Community-Based Work Assessment

Through GICV’s Community-Based Work Assessment (CBWA) service, youth job seekers with documented disabilities, whether mental, physical, developmental, health-related, or other, work with GICV’s job coaches to learn whether they are suited for or prepared for particular jobs within the local community before applying for them.  During several structured four-hour assessments, the job seeker completes a variety of job tasks that will measure his or her strengths and abilities.  Examples of the strengths and abilities that will be assessed include: 

After a work assessment is completed, a GICV job coach provides a written report and meets with the youth job seeker and the referring agency to discuss the results and make recommendations for the next step in the job seeker’s employment plan.
 
For more information on GICV's CBWA, contact Tara Burkey at (814) 536-3536, ext. 231 or tburkey@goodwilljohnstown.org.

Eligibility is based on an individual with a documented disability who has the desire to obtain employment.

Applicants may be referred by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, County Mental Health/Mental Retardation offices, local school districts, and other agencies.

Funded by the referring organization.

Coverage area by counties:  Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon, Indiana, and Somerset. 

 Community Employment Services

Helping youth with documented disabilities, whether mental, physical, developmental, health-related, or other, to find competitive employment is the goal of GICV’s Community Employment Services (CES).  Through CES, GICV assists youth with disabilities in preparing for successful job placement and job retention by utilizing Goodwill Industries International’s Career Development Model.  This career model promotes full participation and choice by an individual in defining his or her wants, needs, and preferences in the achievement of employment and/or other desired outcomes.
 
CES follows the philosophy of  Supported Employment:

• Assists individuals with disabilities in finding and keeping competitive employment (work in the community that anyone can apply for and that pays at least minimum wage)
  
  

• Assists those individuals with disabilities who express the desire to work and does not excluded because of “lack of readiness” or because of prior work history, substance use, or symptoms
  .

• Provides support from employment counselors as long as program participants want the assistance
  
  

• Enables choices and decisions about work and support that are individualized, based on an individual's preferences, strengths, and experiences

Eligibility is based on youth with a documented disability who has the desire to obtain employment.

Applicants require referrals from the County Mental Health/Mental Retardation offices, the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, or Unlimited Care Providers.

Funded by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and County Mental Health/Mental Retardation (MH/MR), Autism Waiver, and the Department of Public Welfare’s Community Care (COMMCARE) Waiver.

Coverage area by counties:  Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon, Indiana, and Somerset.

 Developmental Disabilities Services

To empower youth with developmental disabilities to achieve their fullest potential and to participate fully in their communities, GICV provides an integrated delivery system of services in a safe, structured environment where personal preferences are respected, decisions are shared, natural abilities are enhanced, and equal access to resources are available for all.
 
Conducted at GICV’s Development Disabilities Services (DDS) site in Johnstown, DDS staff members create individualized person-centered plans that are based on the individual’s goals, interests, and abilities.  GICV staff offer a continuum of prevocational paid work experiences, and community habilitation services that encourage and ensure choice, social inclusion, dignity, respect, and customer satisfaction, with a focus on the ultimate goal of increased independence in the community. 
 
Prevocational paid work experiences include: 

• Community-based enclaves in retail thrift stores

• Prevocational training in specific job tasks

• Janitorial training

• Contract, assembly-type work 

• Work and Life Skills classes

Community habilitation experiences include: 

• Basic adult education

• Social skills classes

• Health and safety issues

• Community Resource and Mobility Training 

• Basic computer skills

• Bowling, shopping trips, and special events

 Multisensory Room at GICV’s Central Avenue location:

• Provides an environment with relaxing and/or stimulating activities

• Increases awareness and positive behavior

• Enhances self-esteem and reduces tension

For more information on GICV's DDS, contact Sabrina Steele at (814) 539-9857, ext. 231 or ssteele@goodwilljohnstown.org.
 

Eligibility is determined through the County Mental Health/Mental Retardation Offices.
Applicants require referrals from the County Mental Health/Mental Retardation Offices.
Coverage area by counties:  Cambria and Indiana
Funded by the Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs.

