Career Counseling & Information Referral Service

The Career Counseling and Information Referral Service (CCIRS) is a four-hour course required of all participants in a sub-minimum wage program, known as 14(c) entities, under reforms to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The act states that individuals receiving a sub-minimum wage must have the opportunity to prepare for, obtain, maintain, advance in, or regain competitive integrated employment, including supported or customized employment. Participants must attend classes a minimum of one time per year, and organizations with a 14(c) certificate are not permitted to perform the CCIRS class.

In response, employU has comprised a team of specialists to present a CCIRS training program to highlight opportunities with Vocational Rehabilitation, Agency for Persons with Disabilities and other local community organizations and resources that provide employment- related services and supports. The classes are generally four hours in length and are often divided into two-hour sessions. They are held at the day training center and the staff of the day program is encouraged to attend especially if APD ratios are required. At the end of the presentation, attendees receive a certificate of participation that will document the completion of the required activities under WIOA.

The program emphasizes resources to help someone become and stay employed in an integrated setting. Resources include:

• Discovery Services – An extended assessment intended to allow the evaluator to learn about the participant on a personal level in efforts to create a feasible job goal
• Employment Training – Classes to develop professional presentation skills
• On-the-Job Training  – Determine abilities and interest, as well as build confidence in skills
• Job Carving and Supported Employment Job Placement and Coaching – Customized jobs for specific abilities
• Medicaid Waiver Services  – For participants that have the Medicaid Waiver Services available to them, extended services such as long term Supported Job Coaching and life skills trainings can help maintain employment