 Supported employment is a unique employment service model for individuals with the most significant disabilities who require continuous, ongoing support to succeed in competitive employment.
Supported employment services are provided to individuals during all or part of their shifts to help them accomplish tasks and navigate typical workplace scenarios.
Adults who are eligible for Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) services may qualify to receive long-term employment support. Skagit County has three contracted providers who can provide individualized support for job preparation, job development, and job coaching through their supported employment programs.
The current providers in Skagit County are Chinook Enterprises, Sherwood Community Services, and Work Opportunities.
Want to find out more?
Contact the Developmental Disabilities Program at (360) 416-1500 or email skagitddprogram@co.skagit.wa.us.
Ready to work?
Please contact your DDA Case Manager to engage in supported employment services.
Qualified Provider Process
Skagit County has an open qualified provider process for Pathway to Employment Services. Qualified providers must be able to meet the requirements of the Skagit County Quality Assurance and Evaluation Tool. This tool is derived from the County’s qualified provider contract which is based on the DDA County Guidelines, the DDA Criteria for Evaluation, and DDA Policy 6.13 – Day Program Provider Qualifications. Links to the DDA documents are available at https://www.dshs.wa.gov/dda/county-best-practices
An agency may request to contract with Skagit County as a qualified provider at any time, but certain criteria must be demonstrated in order to assure the agency can best serve the local community. The criteria for consideration include:
- Existing contract with DVR for employment services
- Positive employment outcomes and documentation that the agency meets DVR’s reporting requirements for clients served in Skagit County
- Physical office location in Skagit County
- Staff assigned to Skagit clients, specifically
- Statement that addresses how the agency would fill an unmet need in the community related to employment services
Providers looking to contract with Skagit County must also have at least one local DDA client interested in being served by that agency for long-term employment supports. Since funding is awarded for each individual participant based on his/her unique support needs as documented on the DDA Assessment, each qualified provider receives a contract that includes a funding amount that reflects the number of clients that provider serves and the support needs of the individual clients. All participants are referred by DDA and each qualified provider has the opportunity to bill for a DDA client for whom they have a current DDA County Service Authorization.
To maintain qualified provider status, each provider must successfully complete a monitoring session every two years. All corrective actions on the monitoring report must be completed prior to renewal of each annual contract.
Interested agencies must request a meeting with the Developmental Disabilities Program Coordinator to review the above requirements, discuss services and needs specific to Skagit County, review the Skagit County Qualified Provider Agreement Contract, and ask questions. If the agency meets the above requirements and would like to obtain a Qualified Provider Agreement Contract the Program Coordinator will make an appointment to visit the agency and conduct an initial monitoring session to determine if the agency meets the requirements.
Information for Qualified Providers
Developmental Disabilities Program
skagitddprogram@co.skagit.wa.us
(360) 416-1500
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