Employment: Agencies

An inclusive community working to strengthen the individual and social needs of persons with all types of abilities. They offer assistance with leisure skills, employment skills and independent living support.

ArtWorks encourages students both to excel in school and to aspire to higher education. It is an arts-based job training and college readiness program for Northeast Ohio’s 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students.

Students are enrolled as paid apprentices to train under the guidance of master teaching artists, who mentor them in an art form while teaching them 21st century skills. The apprenticeship experience allows students to develop time management, professional communication, problem solving, and critical thinking skills, which are transferable to any workplace or college. Students also participate in workshops that focus on financial literacy, resume writing, financial aid applications, and interview skills.

All apprentices will have the opportunity to perform and/or exhibit their work for the public, and will leave the program with a portfolio that can be used when applying to college.

Sessions are offered both during the school year and over summer break.

Offers a variety of school services for children with developmental disabilities from birth to 21, including Early Intervention, Preschool, and School Age services.

Adult Services include employment assistance,community support, supported living/waiver services, investigative support, family support and transportation services.

A day habilitation program for “adults with capabilities” in both the Toledo and Cleveland areas. Adults in the program have the opportunity to volunteer within the community, along with developing social relationships and learning new skills.

They also offer an after school program and personal home maker services.

A vocational school in Lake County

Stepping Stones and United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cincinnati (UCP) combined services and facilities to become a single agency. Stepping Stones serves children, teens and adults ages 5 to 22 with an array of developmental disabilities including autism.

Stepping Stones works with schools to provide an alternative education for elementary, middle school and high school students on the autism spectrum who are not succeeding in a traditional school setting.

The program is designed to enable students to increase communication, social skills, functional academics, and functional living skills while developing acceptable behaviors so they may participate more fully in family interaction and community. The goal of the program is to provide each student with the tools to transition back to their community school district.

Three additional locations in Southwestern Ohio.
More than 85% of participants qualify for government or other financial assistance. Also, there are a limited number of scholarships available. They also accept Waiver funding, 3rd party funding and personal funding.

Autism2Work provides workforce training and employment opportunities for adults who have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum. The program primarily supports semi-skilled to high functioning individuals who are eager to enter a work environment that values their contributions and supports their needs.

They can help to remove the barriers a “Traditional Interview” can present and provide a ‘get to know’ experience emphasizing ability and skill. They also provide awareness training to other employers where individuals will be employed.

Also known as Betty’s Farm, they offer:

Friday Night Fun & Social Living Club
These group sessions include hands-on activities for families and individuals to learn and develop social skills. Funding for is private pay or Medicaid waiver.

The Day Program serves individuals ages 18 and older who benefit from the structure and support offered in a habilitation and prevocational training model. The program offers many opportunities for developing social and vocational skills through community-based volunteering, creative arts, fiber arts, woodworking, horticulture, social skill development and janitorial job training activities.

Summer Enrichment Program
This up to 6 week program is individualized to meet the needs of Extended School Year funding while also providing the recreational experience of a traditional summer camp.

Adult Day Habilitation Program for Adults coordinates volunteer opportunities in the community for adults with autism spectrum disorders.

Day Programming
Arrays of services are offered for adults to meet the individual needs of each person including habilitation and pre-vocational activities. Services are offered Monday through Friday.

Alternative school program for ages 12 – 22, Summer Enrichment (Extended School Year plus summer camp activities), adult day program, and community living services. Applicants must be a resident of the state of Ohio and must have an autism diagnosis.

Waivers accepted.

Residential services, adult day programs, independent living services, affordable housing, and respite for adults over age 18 with autism. Applicants must be a resident of the state of Ohio.

They offer a Social Living Club with weekly activities that includes non-residents.

The Summer Enrichment Program has been serving adolescents with autism for 18 years on the 80-acre Bittersweet Farms campus in Whitehouse, Ohio. Participation in the program is also offered through our Pemberville and Lima locations.

Waivers accepted.

Bridges to Transition is a partnership between OOD and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities/local county boards of developmental disabilities. This specialized partnership provides transition-age youth who are eligible for county board of DD services with an assigned Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) and a Transition Specialist (TS).

See the website for a list of participating counties in Ohio.

Provides advocacy, mediation and legal assistance for people in Ohio who are working with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities’ Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR) or Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI) in pursuit of an employment goal.

Serves individuals with developmental and other disabilities from age 10 through adult with day residential and day habilitation services with the main goal of self-empowering individuals.

