Employment
Be the Impact.

Employment opportunities are arranged as a partnership between supportive area corporations and the Bergmann Center. Bergmann Center skilled staff train individuals to perform the needed work, and directly oversee the work quality. The individual experiences personal developmental success and earning capabilities.

Employment opportunities are typically piecemeal work, easily performed using basic cognitive skills. An individual's goals may be to earn additional income, or learn a specific skill through Bergmann initiated employment opportunities for intellectually or developmentally challenged individuals.

Employment Supports and Services

Employment supports and services are available to Medicaid clients when medically necessary, or through private pay arrangements. Each program is individualized according to the person’s needs as outlined in their Person-Centered Plan of Service. In some cases, individuals also receive a wage through Bergmann Center partnerships with supportive area employers.

Prevocational Services

Prevocational services are habilitative supports that help individuals build general, non-job-task-specific skills to prepare for future employment in community settings. These services focus on foundational skills such as:

Attendance and reliability
Problem-solving and decision-making
Safety awareness and community conduct

The goal is to strengthen the skills that support long-term employment success, rather than teaching specific job tasks.

Vocational Services

Vocational rehabilitation services, funded through Medicaid or programs such as Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS), help individuals with disabilities prepare for, enter, or remain in the workforce. The Bergmann Center supports this process when other funding sources are limited, offering individualized programming that may include:

Assessment and rehabilitation planning
Counseling and skill training
Job placement and retention support

These services are designed to connect individuals with meaningful work opportunities that match their strengths and goals.

Supported and Integrated Employment Services

Supported employment emphasizes helping individuals obtain and sustain Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) — part-time or full-time work in the community that pays at least minimum wage, with wages and benefits equal to those of co-workers without disabilities.

Supports may include:

Career discovery and person-centered employment planning
Job development, placement, and negotiation with employers
On-the-job coaching and systematic instruction
Benefits and work incentives planning

These services are provided through local Community Mental Health Service Programs (CMHSPs) when medically necessary for individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) or Serious Mental Illness (SMI).

Direct Employment Services

The Bergmann Center also partners directly with employers in Northern Lower Michigan to create paid work opportunities for individuals with IDD. These opportunities often involve group-based tasks such as sorting, assembly, or other piecemeal work, performed at Bergmann Activity Centers under staff supervision.

Through these experiences, individuals gain:

Teamwork and collaboration skills
Confidence and self-esteem
The satisfaction of earning a wage to supplement disability income

Direct employment services provide a safe, structured environment where individuals can practice skills, contribute meaningfully, and experience the dignity of paid work.

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES COMPARISON CHART

Employment Be the Impact.

Employment
Be the Impact.