Supporting Employment for People who are Homeless: Q&A with John Rio

Supported employment is a primary strategy to help people move from homelessness to housing. John Rio talks with HRC’s Gloria Dickerson about the challenges and benefits of implementing employment services in homeless assistance programs.

John Rio co-directed a U.S. Department of Labor technical assistance initiative for the past four years to employ people who are homeless with disabilities. With over 30 years of experience in rehabilitation, housing and recovery services, John has developed materials and provided vocational training and technical assistance.

Q: How would you describe the current state of employment services in homelessness?
A: I am seeing increased recognition that employment is important for people who are homeless. However, this increase in recognition has not yet translated into a wide array of employment services. There are no large-scale employment services available for people who experience homelessness. In fact, over the last eight years there has been reduced funding for employment services across agencies.

Q: Why should providers invest time and energy in employment services?
A: Providers should invest in supported employment services because employment helps people maintain housing and prevent homelessness. In addition to the tangible benefits of housing, there are also the life-sustaining growth benefits such as individual reconnection with community and personal dignity.

Q: What are major challenges that homeless service providers encounter as they try to implement employment services?
A: They are discovering that the field has not caught up with what we know. We know that traditional vocational approaches to employment for people with various personal challenges do not work. We know that supported employment does work.

The recession is causing further cutbacks in budgets and resources that were already very limited, meaning increased competition for fewer jobs and resources. As a result, employers who are struggling to keep their workers on the job may be reluctant to hire consumers – posing an added challenge to employment specialists.

Q: What practical strategies can you recommend for service providers so they can effectively meet these challenges?
A: One strategy is to help people develop new skills to increase their ability to compete for available positions. It is also important for service providers to stay the course. Maintaining a commitment to helping people find jobs in spite of all the challenges is critical. Homeless assistance programs and supportive housing agencies can also:

• Explore funding for more resources to support employment:
• Check out the Financing Employment Programs for Homeless People Toolkit.
• If your program receives Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) funds, consider ways to link homelessness prevention with job restoration activities that are also funded under the stimulus package.
• Train staff on how to do vocational planning and help people get jobs.
• Provide assistance to help consumers develop occupational goals.
• Check out these helpful tools from John Rio’s recent HRC webcast on employment.
• Use the Ticket to Work program, which aims to increase employment opportunities and choices for people receiving Social Security disability benefits.


Publication Date: 
2009
Location: 
Rockville, MD, USA