EMPOWERS Employment Options, LLC

Phase-One begins with the Career Planner working directly with the consumer and their closest support people to gather information about the consumer that includes skills, hobbies, interests, potential barriers, natural supports and much more. If the consumer is already volunteering, working or participating in any community-based activities, the Career Planner would observe them in those locations to better understand what their skill sets are (both hard and soft skills).

In addition,  the Career Planner will assist consumers with completing the application for Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Maine Benefits Counseling Services.  This is to ensure that a smooth and timely transition can occur to Voc Rehab upon the completion of Maine Career Planning. The Benefits Counseling is confidential and provides the consumer with knowledge about how working might effect their benefits.

Phase Two

Once the career planner has gathered enough information, Phase-Two begins. During Phase-Two, the consumer and Career Planner will participate in a minimum of 3 community-based discovery activities that have been identified to match to the consumer’s skills and interests.

Phase Three

After phases one and two are completed, the career planner writes a career plan specifically for the individual consumer. The individual career plan content is entered into the Career Planning Toolkit Report Form which is a standard form provided by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services Department of Aging and Disability.

The individual consumer ends this service with this useful Career Plan report in hand. This includes follow up activity suggestions that the consumer can begin immediately if she, he, they wish to do so.

The consumer has the option to select to move on to Maine Vocational Rehabilitation or not to do so. If the consumer selects moving forward with their career goal, the the Career Planner will provide a warm transfer to Maine Vocational Rehabilitation by attending at least the first meeting to on-board the consumer with Maine Vocational Rehabilitation services.  The Career Planner will also assist the consumer with the application to meet with a Benefits Counselor.  In addition to that, the Career Planner will attend the review meeting to assist a consumer in fully understanding the benefit of working in the community.