Strategic Plan 2025-2028

One year ago Job Path convened a core planning team of staff leadership, board members, and the nonprofit consulting firm, Community Resource Exchange. With almost 50 years dedicated to serving New Yorkers with autism and developmental disabilities, we knew it was a good time to respond to a rapidly evolving landscape, growing needs, aging participants, and stretched systems with new opportunities to lead with innovation and heart. Our task: Create a Strategic Plan that would examine our emerging priorities and shape our direction for the next three years.

I am happy to say that the group – guided by input and insight from family, participant, and partner voices – has targeted five vital priorities to guide us through the next three years, so we can work smarter, grow stronger, and deepen our impact.

Put People First: Enhance focus on participant-centered planning, expand access to behavioral health supports and community engagement calendars, and improve workflow, data, and billing protocols. Strengthen Communication Inside and Out: Build better systems and strategies to communicate more effectively internally and externally, improving connection, trust, feedback, and transparency. Expand Employment Pathways: Grow the employer network, shorten job waitlists, and improve job matching, while supporting inclusive hiring practices and more direct communication with employer partners. Prepare for Aging With Dignity: Support individuals through housing and community options that address the realities of aging for participants and their families, reducing caregiver stress and enhancing life quality. Grow our People: Build a culture of staff development and mentorship, create clear career pathways, and invest in training, and reimagine retention strategies, including compensation, benefits, and recognition.

Below you can see more detail about the areas that align with our core goals that will be addressed in the weeks and months to come by dedicated teams of staff and board members.  We think this plan is bold, but grounded. It’s about improving lives – both for those we support and for our support providers. With shared commitment, clear direction, and deep care we’re planning for a future that builds and expands on the same foundation of inclusion, dignity, and opportunity that launched Job Path so many decades ago.

Strategic Action Plans for Programs

  • Participant Experiences & Improving Connections
    Strategic priorities include enhancing participant-centered planning processes across all programs, expanding access to behavioral health, improving data collection and maintenance, optimizing internal workflow in billing and documentation, and creating a unified calendar for community engagement opportunities.

  • Employment Pathways
    Strategic priorities include enhancing participant-centered planning for Employment Services, expanding our network of employer partners, improving data collection and maintenance, and optimizing internal workflow in billing and documentation.

  • Aging with Dignity
    Strategic priorities include exploring housing options for aging participants, ensuring access to critical services like healthcare, and maintaining person-centered support as individuals age, keeping people integrated into their communities to prevent isolation.

Strategic Action plans for Staff

  • Invest in staff growth and sustainability
    Strategic priorities include improving staff training, mentoring, and supervision programs; conducting a compensation strategy redesign; optimizing internal workflow, and improving data collection and maintenance.

Strategic Action plans for Communications and Resources

  • Strengthen communication and build for long-term impact.
    Strategic priorities include strengthening communications with participants and families and exploring more opportunities for fundraising, sponsorships, corporate giving, and grant writing.