Families Achieving Self-Sufficiency Together

Supporting disconnected adults and youth with disabilities in achieving financial self-sufficiency

About the Program

Families Achieving Self-Sufficiency Together (FASST), supported by the Disability Innovation Fund, helps people with disabilities build job skills, find employment, maintain employment and become more financially independent.

The program serves adults with disabilities from low-income households and youth ages 14–24 with disabilities who face challenges finding or keeping a job. This includes youth who are from low-income households, have unstable housing, are in foster care, or are involved in the justice system.

FASST operates in multiple locations within Colorado, Delaware, Florida, North Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. The program works with Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), schools, community organizations, workforce agencies, and employers to help participants access services and employment opportunities.

Participants may receive services such as:

Career planning
Job readiness training
Job search assistance
Help connecting with community resources
Ongoing support to address barriers to employment
Case management

Through these services, FASST helps participants build skills, find and keep employment, and work toward greater financial independence.

Eligibility

Adults must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Have a disability that makes it hard to work without our help
Must have at least one dependent child in the household (under age 18, or under age 19 if enrolled in secondary education)
Household income must meet low-income requirements
Must be eligible to work in the United States
Must be available to receive services in our service areas.
Additionally, youth (age 14-24) with a disability may qualify if they are in a low-income household or meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Meet low-income requirements themselves, have unstable housing, are in foster case, or are involved in the justice system

FASST Referral Form

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Adult Referral

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Areas We Serve

FASST supports disconnected adults and youth with disabilities across multiple states, including:

Colorado: Denver-Metro Area, Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, & Jefferson Counties
Florida: Hillsborough, Pinellas, Duval, Orange, Lake, and Osceola counties
Northern Virginia: Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania, or Stafford counties, and the cities of Alexandria and Fredericksburg
North Carolina: Cumberland, Hoke, Lee, Moore, Harnett, Robeson, and Bladen counties
Utah: Davis, Box Elder, Weber, and Salt Lake counties
State of Delaware

News and Updates

ServiceSource Shares AI Strategies at National Disability Innovation Fund Conference

Previous News

FASST Featured at United Way Speaker Series on Community Needs

FASST Featured on the VRTAC Manager Minute Podcast

National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials Promotes FASST on New Resource Hub

FASST Leadership Presents at Disability Innovation Fund Project Directors Conference

ServiceSource Launches Families Achieving Self-Sufficiency Together (FASST) program

FASST Leadership Team

Lucas Halverson

Lucas Halverson is the Project Director for ServiceSource’s Families Achieving Self-Sufficiency Together (FASST) Disability Innovation Fund Project. Lucas has 20 years of experience in the disability sector, including job skills training/employment supports, substance abuse counseling, and various positions within state and privatized Vocational Rehabilitation. Most recently, Lucas served as an Assistant Director for the Abilities of Florida Privatized Vocational Rehabilitation Program. Lucas holds a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC).

Kathy Davis

Kathy Davis is the Internal Evaluator and Assistant Project Director for ServiceSource’s Disability Innovation Fund Project, FASST. Kathy has more than 20 years of experience advancing the employment and independence of people with disabilities. She began her career in disability services in Illinois as a community support specialist with a nonprofit provider and later managed a traumatic brain injury program. She has served in leadership roles in state Vocational Rehabilitation in North Carolina and Florida with responsibilities in business engagement and operations management. Kathy holds master’s degrees in economics and rehabilitation counseling and a Doctor of Education from the University of Florida.

Resources, Materials, and Partnerships

Resources

Materials

Partnerships

Our Ability focuses on providing employment solutions for people with disabilities. Our Ability provides AI job matching, business engagement, technical assistance and training support to the FASST project. Learn more about Our Ability at www.ourability.com.

River Rock Creative collaborates with ServiceSource Communications to support webpage design and maintenance for our FASST webpage. Learn more about River Rock Creative + Interactive at https://riverrock.agency/.

The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) administers the Disability Innovation Fund (DIF), a discretionary grant program of the U.S. Department of Education that supports innovative activities to improve education, career development, and Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) outcomes for youth and adults with disabilities. Learn more about RSA at https://rsa.ed.gov/.

Grantibly serves as the external evaluator for the FASST project. Specializing in evaluation of education and workforce development initiatives, Grantibly helps projects like FASST use data strategically to strengthen programs, improve participant outcomes, and communicate impact to stakeholders and funders. Learn more about Grantibly at www.grantibly.com.

Disclaimer: The contents of this webpage were developed under grant H421F240144 from the U.S. Department of Education (Department). The Department does not mandate or prescribe practices, models, or other activities described or discussed in this document. The contents of this webpage may contain examples of, adaptations of, and links to resources created and maintained by another public or private organization. The Department does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. The content of this webpage does not necessarily represent the policy of the Department. This publication is not intended to represent the views or policy of or be an endorsement of any views expressed or materials provided by any Federal agency. (EDGAR 75.620)