Headquartered in Newark, Ohio, CSS currently operates in 17 counties throughout the state: Allen, Clark, Champaign, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Geauga, Lake, Licking, Madison, Mahoning, Medina, Montgomery, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas and Wayne Counties.

They operate two adult day programs – the James Street Center in Newark and the HOPE Center in Tuscarawas County.

NEW PROGRAM: Community Stepping Stones Adult Day Services

Vocational and work training for high school aged students with disabilities in Eastern Cuyahoga County

Offerings include:
Therapy services, including speech/language therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and early intervention; child care for children 6 wks to 6 yrs; adult day programs; In-home respite care; and a Skills Development Center specifically for teens with autism to help them transition to adulthood.

Read this document for more information about Easter Seals’ services.

For nearly 50 years, Echoing Hills has supported thousands of families, friends, and neighbors through our outreach to people with disabilities.

Their programs align with their values: the right to choose, the dignity of each person, personal fulfillment in God’s plan and a relationship with Jesus Christ. They provide choice recreational, residential, vocational, travel and educational services throughout the State of Ohio and internationally.

They accept waivers, including the I/O, Level 1 and Ohio Home Care. Other options include County Board of Developmental Disabilities matching funds and private pay.

Food for Good Thought provides employment and transition services for individuals with autism. They have a college-based transition program, a gluten free bakery that employs people with autism, a massive summer program that services individuals with autism in high school and their employment services provides job-seeking help to those looking for employment in the community.

The majority of clients are ages 16-30 but they do serve clients that are upwards to 55-60 years old who are looking for employment in the community.

They take waivers provided to families by county funding, the Autism Scholarship and funding from the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities.

A public high school for students who thrive in a non-traditional high school setting. Fieldstone Farm and Geauga Educational Service Center (Geauga ESC) have combined a learning opportunity with hands-on experiential learning opportunities with horses and the farm environment.

The school also offers a Transitional Job Training program.

Offerings include:
Speech and hearing therapy services, offered on a sliding-fee scale; employment skills training; vocational evaluations; transitional work services; and job coaching services.

Additional offices located in Cleveland, Carrollton, New Philadelphia and Wintersville.

Hattie Larlham is a nonprofit organization that provides medical, residential, recreational and work training services to 1,800 children and adults with developmental disabilities. The organization provides services to children and young adults at the Hattie Larlham Center for Children with Disabilities in Mantua, Ohio, and to adults at community-based homes throughout Ohio.

A team of medical professionals, including doctors, nurses and therapists tend to the complex health requirements of Hattie Larlham residents, whether they live at the Hattie Larlham Center for Children with Disabilities or in community-based homes throughout Northeast Ohio.

Other programs include:

The Hattie Larlham Toys and Technology Library is a free community library of toys and communication, mobility and learning devices adapted to meet the physical needs of children and young adults with developmental disabilities.

Foster care program for people with disabilities.

Summer camps through The Play Center at Hattie Larlham.

Adult Day Support Program
A full day program serving adults with disabilities with many activities in-house and field trips into the community. They offer two locations:
Euclid Location
22741 Shore Center Drive
Euclid, Ohio 44132
Contact:
Catherine Rush
216-432-48140 x 333
rushc@helpfoundationinc.org

Northfield Location
10333 Northfield Road
Northfield, Ohio 44067
Contact:
Catherine Rush
216-432-48140 x 333
rushc@helpfoundationinc.org

Vocational Habilitation
HELP U Shred, HELP U Crew, and HELP U Scan offer on the job training. Vocational opportunities are paid a competitive wage and help individuals prepare for independent community employment. The program is offered in Northfield and Euclid.
www.helpfoundationinc.org

Residential Services
HELP is home to 140 consumers at 26 sites across Cuyahoga, Lake and Summit Counties. The facilities range from group homes to semi-independent living depending on the needs of the individual. Work with HELP and your county board service and support administrator to get more information.
Summer Program
A continuing education program serves children with intense medical and behavioral needs throughout the summer months to reinforce skills learned during the academic year.

A treatment and training center specializing in assisting individuals with autism and their families. They offer the comprehensive assessment, treatment and education of children with autism spectrum disorder using “The S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Approach”.

Services include direct care, parent/professional training, consulting, mentorship and support.

