Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE)

CIE means:

  • Working in your community, meeting new people.
  • Making minimum wage or more per hour for your work. 
  • A chance to use your skills, promote & get paid more.
  • An opportunity to get health care and retirement benefits from your job. 

Happy colleagues celebrating and dancing in industry

The Benefits of Working:

  • Employment is important to the overall health and stability of any individual. 
  • Employment offers wages, benefits, status and opportunities to make connections with coworkers and the community as a whole. 
  • Employment affords the community at large an opportunity to experience firsthand the capabilities and contributions made by individuals with developmental disabilities. 
  • Employment offers a life with income rather than public benefits. 
  • Employment empowers an individual to dream and create a fulfilling career. 
  • Through work, people develop relationships and gain self-esteem. They are not just in the community, but they become a part of the community. 
  • Employment offers all people access to other community citizens, a path out of poverty, and independence from service systems. 

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Sources:

Department of Developmental Services; https://www.dds.ca.gov/initiatives/employment/