Increasing Employment for People with Psychiatric Disabilities who are Homeless

Gary Shaheen is the Director of Employment Program Development for Advocates for Human Potential. He currently serves as Project Manager for the USDOL Office of Disability Employment Policy/HUD Chronic Homelessness Employment Technical Assistance Center (CHETA), and provides technical assistance to states under the CMHS Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) Program. In this webcast, Gary discusses current approaches to help people with disabilities who are homeless re-enter the mainstream workforce. View this Seminar

Organizations often have difficulty determining which approach may be the most successful when shifting their services from facility-based to community-based. Some close their traditional sheltered workshops or day programs in one massive transformation. However, this radical approach can cause the most upheaval and negative reactions. As an alternative, some organizations have implemented a “one person at a time” approach to organizational change. An advantage to this approach is that the organization's board, staff, and parents are not threatened by sudden change. A disadvantage is the length of time that elapses before individuals with the most significant disabilities are offered access to community services. Read about this Approach to Organizational Change

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