30 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J
N
G
esher Human
Services will begin
offering paid,
on-the-job training for local
residents who would like to
start a human service career
in working with people with
disabilities. Gesher was pre-
viously called JVS Human
Services before it merged
with another nonprofit orga-
nization called Kadima in
2022.
The Gesher Direct Support
Professional Apprenticeship
program will provide unem-
ployed and underemployed
individuals with on-the-job
training and 155 hours of
related technical instruction
to earn a nationally recog-
nized Journeyperson Direct
Support Specialist Credential.
Apprentices will be matched
with a journeyperson at
Gesher who will provide
training, support and mentor-
ing to the apprentice.
Direct care work at the
nonprofit organization could
include working in residen-
tial homes with people living
with mental illness or other
disabilities, or providing job
support to Metro Detroiters
living with intellectual and
other disabilities who are
employed at work sites in the
community.
The new program will be
ongoing and there is no limit
to the number of openings,
although it is expected that at
least 20 apprentices will train
in 2024.
“We have launched the
apprenticeship because we are
constantly hearing about peo-
ple who would like to work in
direct care but are told they
aren’t suitable because they
don’t have the needed experi-
ence,” explained Gesher COO
James Willis. “Although being
compassionate and caring are
important requirements for
direct care work, there are
many skills that direct care
professionals need, and we
can now provide that specific
training and the opportuni-
ty for people to start a new
career for themselves.”
Participants in the program
do not need to be current
employees of Gesher nor do
they need prior experience,
but they will need to formal-
ly apply, pass background
checks, be available to work
35 hours per week, attend
classes and apply for services
with Michigan Works. The
cost of the classes will be
covered by Gesher Human
Services, and classroom time
will need to be scheduled out-
side of work hours.
“Direct care workers play
such a vital role in supporting
vulnerable members of our
community, and we know
there are many caring people
who would like to transition
to this type of work,” Willis
said. “We are hopeful our new
program will allow Metro
Detroiters to take this leap
into a new career by provid-
ing them with job training
and mentoring, plus offering
them an opportunity to serve
our community.”
For more details and to
apply for the internship, visit
www.geshermi.org.
Apprentices offered on-the-job paid training
to learn to do direct care for people with disabilities.
New Gesher Program
STAFF REPORT
OUR COMMUNITY
A direct care
workers with
a client
COURTESY OF GESHER