Services
ECHO Services
There is a story behind every man and woman who becomes a part of the ECHO family. Through the support of the caring staff at ECHO, each individual is able to overcome barriers to employment and community access and achieve their optimal levels of personal and economic growth. ECHO’s services provide jobs, day support, and transportation for people with disabilities, and much more.
Services include:
- Group Supported Employment
- Individual Supported Employment
- Life Day Support
- Life+ Day Support
- Transportation
Group Supported Employment
ECHO specializes in providing valued, meaningful community-based employment designed to maximize each individual’s opportunities in accordance with their interests. The individuals work in small groups with on-site support at businesses in the local community.
For more information or directions contact Zanelle Nichols at zanellen@echoworks.org.
Benefits include
- Opportunities to try a variety of work
- Daily training and support at the worksite by qualified staff
- Paid vacation/sick days and holidays
- Transportation services from home to work for most participants in Loudoun and Fairfax Counties
- Pay based on productivity using approved wage rates
- Help in achieving individual goals
- Opportunities to access the community
- Advocacy support
Individual Supported Employment
ECHO is now offering a new program, Individualized Supported Employment (ISE), to assist participants secure employment through coaching, individualized support and training. ISE is a powerful and flexible way to create employment opportunities, ensure regular employment benefits, provide ongoing support and achieve full participation and integration into the workforce and the community at-large.
Individuals in the program are assigned a job coach to assist with the employment process from start to finish. This involves assessing the individual’s strengths, weaknesses and job interests and assisting with skill building, resume writing, job applications and job interviews. Once in the workplace, the job coach helps with learning the various job responsibilities. As the individual becomes more familiar with the position, the job coach fades and only provides services as-needed to ensure the success of the individual and business partnership.
For more information or directions call (703) 779-2100 or email info@echoworks.org.
Life Day Support
LIFE (Learning. Independence. Friendship. Empowerment.)
LIFE (Learning. Independence. Friendship. Empowerment.)The ECHO LIFE Day Support Program offers skills training to individuals who are not currently pursuing or interested in employment as the main focus of their day. Through a combination of structured group and individual activities, participants enhance skills in daily living, safety, communication, decision-making, self-advocacy, and other areas. In-house skills training is reinforced through community trips to music therapy, libraries, volunteer opportunities, and various physical and recreational activities. Person-centered service plans are developed in conjunction with support teams to build on the interests and choices of each individual.
For more information or directions contact Valerie Burton at ValerieB@echoworks.org.
Life+ Day Support
ECHO’s LIFE+ Day Support Program offers person-centered support in an environment where staff to participant ratios are higher to meet the support needs of the individuals. The goal is to provide opportunities for socialization, skill development, and community involvement, while maintaining and enhancing participants’ physical, cognitive, social, and emotional abilities.
The LIFE+ Program has a Registered Nurse on staff who consults with families, support coordinators, physicians, and residential providers to ensure a comprehensive, personalized program to meet each individual’s goals.
For more information or directions contact Valerie Burton at ValerieB@echoworks.org.
Transportation
Transportation is another important part of the ECHO advantage. Since our beginning, we have provided daily transportation to and from a program participant’s residence and their worksite. This has allowed individuals with disabilities greater opportunities for employment and community involvement.
As ECHO programs and services have grown, so has our transportation system. We now have 37 vans and small buses, many of which are wheelchair accessible, that in total average 34,000 miles per month while transporting approximately 160 program participants to and from their homes and worksites.
ECHO is now a Logisticare provider which allows individuals funded by Medicaid Home and Communities-based waivers to use ECHO transportation. ECHO also contracts with the Loudoun County Department of Family Services, coordinating VIEW transportation and providing on-demand transportation for their clientele.
For more information or directions contact Kinta Carter at kintac@echoworks.org.
