Zoom Group has been providing support for individuals with disabilities for 35 years. This organization’s mission is to empower, educate, and employ people of all abilities. Zoom Group offers work adjustment training programs (including job placement) and pre-employment transition services programs like job exploration, work-based learning experiences, counseling, workplace readiness training for social skills and independent living, and self-advocacy. Zoom Group also offers supported employment programs designed to help individuals be trained in and secure the jobs they want.

For more information, contact Tera Walker at twalker@zoomgroup.org or 502.323.5872.

USA Cares: Veteran & Family Support offers career readiness which provides individuals with tools and resources to better prepare them for the hiring process and refers qualified candidates to corporate organizations with open positions of employment specific to their skill sets. In addition, this organization offers many additional programs including a Military Assistance Response Program, a Financial Education & Empowerment Program, a Senior Leaders Corporate Fellowship Program, and more.

For more information, contact 800-773-0387 or info@usacares.org.

The Southwest Center for the developmentally disabled provides a wide variety of community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Each service is geared towards helping each person to live, work, and enjoy life in their community. The Southwest Center was founded in response to the growing need for programs and employment opportunities for adults with disabilities. Since that time, we have grown to provide a wide variety of community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Each service is geared towards helping each person to live, work, and enjoy life in his or her community.

For more information, contact (502) 935-1848 or info@swcky.org.

The Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation is a program provided by the Kentucky Career Center to empower Kentuckians with disabilities to maximize independence and economic security through competitive, integrated employment. Services include supported employment, vocational and other training services, counseling and guidance, job placement and retention, employment follow-up, telecommunications, sensory, and other technological aids and devices.

For more information, contact Nanci.Howard@ky.gov, wfd.vocrehab@ky.gov, or 502-564-4440.

Mattingly Edge cultivates partnerships that enable people with disabilities to thrive at work, at home, and in relationships. This organization supports people to spend their time, not in day services or specialized programs, but instead working, volunteering, attending school, exercising, socializing, performing personal and household tasks, and investing in other responsible engagements. Mattingly Edge supports people to spend evenings and weekends in their homes and community, hosting friends, attending a book club or art class, or yoga session, participating in a community of faith, going to the local nightspot for a beer, and other ways to enjoy oneself, meet people, and grow as a person. Mattingly Edge refers to these things as “the good things in life.”

To help people attain the good things in life, this organization provides customized one-on-one support with an individual’s specific goals and support needs in mind. A team of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) is recruited and matched with an individual based on personality, skills, interests, and logistics. The person being supported is always an active participant in the interviewing, hiring, and direction of their support team.

For more information, contact Hope Leet Dittmeier, Executive Director, at hdittmeier@mattinglyedge.org or (502) 451-6200.

Edge Employment welcomes opportunities to partner with businesses, organizations, professional networks, individual professionals, and schools of all levels! The organization aims to expand meaningful employment opportunities within Greater Louisville businesses that match the contributions of disabled job candidates, assist disabled teens and adults to explore post-secondary and employment opportunities, and, disrupt misconceptions around the value of disabled people and integration in the workforce.

For more information, contact Merry Reid Sheffer, Lead Employment Specialist, at msheffer@edgeemployment.org or 865-548-7979.

New Hope Services Inc. offers an array of services for both job seekers and employers/business owners! These include Vocational Training & Employment Services; Skills Training; Family Support Services; and, workforce solutions through the New Hope Industries program. Learn more about these programs below:

For more information, contact Brad Wolfe at bwolfe@cvky.org (859) 231-0054.

The Seven Counties Services Training Institute is for community mental health professionals, and offers a variety of learning opportunities for professional development through classroom trainings and workshops. Many courses offered are submitted to Kentucky licensing boards for CE hours. Other courses offered are state-approved certifications for Targeted Case Management, Community Support Associates, and Peer Support Specialists.

For more information, contact PGuerrero@sevencounties.org, HMarcus@sevencounties.org or (502) 589-8600.

Blue River Services is on a mission to assist people with disabilities in realizing maximum personal growth and development in home, work and community by providing a continuum of individualized services and supports in settings least restrictive for the needs of the individual. Blue River Employment Services provides placement to individuals with intellectual, developmental and acquired disabilities and other barriers to employment. Individuals can obtain and maintain employment through career exploration, job readiness and development, soft skills training, follow-along services and individual job coaching. Services are designed in accordance with the individual’s support needs and preferences. Blue River staff assist individuals in discovering and understanding their vocational interests, values, temperaments, work-related behaviors, aptitudes, skills, physical capabilities, learning style, and training needs. Individuals are paired with an Employment Consultant, who assists with employment-related concerns helping participants further their skills training.

For more information, contact Holly Adam at 812-542-3077 or hadam@rbralliance.org.

Rauch, Inc. works to support people with disabilities and their families while encouraging a community that acknowledges the value and contribution of all people. Rauch, Inc. promotes professional growth by providing employees opportunities for promotion to supervisory roles and to apply for new roles across departments. This organization also supports employment by assisting with the job search, skill development, and job coaching as well as working with schools in the community to aid students in their journey after high school.

For more information, contact Holly Adam at (812) 945-4063 or hadam@rauchinc.org.

Helping Hand of Hope works to offer compassionate relief to people in need by providing immediate assistance and appropriate referrals to meet basic human needs. This organization provides our community with an opportunity for sharing resources that foster personal self-worth and human dignity. Helping Hand of Hope provides the following services:

– Rent Assistance
– Utility Assistance
– Clothing Assistance
– Food Assistance
– Prescription Assistance
– Transportation Assistance for Hardin Co. residents with out-of-county medical appointments
– Job Readiness/Job Placement
– Beds for Children

For more information, contact hburke@hhhope.org or (270) 769-3092.

