Programs

What is Causeway?

Causeway Work Centre is a not-for-profit, charitable organization that has assisted people with mental health issues and other disabilities, as well as those who are economically disadvantaged for more than 30 years. Causeway services include: Pre-employment and skills development; Computer Training; a comprehensive Youth Pre-employment program; various Supported Employment programs; and three entrepreneurial businesses run by and employing Causeway clients: Krackers Katering, Cycle Salvation and Good Nature Groundskeeping. Details of these programs and services are provided below.

Skills Development Program - Clients not ready for immediate entry into the workforce may find opportunities in the administration and food service areas of Causeway Work Centre.

Employment Resource Centre - Provides assistance in resume, cover letter preparation and the development of interview skills. The Centre also provides employment resources and listings and clients have access to the Centre’s computers, telephones and fax facilities.

Solutions for Youth - A pre-employment program to assist younger individuals in preparation for paid employment. The program includes pre-employment activities, conflict resolution workshops, as well as seminars on assertiveness, self-esteem and anger management in the workplace.

Group Employment - Provides paid work with staff support at various locations throughout the city.

Individualized Supported Employment - Offers participants an opportunity to find their own job by providing interventions in job placements, job coaching and ongoing support.

Employment Support Program (ESP) - An authorized ODSP program that helps people with physical, mental or developmental disabilities prepare for, obtain and retain paid employment.

Job Quest - A program that works with other agencies to service the economically disadvantaged, specifically the homeless and those at risk. Job Quest offers rapid employment placement in full and part time jobs with minimal on-going support.

Supported Employment for Persons with Severe Mental Illness Living in Rural Ottawa - Funded by the United Way and the Ottawa Community Foundation, this program provides job placement, job coaching and follow-along services to persons living in Homes for Special Care (HSC) in the rural areas of Ottawa-Carleton.

Community Access Program (CAP) - The Community Access Program funded by Industry Canada provides computer access to persons who are economically disadvantaged in sites throughout Ottawa and Eastern Ontario. Causeway is the administrator of 54 sites in our area.

Wellness Program - A comprehensive program that includes structured exercise in the fitness centre at Causeway, utilizing and the services of a professional trainer.

Krackers Katering - Krackers is an entrepreneurial business that operates under the auspices of Causeway Work Centre since 1999 and has provided training opportunities, as well as full-time, part-time, and casual paid employment to individuals with mental health issues or other disabilities. Currently Krackers has some 150 individual and corporate clients who place regular orders and employs 36. A full catering service is offered with extensive menu options that can handle meetings, presentations, parties, weddings and other special events, whether private or corporate.

Good Nature Groundskeeping - Offers Causeway clients temporary community work, mainly of a seasonal nature, for the City of Ottawa, seniors’ organizations and the general public. Good Nature Groundskeeping currently holds 13 commercial contracts and provides employment opportunities for 40 Causeway clients.

Cycle Salvation - Causeway’s third and newest social enterprise opened this year for business at 477 Bronson Avenue in downtown Ottawa. Cycle Salvation takes donated and discarded bicycles and rebuilds them to make them safe and road-worthy.

The Social Purchasing Portal (SPP) - Launched in March, 2007, SPP is a community economic development initiative to promote private sector purchasing of goods and services from suppliers that provide employment opportunities for “hard to employ” people. The Portal offers the potential of increased employment opportunities for Causeway clients and additional business for Krackers Katering.

Breaking The Technology Barrier (BTTB) - was initiated by Causeway to offer a specialized computer training curriculum expressly geared to individuals suffering from a mental illness. This program is funded by the federal Office of Learning Technology.

For more information on each of these programs, you can visit the Causeway Work Centre Website.