MISSION
to serve our community and people with disabilities as we live and work together.
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Dear Lifeworks Community,
The 2020 Lifeworks Annual Report provides insight into who we are and our impact across Minnesota. With support and feedback from our community, Lifeworks continues to provide high-quality services that honor choice and break down barriers to inclusion.
The pandemic brought about new challenges for people with disabilities – and they rose to the occasion. We followed suit, working together with the people we serve to meet support needs. For Lifeworks, this meant creating more options and flexibility through one-to-one, in-person and virtual support. In total, we served 3,021 people with disabilities and their families in 2020, and this was done with help from our 613 community partners. 733 people received career support from Lifeworks and 3,066,282 hours of direct care were provided by 4,143 fiscal employees.
Our efforts included the addition of three new offerings: Pre-Employment Transition Services for people between the ages of 14-21 who are exploring the next step in their life path; Resource Navigation for people who are facing a transition in their lives; and Night Supervision, allowing families to hire staff who remain awake overnight.
2020 was also a year of collaboration and innovation. In partnership with the Governor’s Council on Development Disabilities, Lifeworks coordinated our first Self-Advocacy Conference and continued sharing our expertise about disability rights and inclusion at local and national conferences. We also invited community leaders, representatives, and educators to Lifeworks for our staff to further build their knowledge of our community’s intersectionality.
We focused on listening and took time to connect with individuals served, their families, and our staff to reveal truths about their experiences with us. Their feedback served as the backbone for our values, which we unveiled this past year and use to guide our decision making.
While 2021 continues to test our agility, Lifeworks is confident in our efforts to reinvent what’s possible while delivering services that encourage a sense of belonging for all. Thank you to our community – we couldn’t do what we do without your support.
Jeffrey D. Brown
President and CEO
John Abbott
Board Chair
people served
733 people received career support with 114 new job placements
community partners
hours of direct care provided by 4,143 fiscal employees
Since 1965, Lifeworks has been a champion for inclusion. We were founded by families who recognized the importance of advocacy and breaking down barriers for people with disabilities to be part of the community. As an industry leader, Lifeworks continues our commitment to self-determined support, careers with competitive wages, and developing innovative opportunities that enhance everyday lives.
Lifeworks supported nearly 1,900 individuals with self-directing their services in 2020. As an approved Financial Management Services provider through the State of Minnesota, Lifeworks processes services for people enrolled in the Consumer Directed Community Supports and Consumer Support Grant programs.
Lifeworks also serves as a PCA Choice and an in-home licensed provider of Individualized Home Supports, formerly known as Personal Support and Respite.
In 2020, Lifeworks added Night Supervision as a service offering, allowing families to hire staff who remain awake overnight and helping with activities of daily living.
Lifeworks is driven by the belief that all people can work and have a meaningful impact in their community. For 35 years, Lifeworks has worked to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce in Minnesota. We connect people to experiences that explore their interests, develop skills, and start or advance their careers.
In 2020, Lifeworks began providing Pre-Employment Transition Services as a partner of Minnesota’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services. This new offering is available to individuals with disabilities between the ages of 14 and 21 and provides counseling and training in job exploration, work-based learning, post-secondary education, workplace readiness, and self-advocacy.
Lifeworks supported more than 280 people in Day Support Services in 2020. With the people we serve leading the way, we offered opportunities to build self-reliance, including: creative arts, music therapy, skill building in the community, self-advocacy development, technology labs, and so much more.
In 2020, Lifeworks offered individualized in-person and remote services throughout the Twin Cities and Mankato areas. Lifeworks also launched free, on-demand virtual music therapy sessions for individuals to access via YouTube created and led by our board-certified music therapists.
If we didn’t have this support, I’d have to find someone else to take care of my kids. I’m so grateful. I am giving my children the life they want to live.
to serve our community and people with disabilities as we live and work together.
