Workforce Metrics: Local Agency Reports 75% Job Placement Rate

The Arc Westchester reports a 75% employment rate for individuals with developmental disabilities seeking work, a figure that is nearly double the 38% nationwide average. Barry Clark, executive director of The Arc Westchester Foundation, presented these figures as the organization prepared to recognize local employers at a breakfast event on Friday, October 23, at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel in Tarrytown.

The agency maintains a network of more than 100 business partners that have hired over 150 people with developmental disabilities for community-based roles. Tibi Guzmán, the organization's CEO, stated that the agency seeks to place these individuals as valuable employees, arguing that diverse talents and skills create stronger workplaces. Guzmán noted that the agency is grateful that over 100 companies share this belief and actively employ the people it supports.

The event serves as a platform to formalize these labor partnerships, which the agency describes as essential for creating meaningful career opportunities. Attendees included business leaders, community advocates, and representatives from the hiring companies. The gathering ran from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM and featured a keynote address by Ellen Bloom, MPH, who serves as the Director of Community Affairs for New York-Presbyterian Westchester and its associated behavioral health and Hudson Valley Hospital entities.

The organization distributed several awards during the ceremony to distinguish different levels of corporate involvement. The City of Yonkers Office for the Aging received the Distinguished Partner Award, while Compass Group was named the recipient of the Impact Award. Grapes the Wine Company took home the New Partnership Award, and Cintas received the Continuing Partnership Award.

New York-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health was recognized with the Employer Excellence Award. Jack Lambert, an administrative assistant at South East Consortium for Special Services, Inc., received the Anthony Cannata Memorial Employee Award. These distinctions highlight the specific contributions of both corporate entities and individual workers within the supported employment model.

The Arc Westchester identified itself as the largest organization in Westchester County supporting people with developmental disabilities and their families. The agency's Career Services division works to educate potential employers, a function supported by sponsorship revenue from events like the annual breakfast. The 75% placement rate cited by Clark is the central performance metric for the agency's current fiscal year operations.