Kitsap County provides funding for employment services to approximately 340 adults with developmental disabilities each month. Over 80 local businesses competitively employ Kitsap residents with developmental disabilities throughout the county.

The "pathway to employment" is the process by which an individual pursues competitive employment. The pathway to employment for each person may vary in time, activities and supports necessary to achieve their personal employment goals.

School-to-Work Transition:
Transition services prepare young adults exiting the public school system to secure meaningful work. Services assist students and their family in building a bridge from high school to adult employment programs. Support is provided to coordinate funding between the Division of Developmental Disabilities and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Individual Supported Employment:
Services are part of an individual's pathway to employment. These are placement and follow-up services necessary to help persons with developmental disabilities obtain and continue integrated, living wage employment in the community, in business or industry. This service may include creating work opportunities, support to the supervisors and/or peer workers to enable them to support the person on the job, on-the-job training, and modifications of work site or tasks.

Group Supported Employment:
Services are part of an individual's pathway to employment. These are supervised employment and training opportunities in regular business and industry settings leading to an individual being able to secure gainful employment earning a living wage. Group Supported Employment is located in an integrated community business/industry employing groups of no more than eight (8) workers with developmental disabilities.

Community Access:
Services that assist people with developmental disabilities who are 62 and older who have retired and choose not to work. Services will assist individuals to participate in activities, events and organizations in the community in ways similar to others of retirement age.

(Available only by Exception to Policy through the Division of Developmental Disabilities)

Prevocational Services/Specialized Industries:
Services are part of an individual's pathway to employment. These are sheltered employment and training opportunities leading to an individual being able to secure gainful employment in the community. Specialized Industries (often called sheltered workshops) train groups of nine or more people with disabilities in the same setting.