DDS outlines Reimagining Day, EEO and EES options; 16 providers signed up

Sarah Olman, ARPA planning manager at the Department of Developmental Services, gave the committee an overview of the Reimagining Day initiative and two employment-focused service options folded into the STEP process. "We were really able to utilize STEP to support this work," Olman said, and noted that 16 providers have asked to add EEO or EES to existing day-service offerings.

Olman defined the two services for the committee. She said EEO, the Employment Exploration Option, is intended for people in day-service programs who would benefit from foundational exposure to employment settings in a structured environment that feels familiar: "It was those services that are focused on foundational employment skills, foundational exposure to an employment environment, but still provided within kind of a safe structured space that would feel familiar to that person."

EES, Olman said, stands for Employment Enrichment Services and is aimed at people who are already employed but need peer support to maintain or advance their work: "That's for people who are currently employed and needed that kind of extra peer support, to maintain or build employment social skills."

Olman said participation was made eligible under STEP restructuring incentives, and the department is reviewing requests and expects many to be approved to start by the end of the new year. She said the formal designation and tracking will help the department show who benefits and how the services affect employment trajectories.

Committee members thanked staff for the clarification; no formal vote or policy change was recorded at this meeting.