Employment First is a Statewide initiative dedicated to ensuring that individuals with disabilities, their families, their support teams, and service providers have the resources and information they need to be successful.

Supporting individuals to achieve competitive integrated employment is a cornerstone of Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) policies, principles and practices. Act 36 of 2018, the Employment First Act, states that competitive integrated employment is “the first consideration and preferred outcome” for “working-age Pennsylvanians with a disability.” Competitive integrated employment refers to full or part-time work at minimum wage or higher, with wages and benefits like workers without disabilities performing the same work, and fully integrated with coworkers without disabilities.

Below services available to Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through the Lackawanna-Susquehanna BH/ID/IE Program.

Small Group Employment

Small Group Employment services are direct services consist of supporting individuals in transitioning to competitive integrated employment through work that occurs in a location such as an integrated industry, business, or community setting. The goal of Small Group Employment services is acquisition of knowledge, skills and experiences that lead to competitive integrated employment, including self-employment. Work that individuals perform during the provision of Small Group Employment services must be paid at least minimum wage and the compensation must be similar to compensation earned by workers without disabilities performing the same work.

Supported Employment

Supported Employment services are direct and indirect services that are provided in a variety of community settings for the purposes of supporting individuals in obtaining and sustaining competitive integrated employment. Competitive integrated employment refers to full or part-time work at minimum wage or higher, with wages and benefits like workers without disabilities performing the same work, and fully integrated with coworkers without disabilities. Supported Employment services include activities such as training and additional supports including worksite orientation, job aide development, coordination of accommodations and ensuring assistive technology that may be needed by the individual to obtain and sustain competitive integrated employment is utilized.