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WorkAbility I Program

The WorkAbility I (WAI) program is funded and administered by the California Department of Education (CDE). The WAI program provides comprehensive pre-employment skills training, employment placement and follow-up for high school and post-secondary program students in Special Education who are making the transition from K12 school to work, independent living, and postsecondary education or training. Programs and services are appropriate to individual student needs, abilities, and interests.

The WAI program offers students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) the opportunity to complete their secondary education while also obtaining marketable job skills. WAI provides secondary students with an understanding of job-seeking and job-keeping skills. The employability of students improves through occupational class training and on-the-job subsidized or unsubsidized work experience.

The WAI program seeks employers in the business community who will give students with disabilities a chance to prove themselves in a competitive integrated employment setting. Local WAI program staff will coordinate with participating businesses to ensure a successful work-based learning experience for both the student and the employer.

Thank You to our Business Partners

We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to our community business partners for supporting our students in these endeavors.

 

7-11 (Simi Valley)​

A Place To Grow Preschool (Ojai)​

AIR Pizza (Ojai)​

Alejandro’s Salon (Ventura)​

American Songbook (Ojai)​

Anacapa Flowers​

Art in the Park (Ojai)​

Aswell Trophy (Oxnard)​

Bank of Books (Santa Paula)​

Best Buy (Simi Valley)​

Boys and Girls Club (Camarillo; Simi Valley)​

Breakfast Café (Oak Park)​

Coffee A La Mode (Moorpark)​

Cornerstone Community Church (Simi Valley)​

CosmoPAWlitan Dog Hotel & Spa (Simi Valley)​

Cure Community Garden (Ventura)​

Dargan's (Ventura)​

East Coast Pizza (Simi Valley)​

Eddie's Grill (Ventura)​

El Capricho (Santa Paula)​

Elvira's Mexican Restaurant (Simi Valley)​

Fillmore Animal Hospital (Fillmore)​

Golden State Storage (Camarillo)​

Golf N Stuff (Ventura)​

Goodwill Industries (Oxnard)​

Grocery Outlet (Oxnard)​

Heart and Soul Antiques (Fillmore)​

Junkyard Café (Simi Valley)​

Kelly Evans Real Estate (Simi Valley)​

La Flor Bonita (Fillmore)​

Legal & Secretarial Services of Ventura County (Oxnard)​

Lucky Dog Coffee (Simi Valley)Main St. Meats (Ventura)​

McDonald's (Oxnard; Camarillo; Simi Valley)​

Mission Burrito (Simi Valley)​

Moorpark Active Adult Center (Moorpark)​

Ojai Humane Society (Ojai)​

Ojai Unified School District – After school program (Ojai)​

Old Susana Café (Simi Valley)​

Petco (Camarillo)​

Pizza Man Dan's (Camarillo; Moorpark)​

Plaza Stadium Cinemas 14 (Oxnard)​

Presto Pasta (Camarillo)​

Rancho Simi Recreation & Parks District - Mutt Mitts Program (Simi Valley)​

Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center (Santa Paula)​

Simi Valley Cycles (Simi Valley)​

Simi Valley Public Library (Simi Valley)​

Smart & Final (Camarillo; Oxnard)​

SP Garage Fit (Santa Paula)​

Starbuck's (Simi Valley)​

STS Education (Simi Valley)​

SVUSD - Santa Susana High School Cafeteria (Simi Valley)​

SVUSD - Vista Elementary Cafeteria (Simi Valley)​

Target (Simi Valley)​

Thousand Oaks Public Library (Thousand Oaks)​

Tractor Supply (Moorpark)​

Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) (Camarillo)​

VSBR Recycling (Moorpark)​

Walgreens (Oxnard)​

Zumiez (Camarillo)​

 

Workability Resources

WAI 23-24 summary

Activity Flowchart

Array of Services Worksheets

SCANS - Pre-Employment Checklists-  Form N  (for students with mild/moderate support needs)   Form S (for students with moderate/severe support needs)

WorkAbility Central- Some documents require you to log in. Please contact Joanna Della Gatta for assistance.

WorkAbility Handbook-  Ventura County SELPA

WorkAbility in Gear Brochure-  Ventura County SELPA

WorkAbility I Databasefor WorkAbility staff only-  contact SELPA for a UN and PW

WorkAbility I Works! Fact Sheet

Work-Based Learning for Special Education Students Handbook

Worksite Agreement Form

Programs in the Ventura County SELPA

There are three WorkAbility I programs within the Ventura County SELPA:

  • Conejo Valley Unified School District - Amanda Glover, Project contact

  • Las Virgenes Unified School District - Denise Edwards, Project contact

  • Ventura County SELPA - Joanna V. Della Gatta, Project contact


The SELPA project provides services to over 1,000 students in these sites/districts:

School/District

Contact

Fillmore Unified School District

Heather Manheim

hmanheim@vcoe.org

Jorge Contreras

jcontrerasizquierdo@vcoe.org

Moorpark Unified School District

Margarita Felix

mfelix@mrpk.org

Non Public Schools
Casa Pacifica & Passageway School

Heather Manheim

hmanheim@vcoe.org

Jorge Contreras

jcontrerasizquierdo@vcoe.org

Oak Park Unified School District

Heather Manheim

hmanheim@vcoe.org

Jorge Contreras

jcontrerasizquierdo@vcoe.org

Ojai Unified School District

Cristi Thatcher 

cthatcher@ojaiusd.org

Robin Monson 

                        rmonson@ojaiusd.org

Oxnard Union High School District

Claudia Naranjo

claudia.naranjo@oxnardunion.org

Santa Paula Unified School District

Heather Manheim

hmanheim@vcoe.org

Jorge Contreras

jcontrerasizquierdo@vcoe.org

Simi Valley Unified School District

Tammy White 

tammy.white@simivalleyusd.org

Ventura County Office of Education

Boswell School

Sara Harney Brown

SHarney@vcoe.org

Ventura County Office of Education

Moorpark ACCESS

John Paul Abraham
JAbraham@vcoe.org

Ventura County Office of Education

Phoenix School, Triton Academy

Heather Manheim

hmanheim@vcoe.org

Jorge Contreras

jcontrerasizquierdo@vcoe.org

Ventura County Office of Education

Providence

Heather Manheim

hmanheim@vcoe.org

Jorge Contreras

jcontrerasizquierdo@vcoe.org

Ventura County Office of Education

Gateway, Odyssey

Heather Manheim

hmanheim@vcoe.org

Jorge Contreras

jcontrerasizquierdo@vcoe.org

Ventura Unified School District

Heather Manheim

hmanheim@vcoe.org

Jorge Contreras

jcontrerasizquierdo@vcoe.org