Paid Internship
Program
Employment First
At Community Life, our first goal is competitive integrated employment.
Whenever possible, we work directly with employers toward hire based on the person’s strengths, interests, abilities, employment goals, and the needs of the business.
An internship is not automatically the first step.
Sometimes direct hire is the right path. In other situations, an experience based paid internship can provide something important that moves the person closer to employment.
The question we ask is not simply whether someone can participate in an internship.
We ask whether the experience will meaningfully advance the person’s employment goals.
What Is the Paid Internship Program?
California’s Paid Internship Program, or PIP, provides eligible people receiving regional center services with opportunities to gain paid work experience in integrated community workplaces.
PIP is accessed through the person’s Individual Program Plan, or IPP, and the internship should be connected to an individualized employment goal.
The purpose is not simply to create a paid activity. PIP should build experience, strengthen skills, and create movement toward competitive integrated employment.
We Develop Internships With Purpose
Community Life approaches paid internship development as we do job development.
We do not begin with a list of available internships and try to fit people into them.
We begin with the person.
We look at their interests, strengths, employment goals, preferred work environments, support needs, and what they want to learn or accomplish.
From there, we identify employers and work settings that may provide a meaningful match.
We then work with employers to develop an internship experience around real business needs and meaningful responsibilities.
The goal is to create an experience that has value for both the person and the employer.
When a Paid Internship May Make Sense
Gain meaningful experience in a field they want to pursue
Demonstrate their abilities in a real workplace
Explore an occupation or work environment before making a longer term decision
Strengthen their resume for future employment
Direct Hire Comes First
Community Life does not use an internship simply because someone has a disability or because an internship is easier to arrange than employment.
When a person and an employer are ready for direct hire, we work toward direct hire.
A PIP may be considered when the experience can add something meaningful to the person’s employment path.
That distinction is important.
An internship should create opportunity, not delay employment.
Build specific workplace skills connected to an employment goal
Clarify employment interests and preferred working conditions
We consider each internship individually and look at how the experience fits into the person’s larger employment plan.
Develop a work history and professional references
Create a potential pathway to hire with the internship employer
Build relationships with employers, supervisors, and coworkers
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Community Life approaches employers as business partners.
We want to understand what the employer needs, where the person may be able to contribute, and how the role can be structured for success.
When an internship is appropriate, we collaborate with the employer on the position itself, including responsibilities, expectations, onboarding, workplace supports, and the overall fit between the person and the business.
We also look beyond the internship.
When there is a strong match and an employment opportunity exists, we want employers to consider the person for direct hire.
A successful internship can give both the person and employer useful information about fit, contribution, support needs, and future possibilities.
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Community Life can provide individualized support during a paid internship based on the person’s needs.
Support may include:
• Learning job responsibilities
• Understanding workplace expectations
• Building communication and problem solving skills
• Developing relationships with supervisors and coworkers
• Identifying accommodations when appropriate
• Building confidence and independence
• Strengthening natural workplace supports
• Addressing transportation or other barriers that affect successful participation
As with all of our employment services, the goal is not to create unnecessary dependence on paid support.
We work toward greater independence and stronger natural supports whenever appropriate.
We want to understand what the employer needs, where the person may be able to contribute, and how the role can be structured for success.
When an internship is appropriate, we collaborate with the employer on the position itself, including responsibilities, expectations, onboarding, workplace supports, and the overall fit between the person and the business.
We also look beyond the internship.
When there is a strong match and an employment opportunity exists, we want employers to consider the person for direct hire.
A successful internship can give both the person and employer useful information about fit, contribution, support needs, and future possibilities.
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There are also practical pieces involved in making a paid internship work.
Community Life assists with coordinating and administering the PIP process, including working with the regional center, employer, and Financial Management Service, or FMS, when applicable.
We help keep the different parts of the internship aligned so the person and employer can focus on the experience itself.
Employment can also affect public benefits. When benefits questions arise, we help the person understand when benefits planning may be needed and connect them with appropriate benefits support so they can make informed decisions about work and earnings.
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Throughout the internship, we pay attention to what the experience is telling us.
Is the work a good fit?
What does the person enjoy?
What skills are emerging?
What support is useful?
What conditions help the person do their best work?
What has the person learned about themselves?
What has the employer learned about the person’s contribution?
That information helps shape what comes next.
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An internship should lead somewhere.
The best outcome may be direct hire by the internship employer.
In other situations, the experience may lead to a stronger resume, a professional reference, a clearer career direction, additional education or training, or a better employment match with another employer.
Community Life uses what was learned during the internship to help the person and their team identify the next employment step.
The internship itself is not the outcome.
Progress toward competitive integrated employment is.
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Paid internships are one tool within Community Life’s broader employment approach.
Depending on the person, the better pathway may be direct Job Development, Supported Employment, Discovery, Customized Employment, education or training, DOR services, or another employment resource.
We do not begin with a program and try to fit the person into it.
We begin with the person, identify the employment goal, and determine which pathway is most likely to help them get there.
Interested in learning more about the Paid Internship Program?
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Developing the Right Opportunity
A good internship should have a clear reason for existing.
Much like job development, we look for alignment between:
• What the person wants to learn and accomplish
• What they can contribute
• The type of work and environment that fits them
• What the employer needs
• Whether the experience can build skills, relationships, or opportunities that move the person forward
We work collaboratively with employers to shape meaningful internship roles around real business needs.
That may include helping develop or refine the job description, identifying core responsibilities, clarifying expectations, and making sure the role provides substantive work rather than busy work.
We also conduct labor market and wage research to help employers consider an appropriate wage for the role based on the work being performed, local market conditions, and comparable positions.
The goal is to create an experience that is meaningful to the person, useful to the employer, and connected to a clear employment direction.