Hope Services

Hope Services is a provider of services to people with developmental disabilities in Silicon Valley.  We serve roughly 3,500 people and their families and provide a broad spectrum of services for infants through seniors such as job training, children’s services, adult day & community programs, staffing, mental health services, community living services, and senior services.   

Our mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities.  Our vision is to promote a common understanding that the world is a better place when people with disabilities are fully integrated into our community and culture.  

Through Hope's Employment, Media & Community Connections (EMCC) Service, we provide  community-based and site-based activities, training, classes, and work  improve the quality of participants’ lives and encourage them to be valuable members of their community.  We achieve this by : 

Person-Centered Planning

Person-centered planning will be at the heart of each participant’s service. An initial intake meeting will identify each participant’s strengths, interests, and support needs. A staffing ratio of 1:8 on-site and 1:4 in the community allows for an emphasis on the needs of each individual. Additionally, each participant will be given the opportunity to choose what they will be doing each day, whether they choose go out into the community or take advantage of on-site opportunities. Participants can choose from different community-based activities such as volunteer opportunities, paid work, and education. On-site opportunities include paid work and education. Our newly redesigned facilities will have small classroom settings where participants can take classes on a variety of topics including life skills for community integration, production skills for editing and producing films, and computer skills.

Employment

Obtaining real work for real pay is the most desired outcome for individuals with a disability. EMCC will assist with career development as well as provide paid work opportunities both on-site and in the community. Career development will consist of:

• Self-exploration, where the individual discovers who they are and what they would like to do;
• Career exploration, where individuals identify specific careers that match their interests, skills, strengths, and values; and finally
• Career planning and management, which includes focusing on soft skills, career-specific skills, job search skills, and job development.

Participants will have opportunities to visit different job sites, participate in job clubs, and take part in paid work.

Media & Technology

The media technology segment of the EMCC service will include training in technology and media as a means to connect to the community. Participants will learn skills like how to use a computer, access the web, use email, or research community resources. They may learn how to produce and edit videos. Hope will partner with local TV stations to develop public service announcements for local non-profit organizations and relevant community events. In addition, each participant will create their own “annual movie,” which will include video footage of themselves participating in various scheduled activities, including work. This model of utilizing media and technology has proven to be very successful, resulting in increased participant satisfaction, and also increased personal independence and self-esteem.

Community-Based Activities

Individuals with disabilities want to be active and contributing members of their community and develop social ties and relationships. EMCC participants may spend large parts of their day out in the community. They will be participating in activities that are of interest to them, such as activities at local community centers, YMCA’s, local gyms, art classes, community college classes, adult education classes, and parks and recreation opportunities. Volunteer opportunities will be offered, based on each individual’s interests.

HOPESTUDIO

Hope Services launched a new program, HopeSTUDIO.  HopeSTUDIO provides hands-on training for approximately 150 adults with developmental disabilities to do hand-weaving with the use of looms, jewelry making, and other types of hand-crafted items trained by Master Weavers.  Once trained, participants will produce items for sale at our thrift centers while gaining paid, meaningful employment.  The centerpiece of our plan is to launch HopeSTUDIO in four counties we currently serve in the Bay Area.  This requires funding for: 

• More hand looms training, production, supplies 
• Offset other expenses to be incurred in this program.  

We anticipate that 200 participants will highly benefit from HopeSTUDIO within the next two years!