PROGRAMS & SERVICES

Lifespire offers Supported Employment sites in all of New York City's five boroughs. Each day, hundreds of individuals with developmental disabilities go to work in jobs alongside non-disabled employees. Lifespire offers both an enclave and individual job placement model. The enclave model provides support for people who may need help learning their job and what is expected at them when going to work. The Individual Placement model provides frequent coaching when the individual starts work. After the person has adjusted to their job, Lifespire staff continue to visit at the work site to ensure that the individual is satisfied with their job.

All work sites are in real work settings and provide interaction with non-disabled employees. Consumers are offered a variety of supports, including but not limited to travel training from their home to their work setting, job acquisition skills, counseling, advocacy and linkage to other supports when needed.

Some of the employers which have partnered with Lifespire to provide jobs to individuals with disabilities opportunities for employment have included: Brooklyn College, Burger King, D'Agostinos, Jones Beach, Merrill Lynch, and the New York City Department of Corrections.

Eligibility Criteria:
Individuals with developmental disabilities and the necessary work and socialization skills to benefit from a work experience are eligible for Supported Employment services. In order to be considered for these services, the individual will need to provide the program with documentation (medical, psychological and psychosocial) which demonstrates evidence of a developmental disability.

All people interested in applying for our services should contact Gillian Lebron, Director - Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 301, NY, NY 10118 - 212-471-0100 ext. 4620, or e-mail us at supportedemployment@lifespire.org.