Meet Catrina Bailey of Core Solutio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Catrina Bailey.

Hi Catrina, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began my career right out of college working with people with disabilities at a large community center in Atlanta. My role as a job developer focused on helping individuals find, secure, and maintain employment, and it quickly became clear to me how powerful work can be when the right supports are in place.

After leaving the community center, I had the opportunity to start a school-to-work program from the ground up through a grant, working directly with high schools in Cobb County. In this role, I taught job-readiness classes and connected students with employment opportunities in their communities. Seeing students succeed when given practical skills and real employer connections reinforced my belief that employment should be accessible, individualized, and purposeful. I found that when there is a desire to work, addressing barriers to employment allows individuals to find success.

From there, I moved into the school system, serving as a special education teacher at both the middle and high school levels. I later worked on the campus of a short-term crisis center for youth, where I led an on-campus work program and taught career and technical education. My focus was always on helping students build confidence, responsibility, and real-world employment skills through work-based learning projects that they could carry beyond the classroom.

As my career developed, I became increasingly involved in the supported employment field. I joined the National Association for People in Supported Employment and later served as a board member for the Georgia Association for People in Supported Employment (GAPSE). Through these experiences, I learned from professionals across the country and collaborated closely with vocational rehabilitation agencies and developmental disability professionals. This led me to my next steps.

In March of 2015, I founded Core Solutio. We secured a contract with the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency and experienced rapid growth during our first seven years. We later obtained a second state contract with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, allowing us to serve individuals with more significant challenges who require additional time and consistency to succeed. These partnerships have helped us reach individuals across the state of Georgia. Over the past ten years, Core Solutio has tripled in size, serving approximately 200 clients with a staff of 43 social services professionals, many of whom have years of experience and are licensed social workers.

At its core, our mission is simple: to assist individuals with removing or accommodating barriers standing in the way of long-term and satisfying employment. Once barriers are addressed, opportunity remains, and we hold a strong belief that everybody can work. We follow a straightforward, person-centered process that includes resume development, interview preparation, employer connections, interview support, and on-the-job coaching. We stay involved from the beginning through job retention, focusing on outcomes that are meaningful to each individual.

As we continue to grow, we have begun expanding into Tennessee, with plans to extend our work throughout the Southeast and beyond. The model we use is intentionally simple and replicable, but the work itself remains deeply personal. We place individuals in quality jobs, work diligently to help retain employment, and partner with employers to better understand workplace accommodations. For me, this work has always been about people and opportunity—because meaningful employment can change the course of a life.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Yes, the road has been amazingly smooth. This is what confirmed that I was walking in the right path in life. This is more of a calling and I believe God has opened the doors and made all of this possible.

We’ve been impressed with Core Solutio, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Core Solutio is a supported employment agency that contracts with the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to help people with disabilities obtain and maintain meaningful employment. We serve approximately 200 clients across the state of Georgia and are currently expanding into the Tennessee area.

We are a fully community-based organization. Our staff work directly in the communities where our clients live, meet individuals in familiar settings, and develop employment opportunities alongside them. Staff do not report to a central office and instead manage their schedules while supporting clients where work and daily life naturally occur.

Our primary services include supported employment, job placement, and job coaching. We assist individuals through every stage of employment—from exploring career interests and connecting with employers to on-the-job support and long-term retention. We work closely with employers to ensure successful placements and to build lasting partnerships grounded in reliability and mutual trust.

We serve individuals with disabilities of working age, from high school students preparing to enter the workforce to older adults who may be re-entering employment after retirement. We are strongly person-centered and believe in client choice when it comes to work, including the type of job pursued and the level of support needed.

In addition to employment services, we provide practical supports such as training on public transportation and ride-share options to promote independence and access to work. We also support individuals who receive Social Security disability benefits by helping them understand work options—whether that involves maintaining benefits while working limited hours or transitioning into full-time employment when appropriate.

At the heart of our work is a commitment to meeting people where they are, removing barriers, and building pathways to long-term, satisfying employment within their own communities.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I follow updates on the askearn.org website, attend national Apse conferences (Assoc. for People with Disabilities). I love the book, E-Myth Revisited, by Michael Gerber. A strong business book that made a big difference for me.

Pricing:

• Free Service but must sign up with Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency as a person with a documented disability. Once approved must ask to work with Core Solutio. This is client choice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.coresolutio.com
• Facebook: core solutio