Our Services - Community Employment

When all student’s graduate from high school, they are faced with the question of what do I do now? Student’s living with disabilities face the same challenges of answering that question. Janus Developmental Services, Inc. Community Employment Program smooths the transition from student to adult employment life. Job coaches assist the student with determining what field interests them. Based on the individual’s field of interest an individual employment plan is developed. Hand in hand and side by side the job coaches assist the individual with the resume’ writing, job searching and interviewing. After successful employment has been accomplished the job coaches will following the individual to help the employer with training or any other employment challenges that arise to ensure a positive and success employment experience.

Currently, Janus Developmental Services, Inc. Community Employment Program has partnered with forty one local area businesses. Our community and the individual’s served benefit from a strong and lasting employment relationship. Ninety two percent of individual’s served maintain their community jobs five years or longer. At the last annual award’s banquet, the Community Employment Program honored an individual who had been employed at their job for twenty years.

If your business would like to make a difference in the lives of individual’s living with disabilities please contact Kathie Bowman, Community Employment Manager at 1-317-773-8781 ext 122.

Megan was diagnosed with Down syndrome at birth. When she was finished with high school she and her family were faced with age old question “What do we do now?”

Megan had been involved in a school program, where she had worked 2 hours a week at a local grocery store. The position was non-paid and the employer felt Megan was not able to perform the work necessary to hire her for a paid role in the business. After school, that program and job experience did not continue. Not knowing what to do next, Megan’s family made contact with the State Vocational Rehabilitation Program. Megan was referred to Janus for Employment Services where an Employment Specialist met with Megan and helped her develop an employment plan. Megan expressed her employment desires and Janus was able to help Megan secure a position at a local restaurant. Even though Megan was shy, she started her first paid job, as a lobby hostess. Megan’s work skills increased and her self confidence blossomed. Megan was soon able to move on to other positions within the restaurant. Her current job tasks involve taking customers orders and running the cash register. Megan was able to take and pass a driving test and she obtained her driver’s license. She was also able to purchase a car and now drives herself back and forth to work everyday where she is working full time. Megan has been working at the same job for over 7 years and her employer considers Megan “a valuable asset to their team”.

Another success story...

Ryan was diagnosed with autism when he was 3 years of age. He had a normal birth delivery, weighed 7’ 11 oz., and achieved all the baby milestones at the normal times. Around 18 months, Ryan began to “tune out” and other autistic mannerisms appeared. Ryan’s speech did not continue to develop. Medical personnel told Ryan’s family that he would probably have to be institutionalized. Immediately after his diagnosis, Ryan began speech therapy twice weekly and began attending Tri County School where he also received support through therapy. Ryan progressed through the Carmel school system and attended the Life Skills programs. He was mainstreamed in regular classes through his educational life. While in high school, Ryan was recommended for community employment and began volunteering in the Carmel high school office and library. In 1998 Ryan obtained community employment at a local Old Navy store and in 2000 Ryan began to work at Omalia’s grocery store. Ryan has always worked very well in the community and has been a hard worker according to his supervisors.

In 2000, Ryan was referred to the Community Employment Program at Janus. Ryan requires no supervision to get up by an alarm clock each morning, shower, shave, get dressed and ready to go when the Hamilton County Express van comes to drive him to work. Ryan, has successfully obtained a job at Good Will and has continued to work at Good Will for over 5 years. Ryan has come a long way from that 3 year old little boy who specialists said would need to be institutionalized. He is a success story by anyone’s standards.