Gateway Employment Resources, Inc.
Partners with Business. . .
Enhancing the Employability of
People with DisAbilities
Q. Do you look for volunteer jobs as well as paying jobs?
Q. Will we have to pay for Gateway services?
Q. What is an Employment Specialist/Job Coach?
Q. How long will the Employment Specialist stay with their participants when they are placed?
Q. Does the participant have to go to Gateway's site in Norristown for all appointments?
Q. Can you find me the kind of job I want? What kind of jobs do you find for people?
Q. How long will it take to find a job?
Q. Will someone take me to job interviews?
Q. Is transportation available/accessible and is training provided? Does Gateway provide transportation to my job?
Q. Is on the job training available?
Q. What type of follow along supports do you offer, and how long will I receive these supports? After the training is completed how often does the job coach visit on the job for follow-up?
Q. How will the employer handle the situation if I have a seizure on the job?
Q. Will the job effect my SSI/ SSDI benefits? Will I lose my medical benefits?
Q. What happens if my job doesn't work out?
Q. How long is the waiting list?
Q. How much does the service cost? How are you funded?
Q. Does Gateway have a "pool" of employers that they pull from to place a participant?
A. Our staff does individualized job searches for the most appropriate job through cold calling, want ads, and computerized job searches.
Q. Do you look for volunteer jobs as well as paying jobs?
A. Yes. We will look for volunteer jobs depending on the interests of the participant and the requirements of the funding source.
Q. Will we have to pay for Gateway services?
A. Gateway uses a variety of funding sources to pay to participants going through our program. Funding sources are both private and public.
Q. What is an Employment Specialist/Job Coach?
A. Your Employment Specialist will be your main contact person at Gateway Resources. They will guide you through our program, working with you to provide the services needed to help you succeed in competitive employment.
Q. How long will the Employment Specialist stay with their participants when they are placed?
A. Once a participant gets a job, the Employment Specialist trains him/her for up to 1-3 weeks intensely (this can vary based on the participants needs) and then the Coach fades out gradually once the participant feels comfortable doing the job independently. After ... our follow up begins, and is done at the following times: 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year and every 6 months after that. If there are any problems at any point though, the Coach can be contacted at follow up or retraining services could be provided.
Q. Does the participant have to go to Gateway's site in Limerick for all appointments?
A. If it is difficult to travel to the Agency for meetings, accommodations can be made to meet at a public location.
Q. Can you find me the kind of job I want? What kind of jobs do you find for people?
A. Your Employment Specialist will discuss your job interests and abilities with you. If you know what type of work you would like to do, and your goals are realistic, we will try to help you secure a position in that area. If you are unsure about the type of job you want, your Employment Specialist will help you explore interests. We have helped people find full and part-time jobs in the following areas, and we are open to explore new ideas: Janitorial/Cleaning, Food Service, Retail Sales/Cashier/Stock, Housekeeping/ Laundry, Child Care, Customer Service, Attendant, Manufacturing/Production, Clerical/Warehousing/Receiving. Volunteer positions are also an option depending on interest and funding source requirements.
Q. How long will it take to find a job?
A. Gateway Resources looks for jobs in the same way an individual may look for themselves. We consider many factors when looking for jobs such as the participant's job interests and skill levels, transportation availability, and the area they live in. We do not have a pool of jobs to be filled. We call local businesses and use the help wanted ads in the papers. Therefore, it is impossible to guarantee a job will be found in a specific amount of time. However, we encourage participants family members and others support to participate in the job search as much as possible.
Q. Will someone take me to job interviews?
A. Yes. An Employment Specialist will assist you in filling out applications and accompany you on a job interview.
Q. Is transportation available/accessible and is training provided? Does Gateway provide transportation to my job?
A. Gateway Resources does not provide transportation to and from work. However, we will provide transportation training to help you learn how to safely use public transportation to and from work. Individuals that cannot use public transportation may qualify for ParaTransit services, and your Employment Specialist will help you complete the application for this service.
Q. Is on the job training available?
A. Once Gateway Resources helps you secure a position, your Employment Specialist will work with you and your new employer to provide on-the-job training. This means that your Employment Specialist will go to work with you and help you learn what is needed to do your job. The amount of time your coach stays with on the job will depend on you and your employer. Sometimes this training last only one day, however your Employment Specialist can provide training for a few weeks if needed.
Q. What type of follow along supports do you offer, and how long will I receive these supports? After the training is completed how often does the job coach visit on the job for follow-up?
A. It is our goal to help a participant become as independent as possible. Gateway Resources has established a basic Follow-Up schedule to maintain ongoing contact with participant and employer for a s long as the participant has the position. If additional support is needed the employer may contact the Employment Specialist and services may be provided.
Q. How will the employer handle the situation if I have a seizure on the job?
A. If you have a seizure disorder, your Employment Specialist will help you educate your employer about the type of seizures you have, and how to support you in the event that you have a seizure at work. If needed, your Employment Specialist can also help you educate a few co-workers that work close to your work area. This would apply to any condition that may require accommodations to be made at the job site.
Q. Will the job effect my SSI/ SSDI benefits? Will I lose my medical benefits?
A. Yes, you must report your employment to the Social Security Office.
Q. What happens if my job doesn't work out?
A. If your job doesn't work out, some funding sources allow Gateway Resources to find another job right away. However, other funding sources allow us to place each person only once. In these cases your name would go on our waiting list until a new funding source could be found for you.
Q. How long is the waiting list?
A. The waiting list varies according to funding sources available, and how far we are into our fiscal year when your name goes on the list. At times the wait can be up to a year or more. At the time your name goes on the list you will be given a rough estimate of the waiting time. It is impossible to judge the wait time for sure. While you are waiting, you may call in periodically to check on your status. We are always trying to secure additional funding sources to shorten the waiting list.
Q. How much does the service cost? How are you funded?
A. When an individual is referred to Gateway Resources, we assign them to one of our government or private funding sources based on specific eligibility requirements. If funding is not available, the participants may choose to go on our waiting list, or they may choose to privately pay for the services.
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