Creative Identity’s Prevocational Growth Initiative (PGI) addresses the need to provide a high level of music and fine arts skill building along with pre-vocational training for underserved adults with mild to severe intellectual and developmental disabilities including Autism, blindness, Down syndrome, seizure disorder, and cerebral palsy. Our clients face challenges with regard to transcending negative societal perceptions of persons with disabilities, who are often defined by what they can’t do and are regarded as being non-productive people.

PGI addresses our clients’ multiple obstacles with employment including lack of work readiness, proper skill-to-job matching, vocational interests, on-the-job support/guidance, and ongoing skill development and training by providing fine arts education, training, mentoring, and opportunities for experiences in musical performance groups and art exhibitions.

Through the PGI program, Creative Identity strives to improve the quality of life for adults with intellectual disabilities through the development of prevocational skills utilizing the medium of music performance and expressive arts. The program fosters the development of increased personal independence and responsibility through prevocational skill building, fine arts skill building, by providing opportunities for clients to earn a “real world” commission on the sale of their artwork, and by meaningful participation in the fine arts. Personal and societal responsibility will be cultivated through community service concerts and events that are provided for Anaheim community organizations such as the Anaheim Senior Center, Altrusa International of Anaheim, and the Anaheim Arts Council, and underserved populations of the community such as, patients at the Long Beach Veterans Administration Hospital, children with developmental disabilities through the Elks Lodge Christmas concert, and the Christmas concert for clients residing at Fairview Developmental Center. The PGI helps clients cultivate a sense of pride and connectivity with the community, and ultimately improves stereotypical societal perceptions by demonstrating the creative contributions of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.