Thomson Community Services

The team at TCS is dedicated to the meaningful employment for all individuals. We work with the business community to develop employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities.

As with all our programs, special care is taken to make sure each individual's needs and interests are matched with the right employment setting. We help individuals determine interests, prepare for the work environment, access job search / placement services and maintain employment.

Individual Assessment

Prior to initiating job search we help each individual identify employment goals, skills and interests. We then meet with families and caregivers to review the support required for employment success. Once skills and support have been evaluated, employers are matched with the candidate best suited to their requirements.

Individual assessment may include the following:

• Identifying goals
• Determining skills and abilities
• Identifying challenges
• Creating plans to overcome challenges
• Meeting with families and caregivers

One of the larger goals of our pre-employment services is to support individuals who are not yet ready to be employed. Our staff will help individuals develop skills and experience that will allow them to gain independent employment in the future.

Job Search Services

Once ready for employment, we support individuals prepare for the job search and manage the interview process. Our services include:

• Creating a resume
• Filling out applications
• Creating a job database
• Arranging interviews
• Meeting with employers
• Negotiating employment terms
• Includes a database of pre-screened employers with whom we have worked with in the past.

 Employment Services

TCS considers options that include supported employment, customized employment and self-employment.

Continued Support

Our support doesn’t stop once an individual has found work. TCS staff are dedicated to supporting individuals through the duration of their employment until they become completely comfortable in their new work environment.

TCS employment supports include:

• Job shadowing
• Site training
• Site monitoring
• One-on-one workplace support
• Job coaching

 On-site Support

We offer on-site job coaching to individuals who can benefit from these services. The requirement for one-on-one coaching is unique for each individual and so we adapt our Employment Services to suit the individual's needs. We will support the individual for a long period of time or taper off as the individual becomes more comfortable in his/her new work environment.