 Learn to Work 1 and Learn to Work 2

Learn to Work 1
Youth ages 13–18 who are referred to GICV by the Juvenile Probation Office of Cambria County or Children & Youth Services are eligible to participate in GICV’s Learn to Work 1 (LtW1) Program.  GICV’s LtW1 Program is designed to enable delinquent youth to master the skills they need to improve their situations and become economically self-sufficient.  Following Goodwill Industries International’s Career Development Model, GICV delivers the following components:

Research indicates that these are the five competency areas that matter most for success in school, work, and life, and that strengthening these areas increases resistance to delinquency, and deficits in these area put juveniles at risk for continued involvement in the juvenile system.
 
The natural progression for students in the LtW1 Program is their participation in Paid Work Experiences, earning $7.25 per hour, through one of GICV’s businesses including the retail stores, document imaging services, and www.shopgoodwill.com internet merchandising.
 
For more information on GICV's LtW1, contact Nancy Peck at (814) 536-3536, ext. 243 or npeck@goodwilljohnstown.org.

 

Eligibility is determined by the Juvenile Probation Office of Cambria County or Cambria County Children & Youth Services.

Applicants require referrals from the Juvenile Probation Office of Cambria County or Cambria County Children & Youth Services.

Funded by the Juvenile Probation Office or Cambria County Children & Youth Services.   
Coverage area by county:  Cambria County.  Blair County in the first quarter of 2010.
 

Learn to Work 2
GICV designed the Learn to Work 2 (LtW2) Program for students who are struggling academically or behaviorally and are not succeeding in the main school system as indicated by failing grades, truancy, disruptive behavior, suspension, or similar criteria associated with early withdrawal from school.  Through LtW2, students have an opportunity to explore career options, learn about the world of work, and attain work skills through Paid Work Experiences that complement classroom instruction.

GICV's qualified facilitators use evidenced-based practices as recognized by the National Youth Employment Coalition, which are comprised of the following areas: Instructional Approach Individual Planning and Guidance Employer Engagement Environment and Climate Target Youth Activities

Following Goodwill Industries International’s Career Development Model, GICV’s facilitators assists youth in gaining the skills they need to exert control over the identification, procurement, retention, and advancement of a career.  The service model is an ongoing process that allows the students to continually set and achieve new goals.  Components include:

• Self-Awareness Assessment

• Career and Personal Assessment

• Career Awareness and Career Exploration

• Decision-Making and Planning

• Career Preparation

• Social Life Skills

• Employment Skills

The natural progression for students in the LtW2 Program is their participation in Paid Work Experiences, earning $7.25 per hour, through one of GICV’s businesses including the retail stores, document imaging services, and www.shopgoodwill.com internet merchandising.
 
For more information on GICV's LtW2, contact Nancy Peck at (814) 536-3536, ext. 243 or npeck@goodwilljohnstown.org.
 

Eligibility is determined by the participating school districts and GICV.
Applicants are coordinated by the interested school districts and GICV.
Funded by Fee-for-Service to participating school districts.                  
Coverage area by county:  Cambria County.
 

 PA CareerLink^®, Cambria County

Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley, Inc. (GICV) holds the Title I contract for the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Services, made possible through the Southern Alleghenies Workforce Investment Board.  GICV provides these services through the PA CareerLink, Cambria County to offer employment and training services that connect employers with job seekers.

Under the WIA, PA CareerLink, Cambria County focuses on meeting the training, education, and employment needs of youth through the One-Stop Approach.  This approach provides youth with information about employment and training services at a single neighborhood location.  The new location for PA CareerLink, Cambria County is:

New Location

PA CareerLink, Cambria County

Greater Johnstown Career & Technology Center (former Vo-Tech)

445 Schoolhouse Road (Richland Township)

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

(814) 533-2493

 Youth Employment and Training Services

Career planners meet with the youth to determine their eligibility. If eligible and suitable, the youth will become enrolled in the services and will:

• Attend weekly workshops that consist of the Youth Service Elements of the WIA, which include:
  – Career exploration
  – Job search
  – Job retention
  – Leadership development.
• Participate in a Paid Work Experience for 8–10 weeks
• Participate in intense assessment and testing for Post-Secondary Education or Career Planning, which include:
  – Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE)
  – Career Scope
  – Barriers to Employment Success Inventory (BESI)
  – Transition to Work Inventory
• Complete GED/Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes
• Receive referral to local agencies and services

For more information on WIA Services, contact Nancy Peck at (814) 533-2493, ext. 264 or npeck@goodwilljohnstown.org. Or visit www.pacareerlink.state.pa.us or www.cambriacareerlink.org

