Hello All,

Summer may be winding down, but SKILLS, Inc.’s Community Integration Department is ramping up! 

In April, SKILLS, Inc. received two Office of Aging and Disability Services Innovations grants, one of which was dedicated to pilot pre-employment and employment discovery. While we are currently providing Career Planning, Work Supports, and Employment Specialist services and will continue to do so, we had hoped to launch the grant-funded pilot services in September.  

In July, the Lifespan Waiver Concept Paper was released and included a number of proposed Competitive Integrated Employment Services. Our pilot goals have shifted to focus on testing these proposed LifeSpan Waiver Competitive Employment Services, which means the pilot services launch will be delayed until after the new year. Stay tuned!

We’re very excited to be helping identify ways for these services to be successful in Maine once

the new waiver has opened in 2025. 

We’ve been named a “2023 Best Places to Work in Maine” employer and have several oppor-tunities available to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities or autism in many different settings. Direct Support Professional (DSP) Appreciation Week is September 10 - 16. We’ll be joining a statewide effort to recognize our DSPs on Monday, September 11 at five locations by holding signs - if you see us, please wave! 

Lastly, in early September, we’ll be mailing out a Community Survey postcard to help identify potential community members and businesses who’d like to learn more about exploring integration in the workplace. If you are a business owner, director, or manager of an organization, please take a moment to fill out the survey and help us learn more about opportunities for the people we support!    

Sincerely,

Kristin Overton

Executive Director

Ps - Stay tuned for our first Annual Appeal in October - Belonging Starts at Home!

SKILLS Inc. will be holding signs in support of our Direct Support Professionals on Monday, September 11th, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in downtown Fairfield, Newport, Pittsfield, Waterville, and Skowhegan, Maine.

Please email us at information@skillsinc.net if you are interested in joining

and we will let you know where we will be!

It is so nice to be able to spend time out and about during the later summer and with the pause of all of the rain we've had! The ladies at Gallagher Cottage left the house for one of our August weekends - while 3 enjoyed camping and lobster, Valleda enjoyed a trip away from the mosquitoes! Pittsfield Community Supports have been busy enjoying the sun with trips to Belfast, Lake George in Canaan, and ice cream at Big Bills in Pittsfield. Bill, Dave and Kevin went to visit the sheep farm in Burnham. A few people travelled by Amtrak from Freeport to Old Orchard Beach and back. Everyone said riding the train was a lot of fun!

People at Ervin Community Supports enjoyed listening to Dallas play the guitar. Peter, Shane and Eric went to Fairfield's Mill Island Park for a walk and to enjoy the beautiful weather. Erika, Matt and Peter visited Reitze's Blueberry Farm in Canaan, where they picked a lot of delicious blueberries! When asked what they were going to make with them, they replied that they "just wanted to eat them!" We bet they were delicious! Matt and Travis went to DEW Haven Zoo and Rescue and, while their trip was short, it provided exposure to something new and made for great conversation at dinner time.

Last but not least, community service is a great way to keep busy and give back to the community! While dropping off some blankets at the Somerset Humane Society, Rhody and Bill visited with a couple of the pets up for adoption.

The Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management, Best Companies Group and BridgeTower Media have named SKILLS, Inc. as one of the Best Places to Work in Maine.

“The team at SKILLS is pleased to be named to the 2023 Maine’s Best Places to Work list. Every day, we all work hard to foster a supportive, welcoming environment where staff is able to make a difference while having fun,” said Kristin Overton, Executive Director of SKILLS, Inc.

“Everyone at SKILLS is a valued and appreciated member of the team.” SKILLS was included in the medium company category, which includes organizations with 50- 249 employees.

There were two parts used to determine the rankings. The first consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices and demographics, worth approximately 25 percent of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience, which consisted of 75 percent of the total. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final rankings.

“The 2023 Best Places to Work in Maine know that the people in their organizations are the key to their success. The companies foster a positive environment for innovative teams to thrive,”said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of BridgeTower Media for the East Division. “We are pleased to join our partners, the Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management and the Best Companies Group, in honoring these businesses.”

SKILLS will be among the winners honored October 11, 2023 at a celebration at the Augusta Civic Center.

A full list of winners can be found at:

https://bestcompaniesgroup.com/best-places-to-work-in-maine/winners/.

SKILLS, Inc. Direct Support Professionals and Team Leader positions, including per diem

positions are perfect first job and career change positions for people of any age!

SKILLS, Inc. provides paid training and full-time employees receive a generous benefits package.

Our team works in several communities throughout central Maine, making a difference

while also having fun!

For more information or to apply, visit our website at

https://www.skillsinc.net/careers or give us a call at 207-938-0204.

The SKILLS, Inc. annual family and friends picnic was a hit!

Thank you to all who pitched in and joined the fun!

Thank you also to our raffle sponsors!!

Congratulations to Kristin Overton, Executive Director of SKILLS, on being named to the Maine Association of Community Service Providers Board of Directors! MACSP is an association of organizations that provide supports and services to children and adults with intellectual disabilities, Autism and Brain Injuries in Maine.

Learn more on their website: https://meacsp.org/. 

Darrin Charrier, Opportunities Driving Education Coordinator has just passed his Driver Training Instructor licensing test. Congratulations Darrin!

On a similar front, the SKILLS

Driver Training Vehicle has arrived!

Jodi Viles (middle), a Per Diem employee, was recognized for her 5 year anniversary at SKILLS. She is pictured with Assistant Manager, Sherry Wood, and Per Diem Supervisor, Shawn Dumont. Thank you for all you do, Jodi!

Congratulations to Barbara Bailey (pictured left, with Team Leader Velia), on your 5 year anniversary with SKILLS! Thank you for all you do!

As a non-profit organization, SKILLS relies, in part, upon private donations so that we can continue to focus on our work. We hope you will join us during our 2023 Annual Appeal next month, and if you would like to contribute today, click on the button below or visit our website. Every gift has a positive impact on the supports we provide!

Email Us | 207-938-4615 | www.skillsinc.net