People Inc. is proud to announce that it has received a grant from the Patrick P. Lee Foundation. The award, totaling $100,000, will allow the agency, in collaboration with People Inc. affiliate the Elmwood Health Center, to integrate mental health counseling into its successful employment services.

“People Inc. has over 40 years of experience providing employment services to people with developmental disabilities,” said Denise Bienko, vice president, People Inc. “While our reputation exists primarily in this arena, we do have experience providing employment supports to people with mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. We are so grateful to the Patrick P. Lee Foundation for this grant, which will allow us to expand the capacity of our Vocational Services Department, so that it can provide supported employment to even more people living with a mental illness or severe mental illness.”

Funds will support a multi-disciplinary team composed of an employment specialist and a licensed social worker (LSW). The employment specialist will provide one-on-one assistance to individuals with mental illness, while the LSW will offer support to assessing participants and helping to craft employment plans. Participants will then receive assistance finding and retaining jobs that capitalize on their personal strengths and motivation. 

The project will help People Inc. further promote its vision of a future where all people whose needs limit their integration into the community can reach their highest level of human potential as responsible members of society.

About the Patrick P. Lee Foundation
The Lee Foundation is a private family foundation dedicated to having immediate and measurable impact in two key areas – Mental Health and Education. For more information, visit www.lee.foundation.

About People Inc.
People Inc., a multispecialty non-profit health and human services agency, provides programs and services to more than 12,000 people with developmental disabilities, special needs, their families and older adults throughout Western New York and the Greater Rochester region. Since 1970, People Inc. has assisted individuals to achieve greater degrees of independence and productivity. With nearly 4,000 employees, People Inc. is one of the region’s largest employers. To learn more, visit people-inc.org, follow People Inc. on Facebook or Twitter @PeopleIncNews.