JFS can help adults in need by coordinating services, managing finances, providing direction, reassurance, and actively monitoring progress. When necessary, JFS can assume further responsibility through conservatorship guardianship, Power of Attorney, and as trustee.

JFS has a job bank where social workers can identify interests and assist in job-seeking efforts, as well as an emergency financial assistance program.

JFSA is guided by traditional Jewish values of communal responsibility and social justice. They offer several programs to assist teens and adults with disabilities with residential services, employment services, community inclusion, and family advocacy.

The Horvitz YouthAbility program offers volunteering and job training opportunities for disabled and at-risk youth and young adults.

Vocational Rehabilitation Services help people prepare for employment based on their skills and interests.
Adult Day Program offers group and individual day respite activities.

Koinonia offers residential services, day programs, and employment services for adults with disabilities in Northeast Ohio.

They offer 21 licensed group homes, over 50 supported living arrangements, transportation services, and shared living options all provided in safe and healthy settings. Koinonia provides services in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, and Summit Counties.

Koinonia Enterprises offers individuals career services that include a comprehensive curriculum that focuses on the individual’s path to employment from self-discovery of skills and talents to career exploration to future career advancements.

Koinonia is supported through Medicaid, funding from the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, private pay and donations.

Liberty provides individuals with the opportunity to spend frequent time in the community, have a wide range of socialization activities, various exercise options, enhance their life and educational skills, as well as have choices in their daily activities and the option to earn a paycheck.

Additional West Side facility:
5125 W 140th, Brook Park, Ohio 44142
(216) 716-8201

Lifeworks is a nonprofit organization committed to ensuring that adults with autism have more independent and enriched lives by providing opportunities to learn, engage socially, and participate in meaningful work.

Originally developed by Bellefaire JCB, Lifeworks was launched in 2013. The agency was created to extend both the reach and scope of specialized Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) services offered by Bellefaire’s Monarch Center for Autism, beyond what had previously been reserved for school-aged youths, to an adult population. Rooted in the Monarch Model, Lifeworks’ services embody the same philosophy and standards found in the other Monarch settings.

A dynamic interdisciplinary team comprised of behaviorists, educators, counselors, social workers, psychiatrists, nurses and college-degreed direct care professionals collaborate to provide specialized support and training for adults with ASD. Lifeworks affects positive change in adults with autism at home, at work and in the community.

This program offers vocational training, behavioral programming, adaptive daily living skills and community inclusion for adults. There will also be recreation and leisure opportunities, as well as available related therapy services.

Kidslink has services for a multitude of neurological and psychological diagnoses, including treatment services and intervention with an emphasis on prevention, behavior management and positive behavioral supports.

Kidslink is a Medicaid Waiver Provider.

Provides information, education, training, employment, and independent-living services to adults ages 18+ with disabilities. Also offers community-based evening and weekend activities.

A self-pay option has been developed for benefits services, including applications for Social Security and Medicaid, as well as Benefits Analysis, a process whereby individuals can understand the impact of employment on their eligibility for public benefits.

Services are available in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medina counties.

This program operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. and will provide a therapeutic learning environment that helps each participant develop skills, achieve personal goals & grow socially.

The goal of this program is to attract talent and build an inclusive approach to support individuals on the autism spectrum that will contribute to the way Microsoft works as a company in building and servicing their products.

The Hiring Program is a multiple-day hands on academy that focuses on workability, team projects and skills assessment. The event gives candidates an opportunity to showcase their unique talents and meet hiring managers and teams while learning about Microsoft as an employer of choice.

My Choice offers career and community exploration, assessments, career planning and individual employment supports for adults with disabilities. They serve individuals throughout the Cleveland area.

They accept I/O and Level 1 Waivers, and they can also accept private pay, if it is needed.

New Avenues’ programs are currently serving over 700 individuals, ages 3-100 years in Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, and Summit counties. The individuals served include those with disabilities and chronic health conditions such as developmental disabilities, mental illness, autism, cerebral palsy, brain injury, and Down syndrome.

Services offered include Residential Services, Supported Living/Community Services, Vocational Services, Day Services, Senior Services and Children’s Programs (summer camp and recreational program).

They have a satellite office in Ashtabula:
2125 West Prospect Road, Ashtabula, Ohio 44004
(440) 964-2264

Our Lady of the Wayside’s Pathways Program offers day services for adults with developmental disabilities with a focus on community integration for participants through a variety of activities and programs. It provides more dedicated supervision and assistant than traditional day program or workshop settings.