Home of the Innocents – Pathways HOME is a leader in transforming communities through programs that are trauma-responsive, innovative, and evidence-based. Their leadership is committed to developing and supporting a diverse, inclusive, values-led workforce. The Pathways HOME program provides services to young adults between the ages of 18 to 24 and their children. This program offers the kind of care and education that can make a huge difference in young people’s ability to care for themselves and their families. Their experienced and dedicated staff help Pathways HOME clients develop independent living skills, enroll in and complete education, access community resources, seek affordable housing, and access mental health services. Participants are expected to fulfill certain obligations in order to benefit from the program. These expectations include maintaining a job, completing education, and weekly contact with their case manager.

For more information, contact Paul Robinson at 502-596-1320 or probinson@homeoftheinnocents.org. 

Options Unlimited, Inc. (OU) provides a variety of employment services at no cost to individuals with disabilities and supports individuals so that they may achieve their desired vocational goals of working in the community. Individuals begin the Supported Employment process at the assessment and planning stage. During this time OU will look at the individual’s interests and skills and match these to a potential employer through job development. On-the-job training and coaching is a support that is offered to assure success of the individuals in the OU Supported Employment Program. Ongoing follow up and support is provided to ensure the long-term success of the individual working in the community with services such as training programs, resume development, interviewing skills, job readiness, job development services and on-the-job support.

For more information, contact contact Willie Byrd at williebyrd@gmail.com or 502-955-7271.

CASI supports and empowers individuals, families, and communities striving to reach self-sufficiency and works to provide life-enhancing opportunities for every individual and family desiring to experience an extraordinary change in their lives. Community Action of Southern Indiana’s programs provide critical support in areas such as financial literacy, education, housing, literacy, energy assistance, and more. Southern Hoosiers, like many Americans, face an array of enormous challenges ranging from poverty to disability to lack of decent and affordable housing to lack of adequate employment. In order to reduce poverty in our community, Community Action of Southern Indiana works to better focus available local, state, federal, and private resources to assist low-income individuals and families to acquire useful skills and knowledge, to gain access to new opportunities, and to achieve economic self-sufficiency.

For more information, contact ​ccarruthers@casi1.org or 812-288-6451.

Decode Project’s mission is to eliminate inequities in education by fostering a diverse community of learners prepared to navigate the world. This organization prepares future educators and community leaders with training in evidence-based, multi-sensory Structured Literacy; anti-racist/anti-biased relationship building; resilience-building; and trauma-informed care. Decode Project also provides workshops, resources, individualized reports, and advocacy support for caregivers, community agencies, schools, and educators.

For more information, contact info@decodeproject.org or (502)509-1814.

Path Forward of Kentucky provides supported employment, community rehabilitation services (CRP), and pre-employment transition services. They also provide support and coordination for Medicaid Waivers; authorized Social Security Tickets to Work; contract opportunities, business consulting for ADA and inclusionary workplaces, and benefits consulting. This organization’s mission is to provide customized services, support and encouragement needed by individuals with disabilities to build and increase their independence.

For more information, contact 502-451-2565 or info@pathforwardky.com.

The Workwell Industries is a non-profit organization that is committed to creating jobs for people with disabilities and others who experience barriers to employment. This organization provides quality packaging, parts assembly as well as various other services to many large organizations in the US and worldwide. By choosing to outsource these services to Workwell, companies routinely reduce overhead & save on the cost of a project.

For more information, contact Sandy Boyd at boyd@workwellindustries.org or 502-772-7383.

Community Services Project (CSP) is a nonprofit organization that works with individuals to find and maintain jobs within the community. They strive to help a diverse group of people (including persons with disabilities, veterans, and Youth in Transition) find jobs of their choosing. Jobs are targeted to an individual’s abilities, health status, and goals. They provide programs and services to help our clients enhance their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. This creates a clear path to increased self-confidence and self-sufficiency!

For more information, contact office@cspky.org or (502) 368-4886.

The Coalition for Workforce Diversity helps supply local businesses with the help they need, while helping individuals with disabilities lead more productive and fulfilling lives. Partner businesses work collaboratively with Agency providers to support their candidates in getting and maintaining jobs. A monthly networking meeting is held the third Thursday of each month where business can present their openings to job coaches and agency providers. Both UPS and Best Buy have seen very positive results from working with the Coalition. Because their employees have been carefully matched to the positions they hold, these employees tend to excel in their roles. Furthermore, Coalition employees tend to have better attendance and more impressive safety records when compared to their workplace peers.

For more information, contact Kitty Zachery at KittyZachery@CoalitionFWD.com or (502) 955-7271.

St. John Center extends care and community to homeless men, women, and children living on the streets in our city. This organization has a mission to help homeless men address the barriers to housing and self-sufficiency so they can leave homelessness for good. They offer permanent supportive housing, a day shelter and social services center, and street outreach. They are located in a former Catholic church as a haven for immigrants and have staff and volunteers that carry on a welcoming spirit to provide refuge to some of the community’s most vulnerable people.

For more information, contact Keesha Gardner at 502-568-6758 or kgardner@stjohncenter.org.

The Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) through federal funding from SITE, assists workers and businesses throughout the state of Kentucky meet the challenges and & seize opportunities in today’s economy. EKCEP administers programs that help adults looking for work, workers who have been dislocated from their jobs, and economically disadvantaged youth. In the GLI area, EKCEP covers the counties of Jefferson, Bullitt, Henry, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble.. EKCEP works with workforce centers across the state, and provides access to more than a dozen state and federal programs that offer employment and training assistance for job seekers and employers.

For more information contact Millie Dee Stevens at 606-312-2028 or email mstevens@ekcep.org.