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Something exciting is taking shape at Community Based Services’ North Salem campus. The Impact Center for Learning (ICL) — a state-of-the-art workforce training facility designed to open new doors for people with disabilities — is nearing completion, with a grand opening planned soon.
Renovations are well underway, with the building’s newly redesigned entrance, training rooms, and collaborative workspaces already taking form. Inspired by the functional, welcoming aesthetic of Fortune 500 corporate environments — what the design team calls a “resi-mercial” (residential-commercial) approach — the space is being purpose-built to reflect the real-world workplaces where participants will one day thrive. While finishing touches are still being put in place, the energy and vision behind the ICL are already clear.
A Vision 40 Years in the Making
Founded in 1981, Community Based Services has spent more than four decades providing specialized residential and community-based programs for people with autism and developmental disabilities across the Hudson Valley and now in the Capital Region. The ICL represents a natural evolution of that mission.
The need is real and urgent: one in four people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in New York State are unemployed or underemployed. The Impact Center for Learning was created to change that.
“The Impact Center for Learning is more than a training facility. We are committed to the success of the people who journey through our customized, multi-step approach to employment preparation. Here, they will explore their interests, develop hard and soft work skills and achieve the independence and sense of purpose that paid employment brings.”
What Makes the ICL Different?
The Impact Center for Learning is far more than a classroom. It is a fully integrated training environment featuring:
- A newly renovated learning environment designed to build both soft and hard skills in a welcoming, professional setting
- Extensive partnerships with a network of local employers, creating hubs for real, hands-on experiential learning
- A careful blend of formal instruction, individualized coaching, and cutting-edge technology — including virtual reality — to build skills in ways that meet each person where they are
- Highly trained professionals providing one-on-one support tailored to each participant’s goals
The Customized, Multi-Step Approach to Employment Preparation
At the heart of the ICL’s approach is its signature multi-step approach to employment preparation — a structured, personalized pathway from self-discovery to long-term career success:
- Discovery: Getting to know each participant — their strengths, interests, and goals
- Assessment: Identifying areas of strength and areas to develop
- Soft Skill Building: Working on a tailored plan to develop specific, job-relevant skills
- Job Shadowing & Job Trials: Pairing participants with local employers at their workplaces to explore interests and understand what skills different roles require
- Networking & Job Search: Helping participants make connections with potential employers and seek out positions that excite them
- Job Customization & Placement: Preparing participants for interviews and securing the right position
- Ongoing Support & Career Advancement: Continuing to support participants once they are employed, and helping them advance when ready
A Continuum of Support
The Impact Center for Learning does not operate in isolation. It anchors a full continuum of support that begins long before a participant is ready for competitive employment and continues well after they land their first job.
In Day Habilitation, participants explore their interests and build independence through life skills and community involvement. Prevocational Services then focus on the foundation— discovery, assessment, soft skill building, and job shadowing. Finally, Supported Employment guides participants through networking, job search, placement, and ongoing career growth
To learn more and enroll, please visit here.
A Resource for CBS Staff, Too
The Impact Center for Learning is a game-changer for people of all abilities — it is also a significant investment in the people who make CBS’s mission possible every day. Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and other human services staff will have dedicated access to world-class professional development right on campus.
The Impact Center for Learning reflects our commitment to continuous learning and organizational excellence. By investing in our workforce, CBS remains a strong, supportive, and innovative organization—one where every employee has the opportunity to grow, advance, and make meaningful impact.
Grand Opening Coming Soon!
While a specific opening date has not yet been announced, Community Based Services is working diligently to complete the final elements of the renovation and prepare for a grand opening celebration this spring. The event will feature tours of the newly transformed facility, demonstrations of the Multi-Step Approach in action, and opportunities to meet the ICL training team and community employer partners.
The Impact Center for Learning has been made possible through the generous support of the J.E. and Z.B. Butler Foundation, and WIN Waste Innovations.
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