Rise

Rise also serves refugees and immigrants who have other barriers to employment such as language, culture, lack of transferable work skills, little education, transportation, and diagnosed and undiagnosed disabilities. In addition, we serve people who are receiving MFIP (Minnesota Families Investment Program) who are striving to move from welfare to employment. People need to be at least 16 years old, the legal working age in Minnesota, to participate in Rise's employment programs. What kinds of programs does Rise offer? Rise offers a wide variety of career planning, training, employment, school-to-work transition, job placement services, and follow-up support services. We also offer mental health housing support services such as independent living skills training, transitional housing, outreach to people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless, and other housing supports. In addition, Rise recognizes the importance of personal growth in all aspects of one's life. People participating in Rise's day training and habilitation programs have opportunities to engage in life enrichment activities as part of their weekday schedule, including community volunteer projects, art therapy classes, and participation in the Self-Advocacy Council. In 2016, Rise served more than 2,500 people in 40-plus programs offered throughout the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota. Since 1971, Rise has served at least 23,000 people. How does someone get referred for Rise services and who pays for those services? Each of Rise's programs has its own eligibility requirements. You can look up these requirements on page for a specific program or contact our intake coordinator at 612-877-1217. The referring agency (i.e., county of responsibility, school district, Minnesota Vocational Rehabilitation Services, etc.) is responsible for a person's service fees, meaning there is no cost to the participant. How is Rise funded? Rise has numerous "funding streams" which support our administrative, program, labor/production, and transportation services. The major portion of our income is generated from program service fees, followed by contract labor and production subcontract sales. Rise receives some time-limited grants from federal, state, and county entities to support specific program services and special projects. A smaller portion of our income is also generated through donations, special fundraising events, United Way contributions, and gifts from private foundations and individuals. Our operating budget for 2017 is $27.1 million. Why are Rise programs CARF-accredited? Every three years, Rise undergoes a rigorous and thorough assessment of its program services by surveyors from CARF - the Commission of Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. This intensive accreditation process examines and evaluates all aspects of the agency, including Rise's management system, employment programs and services, production procedures, and administrative organization to assess its compliance of CARF's international standards of performance. CARF accreditation gives consumers and funders confidence that an independent monitoring system is in place. The community can be assured of Rise's accountability and high-quality program and services. Read more about Rise's CARF accreditation. What kinds of subcontract work are done at Rise's production facilities? Rise's production facilities offer business customers a wide range of subcontract services including assembly, kit packing, packaging, and bindery. We also have teams of trained and supervised people available to work in area businesses in service areas (retail stores, hotels, and restaurants) and manufacturing. Read more about Rise's Business-to-Business Solutions. What kinds of volunteer opportunities are available at Rise? Several of Rise's programs have volunteers serving on project and business advisory councils to assist staff. We are always looking for new people who have good ideas to join us! If you are interested in joining an advisory council in the areas of Central Minnesota Works (St. Cloud area), the Minnesota Employment Center, or Day Training and Habilitation services, please contact Tim Dickie at [email protected]. If you are interested volunteering to do a short-term individual or group project for Rise, please contact Zoe Leonard-Monrad or 763-792-2454. She will be happy to help match up your interests with a specific project. Read more about volunteer opportunities at Rise here. What is Rise's Midwest Ticket to Work Partnership? The Ticket to Work (TTW) Program is one of many work incentive programs sponsored by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The goal of TTW is to offer Social Security disability beneficiaries more choices for supports when they are ready to find employment or return to work. SSA provides disability beneficiaries with a "Ticket" which they can use to obtain the services they need to find employment from one of many organizations called Employment Networks (ENs). ENs offer a variety of customized services that support the beneficiary in returning to work. When a beneficiary begins working and reaches certain levels of earned income, the EN collects payment. Many agencies are interested in the TTW program, but don't have the time or resources to go through the lengthy application process or manage another program. In addition, TTW is a constantly evolving program and many agencies find it difficult to keep up on the latest TTW updates and changes. Rise offers Midwest TTW partners with administrative services to assigned or unassigned tickets, as well as training, technical assistance, and consultation regarding all relevant SSA TTW policies. Once an individual's IWP (Individual Work Plan) is completed, minimal paperwork is required. Rise sends in the payment requests to the SSA for you and gives monthly updates. Rise only gets paid if you get paid. Rise will charge a small percentage for administrative costs.