Rise Incorporated

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS AND CUSTOMIZED SUPPORT.

WHEN RISE WAS FOUNDED, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES HAD FEW CHOICES: STAY HOME ALL DAY, MOVE TO AN INSTITUTION, OR ATTEND ONE OF THE FEW WORKSHOPS PROVIDING PRODUCTION-LIKE JOBS. THE GOAL OF THE RISE FOUNDERS WAS TO GIVE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES A GREATER RANGE OF CHOICES THROUGH TAILORED VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SERVICES IN ANOKA COUNTY, INCLUDING CENTER-BASED SERVICES AND LIFE ENRICHMENT PROGRAMMING. SINCE RISE'S FOUNDING IN 1971, OUR SERVICE AREA AND OUR POPULATIONS HAVE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE DIFFERENT GROUPS AND COMMUNITIES.IN 2022, RISE SUPPORTED 2611 PEOPLE THROUGH EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT ASSIST PEOPLE IN OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO ACHIEVING THEIR GOALS. DESPITE ITS LONG HISTORY AS A DISABILITY SERVICE PROVIDER, RISE PROVIDES SUPPORTS FOR MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS: PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS (35%); PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES (51%); PEOPLE WITH HEARING DISABILITIES (7%); PEOPLE WITH BRAIN INJURIES (2%); PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES (5%) AND OTHER GROUPS.DEMOGRAPHICALLY, 27% OF PEOPLE THAT RISE SUPPORTS ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR. ABOUT 8% OF PEOPLE ARE YOUNG ADULTS (17-24 YEARS OLD); 36% ARE OLDER ADULTS (50+). GEOGRAPHICALLY, 75% PEOPLE LIVE IN THE SEVEN-COUNTY TWIN CITIES METRO, WITH THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATIONS IN HENNEPIN, ANOKA, AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES. 3% LIVE IN WESTERN WISCONSIN. 20% LIVE IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA (ST. CLOUD AND THE EAST CENTRAL REGION), AND 2% IN OTHER PARTS OF GREATER MINNESOTA. IN 2022, 329 PEOPLE ACROSS RISE PROGRAMS STARTED NEW COMPETITIVE JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY. RISE CANNOT DO ITS WORK WITHOUT ITS INCREDIBLE STAFF. 2022 WAS A YEAR OF REGROWTH, AND WE'RE NOW ONE HUNDRED STAFF MEMBERS CLOSER TO OUR PRE-PANDEMIC HEADCOUNT, WHICH MEANS MORE PEOPLE CAME OFF THE WAITLIST FOR SERVICES IN 2022. RISE HAS ACHIEVED THIS THROUGH A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO RECRUITMENT, HIRING, AND RETENTION. RISE ALSO INCREASED WAGES FOR DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS BY 25% IN 2022 TO MAKE SURE COMPENSATION MATCHED EXPERTISE AND THE COST OF LIVING. RISE'S STAFF NOW ALSO RECEIVE MORE TRAINING TO SUPPORT THEIR WORK. IN 2022, WE RAN A TRAUMA-INFORMED SUPPORTS (TIS) TRAINING PILOT, WHICH WE'RE EXPANDING TO ALL STAFF IN 2023. TIS JOINS PERSON-CENTERED THINKING AS A CORE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR RISE STAFF. IN 2021, RISE MADE THE DECISION TO END ITS SUBMINIMUM WAGE PROGRAM, WITH AN END DATE OF APRIL 1, 2024. IN ANTICIPATION, RISE STAFF HAVE BEEN HARD AT WORK SUPPORTING PERSONS SERVED IN PLANNING FOR THIS CHANGE. FIVE EMPLOYMENT EXPLORATION SPECIALISTS EXPERIENCED DISABILITY SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS - HAVE BEEN WORKING ONE-ON-ONE WITH PERSONS SERVED IN A SUPPORTED DECISION-MAKING PROCESS TO HELP THEM CHOOSE THEIR FUTURE SERVICES AT RISE: RETIRE INTO DAY SERVICES, WORK ON A SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT TEAM (SET), GET A COMPETITIVE JOB, OR SOME COMBINATION OF THOSE ACTIVITIES.RISE IS NOT UNDERTAKING THIS WORK ALONE. IN 2022, RISE WELCOMED RESEARCHERS FROM SAINT CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY INTO THIS PROGRAM TO EVALUATE ITS EFFICACY AND TO HELP OTHER PROVIDERS NAVIGATE THIS PROCESS IN THE FUTURE. WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED ONGOING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM DISABILITY EXPERTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AND FROM UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AT BOSTON.RISE HAS ALSO MADE MANY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS IN 2022. WE'VE COMPLETED RENOVATIONS AT SPRING LAKE PARK AND COON RAPIDS. WE BEGAN A RENOVATION OF OUR ANOKA SITE IN 2022, AS WELL. WE ALSO BEGAN PLANNING FOR 2023 RENOVATIONS OF OUR COTTAGE GROVE AND FOREST LAKE SITES. THE GOAL OF THESE RENOVATIONS IS TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY, INCREASE DIGNITY, AND TO ALIGN OUR PROGRAM SPACE WITH LIFE ENRICHMENT AND EMPLOYMENT EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES.FINALLY, RISE SUCCESSFULLY EXPANDED TWO CORE PROGRAMS IN 2022 PARTNERSHIP FOR A SUCCESSFUL RE-ENTRY AND THE MINNESOTA EMPLOYMENT CENTER. AFTER A MUCH-DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS, RISE'S PARTNERSHIP FOR A SUCCESSFUL RE-ENTRY WHICH WORKS WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES RE-ENTERING THE COMMUNITY AFTER INCARCERATION IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA ADDED A NEW PARTNER, THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. WORKING WITH THE DOC AND THE MEDICA FOUNDATION, RISE SUCCESSFULLY EXPANDED ITS RE-ENTRY PROGRAM TO INCLUDE PRE-RELEASE SERVICES. NOW, A RE-ENTRY NAVIGATOR WORKS WITH PEOPLE BEFORE THEY EXIT THEIR CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES TO PLAN FOR THEIR RELEASE. AS A RESULT, PERSONS SERVED CAN HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AND MOVE MORE QUICKLY TOWARD ACHIEVING THEIR GOALS.RISE'S MINNESOTA EMPLOYMENT CENTER (MEC) PROVIDES BILINGUAL AND BICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS FOR THE DEAF COMMUNITY ACROSS MINNESOTA. IN 2022, RISE DECIDED TO EXPAND THE REACH OF MEC TO INCLUDE DEAF INDIVIDUALS WITH CO-OCCURRING INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. RISE HAD PREVIOUSLY ONLY SERVED THIS SECOND GROUP IN ITS METRO-BASED PROGRAMS, BUT HOUSING THESE SERVICES UNDER MEC GIVES NEW ACCESS TO CULTURALLY- AND LINGUISTICALLY-COMPETENT SERVICES TO DEAF RESIDENTS IN GREATER MINNESOTA FOR THE FIRST TIME.