Community Link (formerly Employment Link) - Who We Are and What We Do

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!

The Board of Directors has approved their long range strategic plan to improve and increase their service lines and to formally change the non-profit organization's name to Community Link.

Employment Link

Community Link will continue to have the service options offered by Employment Link through the years including assistance with regular paid jobs with local employers, volunteer work and community integrated services for seniors. More than one hundred and forty people presently take advantage of these services and supports.

Home Link

The Home Link service line celebrated its one year anniversary in June, 2010, offering individualized supports in the home for people with cognitive and other developmental disabilities. Presently seven people are accessing this service which is planned for gradual expansion over the next several years.

Family Link

Family Link is Community Link's newest division, which has been created to assure people with disabilities can "live a good life." By "a good life" we mean having a home we are comfortable in, and having rewarding relationships and friendships. It means making choices about what we want to do and when we do it. A good life in our view is also characterized by giving back to our community, by making a contribution through work, sharing, and/or assisting others. Family Link services are guided by four values:

•family leadership and control,
•safety and security through relationships,
•self-sufficiency of funding, and
•personal contribution equals citizenship

Family Link services include person-centered planning, social network development, financial planning and being secure that our family members with disabilities will experience quality of life even when parents are no longer living. This service is being developed and guided by a local group of families who have been meeting and planning for more than a decade.

The Family Link Board met for the first time in mid-November 2010. A variety of committees are in the formation stage and plan to begin meeting in early 2011. People interested in receiving updates on progress are asked to contact us at 303-527-0627, ext. 797 or familylink@emplink.org.

Family Link became a PLAN Institute affiliate October 1, 2010. For more information, click PLAN Institute.

All Community Link services and supports will continue to be guided by our long term mission, "to actively support the inclusion of people with disabilities within our community."

If you wish to contribute to support the growth of these services, you may follow the instructions at the bottom of this page.

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Community Link began providing services to people with disabilities in 1960. Throughout those forty plus years we have collaborated with our customers and their families to provide high quality, responsive services. We believe in each person's right to self-determination and understand that people require individualized support to identify and reach their unique goals. Our services emphasize community integration, and the facilitation of natural supports and friendships within the workplace and community at large.

Community Link's corporate offices are located at 6290 Lookout Road in Boulder. We also have an office in Denver. Community Link has been approved by the State to provide employment services for people with developmental disabilities in Boulder, Denver, Jefferson, Clear Creek, Summit, Arapahoe, Douglas and Weld Counties. The State has identified our programs as consistently meeting their stringent standards and providing services consistent with their mission. The organization was proud to receive the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council's Dan B. Davidson Excellence in Inclusion award for Inclusion in Employment in 2003.

Community Link's commitment to quality begins with our staff. After extensive screening, Community Link employees are provided with state of the art training by national leaders in employment development and support, natural support, systematic instruction, and values clarification. More than twenty-five percent of our staffers have ten or more years of disability service experience and knowledge to share with our newer staff members.

We are dedicated to providing responsive, high-quality, flexible services to meet the needs of our new and existing customers. Along with our traditional state funding, we have also been awarded grants by the Daniels Fund, The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County, The Denver Foundation, the Burt Foundation, the Anschutz Family Foundation, the Kenneth King Foundation, Amgen and Xcel Energy. Our non-profit status allows us to access these additional charitable resources. In addition, non-profit status assures funding is used for the sole purpose of providing services to our customers and strengthening the agency. Whether you are an old friend, or a new customer shopping for a service provider, we welcome you to check out our commitment to customer service and enjoy the benefits of our long-standing history and experience in providing services to people with disabilities.

»»»Make a contribution!
Community Link is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please see the Colorado Secretary of State's website, by clicking http://www.sos.state.co.us/ccsa/CcsaInquiryMain.do. You may make a tax-deductible donation to Employment Link, Community Link or Family Link by simply sending a check to: Finance Department, Community Link, 6290 Lookout Road, Boulder, CO 80301. We will provide you with a receipt so you may claim a federal income tax deduction for the amount of your donation.