Working in the Community

What kind of job do you have?

Do you work in the community?

Do you work in a place where everyone has disabilities?

Big changes to your job

You are going to have new choices at work if you work in a place where everyone has disabilities.

Someone will come to your work to talk to you.

They will ask you if you want to change your job.

They will ask you if you want to get a job in the community.

Your new job will pay more.

Your new job will be a job in the community.

You will work with non-disabled workers.

You will get lots of help

It can be scary to change your job.

But you will get lots of help.

Someone will tell you about different kinds of jobs you can do.

They will find out what you like to do.

They will find out what you are good at.

They will help you find the right job for you.

At your new job

You might need help at first.

You might need help learning how to do new things.

You might need help talking to your boss.

You might need someone to come with you to work.

You might need someone to drive you to work.

You will get this help with your new job.

Community jobs are good

Why will you be asked if you want a new job?

You have the right to work in the community.

Your new job will give you new opportunities.

You will get paid more.

You can work where everyone else works.

You will be included in your community.

Questions

What changes are going to happen at my job?

DHHS is planning to give everyone at your work a choice of going to work in the community.

Your workplace might be called an adult developmental vocation program ADVP. Only people with disabilities work at this job.

Why would I want to change my job?

Because your new job will give you things you don’t get right now. You will get paid more and have more money to spend on the things you like to do. You will not have to work in a separate place just because you have a disability. You can work where everyone else works. You will be included in your community

What if I don’t know how to do other jobs?

You might not know what you are good at. You might be worried that you will not be able to do a job in the community. You are going to get lots of help.

First, someone will help you learn about different jobs you are good at. Then they will help you make a plan to get a job. And then they will help you hold on to your job.

What if I need help doing my new job?

You will get all the help you need at your new job. You might need help learning how to do new things. You might need help talking to your boss. You might need someone to come with you to work to help you do your job. This help will be part of your services. It is called supported employment.

How long do I have to change my job?

No one expects you will want to change your job right away. We believe you will know if you want to change your job by July 2026.

I sort of like my job. Why is it better to work in the community?

Good things about working in the community:

You will earn at least 7.25 an hour. This is probably more than you earn now.
You may get a raise for doing a good job.
You will work with everyone else in the community.
In some jobs you can get paid even when you don’t work. This is called paid time off.
You can get paid time off when you are sick. You can get paid time off when you go on vacation.

I have more questions. Who can I talk to?

Talk to your parents or guardian. Or you can call DRNC at 919-856-2195. Select option 3 to get help with your questions.

Learn more about changes to segregated employment services.