Eligibility is determined by the Workforce Investment Act guidelines.
Applicants can self-refer themselves by visiting the PA Career Link, Cambria County at 200 Lincoln Street, Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
Funded by the Workforce Investment Act, through the Southern Alleghenies Workforce Investment Board.
Coverage area by counties: Cambria County

Job-Readiness Program:  Under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program, GICV through the PA CareerLink operates a 16-week Job-Readiness Program for in-school youth ages 16–18, with a Paid Work Experience as its main component, to encourage youth to stay in school, increase job opportunities, prepare youth for the real world of work, and stave off future welfare dependency.
 
The Job-Readiness Program follows curriculum that’s based on the school-mandated Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Academic Standards for Career Education and Work.  Youth actively participate in workshops on Career Awareness and Preparation, Career Acquisition, and Career Retention and Advancement.  The final Employments Skills Workshop assists the youth in identifying good work ethics and social skills.  Career planners connect youth with Paid Work Experiences with local businesses in which they earn $7.25 per hour and receive on-the-job training, learn new job skills, and develop strong work ethics that they will carry with them into the future.
 
Dropout-Prevention Program:  Another component of the TANF Program is the Dropout-Prevention Program in which PA CareerLink subcontracts to a local school district to help to keep youth ages 14–18 in school so that they earn their high school diplomas.  The eligibility and compliance of the programs are determined by PA CareerLink using the “235% Poverty Level Income” guide or Pennsylvania’s Free/Reduced Lunch Program parameters, among other criteria.
 
For more information on the TANF Program, contact Nancy Peck at (814) 533-2493, ext. 264 or npeck@goodwilljohnstown.org.

Eligibility is determined by PA CareerLink through school district guidance counselors and the Cambria County Welfare Office.

Applicants must be referred by school districts or the Cambria County Welfare Office.
Funded by TANF through the state Department of Welfare, made possible through Southern Alleghenies Workforce Investment Board. Coverage area by county: Cambria

 School-to-Work Transition

GICV’s School-to-Work Transition Program enables students who have documented disabilities, whether mental, physical, developmental, health-related, or other, and are enrolled in school districts in GICV’s six-county service area, to have the opportunity to work in a sheltered environment while earning a commensurate wage based on their performance as compared to persons who do not have disabilities.  Students are referred by Pennsylvania’s Intermediate Units or their Learning Support Teachers from their respective school districts.
 

In the School-to-Work Transition Program, students work in a retail processing department of one of GICV’s 10 Goodwill retail stores or at GICV’s Developmental Disabilities Services program building, alongside a GICV job coach at all times. 

The job coach works closely with the students while providing necessary feedback on their performance to assist them in improving their work skills.
 
For more information on GICV's School-to-Work Transition in Cambria County, contact Sabrina Steele at (814) 539-9857, ext. 231 or ssteele@goodwilljohnstown.org.
 
For information on GICV's School-to-Work Transition in Bedford, Blair, Huntingdon, Indiana, and Somerset Counties, contact Tara Burkey at (814) 536-3536, ext. 231 or tburkey@goodwilljohnstown.org.
 

Eligibility is determined by a documented mental or physical disability from a medical professional

Applicants must be referred by the school districts or a medical professional

Funded by the referring school districts

Coverage area by county: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon, Indiana, and Somerset

 Southern Alleghenies Career Education Partnership

If middle and high school students were more aware of the kinds of careers that are available to them in the region, and the education that’s required in order to obtain employment in these careers with local employers, the students could pursue the right education and employers could find the skilled employees they are looking for.  To facilitate this process, Goodwill operates the Southern Alleghenies Career and Education Partnership (SACEP).
 
When school guidance and career counselors lack adequate time to fully address the pending career needs of students, and employers do not have staff available to individually contact schools to discuss their employment needs, GICV’s staff bridges the gap. 

GICV works directly with high school educators in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties to bring businesses into the classroom, as well as getting educators out into the workplace, through the many vehicles listed below:

Classroom speakers Workplace tours Job-shadowing Work-readiness training Educator in the Workplace Program Expert in the Schoolplace Program In-service presentation on New Career Standards Internships Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)-related classroom activities Transition-to-Work Workshops (fee-based) CareerLinking Academy (fee-based, week-long event at the Greater Johnstown Career & Technology Center)

 STAR Program

In partnership with the Nulton Diagnostic & Treatment Center, PC, Goodwill operates the STAR Program—Successful Teens Achieving Results—a mental health outpatient Day Treatment Program, licensed by the state of Pennsylvania.
 
