Center for Independent Living

            Welcome to the Center for Independent Living’s Employment Service page. Our program is designed to help persons with a disability along all steps of the journey to employment. Clients eligible to participate in our program are either Berkeley residents with a disability or bay area clients of the Department of Rehabilitation. It is important to note that most individuals with a disability seeking employment should qualify to become a client. Contact us online to find out more about becoming a Department of Rehabilitation Client. We want to warn potential clients that this process is at minimum several weeks long and requires a significant time commitment on the part of consumers. If you’re not currently capable making that commitment, then our program might not be the best match. Any questions you have or if you want to find out if you’re a fit for CIL’s employment services program then please contact us to discuss your options.

Stage I: Intake

        The Academy has a simple intake process. We accept clients either referred by the Department of Rehabilitation or any Berkeley resident with a disability directly. Upon contacting our offices, an intake appointment is scheduled. During the intake, the client is evaluated to see if they fit with our program and what if any additional services the client might need to improve their chances of success with our program.

Stage II: Employment Preparation

Employment preparation is a four week program designed to cover the core professional skills necessary to find a job. Admissions are rolling and new clients are accepted each week. Clients are expected to arrive 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM for four days a week over the course of a month. During that month they will participate in both classes and collaborative development sessions designed to create, grow & polish their professional skills.

Stage III: Development & Placement

      Upon completion of the employment preparation stage, the client is advanced to the development & placement stage. In this stage the client is matched with a development specialist that partners with the client in their job search. They advise clients, help with networking and finally help create direct connections with employers about jobs.

Stage IV: Retention Services 

        The Academy’s goal is to not only have the client find a job, but for them to be able to stay there for the long term. To that end our staff will occasionally check in with both the client and employer for the first 90 days to ensure the client is thriving in their new workplace. This allows our program to help make adjustments as needed should issues arise during your first portion of employment.