Unified Services

Unified Services offers several programs with employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

• Sheltered Workshop (Sheltered Employment)
• Day Habilitation
• Supportive Employment
  
  

Extended Employment Sheltered Workshops (EESW)

Extended Employment Sheltered Workshops (EESW) provide employment in a controlled, safe, and highly supervised work environment. The work environment is designed toward enabling individuals with disabilities to develop to their fullest potential in an employment setting.

Unified Services is an Extended Employment Sheltered Workshop that provides diverse work to accommodate the needs of each employee with a disability.

Unified Services also works closely with the community to benefit its employees and local businesses.

The majority of workshop employees have developmental disabilities. Other common disabilities include mental illness, head injury, blindness, deafness, seizure disorders, and physical disabilities. Prior to being hired in the workshop, prospective employees must provide the documentation of disability and information listed below that will be submitted to the Missouri Department of Education to be certified for employment. Employees under the age of 25 need to contact Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation prior to applying at the workshop.

Apply for Employment

To apply for employment at Unified Services sheltered workshop, you will need the following pieces of information:

• First and last name
• Date of Birth
• SSN
• Gender
• Phone number (if available)
• Address
• Most recent physical examination date
• Diagnosis date
• Guardian if the individual has one, and to what degree (financial only, health only or 100%)
• Diagnosis date
• Disability. NOTE this is NO LONGER on the VR – CEE (Competitive Employment Evaluation) letter due to possible violations of Personal information and HIPPA by VR
• Documentation of the medical, psychiatric, psychological and/or cognitive dysfunction disabling condition(s). This documentation can come from various sources such as medical professional (Physicians, Certified-Credentialed Counselors, PhD. Practitioners- Therapists, etc.), reports, letters, hospital or clinic admission or discharge documents. Public schools can provide copies of IEPs or other documents defining an applicant’s disabling condition(s).
• Other State Agencies such as MO Vocational Rehabilitation, MO Dept. of Mental Health, MO Dept. of Health and Human Services, etc. can also be good resources for medical/psych/academic test info to help make a fair determination of eligibility for the workshop applicant.
• CEE info from Vocational Rehabilitation for those not yet reached their 25th Birthday.
• The letter of VR ineligibility or non-employment. (CEE letter)
• The individuals Individual Education Plan, if available.
• Thorough disability documentation including functional limitations and why the individual cannot work competitively.
• General Employment history (do not need specific employer names/dates/type of work)
• Especially, has the individual ever worked in competitive employment?

Day Habilitation

Day Habilitation is designed to help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities develop essential life skills, improve social interaction, and become more independent. These services support participants in acquiring skills necessary for activities of daily living (ADL’s), socialization, and community participation. Day Habilitation services may also cater to seniors with intellectual and developmental disabilities who no longer wish to work by offering support with anti-Alzheimer activities and other activities to maintain current skills.

Activities foster skill acquisition, social behavior, independence, and personal choice. These activities take place in an onsite setting as well as in the community.

Currently the Day Habilitation participants are volunteering at Bethany Public Library and Harrison County Food Pantry.

Other community activities have included touring regional businesses and attractions to gain a better understanding of local culture. The group also organized and raised money to provide Children’s Mercy Oncology Unit over 100 bags for children receiving treatment.

Group sizes for Day Habilitation services do not exceed six people, and the staffing ratios are adjusted to be appropriate for the activity. For activities requiring higher levels of support, smaller groups are created. Staff provide individualized support while overseeing the group to maintain safety, guidance, and skill reinforcement.

Day Habilitation services are authorized through Missouri Department of Mental Health, Division of Developmental Disabilities.

Supported Employment

Missouri Department of Mental Health, Division of Developmental Disabilities also authorizes employment services. Unified Services offers Supported Employment to qualified employees. Supported Employment allows employees to work in a small group integrated work setting.