Expanding Programs and Services into Macomb County with Services to Enhance Potential

BY GRETCHEN STILL

For over 2 years, Services To Enhance Potential (STEP) has partnered with Macomb County Community Mental Health to offer a skill building and supported employment program at Cairns Community Center in Mt. Clemens. This program consists of STEP members and a Skills Trainer that teaches on-the-job skills.

The members are learning maintenance activities, relationship building with other members, skill building techniques like money management in the community, problem solving, work ethic, teamwork, and interpersonal skills. Members are also learning how to navigate in the community, the importance of learning locations and landmarks, and transportation safety while in a vehicle. We are proud to announce that each member in this program continues to successfully acquire the necessary skills to be gainfully employed in a career of their choosing.

Transition and Pre-Employment and Training Services (Pre-ETS) are also offered within Macomb County. These services include Work Readiness Training, Work-Based Learning Experiences, Building Healthy Relationships at Work classes and STEP Earn and Learn Summer Work Experience. STEP’s Earn and Learn Summer Work Experience program consists of six to eight weeks of paidon-the-job workplace readiness experiences. Participants will learn the skills they need to be successful in the workplace and earn minimum wage while doing so.

Services To Enhance Potential (STEP) is a nonprofit organization which provides support and services to nearly 1,400 persons with disabilities and other mental health needs in Macomb, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties. A major goal of Services To Enhance Potential is to increase the number of persons who are employed, self-employed, and volunteer in their communities. STEP provides and supports a variety of employment and self-employment options. We were founded in 1972 to bring an employment focus to individuals with a disability and have developed a strong reputation in the community for doing so.

For more information about the programs that STEP offers, please visit www.stepcentral.org.