Organization: Mvle Inc
Mission: To create futures one person at a time for people with disabilities and other barriers through employment and support services.
Activities: GROUP DAY SERVICES: MVLE provides therapeutic activities both in our community center and across our region. It provides an outlet for community inclusion, education, social activities, and life skills support to further their Person-Centered Plan. MVLEs Group Day Services provides two tracks for individuals with varying disabilities. 1. TRACK 1- The first track provides opportunities for community engagement This track offers services to individuals who have intensive support needs. Activities are offered through an evidence-based curriculum in individualized skill building and community integration programs alongside one to three other peers and support staff. Individual life skills learning opportunities and community integration are based on choice, provided through an evidence-based curriculum, and are therapeutic in nature. These may take place on site at an MVLE community center or offsite in the community. The goal of this department is to promote community inclusion for individuals served, while providing needed therapies. Activities may include: book club/reading, horticulture, advocacy, sensory, life skills, and cooking. 2. TRACK 2- This track provides more intensive supports, including skilled nursing and behavioral supports. This track also provides employment training and skill-building opportunities for individuals that select an employment path. Employment opportunities are provided in-house so that the individuals working in the program have access to the intense habilitation supports, nursing, and behavioral supports provided at MVLEs Community Centers. The business unit staff persons in this department work on an on-going basis to develop new jobs and provide operational oversight and quality assurance to maintain a stream of work opportunities for the program. Individuals in this track also participate in MVLEs robust volunteer program. As a part of MVLEs therapy services, MVLE established the MVLE Moves performing arts program. In 2015, This program provides weekly movement arts classes for individuals served through MVLEs programs. A typical class includes a group welcome to practice making introductions, a clapping warm-up to promote rhythmic accuracy and proprioception, a full body stretch to increase overall range of motion, prop manipulation to practice both sensory motor skills and create short movement compositions, extended 'parade' improvisations that encourage personal decision-making, and a gentle closing to calm the breath and bow to fellow class mates. Participants dive into improvisation and composition, sharing methods that realize ideas, co-creating the experience every step of the way. The program has expanded to include an inclusive performance ensemble that is comprised of MVLE individuals and local professional actors. The ensemble creates and performs original productions across the Washington, DC metro region.
TRANSITION & TRAINING: MVLE provides transition assistance for individuals leaving school or transferring from other agencies, as well as internal transition for individuals wishing to move between departments or into more independent employment. Customized, holistic transition plans are developed for each individual entering services that include preference assessments, as well as person-centered planning. - situational Assessment: MVLE provides opportunities for individuals to try a hands-on approach to employment and community exploration. This provides the chance to experience a job or program before making an informed choice. - person-Centered Plan (PCP): The PCP is intended to identify the strength, capacity, preferences, needs and desired outcomes of the individual. MVLE staff works with each individual we serve, and their support network, to develop the PCP. Ticket to Work- The Ticket to Work and Self Sufficiency (Ticket) program is a Federally-funded employment program designed to provide Social Security disability beneficiaries (i.e., individuals receiving Social Security Disability Insurance and/or Supplemental Security Income benefits based on disability) the choices, opportunities and support they need to enter the workforce and maintain employment with the goal of becoming economically self-supporting over time. MVLE is an approved Employment Network (EN) through the Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work Program and works to provide job readiness, job development and placement of individual ticket holders into jobs within their community. Training & Workforce Development: MVLE specializes in job development, job placement and coaching on the job. We assist with writing resumes, conducting job searches, and with interviews. MVLE also has staff who can assist with benefits planning. Individual Supported Employment (ISE): We want to do more than help people find jobs. Individual job placement with a community employer, including one-to-one on-the-job training; minimum wage or higher (paid by the employer); same benefits and routines as co-workers without disabilities and 20 or more hours of work per week. Our job coaches and Employment Specialist work to support the individual before, during and long-term. We want to help them launch their careers. We will provide additional training when needed, and when appropriate, in addition we will help an employer identify reasonable accommodations. Our job coaches stay in close contact with the individual and their employer, helping him or her deal with new situations such as changes in work procedures and working through interpersonal issues with co-workers or supervisors. MVLE's employment services programs provide full and part-time employment both in the community and at MVLE business centers. The goal of this program is to assist individuals to be as independently employed as possible. Full-time employment consists of the following: Paid employment on-site or within a host company in the community and work crew of 3-6 individuals with a direct support professional. Staff provides the following: employment training in the completion of job tasks, social skills/interpersonal skills building, professionalism, job expectations, communication, job performance, conflict resolution assistance, and referral to therapeutic clinical services if needed. Types of work include: custodial services, grounds maintenance, restaurant & food service.
NTEE category: Human Services
Secondary category: Health Care