Employment Initiative

Meaningful employment is a big part of inclusion. People with developmental disabilities need to work at jobs they enjoy, be paid real wages and feel valued as employees. Community workplaces should reflect the makeup of the people who live in the community and inclusive employment means that every person with a disability who wants employment is employed. CLBC and community employment agencies are committed to working with the business sector to foster and promote inclusive employment.

Supported Employment Program Review

CLBC commissioned a review of its supported work programs in the fall of 2007. The review was conducted on a representative group of 15 agencies. The review sought to determine how supported work programs are meeting the original objectives of the program, whether those objectives are still reasonable and what impact programs have had on individual outcomes.

Click below to review the review:
CLBC Supported Employment Program Review (336KB pdf)

CLBC Employment Initiative

CLBC has hired Barb Penner to co-ordinate an employment strategy in British Columbia that will increase the employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. The strategy will address the recommendation of the CLBC Supported Employment Program Review by:

  • Developing policy, standards and a accountability framework that supports an increase in employment for people with developmental disabilities.
  • Promoting employment with CLBC staff, families, self advocates, school system and service providers and community partners
  • Developing and implementing a communication/awareness campaign at several levels that promotes employment for people that CLBC serves with developmental disabilities.
  • Working in partnership with the Ministry of Housing and Social Development on the Customized Employment project and ensuring the learning’s from the project are disseminated across the province.

Social and Economic Outcomes: Are Supported Employment Services for Individuals With Developmental Disabilities a Good Investment?

This review was prepared by the Center for Inclusion and Citizenship based at the School of Social Work and Family Studies, University of British Columbia. This document is part of a larger project exploring the social and economic outcomes of supported employment for adults with intellectual disabilities.

Please click here to download this document (513KB pdf)

Defining a Path to Inclusive Employment: A Discussion Paper about Employment for People with Developmental Disabilities

In 2008, CLBC established the employment initiative to develop a strategy aimed at increasing employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. This discussion paper is part of that strategy, and is CLBC’s invitation to you to provide your input to help develop policy and standards that promote a shift to “employment first thinking” within the existing continuum of services, and increase employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. The paper outlines the challenges that need to be overcome, what currently is available for employment services, new ideas being implemented, and what needs to change.

Click on the link below to read the full Discussion Paper:
Defining a Path to Inclusive Employment (811KB pdf)

Re-Inventing Day Supports

This is a compilation of information, ideas, and recommendations from a provincial forum held in Vancouver on March 27 and 28, 2009. The forum brought together 24 multi service agencies, CLBC staff, families and individuals to explore ” re-inventing day supports” The report has both short term and long term recommendtions for agencies, policy makers and funders.

Re-Inventing Day Supports (2.4MB pdf)

Customized Employment Demonstration Project

The Customized Employment Demonstration Project is a joint and collaborative project between Community Living BC (CLBC) and the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).

It will provide customized employment services to British Columbians with a developmental disability.

The goal is to enable each individual to achieve employment that is best suited to them.

MHSD and CLBC are committed to the government of British Columbia’s third Great Goal, which is to build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, those with special needs, children at risk, and seniors.

MHSD leads a disability strategy that will provide for a comprehensive and integrated system of supports and services for persons with disabilities.

Through the development work and consultations with stakeholders on MHSD’s Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities, it was recognized that some individuals with a developmental disability need a slightly different approach to achieve their employment goals.

CLBC is committed to assisting adults with a developmental disability to find and keep employment that is uniquely tailored to their individual needs.

To meet their mutual objectives, CLBC and MHSD are jointly funding a three-year Customized Employment Demonstration Project specifically for individuals with a developmental disability that will:

  • focus on individual employment outcomes, based on the principles of customized employment
  • ensure that any required employment/employer supports are in place and transition to natural supports
  • provide timely reporting against quality indicators
  • share knowledge amongst project participants
  • document best practices as a blue print for future services
  • support leadership development in our communities and build community capacity

For more information, please see:

Customized Employment Project – Service Provider Information (29KB pdf)
Questions and Answers on Customized Employment (117KB pdf)
Community Consultation Summary (109KB pdf)
Customized Employment News Release – July 22, 2008 (23KB pdf)

Customized Employment Annual Report – Year Two in Review

The report provides a summary of the best practices, progress made, challenges to overcome, and priorities identified in the first two years of the project, with emphasis on the activities in year two.

Customized Employment Annual Report – Year Two in Review (351KBpdf)

Learning Tour on Employment

In the spring of 2009, a unique opportunity for sharing, learning and networking occurred that allowed people from around the province to gather and share information, resources and ideas related to employment for people with disabilities. Host agencies organized one of the six day events in their own communities and featured local presenters for the morning sessions. During the afternoon portion, a team of panellists who traveled with the train, shared information from other areas and collected new information and ideas. This approach lent itself to creating events that combined local stories and practices with knowledge and networking from around the province. This report reflects the information presented and gathered by the Train as it travelled throughout BC.

Learning Tour on Employment – Final Report (1.3MB pdf)

Employment Fact Sheets

Training Resources