in a variety of community-based work sites to help individuals find and succeed in competitive jobs of their choice. Participants are employed directly by the employer and receive at least minimum wage or higher for their work. This service is designed for individuals who require additional support to perform successfully in a workplace and includes the supervision and training needed to both obtain and maintain paid employment. Supportive Employment is comprised of two key components—Job Finding and Job Support—ensuring that participants receive assistance throughout the entire employment process.

Job Finding

This service provides a range of individualized activities designed to prepare and support participants in obtaining and maintaining meaningful employment. Activities may include assistance with interviews, resume development, and job searching, as well as outreach to employers and orientation to workplace expectations.

Participants may also receive support in preparing for job tasks, developing both general job-seeking skills and customer-specific work skills, and engaging in individualized planning for employment.

Additional supports include job analysis, direct training to learn job responsibilities, and outreach to prospective employers—such as providing consultation on tax advantages and other benefits of hiring individuals with disabilities.

Job Support

Job Support services provide individualized training, follow-up, and ongoing assistance to help participants maintain successful employment. These supports are essential for individuals who require help to sustain acceptable job performance and work habits, including learning new assignments, maintaining job skills, and meeting employer expectations. Activities may involve individualized planning for employment, direct intervention with employers, personal skills instruction, assistance with relearning tasks, training in the use of transportation to and from work, and guidance in maintaining appropriate workplace and interpersonal behaviors. Job Support is provided as a one-to-one service and is limited to situations where the necessary supports cannot be reasonably provided through typical supervisory channels or on-the-job resources available to employees without disabilities. Participants receiving Job Support must be employed at minimum wage or higher, ensuring their work is both meaningful and fairly compensated.

Job Coaching

This program is designed for individuals who are ready for competitive employment but may need targeted support to secure and sustain a job. Services focus on job exploration, application and resume assistance, on-the-job training, and follow-up intervention to ensure continued success in the workplace. The goal is to provide training within a community employment setting that prepares participants to meet the demands of specific job tasks and thrive in competitive roles. Objectives include offering intensive training for individuals who have not yet been able to achieve employment at a particular job site, equipping them to meet employer expectations, collaborating with employers to highlight and support the individual’s abilities, and providing ongoing follow-up services to promote long-term success.

Pre-Employment Transition Services

Pre-Employment Transition Services are designed to support school students with disabilities in preparing for community-integrated employment. These services provide opportunities such as Paid Work Experience, Job Shadowing, and Group Shadowing, each aimed at helping students build the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed for future employment or post-secondary training.

Paid Work Experience offers students in-school or after-school opportunities in integrated community settings, tailored to their interests, skills, and abilities. Students may participate for up to 45 hours and receive an hourly wage for their work, giving them real-world exposure to workplace expectations.

Job Shadowing allows students to observe employees in occupations that align with their interests, typically lasting 1 to 5 days for an average of 25 hours per school year. Conducted in community-based integrated settings, job shadowing provides an overview of the knowledge, tasks, and abilities required in a given field. Providers supervise students on-site to ensure safety, monitor progress, and maintain communication with both employers and school districts.

Group Shadowing gives small groups of 2 to 8 students a similar experience, with a maximum of 30 hours, allowing them to collectively explore potential career paths in real-world work environments.

Job Shadowing

Job Shadowing will be provided on a one to five day experience. This service is valuable for individuals that have never worked and provides an opportunity for the individual to shadow employees and obtain an overview of the knowledge, tasks, and abilities needed to work in this field. RCW staff will arrange for and assist in job shadowing in positions where the customer has expressed interest. The Job Shadowing is performed at actual competitive, integrated job sites to assess the customer’s preferences, abilities, and behaviors for vocational planning purposes. RCW staff will provide site facilitation of the experience with the employer. This service allows RCW staff to assess first-hand whether the individual's goals are within his/her individual abilities.

Group Shadowing

Group Shadowing will be provided as a one- to five-day experience with a maximum of 30 hours. This service is designed for small groups of individuals of 2-8 students who may have limited or no prior work experience and offers the opportunity to observe employees in real-world settings. Participants will gain an overview of the skills, tasks, and abilities required to succeed in specific fields. RCW staff will coordinate and facilitate group shadowing opportunities in positions that align with the participants’ expressed interests. Group Shadowing helps evaluate participants’ preferences, abilities, and workplace behaviors for vocational planning purposes. RCW staff will provide on-site support and coordination with employers throughout the experience. This service also enables RCW staff to observe and assess how each participant’s goals align with their individual strengths and potential.