Skills of Central Pennsylvania celebrates 65 years
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For 65 years, Skills of Central Pennsylvania has been a mainstay in the community, helping those with intellectual disabilities receive job training and residential services, but as the organization reaches its latest milestone, it shows no sign of slowing down.
The organization was founded in 1960 by a group of parents in Bellefonte who saw the need for a program to help their adult children who had intellectual disabilities gain work experience.
"They basically created a vocational training program for their children to go to during the day. And that grew into a vocational training program where they got businesses involved, and the individuals could earn money doing different tasks at those different businesses," explained Val Barner, President and CEO of Skills of Central Pennsylvania.
While today, funding for the organization comes from the state Office of Developmental Programs via the Department of Human Services, Medicaid for some of our programs. So we started in, you know, we started with the vocational training program, in the early years, many of the parents involved in Skills' initial set up provided the funds to cover payroll, Barner said.
As the organization grew, more programs were added, including residential community homes and employment services.
"The vocational training program is where an individual, 18 years or older, with an intellectual disability can go and learn some skills around employment and possibly get paid," Barner said.
This includes job coaching and supportive services.
"We have community homes, where we provide 24/7 support. So individuals with an intellectual disability live in our homes, and we provide support, which varies depending on their individual needs," she said.
Around 20 years ago, Skills expanded into the behavioral health realm, offering some psychiatric rehabilitation programs, which are billed to Medicaid.
A Clubhouse program was another of the organization's additions, with one located in Williamsport, and ran by the Community Services Group.
A summer program is also offered, in partnership with the county joinder, each year to help those still in high school prepare to transition to the workforce.
"We also do life sharing, which is where a family would open up their homes, and have an individual with an intellectual disability live with you, and they would become part of your family, and then you would get paid a monthly stipend to have them live with you," Barner explained.
Skills offers its services to a large swath of the state, encompassing 17 counties, from Jefferson and Indiana in the west, to Bedford, and Adams counties in the south, and a total of around 700 to 750 individuals in that area.
2025 marks a special year for the organization as this is the first benchmark anniversary they are able to
celebrate due to the pandemic.
"We weren't able to celebrate the 60th because that was during COVID and everything was shut down, so we're going to do some regional events, and all of our employees and the individuals that we support can attend one of them or all of them," Barner said.
A couple of the upcoming events planned include outings at Del Grosso's Amusement Park and Knoebels Grove.
With that 65th anniversary on the horizon, the impact of Skills of Central Pennsylvania on those it has served is not lost on Barner.
"It's been exciting to be a part of the organization that has survived for 65 years and continues to grow and serve the communities that we are part of," she said.
"It's rewarding to see the impact we make, particularly on the people we're supporting. It's what brings us all back to work every day," Barner said.
"When we get to see the impact we're making on an individual's life, that's why we're doing what we're doing. And when you walk into one of our day programs, and everybody's so excited to see you, you know you're making an impact, or when I see one of my directors or vice-presidents walking into a program, and everybody is happy to see them and wants to talk to them, and you know that staff person has made a direct impact on all those people," she said.
For more information on Skills of Central Pennsylvania, including visits to programs and with residential services, please visit www.skillsofcentralpa.org.