Employment Services assist adults with developmental disabilities who require the provision of on-going support both on and off the job. Employment Services include transactional services, which is designed to assess the abilities of junior and senior year high school students with limited or no work experience.

Summer Work Experience: Each summer our Employment Services Program offers Work Experience for the students with disabilities who are entering his/her senior year of high school. The program runs for 6 weeks, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 12 noon. One day each week is dedicated to a classroom setting where the student will participate in learning activities related to the “soft” skills needed for successful employment, such as job orientation, interview skills, communication and socialization skills, just to name a few. The other 4 days of the week are spent at a local business where the student is offered a “hands on” experience of trying out a job. A job coach is on site the whole time the student is working, to provide guidance and assist with communication between the student and the employer/co-workers. The student is paid minimum wage, which offers the student the satisfaction of earning a paycheck. The Summer Work Experience Program is funded by The Missouri Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. For more information contact Darla Gamble, Associate Director of Community & Employment Services by phone at (636) 462-7695 ext. 150 or email darla@commopps.org.

We will listen to your needs and help you get employed in the community. We also connect you with community-based work assessments, help you develop skills, and provide on-the-job training.

There will be certified employment training specialists to ensure effective communication between employer and you. The employee is encouraged to join committees and participate in work-related activities, in order to become more included in the workplace. Our goal is to give you the opportunity to work and help you become a more self-sufficient tax-paying citizen.

There are some fees for helping to find you a job. Most fees are paid by the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). In some cases, Community Opportunities will pay part of the fees. A list of fees and who will pay for them will be given to you.

  1. Contact Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), and let them know you would like Community Opportunities to help you find a job. You can reach VR at 573-248-2410.
  2. We will meet with you and talk about work you have done, if any, and what you would like to do.
  3. We will decide if we are able to help you find a job. If we cannot help you, we will send you to another agency.
  4. If we can help you, we will set up times for you to meet with a job consultant and talk about jobs that are open. Your job consultant will go over the jobs you would like to have and help you fill out applications. While you are working with your job consultant, you will join the job club meetings once a month.
  5. After you get a job, your job consultant will go to work with you to help you learn your job, know your boss and your co-workers. When you are able to do the job by yourself, your job consultant will no longer be there with you.
  6. Your job consultant will check on you once in a while to see if you are still happy at your job.
  • You must be on time for all meetings and for your job.
  • You should be dressed nice and correctly for the type of work you will be doing.
  • You should do as much for yourself as you can.
  • Once you have a job, you must follow all the rules there.
  • Liquor and drugs are not allowed in the office or while you are at work. You can smoke cigarettes in the smoking areas during your breaks.
  • While you are looking for a job, you must come to the job club meetings at Community Opportunities, one time a month.

If you have any questions, you can contact Darla Gamble, Associate Director of Employment Services at (636) 462-7695 ext. 150 or email darla@commopps.org.