Employment Support Services

The Employment Support Services (ESS) Unit manages six (6) specialized employment contracts serving individuals with most significant or  significant barriers to employment. The ESS unit maintains current contracts, develops new employment service contracts, provides technical assistance and training to contracted agencies, DRS staff and community partners statewide.

The Supplemental Support Services (SES) Contract is a specialized contract for individuals with the most significant and significant barriers to employment. The contract provides assessment, career exploration, vocational preparation (Job Club), internship opportunities for careers, and job development and placement. This contract is for individuals requiring assistance in determining a vocational goal, preparing for the job search and interviews, and to obtain competitive integrated employment. 

The Supported Employment (SE) Contract, is a contract providing job retention services for people with the most significant barriers to employment. The Supported employment contract provides intensive, specialized onsite and off-site training and time-limited support to assist individuals to learn their job tasks, learn self-advocacy, learn how to resolve workplace issues, reach job stability and maintain competitive integrated employment.

Employment and Retention (ER) Contract is for individuals with significant barriers to employment. This contract is designed to provide individuals with  job experience who require short-term on and off-site training and support to maintain competitive integrated employment.

The Job Placement (JP) Contract is an employment contract intended to assist individuals who do not have most significant or significant barriers to employment and require minimal support in maintaining competitive integrated employment.

The Support Services for Employment (SSE) Contract provides employment support services such as specialized assessments, support services for community integration, and daily life skills management. It may be provided to individuals with most significant and significant barriers to employment in conjunction with other ESS contract services and with other Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) services.

ESS Oklahoma Service Payment System received awards from the Ford Foundation and the Harvard School of Business, as well as other government groups, for cutting government spending, improving service delivery, and increasing consumer satisfaction by linking payment for contract services to a series of completed services, or milestones, on the way to specific goals or outcomes, such as competitive integrated employment. Many states have used our milestone/service payment system as a model to develop their own. The Social Security Ticket to Work program, commonly referred to as Ticket Plus, is modeled after the Oklahoma Service Payment System.