Conducted at the Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center, the STAR Program is designed to help children and adolescents with mental health diagnoses to avoid out-of-home placement by delivering a structured, therapeutic treatment program that is focused on maintaining the youth in their family settings.
 
The program provides intensive stabilization services to assist children and adolescents in developing a set of coping skills in order to facilitate discharge and independent development within their families, their schools, and their communities.  Focus is placed on social and emotional competencies necessary for success.
 
Adolescents can be referred by social service agencies, school personnel, physicians, or parents.  Admission into the program requires an evaluation and recommendation from a psychiatrist or psychologist.  Treatment length varies for each individual adolescent depending upon his or her needs.
 
The STAR Program operates Monday – Friday 2:30 – 8:30 pm during the school year. On weekends and during school vacations, the program operates Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.
 
For more information on the STAR Program, contact Jacquelyn Cannoni at (814) 269-1295 or jcannoni@goodwilljohnstown.org.
 

Eligibility is based on evaluation and recommendation from a psychiatrist or psychologist.
Applicants may be referred by social service agencies, school personnel, physicians, or parents.
Funded by Value Behavioral Health and Nulton Diagnostic & Treatment Center, PC.
Service area by county: Cambria

 YouthBuild Johnstown

With its long history of “teaching by doing,” GICV recognized an opportunity to be part of the national YouthBuild USA network and thus competitively bid for a grant by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2007.  In October 2007, GICV won the award and received $500,000 to start and operate YouthBuild Johnstown, beginning in Cambria County.
 
In June 2009, GICV received its second competitively bid grant award for $500,000, which enabled GICV to continue work developed under the initial grant, and to expand its operation into Windber and Conemaugh Township, Somerset County
 
Through YouthBuild Johnstown, GICV provides youth who have disadvantages to employment, with the chance to earn their GEDs, receive on-the-job training in a construction trade, and earn $7.25 per hour to do it.  The overall goal of this 6–11-month program is for youth to achieve economic self-sufficiency through an opportunity that they otherwise may not have had.
 
GICV, leading the 13-member YouthBuild Johnstown community partnership*:

• Enables youth with disadvantages to obtain their GEDs and employment skills to achieve economic self-sufficiency in many in-demand occupations and post-secondary education and training opportunities
  

• Teaches the construction trade and provides hands-on application of skills as the youth help to build or rehabilitate homes for families with low incomes
  

• Teaches leadership skills and assists participants in exercising leadership as they engage in a community development project and run their own Participant Council
  

• Prepares participants for the real world of work by providing specific instruction and connecting them with the public workforce investment system (PA CareerLink, Cambria County) and with employers in construction and other regional high-growth industries

Youth must be ages 16–24 who have left high school without a diploma (a small percentage may be high school graduates or have their GEDs, but are deficient in basic skills) who have one of the following barriers:

• Is of low income

• Has an incarcerated parent

• Is a juvenile or adult offender

• Is a current foster youth or aging out of foster care

• Has a disability

• Is a migrant farm worker

YouthBuild is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration’s Office of Workforce Investment, Division of Youth Services.
 
YouthBuild Johnstown graduated its first cohort in February 2009.
 
Enrollment is ongoing.  For more information on GICV's YouthBuild Johnstown, contact Mindy Rickabaugh at (814) 536-3536, ext. 291 or mrickabaugh@goodwilljohnstown.org.
 
*The 13-member YouthBuild Johnstown community partnership includes GICV as the lead agency, the Southern Alleghenies Workforce Investment Board, Johnstown Housing Authority, Redevelopment Authority of Cambria County, Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, Greater Johnstown School District, Home Builders Association of the Alleghenies, Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Chamber of Commerce, Administrative Office of Juvenile Court Cambria County, Cambria County Assistance Office, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Greater Johnstown Community YMCA.
 

Eligibility is based on a list of YouthBuild USA and U.S. Department of Labor criteria.
Applicants may contact GICV to determine enrollment acceptance.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Coverage area by counties: Cambria and parts of Somerset.