The purpose of SKILLS, Inc. is to ensure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have the same things everyone wants: a safe place to live, people who care about them, and to live, work, and belong in their communities. The organization achieves this mission by fostering well-being and achievement for both the staff and the people they support.
Individuals supported by SKILLS, Inc. have access to services that promote financial stability. Stable affordable housing and access to transportation are critical aspects of supporting financial stability. The residential programs provide small group supported housing in enhanced home settings. To expand transportation access and overall independence, the organization has launched a travel skills and driving education program called Opportunities Driving School.
More directly, employment services encourage and support people as they explore what it means to work, build skills for the workplace, actively seek employment, and receive support after they’ve started a new job. Through employment services, people learn about the vastness of job possibilities based on their individual interests and talents, conduct mock interviews to prepare for the application process, build relationships with local employers, and have access to opportunities for job shadowing and training.
As an employer, SKILLS, Inc. provides local jobs to more than 120 individuals, providing a livable wage and comprehensive benefits package including a 100% employer paid health insurance plan and 403(b) plan with employer match and no vesting requirements. Team members have access to professional development and career advancement opportunities, setting them up for present and future career success and stability. The organization also seeks to provide employment opportunities to more individuals in the region by offering high schools a direct support professional certification for students in their last years of school. To bolster the field overall, the agency actively participates in discussions at the legislative level about increasing reimbursement rates for MaineCare services, which supports livable wages and increased employment opportunities.
“It is a privilege to do this work every day with the team at SKILLS, Inc. and collaborate on a wider, regional basis as co-chair of the Impact2032 Financial Stability Cabinet. Together, we can make a real, positive difference and build a stronger community,” says Executive Director Kristin Overton.