Supported Employment
These programs help individuals find jobs that match their capabilities and career goals, learn skills necessary to make them valuable and responsible employees, and form meaningful and supportive networks of coworkers and employers.
Types of support include employment skills assessment and training, interviewing preparation, job searches, and job coaching at employment sites. Job Coaches, who are provided free of charge to employers, serve as liaisons between the employee and their employers.
Long-term and meaningful employment has been found at many local companies, such as: Utah Foods, University of Utah, Primary Children’s Medical Center, Salt Lake Community College, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Utah Department of Health, Department of Workforce Services, Wingers, and Dairy Queen.
In Washington County, a group of clients created their own grocery delivery business to serve shut in seniors.
TURN Secure Shredding was initiated in January 2009 to employ persons with disabilities in the document destruction business; beginning with a contract with the State of Utah for all their offices in southern Utah.
TURN teams with Vocational Rehabilitation and Workforce Services to serve eligible participants in each of their communities.
"I am an artist", said Kathy Thomas when asked to describe herself. "And there's a lot of talents I can do, like exercise dancing. I do word search and jigsaw puzzles. I do cursive writing and I can do printing. I am good at bowling." Kathy says she has lived in many places in Utah, and currently loves the little 3-bedroom house she shares with two roommates. She is happy that she can walk to the market and her bank. She also likes the Orem Center Street Day Program she attends because of the friends and all the creative activities. "I think being an artist is real good. You can make pretty pictures and hang them up everywhere." 
