What is Supportive Employment?
Pathways to Housing PA was founded on the belief that no one should have to meet preconditions to access essential services. Our Housing First program exemplifies this: We provide housing first and then add comprehensive, wrap-around case management to help participants find stability and maintain their homes.
A few years after launching in Philadelphia, we noticed similar barriers for participants seeking employment. Lack of experience, resumes, work-ready clothing, and transportation created significant challenges for our participants. These obstacles often led participants to give up rather than push through.
Since removing barriers worked for housing, we asked ourselves, could it work for employment too? At the time, we needed part-time help at the Philadelphia Furniture Bank (PFB) and had a deep understanding of the needs of this population. That’s when we decided to dive into what would eventually become Work First, a supportive employment program designed for individuals re-entering the workforce after an extended break.
In the early years, the program was small—just five people working part-time while receiving employment coaching from our staff. Today, the program supports 15 to 20 people at any given time. During this growth, PFB also expanded, now furnishing over 1,000 homes each year. We’ve also launched a junk hauling service, Good Haul.
The Work First program offers participants paid, part-time work along with coaching on re-entering the workforce and moving toward permanent employment. Participants assist in the warehouse by moving furniture, preparing deliveries, and handling inventory. They also help with pick-ups and deliveries in our trucks, personal shopping for PFB clients, and sorting through Good Haul items as they return to the warehouse.
Returning to the workforce in a safe, supportive environment makes a real difference for Work First participants. Our supervisors understand the circumstances that led to long periods of unemployment and are skilled at accommodating unique needs while ensuring the job gets done. The ultimate goal is to help participants gain the soft and hard skills needed to take the next step toward success.
