Matching dynamic people with sustainable jobs in safe workplaces.

|TEEI | Employment Leadership Council | Collaborative Partners | Contact Us|

Transgender Economic Empowerment Initiative

The Transgender Economic Empowerment Initiative (TEEI) helps transgender individuals achieve financial self sufficiency through stable employment in jobs providing a living wage and benefits, with opportunities for advancement.

TEEI is the nation’s first coordinated, public/private effort to transform the economic health of transgender people and their families.

Following closely on the heels of the 2006 report, “Good Jobs NOW!,” the City and County of San Francisco allocated funds for community organizations to use to turn around the high rates of unemployment and underemployment within the transgender community.

TEEI links employees with employers, provides support for transgender job seekers and newly placed employees, and improves safety in San Francisco workplaces.

TEEI is designed to assist transgender individuals find financial self sufficiency through stable employment in jobs providing a living wage and benefits, with opportunities for advancement

• Job navigation services help individuals develop job skills, successfully connect to public and private employers, and provide post placement support.
• Mentoring services provide peer-based practical and emotional support to job seekers and newly placed employees.
• Legal and technical services will engage employers and HR managers in free workshops, both on-site and off-site, in order to provide common sense steps employers can take to make their workplaces safer for transgender employees.

Program Contact: Natalie Stern, nstern@jvs.org, 415-782-6281

TEEI Employment Leadership Council

The TEEI Employer Leadership Council is comprised of Bay Area employers. The Council will provide the Collaborative with direction as it develops and implements strategic employer outreach plans. The criteria for an employer to receive an appointment include a strong commitment to:

• Hiring transgender employees in a range of diverse employment opportunities.
• Addressing the needs of transgender employees in their benefits packages.
• Responding to common transgender workplace issues.
• Providing diversity training to managers, supervisors and co-workers.
• Collaborating with TEEI to address workplace issues as they arise

TEEI Employer Leadership Council Charter Members Include:

• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
• San Francisco Airport Commission
• Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants

TEEI Collaborative Partners

The Center
The San Francisco LGBT Community Center (The Center) will provide mentoring services linking job seekers and newly-placed employees with community members who have successfully navigated the sometimes tricky waters of growing in their position and career. The mentoring program builds on the transgender community’s culture of mentoring and formalizes it by training mentors in conflict resolution and legal rights.
Program Contact: Yavanté M. Thomas-Guess, yavantet@sfcenter.org, 415-865-5632

Transgender Law Center
TLC will serve as a technical assistant to TEEI providing legal information to Initiative partners and clients. TLC will also engage San Francisco employers and Human Resource managers in free workshops, both on-site and off-site, in order to provide common sense steps employers can take to make their workplaces safer for transgender employees.
Program Contact: Cecilia Chung, cecilia@transgenderlawcenter.org, 415-865-0184

SF TEAM
SF TEAM is an all-volunteer project, sponsored by The Center. SF TEAM was created to bring disparate parts of the transgender community together to engage in community empowerment and mentoring. SF TEAM’s mission is to commemorate its community’s heritage; to empower and nurture transgender and gender-variant individuals; and to increase visibility to promote positive social change.
Program Contact: JoAnne Keatley, joakeatley@yahoo.com, 415-597-4960

Jewish Vocational Service
JVS will provide job navigation and vocational services including one-on-one employment counseling for clients, individual and group training sessions, job search and placement, retention and career advancement support, and access to computers and specific skills enhancement trainings when needed.
Program Contact: Natalie Stern, nstern@jvs.org, 415-782-6281

TEEI is Funded by:
Human Services Agency of San Francisco
Walter and Elise Haas Fund
Women’s Foundation of California
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
San Francisco International Airport

TEEI
Matching dynamic people with sustainable jobs in safe workplaces.

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Email: hire@jvs.org

Phone: (415) 391-3600, Fax: (415) 391-3617, TDD: (415) 391-2846