Group Supported Employment is an approach in which a group of eight or fewer individuals perform work tasks within a host company in the community or as part of a crew that travels site to site. An agency provides supports to the individuals and works with the company. A trained supervisor is always at the work site.
Payment for work performed may be above or below minimum wage but is always commensurate with pay to others within the host company or the general local job market. This approach maintains some of the benefits of integrated employment while providing the continuous support required by some individuals for long-term job success.
Benefits
Benefits of Group Supported Employment, in part, include:
- Day support program available during periods of unemployment/underemployment.
- Opportunity to work in integrated work environments
- Supervision supported or provided by the rehabilitation agency
- Work environments tolerant of disability related challenges
Responsibilities
Some responsibilities to consider as a participant in GSE, in part, include:
- Cooperatively work as a team member of a group to fulfill work responsibilities.
- Improve productive work skills to increase earning capacity within GSE projects.
- Strive to overcome barriers to individual employment opportunities.
