Supported Employment Program

Our supported employment program prepares individuals living with a mental health condition for employment. Individuals will work with our volunteer job mentors to determine their background in terms of education, skill sets, and other capabilities. The job mentor will match individual participants to the employment area most suited to the participants’ goals, skills, and preferences. Job mentors will help place individuals in community employment and continue to provide support to program participants after placement.

Match Me with a Job Mentor

Volunteer as a Job Mentor

Login For Class Materials

As a participant of our program, you will receive guidance in the following areas:

Resume writing
Interviewing skills
Mock interviews
Job search skills
Soft skills
Volunteering opportunities

Interested in getting started? FIll out our form below to be matched with one of our volunteer job coach mentors! For more information, or to partner with us, please contact Cindy Kaczmarczyk at [email protected].

Job Coach Materials

If you are one of our NAMI job coaches, please sign in below to access job readiness materials available to you!

Job Coach Materials

Check out our current events & workshops to further your workforce development!

Job Club

NAMI DuPage is partnering with Goodwill Workforce to bring you an in-person Job Club! If you need help completing your job applications, writing your resume and cover letter, or preparing for an interview, drop in and get the guidance you need!

Registration is in-person once you arrive for the class.

When: Stay tuned!
Where: Linda A Kurzawa Community Center
115 N County Farm Rd.
Wheaton, IL 60187

Workshops

NAMI DuPage is partnering with Goodwill Workforce to bring you Employment Workshops! We hope these in-person workshops will provide specific insight into topics relating to the workforce.

Registration is in-person when you arrive for the class.

When: 3rd Monday of the month
Time: 9:00 am – 10:30 am
Where: Linda A Kurzawa Community Center
115 N County Farm Rd
Wheaton, IL 60187

Upcoming Workshop

Stay tuned!

If there is something in particular you’d like to see us cover? Are you interested in presenting a topic? Please send an email to [email protected].

SUCCESS STORIES

Story #1

“In the past, I would be really nervous during job interviews, but I think the resume editing, mock interviews, and writing/editing interview question answers really helped me feel less anxious during the interview. I feel much more prepared now. I got past the first interview round, and then I sent a “thank you” email for the interview, and also mentioned some more of my projects. They responded and said I was the strongest candidate. So even if they don’t hire me, I still feel like I’ve made some progress with anxiety and interview skills because I at least got past the first interview round and got positive feedback, which is not something I’m used to.”

This program participant ended up getting the job!

Story #2

“For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with anxiety. When I was in my early 20’s I also started to experience symptoms of psychosis. The combination of these two diseases was frightening and put me in a vulnerable position that I had never been in before. Not only was I scared, but I also felt alone. I immediately started taking medication and began seeking treatment. One of the many different ways I have helped myself is by volunteering at the NAMI Rise & Shine Cafe. I am very thankful that this program was brought to my attention, as I instantly felt at home joining the cafe. The cafe not only has provided me with stability similar to having a job, but it has given me the chance to meet people who struggle with things similar to what I struggle with. Those, perhaps, have been the two most important things to my recovery.Now, instead of feeling sad or upset because of my situation, I feel fortunate. I am happy to have gained the knowledge and experience of volunteering at the café.”

After joining our Supported Employment program, this program participant was able to secure their first job in two years

Story #3

“One of our participants, *Bob (renamed for confidentiality), showed up at the community center and would not even look me in the eye when we first met. I later learned – in his words: ‘For quite some time I wasn’t even able to leave my house. I was afraid of everything. I still can’t drive and need to take meds when I go out for extended periods.’ He started volunteering at the cafe almost daily and quickly gained confidence. After 4 months, he was able to have the courage to go to a job interview and secured a full-time job with Thornton’s Gas & Convenience.”

Great work, *Bob!

Resources

Local Job & Apprenticeship Links

LinkedIn – Build a free profile and search for jobs

Naperville Library – Jobs & Careers Resources

College of DuPage – Career Services

WorkNet DuPage – Job leads

People’s Resource Center – Career site with job announcements

Apprenticeship Illinois – Find apprenticeships in your area.

Interview Preparation Tools

JobScan – Optimize your resume.

16 Personalities – Free Personality Test

Social Security / Social Security Administration

Ticket To Work – Social Security Administration. You can still work even if you are on SSI or SSDI.

Social Security Administration Red Book 2020 – Summary guide to employment supports for people with disabilities under the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) & Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs

Social Security Administration – What’s New in 2022 – Overview of SSA updates for 2022