16 Apr The Whole Person (TWP) Receives $15,000 Grant from the State Street Foundation

The Whole Person (TWP) recently received a grant for $15,000 from the State Street Foundation to support the delivery of Employment Services Program.

TWP provides ongoing Supported Employment services to clients for additional assistance both on and off the work-site. Supports from job coaches may include addressing work performance, social interactions that negatively impact employment success, conflict resolution with coworkers/supervisors, maintenance of job skills, and motivation retention to ensure continued engagement with the program. Long-term vocational support is an individualized service, provided as often and as long as the person needs it for the purpose of maintaining a job. Job intervention may be needed as well as support for developing skills for promotion and career development that lead to personal growth and financial stability.  TWP staff guide individuals through all aspects of job placement from employment readiness to post-placement support. Employment readiness services include assistance with resumes, mock interviewing, job searches, and employment skills workshops. Staff identify barriers to client success and accommodative strategies to overcome the barriers, and they match the participants’ vocational interests and learning styles to employers in the community. Post-placement support may include helping employers and participants meet accommodation and adaptive technology needs.

TWP’s Employment Services Department assists and supports people with disabilities so they may obtain and retain the job of their choice. The program works closely with the job seeker, his/her identified support network, and interested stakeholders to develop a plan to meet the individual’s goals and needs. The department takes a proactive, problem-solving approach that focuses on the abilities and interests of individuals, not their limitations.  The Employment Services Department offers two programs primarily serving adults-Employment Services and Supported Services (for people with more significant disabilities)-to assist Kansas City’s disadvantaged population of unemployed individuals with disabilities to build basic job-readiness skills in order to increase their employment experience through successful job placements and long-term job retention. The range of provided services includes resume writing assistance, mock interviewing, job searches and employment skills workshops.

The Whole Person (TWP) provides a full range of community-based services for people with disabilities. Headquartered in a historic building on Kansas City’s Main Street corridor – recently renovated to reflect the best that Universal Design offers – TWP’s goal is to promote empowerment, independence, self-reliance, and integration into the community for people with disabilities. This goal is accomplished by offering free services to people with a wide range of disabilities, and by striving to help identify and facilitate the utilization of resources appropriate to each individual’s situation. Last year, TWP provided services to nearly 1,500 people with disabilities. In recognition of The Whole Person’s commitment to continually improving services, encouraging feedback, and serving the community, the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) as awarded TWP a three year accreditation, the maximum length.