A Success Story

San Bernardino County Human Services, in collaboration with the Workforce Development Department and the Law and Justice Group, launched the Community Employment Pathways (CEP) program in 2020. The program was implemented in partnership with First Step Staffing, Inc. to assist residents in securing employment and income to meet basic needs. The target population for the program is county residents age 18 and over who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, unemployed, underemployed and/or involved with the justice system. Some of the innovative strategies include advocating for services that meet customer’s comprehensive needs, intentionally matching program participants with employment assignments to increase their retention and success, and providing customers with reverse referrals to community agencies to facilitate access to additional resources. Although launching a new program during the pandemic was challenging, County staff and collaborative partners worked to restructure the process through increased case consultation, countywide presentations to raise program awareness, and proactive recruitment of additional referring partners. With over 288 employment offers made, the program has shown the value and need for strong cross-sector partnerships in creating resilient communities.