Addressing Employment Barriers	Vocational Assessment
Job Search and Interview Techniques	Career Planning
Vocational On-the-job Support	Employer Benefits

Special Training & Employment Placement Service (STEPS) is funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. This employment service is designed to assist clients with a mental illness to gain and maintain employment in the open labour market. Since 1989, STEPS has provided employment support to people with a range of disabilities.

Entry Criteria
- be well or largely free of symptoms likely to reduce or impair your capacity in a work-place or training situation
- allow STEPS to liase with your key workers
- be ready and motivated to pursue at least 8 hours of paid work per week
- require on-going support while in employment
- be a Centrelink allowance recipient
- be able to travel to and from work independently
- be free of illicit drug use/alcohol dependency or receiving specialist counselling and support

Referrals and how to join STEPS?
Contact an employment counsellor at STEPS. We can answer any questions and send you an information pack.
We invite our clients to our office for a meet and greet appointment to determine eligibility to the program and how STEPS can help you.
STEPS can arrange for a Centrelink Job Capacity Assessment (JCA) for you. Otherwise, you may approach your nearest Centrelink office and request a JCA appointment. During this appointment you may ask to be referred to STEPS at Sydney Counselling Centre.

Speak with an employment counsellor or contact Centrelink for more information about the JCA process.

How does STEPS work?
Once accepted into the STEPS program, we assess you and gather a great deal of information to help you find suitable employment. We look at areas such as:
- Vocational Assessment
- Identifying employment barriers
- Preparing a resume and letters of application
- Identifying training needs
- Preparing an Employment Pathway Plan
- Learning how to market yourself to employers with our assistance
- Practicing interview techniques/skills
- Procuring volunteer work or work experience placements (if suitable)

Once you have a job, you may be eligible for on-going support from STEPS to help you keep the job.

Employer benefits
- Free advertising
- Free recruitment
- Free work trials
- Financial incentives i.e. Up to $1500 training subsidy
- On the job support
- Work in partnership with STEPS to contribute and create a better society

Contact
For more information about STEPS, please call one of our employment counsellors (02) 9415 1301