Countryside Association offers a range of training and vocational opportunities for teens and adults with disabilities. Men and women can work at our work and training centers or receive support to find and retain jobs throughout the community.
Countryside Center located in Palatine, Illinois and Lakeside Center located in Waukegan, Illinois offer a variety of services and supports designed to assist individuals with disabilities learn work skills and habits while at the same time earn income. Case managers assist each individual to identify and achieve personal outcomes that are most important to them.
Work Services is designed to offer supported opportunities for paid work in a supervised, sheltered environment. Opportunities include both subcontract work and community work sites or enclaves, which are closely supervised by Countryside and community employers.
For More Information: (includes developmental training; paid work opportunities in addition to social, recreational and skill development) Contact Person: Lakeside Center: Joanne Kuhstoss; jkuhstoss@countrysideassn.org; (847)540-3761 Countryside Center: Nichole Visconti; nicholev@countrysideassn.org; (847)540-3745 Geographic Area: Northern Cook and Lake Counties, Illinois Eligibility: An adult who has a developmental disability and has been approved for developmental training funding by the Illinois Department of Human Services. Fees: May apply depending upon the program service/transportation provided. Persons funded through the Medicaid Waiver are exempt from any fees.
Developmental Training is a day program that is designed to assist individuals with severe developmental disabilities. Activities combine daily living skills instruction, community trips, vocational training and recreation to create a fun and active program for adults.
Examples of activities include cooking classes, discussion groups, visits to restaurants and participation in community events such as fairs and holiday events. Trips to interesting community sites include zoos, arboretums, aquariums, bowling alleys and shopping centers. Planned community trips generally allow for small groups to allow more individualized support
For requirements on any of these programs, please contact Nichole Visconti at 847-540-3745 or nicholev@countrysideassn.org for the Palatine location and John Kuhstoss at 847-540-3761 or jkuhstoss@countrysideassn.org for the Waukegan location.
Supported Employment offers the necessary services to assist individuals find jobs in local businesses throughout the area. The program offers job training, in the form of a job coach, to help an individual learn a job and become as independent as possible.
Supported employment staff assist adults in determining the types of jobs they would enjoy while assessing a person's capabilities, job interests, preferred work environment , and transportation needs. Once a job is found , a Countryside job coach offers training to the employer so that they can successfully train an employee with a disability.
Supported employment services can be offered individually or through small groups (enclaves) who work at various companies in the area. This program has been highly successful at assisting many individuals find and retain a variety of jobs including work in restaurants, hotels, manufacturing plants and offices.
Contact Person: DJ Newport; djnewport@countrysideassn.org; (847)540-3751 Geographic Area: Northern Cook and Lake Counties, Illinois Eligibility: Documented disability and in need of support to obtain and/or maintain community employment; approved for funding by the Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services. Fees: N/A
View a video about Community Employment- Click to Start
This program offers children and adults with developmental disabilities needed support to remain at home with their families or live semi-independently. The program is specifically designed to assist each individual or family with a variety of specific support services including:
Service Coordination
Advocacy
Community and Family Education
Referral Services
Teaching specific skills needed to achieve or maintain an individual's desired living arrangement
Instruction in social skills and opportunities to expand one's network of friends
Supportive Counseling
For More Information: Contact Person: Alonza Walker; awalker@countrysideassn.org; (847)540-3777 Geographic Area: Northern Cook and Lake Counties, Illinois Eligibility: Client and Family Support: Illinois resident with a developmental disability in need of assistance to maintain current community living arrangement. Home Based Support Services: Illinois adult resident with a developmental disability in need of significant supports; and who has been determined eligible for funding by the State of Illinois. Fees: N/A
Countryside Association offers In-home Respite services that are designed to help maintain children or adults with disabilities in their home environment as an alternative to residential placement.
• Relief to family members who care for individuals or when emergencies occur that take care-givers away from the home for short periods.
• Respite seeks to maintain and support routines that have been established in the home.
• Respite workers are skilled at promoting daily living skills, offering recreational activities and encouraging appropriate social skills.
For More Information: Contact Person: Alicia Powell; aliciap@countrysideassn.org; (847)540-3723 Geographic Area: Northern Cook and Lake Counties, Illinois Eligibility: Family caring for a child or adult with a developmental disability. Fees: N/A
View a video about In Home Respite- Click to Start
Countryside Association offers area businesses an opportunity to outsource various jobs to be completed at our Work and Training Centers or to create an outsource work group at your location.
Both Work and Training Centers have the capability to complete jobs on-site or to provide trained workers to work as part of an enclave at your location with as much support as needed.
In either case, the work will be done to your specifications and completed on time. Rates are competitive, and individuals are paid a commensurate wage.
We provide many types of subcontract and outsourcing services including:
Light Assembly
Hand Packaging
Shrink Wrapping
Inspection
Heat Sealing
Collating
Mail Stuffing
Sorting
Shredding
Rework
View a video about our Work and Skills Training - Click to Start
See what our other Countryside Association customers have said:
"Countryside displays a strong commitment to quality. This is credited to the willingness of the management and staff for understanding customer's needs and innovating their quality systems to provide the best service available." "Countryside consistently meets Abbott's high standards for quality, delivery and service." - Abbott Diagnostics Development, Abbott Laboratories. Customer for over 19 years.
"Lakeside is committed to on-time deliveries. They do whatever it takes to get the job done. They do excellent work." - Quill Corporation. Customer for over 4 years.
"Countryside always meets our needs in a timely and efficient manner. They are always enthusiastic about receiving more work." - Academy Corp. Customer for over 3 years.
"The work that Countryside provides for us has been consistently been excellent." - Cole Parmer Instrument Co. Customer for over 10 years.
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