Job Readiness Support

The Kreative Space

The Kreative Space is housed in the Employment Center of New Perspectives, and offers clients the opportunity to learn valuable job skills in a work environment.

While completing work assignments, projects, or art, each Kreative Space student is working through both a classroom-type curriculum and individual goal-based plan to learn job skills.

Employment Specialists & Job Coaches

New Perspectives employs a job readiness team made up of both full-time certified Employment Specialists and part-time certified Job Coaches to support interested students in finding jobs in the community.

With a certification, job coaches are able to provide assistance beyond job training, including working with the new employee (client) on accommodations, and providing supported work. Support levels are decided based on client needs and wants.

Soft Skills Training

Neurodivergent workers typically have a difficult time keeping jobs because of soft skills they don't have practice in. At the Kreative Space, clients are provided with training and practice opportunities for soft skills. The staff focuses on communication, teamwork, adaptability, and executive functioning, which includes things like time management, working memory, problem solving, etc. Each student will also receive individual support in needed areas.

Job Skills Training

Each student at the Kreative Space works with different areas of the workshop to learn about things they are interested in. As they work, they are supported by the mentor team on goals for skill development, in everything from learning to follow directions, to cleaning effectively, to learning hands-on workshop skills.

Resume Building & Interview Practice

Each student has the opportunity to work 1:1 with an Employment Specialist on building out their resume, including adding their work at the Kreative Space or other areas of New Perspectives. In preparation for searching for a job, students are also able to practice answering common interview questions, and talk through what an interview looks like. When a student is prepared, they can also try out a mock interview with employment specialists they don’t know.

Volunteer Opportunities

The New Perspectives staff can help clients find local volunteer positions to gain more experience and learn new skills. Some past and current students have volunteered at an aquarium, a retirement home, a women’s shelter, and local food banks.

Volunteering helps students learn new work skills and try out different types of jobs to learn more about themselves. The bonus is more experience to add to a resume!

Emotional Regulation at Work

Once a week all the students who work at the Kreative Space attend a team training on Emotional Regulation led by New Perspectives Co-Founder & Therapist Justin Robinson. Throughout the week, the mentor team checks in with students about the training to integrate it into their work. Each student has an emotional regulation plan written out to refer to when they need assistance with regulating at work.

Workplace Accommodations

Each New Perspectives Client can work with an Employment Specialist to learn about accommodations available in most workplaces. As students work on projects, the mentor teams assists them in noticing areas where they could benefit from an accommodation, and how that would look in a workplace.

All students at the Kreative Space are provided the accommodation of noise reducing headphones and are allowed to listen to music. Individual accommodations also apply.

Performance Review Reports

Students at the Kreative Space complete weekly goal meetings with the manager of the mentor team to follow up on the skills they are working on. Once a month, students have a performance review with the Director of the Kreative Space to review goal progress, skill benchmarks, and determine stipend amount for the next month. A full report of the review, student & mentor reported goal progress, job coach observations, and skill development tracking are available each month.