Supported Employment

It’s not just a job! At Continuum of Colorado, we believe that working should be more than just a job. Meaningful work is a fundamental human need that applies to everyone. A job promotes independence, a sense of purpose, self-respect, and quality of life. This is why we take an individualized person-centered approach to employment. We never fill out a bunch of applications and hope one sticks! We have developed a placement process that we have found to promote success, longevity, and overall satisfaction for employees and employers.

What We Do

The road to employment may look different for everyone, but here are the typical steps when you work with Continuum of Colorado.

DVR – The very first step to your road to employment is to apply with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). Here is a link to get started with DVR. From there, if you are interested in working with Continuum of Colorado, we will continue the journey with you on your road to employment. We offer Supported Services to people on the SLS and DD Waiver (or through private pay).
Finding out about you –The first step is for us to get to know you and for you to learn more about yourself. We use a variety of tools and techniques to learn about your interests, skills, and abilities as they relate to the world of work. For example, we may take you to try out a job to observe your skills and preferences or we may interview you and your team to develop a discovery profile. Either way, we want to get a full picture of you to help you find the best job match! We can also look at how income from your new job may impact your benefits. Through Benefits Counseling we can look at ways to help you maximize your earnings while keeping your benefits safe. Click this link to learn more about Benefits Counseling.
Developing new skills – Whether you’re ready to find a paid job or want to learn more first, we’re here to help! We will work with you to develop skills to be successful in your job search and future employment. Some of our training methods include:
Working one-on-one with your Employment Consultant to develop interview and job search skills.
Starting an internship to try out a new job and develop your skills.
Working on your soft skills like self-advocacy, communication, safety skills, and more.
Finding the perfect Job – When you’re ready to find a job, we take an individualized, person-centered approach. Using what we learned about you during the Vocational Assessment or Discovery phase, we develop a plan to help you find a job. Whether we help you apply for open positions or work with an employer to customize a position that’s just for you, we want to ensure a good fit and a long-lasting, successful employment experience for both the employer and employee.
I’ve got a new job, now what? After finding a job, your Employment Consultant or Job Coach will provide job coaching to help you learn the tasks you are assigned and ways to maintain stability on the job. They will support you in learning about and understanding the company culture and expectations. They will also help you build natural resources on the job to increase your independence at work. Job coaching support looks different for everyone. However, our goal for everyone we work with is to increase independence at the worksite. Your Employment Consultant will work with you, the employer, and your team to determine an appropriate fade-out plan for job coaching. Once you have reached optimum independence at work, the goal is to discontinue job coaching. You can also decide what kind of job coaching works best for you; in-person, telehealth, outside of work or other ways that will support you.
I am independent but what if I need help? We never disappear completely! For the life of the job, your Employment Consultant is available to provide you and your employer with the continued support you need. They will also be available to help you advance in your career, including learning new tasks, applying for promotions, or looking for a new job.

Our Supported Employment Services

Cheerful young Down Syndrome waiter working in take away restaurant

Individualized Supported Employment

Young woman with Down syndrome working in fabric store

Work Adjustment Training

Man with disability proud of himself in the university

Personal Adjustment Training (including Bus Training)

Paid Work Experience

Closeup portrait of a smiling coffee shop female employee

Pre-ETS (Pre-Employment Transition Services)

Benefits Counseling

Who We Are

We are a Medicaid Provider Agency and a DVR (Division of Vocational Rehabilitation) Vendor! This means we can provide a consistency of services in all phases of the employment process
We are experts in the field. Our staff are trained in a variety of evidence-based employment practices, including:
1. Discover
2. Customized Job Development
3. Benefits Counseling
4. Certificates from the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE)
We have been invited to participate in several employment pilots. We partner with Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), and the Colorado Office of Employment First (COEF) to pilot new employment endeavors that include using new technology to support people at work, using new employment practices, and using new ways of paying for employment services.

Interested in joining our team as an Employment Consultant or Job Coach?

Careers