25 Years of Community Partnerships with Dirkse Counseling and Consulting

#BeavertonBacktoWork

Dirkse Counseling & Consulting (DCC) is approaching its 25th anniversary year in January 2022, and we are already looking forward to looking back at some of the many relationships that have contributed to our success.

The State of Oregon has been a pioneer in the Employment First movement that is now taking hold across the county. In 2008, Oregon was among the very first states to formally adopt policies to bring more employment opportunities for Oregon’s citizens experiencing intellectual and developmental disabilities.

From the state of Oregon website:

“Employment is a key to full citizenship for Oregonians with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Employment establishes community connections that allow people to become contributing and valued members of their communities. As with all other citizens, for individuals with I/DD, employment has many positive impacts. These impacts include increasing self-worth, building relationships, and access to community resources. Employment improves economic well-being as well as physical and mental health. The Employment First policy states that work in integrated jobs is the first and priority option in planning employment services for working-age adults and youth.”

DCC has been at the forefront of the Employment First movement, working on pilot teams in Washington, Multnomah, and Clackamas counties from the very beginning and implementing seamless transition for students with I/DD transitioning from school to work. Over the last 2 ½ decades, DCC has helped hundreds of students succeed in the work of work. Employment First is supported statewide by the Association of People Supporting Employment (APSE). Longtime DCC Employment Specialist Glenn Bishop was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Oregon Chapter of APSE and is looking forward to continuing to advocate, support, and improve the lives of Oregonians seeking to improve their quality of life through work.

For more information on Oregon APSE, visit www.oregonapse.org. By Glenn Bishop. For more information about Dirkse’s mission & programs, call (503)-265-9256.