Supported Employment

MillarRich Supported Employment is committed to providing employment opportunities for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. We believe that individuals are not defined by their disabilities, but by their strengths. As an agency, our focus is to present each individual the opportunity to grow through employment while providing qualified applicants to local businesses. We aim to create meaningful and long lasting employment opportunities by offering assistance to our clients through a three-step process, outlined below. This process is in place to ensure that our clients are prepared for employment and supported on the job site.

Pre-Employment Phase
The first step in our employment process includes the following:

Initial meetings to establish a rapport and relationship and to begin making an individualized plan of service
Addressing any barriers that could hinder employment potential
Completing Work-Readiness Training designed to fulfill an individual’s employment goals
Identifying and coordinating person-centered employment experiences through employer tours, interviews, job shadowing, and volunteering
Completing Volunteer Assessments to determine each client’s skill set, employment interests, environmental preferences, and support needs

Job Placement Phase
After establishing a relationship with our clients and identifying employment goals, we look to secure employment in an integrated, competitive setting by:

Assisting in the development of a written and/or visual resume to highlight interests and abilities, volunteer history, and/or previous employment experience
Researching job openings and reaching out to employers to identify employment needs and work cultures
Matching the skill set and employment goals of our clients to the needs of employers in the community
Assisting in the completion of applications, employment questionnaires, and interview prep
Connecting our clients to employers in the community through site tours and job interviews
Closely coordinating with the our client, their COS, and employers to develop strategies to achieve long-term employment
Providing initial Job Coaching/Training to ensure an understanding of employer expectations, job satisfaction, and an appropriate acclimation of the new environment

Ongoing Support Phase
After our individuals achieve job placement, our program continues to serve them, through:

Continuous on-site training to ensure success in the workplace
Monitoring and proactive troubleshooting to achieve employer satisfaction
Continued support through all phases of employment
Ongoing collaboration with employers to assess an individual's progress
Access to MillarRich Supported Employment specialists throughout an individual’s employment
On-site training when new duties are added, promotions occur, or an individual’s work performance needs to be addressed

PerfectFit Jobs
Since 2013 Old School Farm has, in conjunction with MillarRich Supported Employment, been employing adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to work on our fully integrated Not-for-profit farm based in Nashville, TN. Over the years we have developed specific tasks that each individual can take ownership of and work to develop their skill set. As our program has developed so has our task list and we are currently looking for part-time, year-round, new recruits. We understand that not all individuals are suited exactly to the wide range of tasks of an average farmer, so we have developed PerfectFit jobs. Our PerfectFit program has broken down the tasks on the farm to smaller units and as such we are able to accommodate a wider range of skills.

Our mission is to highlight your strengths, while expanding your skills!

Additional Community Partners
Amerigroup
BlueCare TN
Vocational Rehabilitation
United Healthcare
Project SEARCH
Tennessee Community Organizations (TNCO)
The Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD)