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Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation of Kansas (CPRF)
During past 60-plus years, CPRF has evolved from a grass roots organization into a recognized leader in rehabilitation engineering, specialized services, advocacy, employment research and training, and job placement. Focused on improving the day-to-day lives of people with disabilities, CPRF works to eliminate barriers to independence at home, in the workplace and throughout the community for people with disabilities.
Programs:
Going to Work – Each of us tend to define ourselves by what we do for a living and how we make a difference in the world and it’s no different for our clients. CPRF programs and services focus on the task of empowering people with disabilities and other employment barriers toward being financially self sufficient.
Vocational Assessment Department – The CPRF Vocational Assessment Department starts by identifying the vocational strengths and potential employment barriers facing a client. As part of the assessment, clients are advised of all the recommended options and support necessary for people with disabilities or vocational barriers to increase their self-sufficiency. The Vocational Assessment Department identifies an individual's:
Job aptitudes
Interests
Personality traits
A vocational assessment consists of:
Individual interview
Career Ability Placement Survey
Interest inventory
Profile Step One Survey
Hogan Personality Profile
Medical history and accommodations review
Work history review
Support identification, as needed
Another function of the Vocational Assessment Department is to provide recommendations on CPRF School of Adaptive Computer Training student candidates.
Job Placement:
The CPRF Placement Department provides career guidance, job readiness, development, placement, and retention services to people with disabilities and others with vocational barriers to help them succeed in the workplace. The department has two distinctive customers: employers and people seeking employment.
To accomplish this, the department provides services to three companies that operate as affiliate support organizations to the CPRF mission: Center Industries Corporation, Business Technology Career Opportunities, Inc., and DCSS Ability LLC. In addition, the CPRF School of Adaptive Computer Training is a regular referral source for placement services in support of its graduates. Job development and job placement services are also provided to eligible individuals with physical disabilities throughout Sedgwick County.
The goal of the job Placement Department is to match the needs of the employer with the applicant’s qualifications. Employers are also informed of possible tax incentives available for hiring individuals with disabilities or other vocational barriers to employment.
Working in synergy to provide the best possible solution for both the job seeker and area employer are the Job Placement team and the Kansas Benefits Counselors Network. These CPRF departments help to ensure that people who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) become knowledgeable of the incentives for returning to work and their reporting responsibilities. More than 100 people are served each year through the Placement Department.
Placement Department services include:
Career Counseling
Assistance in identifying vocational goals
Referral to funding resources and training programs
Information and referral to the Kansas Benefits Counselors Network as needed
Job Readiness Assistance
Resume development
Review of interviewing skills
Job search skills, such as using the Internet, and writing cover letters and “Thank You” letters
Assistance with Job Placement
General guidance and direction
Specific employer contact and referral
Follow up services for job retention
Financial Support Services:
A program of the CPRF Research Division, Financial Support Services strives to provide resources and guidance to low-income working individuals with disabilities. For the majority of people who receive one or more forms of public assistance – such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) – understanding and managing disability benefits while gaining and advancing in employment can be a challenge. In addition, changes that affect other family members can have a significant impact on a person’s disability benefits.
Our overall goal is to provide guidance through learning and planning in order to obtain the greatest financial self-sufficiency possible. To do this, we secure funding through major federal and state grant programs.
School of Adaptive Computer Training:
The CPRF School of Adaptive Computer Training is devoted to improving marketable computer skills
for people with disabilities and others affected by the digital divide. This is accomplished through completely adaptive classrooms which use state-of-the-art, adjustable workstations and assistive software and devices to allow people with disabilities to gain the skills needed to compete in today’s highly competitive job market.
Courses:
Computing Fundamentals- This eight-week program is designed for students with little to no computer experience, who wish to learn critical skills necessary to succeed in many basic, entry-level jobs that require an employee to access a computer. At the end of the program students will have gained confidence in their ability to operate a computer and use the Internet. This program is for people with disabilities who are highly motivated to work, and who are interested in entering the job market in the shortest amount of time. Major program topics include Computing Fundamentals, Key Applications, Living Online, Basic Keyboarding/Data Entry and more.
Computer Support Specialist – For students with a basic knowledge of computers, this 10-week program focuses on developing the skills necessary to gain entry-level career positions toward taking advantage of advancement opportunities. Throughout the program, students work toward Microsoft Office Specialist certification. Major topics include Microsoft Windows XP Basics, MS 2007 Word/Excel/Outlook, Practical Software Applications in Business, Keyboarding/Data Entry/Business Letter Format, Business Communication, Professional Etiquette, Career Development and much more.
Customer Service Professional (classes offered in November)- In partnership with one of today’s leading tax names, H&R Block®, this intensive threeweek
program is packed with instruction preparing students to deliver the superior customer service required in an H&R Block® office. Students will learn strategies to
build customer relationships and improve service. They will gain knowledge on business etiquette and professionalism, and learn the requirements of the Customer Service Professional. Topics include: Active Listening, Telephone Etiquette, Office Roles and Responsibilities, Personal Accountability, Handling Difficult Customers, and more. Upon completion of the course, graduates who pass an assessment test will earn an opportunity to interview with H&R Block® for employment during the income tax season.
Living in Your Community:
Personal independence means making your own choices – where to live, work and play. For customers of CPRF, living in the community provides a host of opportunities many of us take for granted and a number of other challenges that many people simply do not encounter – such as specialized transportation and accessible housing, to name just two. Founded in 1972, CPRF has been addressing these needs with a trained eye on personal choice and responsibility. To address the needs of people with disabilities in the community, we provide a number specialized of programs and services:
Adult Day Services
Case Management
Customized Wheelchairs and Repairs through the Daniel M. Carney Rehabilitation Engineering Center
Housing available through the Timbers apartments
Maintenance Therapy
Transportation provided by Timber Lines Transportation Services
Please visit our website or Contact us for more information:
School of Adaptive Computer Training
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