Northern Virginia | Greater Richmond | Fredericksburg | Lynchburg | Winchester

Welcome

People First Services

PFS is a human services company specializing in high level supports for people with disabilities. We thrive on solving difficult challenges and helping people.

Our Approach

Services We Provide

1. Therapeutic Behavior Support (TBS)

Getting to the root of workplace challenges.

If behavioral barriers, communication struggles, or a need for workplace social skills are making it hard to keep a job, you are not alone. Our specialized practitioners focus exclusively on how behavioral support translates to lasting workplace success.

Our Proven Approach

We don’t stop at quick fixes; we dig deep to understand the root of the challenge. Our experts partner with you to build a personalized roadmap. We achieve a team-wide success rate of over 70% by combining:

• Person-Centered Thinking: You are in the driver’s seat. Your goals and strengths guide everything we do.

• Behavior Science (ABA): We use observation and data to identify patterns and find positive solutions.

• Skill Building: We actively teach and develop crucial workplace social and communication skills.

Equipping Your Team

We don’t just support the individual. We train your entire support network on these effective strategies, ensuring everyone is empowered for your lasting career success.

2. Supported Employment

Finding the right fit for your long-term career goals.

We believe that finding the right job does more than provide a paycheck—it builds self-worth, independence, and a stronger community. Our Career Counselor team brings an average of 15 years of regional experience to help you navigate the job market and find meaningful, competitive work.

We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We are experts at networking and building unique employment partnerships. Through customized employment, we work directly with local businesses to find or create positions that genuinely match your capabilities.

Our Commitment to You:

• Person-Centered Placement: We tailor the job search entirely around your unique strengths, desires, and support needs.

• Expert Employer Advocacy: Leveraging our local networks, we work closely with businesses to advocate for you and ensure the work environment is a supportive, positive fit.

• Results-Driven Support: From the initial job search to ongoing coaching, everything we do is focused on long-term outcomes and your ongoing success.

3. WISA & WIP-C: Benefits Planning and Assistance

Making benefits simple so you can focus on your financial future.

Navigating Social Security benefits while transitioning to work can feel overwhelming. We are here to eliminate the confusion and the fear of the unknown. Our dedicated practitioners focus exclusively on benefits planning and assistance, ensuring you have the expert guidance you need to make informed career choices.

What Sets Us Apart

• Rapid Turnaround: We know time is critical, especially when you are actively job hunting or have already started working. We typically deliver our comprehensive analysis in 7 days or less.

• The “One-Pager” Summary: We make what’s complicated simple. Alongside your full report, we create a customized “one-pager”—a top sheet that makes the most pertinent information easy to find and highlights the steps that matter right now.

• Holistic Financial Planning: We go beyond basic benefits counseling to offer complete financial health assessments, personalized budgeting support, and strategies for maximizing your earning potential through long-term career pathways.

Expert Support for Complex Needs

Because our practitioners specialize in this field, we have the expertise to go above and beyond. We regularly help clients navigate less common situations, such as reporting Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWEs), resolving overpayments, and creating a Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS).

4. Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)

Building a bridge to a meaningful career through real-world experience.

Preparing students with exceptional needs for workplace success requires more than classroom learning. Our highly individualized, person-centered approach focuses entirely on a student’s unique strengths, interests, and preferences.

A Continuum of Career Growth

We guide students along a clear path from initial career exposure, to hands-on internships, and eventually into competitive employment. We provide expert support to identify the best ways of learning, strategies for improvement, and clear recommendations for long-term success.

Unique, Hands-On Opportunities

We go beyond generic job tours or a standard menu of options to custom-tailor unique, real-world work experiences based entirely on the student’s specific goals. By leveraging our strong community networks to create custom experiences, past students have explored fields as diverse as:

• Aviation operations

• Graphic design

• Cyber security

• Robotics

• Manufacturing

• Conservation

By providing rich, diverse exposure to real careers, we help students confidently build a foundation for their long-term career goals.

Our Story

About Us

People First Services was founded in 2022 by Mike Thornton. Mike has more than 20 years of experience in the field of human services, including teaching, counseling, employment services and behavior therapy. The foundation of the company is that people—all people—are more important than other things like profit and paperwork.