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. IN 2021, RISE SUPPORTED 3017 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 (53%); PEOPLE WITH HEARING DISABILITIES (7%); PEOPLE WITH BRAIN INJURIES (2%); PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES (2%) AND OTHER GROUPS (1%).DEMOGRAPHICALLY, 31% OF PEOPLE THAT RISE SUPPORTS ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR. ABOUT 10% OF PEOPLE ARE YOUNG ADULTS (17-24 YEARS OLD); 30% ARE OLDER ADULTS (50+). GEOGRAPHICALLY, 78% PEOPLE LIVE IN THE SEVEN COUNTY TWIN CITIES METRO, WITH THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATIONS IN HENNEPIN, ANOKA, AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES. 3% LIVE IN WESTERN WISCONSIN. 15% LIVE IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA (ST. CLOUD AND THE EAST CENTRAL REGION), AND 4% IN OTHER PARTS OF GREATER MINNESOTA. THE STATE OF MINNESOTA IS EXPERIENCING RECORD-SETTING UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, WHICH HAS BEEN A BOON FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. AS EMPLOYERS SEEK CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO FIND AND RETAIN STAFF, THEY HAVE BEEN MORE OPEN TO INCORPORATING DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AT THEIR COMPANIES THAN IN THE PAST. THIS HAS TWO MAJOR IMPACTS ON RISE'S SERVICE DELIVERY. FIRST, MORE PEOPLE WITH COMPLEX BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT HAVE STARTED COMPETITIVE, COMMUNITY-BASED JOBS DURING 2021 THAN EVER BEFORE, AS THE HIRING ENVIRONMENT HAS MADE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO FIND AND KEEP JOBS. SECOND, PEOPLE WITH LOWER BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT HAVE NOT NEEDED AS INTENSIVE SUPPORTS IN FINDING A JOB. WHILE THIS ULTIMATELY REDUCES CASELOADS IN SOME PROGRAMS, RISE SEES THIS AS POSITIVE BECAUSE IT OPENS ROOM IN CASELOADS FOR PEOPLE WITH MORE COMPLEX BARRIERS. RISE'S SERVICES ARE TIME UNLIMITED, SO STAFF ARE HERE IF PERSONS SERVED NEED SUPPORT IN THE FUTURE. WHILE MANY OF RISE'S PROGRAMS HAVE RETURNED TO NORMAL PROGRAM OPERATIONS AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, SOME INNOVATIONS HAVE BECOME PERMANENT. RISE'S VIRTUAL SERVICES HAVE CONTINUED TO GROW AND BECOME STANDARDIZED. SERVICES PROVIDED BY PHONE OR VIDEOCONFERENCING HAVE CONTINUED, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO RECEIVE PERSON-CENTERED EMPLOYMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS MORE EFFICIENTLY THAN EVER WHILE ALSO REDUCING BARRIERS TO ACCESS. ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE, RISE HAS EMBRACED THE VIABILITY OF REMOTE WORK AND HAS REEVALUATED REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS TO REDUCE OVERHEAD AND INCREASE STAFF COMPENSATION, LEADING TO BETTER SERVICE DELIVERY FOR THE PEOPLE WE SUPPORT. OUTSIDE OF THE PANDEMIC, THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS HAVE SIGNALED A SLOW PHASE-OUT OF CENTER-BASED WORK. RISE HAS ALSO CHOSEN TO EMBRACE THESE COMING CHANGES, IDENTIFYING APRIL 1, 2024, AS THE FINAL DAY RISE WILL OFFER SPECIAL MINIMUM WAGE. IN ANTICIPATION OF THIS TRANSITION, RISE HAS UNDERTAKEN SEVERAL PROJECTS TO PROVIDE MORE ROBUST COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMMING AND COMMUNITY-BASED LIFE ENRICHMENT PROGRAMMING. IN THE EMPLOYMENT DOMAIN, RISE IS IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING FOUR EMPLOYMENT EXPLORATION SPECIALISTS TO PROVIDE AN EXPERIENTIAL, SYSTEMATIC SUPPORTED DECISION-MAKING PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE EXITING SPECIAL MINIMUM WAGE JOBS. RISE HAS INCREASED AND STANDARDIZED OUR SELF-ADVOCACY PROGRAMMING TO ENSURE EQUAL ACCESS ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION AND TO ENSURE PERSONS SERVED HAVE THE SKILLS THEY NEED TO BE SAFE IN THE COMMUNITY. IN THE LIFE ENRICHMENT DOMAIN, RISE HAS ORGANIZED A VARIETY OF REGULAR OUTINGS FOR OUR REMOTE, CENTER-BASED, AND COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS. THIS INCLUDES A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH 21 ROOTS FARM IN GRANT, MN. IN SUMMER 2021, WE SENT A PILOT COHORT TO THEIR FARM EACH WEEK TO LEARN ABOUT GROWING FOOD, CARING FOR ANIMAL, AND HEALTHY EATING. SUMMER 2022 SAW A 5-MONTH LONG PROGRAM ON THE FARM FOR PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN LIFE ENRICHMENT SERVICES IN CRYSTAL, COON RAPIDS, STILLWATER, AND COTTAGE GROVE. FINALLY, RISE IS WORKING TO EXPAND OUR COMMUNITY-BASED LIFE ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS BY LOCATING NEW PARTNERS TO HOST OUR PROGRAMS ACROSS THE METRO. RISE'S MENTAL HEALTH AND HOUSING PROGRAMS ALSO SAW INNOVATIONS IN 2021. RISE'S RE-ENTRY PROGRAM IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA RECEIVED FUNDING TO HIRE A NEW RE-ENTRY NAVIGATOR TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS WHILE THEY ARE STILL INCARCERATED. THIS ALLOWS FOR MORE WRAP-AROUND, CUSTOMIZED SERVICES. IN 2021, RISE ST. CLOUD BECAME A FIELD PARTNER FOR THE RENTHELPMN PROGRAM, WHICH SOUGHT TO PREVENT EVICTION BY PAYING THE BACK RENT FOR PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC. WE HELPED OVER 200 LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS IN THE ST. CLOUD AREA EVADE EVICTION BY HELPING THEM APPLY FOR THE FUNDING AND MENTORED SEVERAL OTHER GRASSROOTS AGENCIES DOING SIMILAR WORK IN THE REGION. RISE ALSO WORKED WITH A SOMALI-LANGUAGE CONSULTANT TO ENSURE THE PROGRAM REACHED THE UNDERSERVED SOMALI COMMUNITY IN ST. CLOUD. WHILE DELIVERING CUTTING-EDGE SERVICES, RISE ENSURES THAT PROGRAMS ARE SUCCESSFUL AND MEET THE NEEDS, INTERESTS, AND DESIRES OF INDIVIDUALS. DESPITE ALL THE CHALLENGES CAUSED BY THE PANDEMIC, RISE STILL PLACED 420 PEOPLE INTO NEW JOBS IN THE OPEN LABOR MARKET IN 2021 AND SUPPORTED HUNDREDS MORE WITH THEIR EXISTING EMPLOYMENT. OVERALL, 95% OF PEOPLE ARE SATISFIED WITH THEIR SERVICES FROM RISE. A PERSON RECEIVING SERVICES SAID THIS ABOUT RISE:[RISE WAS] VERY THOROUGH AND KIND THROUGHOUT THIS CHALLENGING PROCESS. THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN VERY CHALLENGING W/ THE PANDEMIC, DAILY LIFE STRUGGLES, AND OTHER STRESSORS. RISE AND [MY SUPPORT STAFF] HAVE MADE THIS PROCESS TO FIND A JOB EASIER