Affiliations: Developmental Disabilities Services, Cobb and Douglas
Counties Community Services Boards, 3830 South Cobb Drive, Smyrna, GA 30080,
USA. E-mail: [email protected] | HPS, Helping People Succeed, Inc., P.O. Box 597,
Stuart, FL 34995, USA | VCU RRTC, P. O. Box 842011, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.
Tel.: +1 804 828 6989; E-mail: [email protected]
Note: [] Corresponding author.
Abstract: Nationally, participation in sheltered/segregated programs continues
to exceed participation in community-integrated employment for many individuals
with significant disabilities. However, a number of community rehabilitation
programs have evolved from providing services and supports that maintain
individuals in segregated settings to a primary, at times singular focus on
providing supports to individuals in community-integrated, inclusive employment
settings. This paper briefly reviews the factors influencing this evolutionary
process for community rehabilitation programs. It provides detailed examples of
the organizational change process with two specific community rehabilitation
programs, the Cobb and Douglas Counties Community Services Boards in Georgia
and HPS, Helping People Succeed, Inc. in Florida. The core mission of both
programs is to support consumer directed employment outcomes. The
organizational change descriptions are accompanied by stories about individuals
who are now working in inclusive employment opportunities after receiving
supports through these programs.
