Sertoma Star Services

MISSION STATEMENT

To provide opportunities that empowers individuals with disabilities to achieve personal success.

CENTRE HISTORY

In 1971, three local Sertoma clubs representing the communities of Palos, Orland, Worth, Chicago Ridge, Evergreen Park, and Alsip created what was known as a sheltered workshop for individuals with disabilities. It was located in Alsip and called the Sertoma Job Training Center. The purpose of the facility was to create a place for individuals with disabilities to work and learn employment skills. When the facility opened, it serviced  11 individuals with a supervising staff of four. The 3,000 square-foot facility, built on land donated by the Lombard family, was located on 123rd St. west of Pulaski.

In 1987, Sertoma Job Training Center was renamed the Sertoma Career Centre, and by then, more 200 individuals were being served by a staff of 100. Throughout the 1990s, additional programs were added, including Employment Services which enabled individuals to work outside of the Centre and integrate with the local community. The Centre also opened its first Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) home, giving individuals the opportunity to integrate into the local community and live semi-independently with 24-hour supervision.

Sertoma Centre continue to grow and opened a second location in 2000, located directly south on 127th street in Alsip. This location was home to the sub-contract packaging and training services, including the developmental training and high school transition programs.

After renovations at the 123rd building were completed in 2002, additional programs were added or expanded, including Seniors Services, Developmental Training, Administration, Transportation and Janitorial Services (J-Team).
During the next twenty years, Sertoma Career Centre had become a model agency, not only through the south and southwest suburbs, but throughout Illinois. By 2023, the Centre looked to expand once again. This time, merging with New Star Services of Chicago Heights, an agency which mirrored that of Sertoma in terms of its mission, vision and services. Sertoma Centre is now known as Sertoma Star Services with physical locations in Alsip, Matteson, Chicago Heights and Merrillville, Indiana. Sertoma Star Services also operates and manages apartment buildings and CILA houses in Illinois and Northwest Indiana for individuals with disabilities.
Below are some of the services now provided by Sertoma Star Services

PROGRAMS

Autism Services: Provides highly structured programs for individuals with autism to build skills for daily living, job skills and community integration.

  • Autism Transition: Aids in the development and maintenance of skills as the next step for individuals capable of more vocational opportunities with increased independence.

 BRIDGE Program:  Serves adults and seniors ages 50 and older with severe to profound developmental disabilities. The program offers training on interpersonal, recreational, communication, health and wellness, and daily living skills in a group environment.

 Developmental Training: Focuses on job and social skills, daily living, and community integration experiences with an emphasis on preparation for community employment.

 Dual Diagnosis Program: Provides counseling and service planning for individuals dually diagnosed with a developmental disability and mental illness.

 Janitorial Skills Training: Provides classroom and on-the-job training in all janitorial tasks to prepare individuals for a career in this industry.

 School Transition:  Offers transitional services to high school students with disabilities ages 16-21. Includes evaluation, job and vocational training, skills development classes, and community integration, in the areas of employment and independent living in order to live productive lives.

  • School Transition-Behavioral Health: Provides psycho-educational groups, peer support, individual counseling, life skills groups and job training for students with emotional or behavioral disorders that could interfere with transitioning from school to work.

 Sertoma United Self-Advocacy Group: Encourages individuals to provide input on their choice of services and access to resources. Participants are urged to share their interests and passions and to speak up for what they need to be successful in life. Group members serve on agency committees, in interviewing and educating staff, and in legislative activities.

 Community Mental Health and Counseling Services: Provides support and education to enable people living with mental illness to participate in a personal recovery process.

Programs and services offered:

  • Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) – Building Skills & Managing Symptoms
  • Community Support Team (CST) – Supporting Community Integration
  • Therapy & Counseling – A Personal Discovery Process
  • Comparable Services – Managing Crises & Linking to Services
  • Individual Placement & Support (IPS) – Competitive Employment
  • Community Education – Mental Health Awareness

Employment Services:  Provides training and necessary support for persons with disabilities to help them achieve and maintain successful employment in the community.

  • Edge Employee Development Services Program: Assists students and adults in reestablishing skills, attitudes, personal characteristics, interpersonal skills and work behaviors necessary to obtain competitive employment.
  • Supported Community Employment-provides pre-employment assessments, on-the-job training for new employees, ongoing support as needed, technical assistance regarding job accommodations.
  • Community Based Assessments: Provides trial employment opportunities to determine an individual’s skills and interests in community employment.

 RESIDENTIAL SERVICES

Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILA):  Provides 24-hour support and supervision to 4 to 7 individuals living in a shared home in local communities. Sertoma owns and operates 10 shared homes, serving 62 residents.  With support of house personnel, and full service nursing, residents are empowered to take ownership of their home, participate in their local community, and learn skills that promote independence, health and wellness, productivity, and self-advocacy.  Sertoma also offers an

 Intermittent CILA (ICILA): Helps adults with developmental disabilities reach a higher level of independent living on their own or in their family’s home. Support through training and direction enhances the individual’s skills and leads to independence and social integration in the community.

Onsite Medical Clinic at the Sertoma facility in Alsip (includes transportation); offers medical, dental and specialized services to ensure access to these critical preventative and maintenance healthcare services. The clinic services CILA and ICILA residents.

 Home-Based Service Facilitation: Assists individuals in choosing and meeting their needs and preference for support services without having to leave their homes.  When appropriate, individuals can also apply for other services such as day programs or employment services.

 Permanent Supportive Housing: Community apartments for individuals with a disability, serving primarily individuals with a mental illness who require support services to live in an unsupervised apartment setting.  Tenants may access  Sertoma Centre’s Community Mental Health and Counseling services or be referred to other providers for needed support.

CONTRACT SERVICES

We offer packing/assembly and janitorial services through contract work with area businesses. Contract services offers paid, meaningful paid work for the individuals we serve and generates funds to help support our programs.

 Janitorial Services (J-Team): Provides top quality general cleaning and specialty services to any size business or home.  Specialty services include floor treatments, window/ wall washing and post-construction clean-up.  Seasonal lawn care maintenance and snow removal are also available.

 Packaging and Assembly Services: Offers a variety of production services to meet the needs of any business. Services include packaging, collating, shrink wrapping, labeling, gluing, bagging and sleeving products, weigh counting, pick-up, delivery, re-work, quality assurance and inspection.