The RISE Project

The RISE Project is a jointly conceived and co-managed initiative of Rise, Incorporated and the Mental Health Consumer Survivor Network (CSN) of Minnesota. Our agencies have joined efforts to launch a mental illness self-management (MISM) employability project serving a 12-county area of Minnesota encompassing the Twin Cities' metropolitan area, East Central Minnesota, and Central Minnesota.

The RISE Project is named after core principles driving its operational philosophies and direct service practices--Recovery, Individual Choice, Self-Management, and Evidence-Based Employment Practices.

Together, Rise and CSN will introduce a career development model that incorporates researched fidelity standards for mental health employability practices, peer-to-peer illness recovery and self-management education, and access to multiple funding streams to increase job placement, mental illness recovery, and community integration outcomes. Our project will serve 200 associates with serious mental illnesses (SMI) and serious and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI). This includes three targeted sub-groups of unemployed, underemployed, and employed individuals. The RISE project will obtain individualized job outcomes for 110 associates using competitive employment, customized employment, supported employment, self-employment, and career ladder strategies.

This innovative program will collaborate its efforts with regional Adult Mental Health Initiatives in Minnesota, State and county mental health agencies, community case management teams, community mental health centers, Workforce Center partners including Minnesota Rehabilitation Services (RS), community support programs, business associations, secondary and post-secondary schools, mental health day treatment, and other organizations serving our target populations.

The RISE Project is funded by the State of Minnesota's Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS).