Project Advance Vocational Services

Programs For People, Inc. offers a repertoire of evaluative, pre-vocational, and placement services designed to teach skills needed to work in the private sector and to overcome behavioral and emotional barriers to employment. Ongoing support is integrated into all vocational services in order to promote successful rehabilitation. Vocational programs incorporate various levels of stress and expectation to accommodate clients' differing degrees of readiness for managing work.

    • Vocational assessment

    • Skills development

    • On-site simulated work experience (The Lunch Box)

    • Assistance with educational, volunteer and employment plans (Employment Directions)

    • Career-level services, including training seminars and placement (Project Advance Vocational Services)

    • Individual and group vocational counseling

    • Consultation and liaison with employers, family, and service providers

Project Advance Vocational Services program offers a wide range of opportunities to help people prepare for employment. In addition, jobs are located and developed for people we serve the program according to their own individual needs, and follow-up support is provided for up to two years, if necessary.

Project Advance is our career placement program, designed to meet the needs of adults whose work lives or careers have been interrupted or delayed by mental health concerns. It provides them with the skills and support necessary to seek and maintain employment and, above all, to locate an optimal job match. People we serve appreciate the fact that they are given the option of either disclosing or not disclosing to a prospective employer that they are receiving services for mental health challenges. Although some opt for an “undisclosed” placement due to the fear of being stigmatized, choosing a “disclosed” placement can be advantageous because, should a problem arise on the job after the employee has been hired, Project Advance staff is then in a position to be of immediate assistance to both the employer and the employee, in order to try to resolve the problem and help the employee to retain the job.

Services are reimbursed by the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission and supported by donations, and thus are available at no cost whatsoever to people we serve. Applicants must have demonstrated an interest in job placement or resumption of their careers. Experience and education range from entry-level to college graduates. Applicants must be at least 21 years old, have a diagnosis of a mental health condition, be actively receiving services from a licensed mental health clinician, and be able to benefit from vocational services.

Enrollment is subject to the approval of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission that requires applicants to first be placed on a 2-month waitlist. However, during that time, those on the waitlist are given the opportunity to attend a weekly seminar, Coaching for the Workplace, in which a wide range of work-related topics are addressed. At the end of the 2 months, following the Commission’s final authorization, applicants may utilize the full range of Project Advance services.

Project Advance services are provided in 3 components: Assessment, Skills Training, and Job Placement.

    • Identification of the client’s work preferences, values and abilities, as well as psychological and functional barriers to successful employment including transportation and other potential concerns

    • Consultation with members of client’s clinical treatment team

    • Education regarding public assistance benefits and returning to work

    • Identification of workplace accommodations, if necessary

    • Planning for provision of professional and natural supports

    • Assistance with registering with Employment & Training Resources, (a Massachusetts One-Stop Career Center) which offers a variety of job seeking seminars and computer training at no cost to the client

    • Weekly individual vocational counseling with Project Advance staff

    • Weekly Project Advance Support Group

    • Determination of realistic job choices, based upon client’s interests and current skills

    • Development of client’s resume, cover letter and “market pitch”

    • Introduction to interviewing techniques, mock interviews, informational interviews

    • Client chooses either a “disclosed” or a “undisclosed” placement

    • Weekly assistance with coordination of job search efforts

    • Assistance with online applications, if necessary

    • Weekly individual vocational counseling with Project Advance staff

    • After client has been offered and accepted a job, weekly vocational counseling for a minimum of 90 days while transitioning into the job, followed by monthly ongoing support (if desired) in order to promote job retention success

    • If client has chosen a “disclosed” placement, Project Advance staff may facilitate employer/employee relations and negotiate workplace accommodations, if necessary