With a goal of enhancing daily living skills, developing social connections and cultivating self-confidence and individual interests, The Wayside’s Pathways Day Program is ideal for individuals who enjoy interaction with peers and the community at large.

The program is available in four (4) locations – Westlake, Valley View, Garfield Heights and Mentor.

In addition, Our Lady of the Wayside’s Pathways Program also offers a full menu of on-site learning opportunities in the areas of health and fitness, personal care, music participation, and “Math at the Path” classes – what some fondly call “Wayside University”.

PLAN is a membership organization for individuals with mental illness, cognitive disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Social activities are offered, in addition to vocational opportunities, life planning support and family advocacy with access to social workers.

REM Ohio offers an array of services and support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, job seekers facing employment challenges, and individuals with other complex needs. They are also involved with adult foster care/OSL. REM works with individuals age 18 and up.

They offer Job Development (skills training, resume assistance) and Job Coaching.

There are several REM Ohio offices, visit their website for the office closest to you.

Provides respite services to individuals of all ages who have cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities.

Services offer intense supports which teach young people strategies for independent living as well as social and academic skills within residential treatment facilities, group homes and foster care settings, vocational skills training and day programs, or anywhere that support is needed.

They provide life-changing programs to help young people succeed in school, obtain meaningful and gainful employment and become productive members of their community. ResCare also can assist in finding children safe, secure environments through foster care programs.

Visit their website to find Ohio locations.

Offers residential, day program and community services for individuals on the autism spectrum. It provides a variety of living, working, learning and leisure activities in a farm environment, including therapeutic equestrian program and social events.

For individuals, ages 18 years old and up.

Mailing address:
Safe Haven Farms
P.O. Box 633
Monroe, OH 45050

Support services for adults with disabilities, including:
Day Services, Employment Support, Supervised Living Services, Fiscal Services, Community Support

Additional offices are available :
Corporate Headquarters:
2912 Whipple Ave, N.W.
Canton, OH 44708
330-478-0263

Satellite Office:
Mahoning County
136 Westchester Drive, Suite One
Austintown, OH 44515
330-799-8932

SHC provides services to individuals with disabilities and their families. They are an advocate for human rights, in addition to many programs for children, adults and families.

Services include:
Camp Paradise — traditional day and residential summer camps for adults with developmental disabilities
Residential Services
The Link Day Program (social opportunities and job training for adults)
Special Olympics
In-Home Support
Ombudsman
Resource Center
Transportation Services

The Autism Model School utilizes the science of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as a foundation for developing language/communication skills, adaptive behavior, social/leisure skills, fine and gross motor development, activities of daily living and independent living, learner readiness skills, traditional academics, and community participation/job-readiness.

They offer a transition program for students ages 14 and up, to help prepare them for transitioning to adulthood.

The school is open to students ages 5 through age 21, and must be a legal resident of the state of Ohio.

The program contracts with local school districts to provide academic instruction to students with a developmental disability and challenging behaviors. Their four classrooms are staffed by teachers, assistants and aides who are trained in behavioral support as well as each student’s Individualized Education Program.

The program is available for students with a developmental disability who have an IEP and are experiencing behavioral problems that require a higher level of intervention than their home school district can provide.

Two Foundation, based in northeast Ohio, is a new organization that provides job training, coaching and then placement into fully integrated settings for individuals with exceptionalities. They have also opened a Two Cafe and Boutique in Chagrin Falls.

Please see their brochure for more information about the Two Foundation, services and contact information:
Link to inside pages
Link to outside pages

A wide range of services are available for adults and children with disabilities.

Additional locations in Westlake and Highland Hills.

Programs include: Work Evaluation, Work Adjustment, Skills Training, Placement, Work and Life Skills.

This office also houses the Work Training Center.

Location offers the following programs: Work Evaluation, Work Adjustment, Skills Training, Placement, Work and Life Skills

Services include Work Adjustment, Skills Training and Job Placement.

Services include Work Evaluation, Work Adjustment, Skills Training and Job Placement.

Career counseling and services for successful employment. Services include:

Outplacement Services
Professional Seminars
Vocational Counseling
Career Development and College Exploration
Resume Development
Interview Skills Training

Wood Lane Adult Services provides access to meaningful employment, therapeutic programs, and activities to support the achievement of personal goals and promote healthy lifestyles. It is recognized on a national basis by CARF, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, for providing quality services to individuals served.