Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The Job Search

Marisa graduated this past June 2011 and went away to camp for her last season. It was an opportunity for me to finalize the plans for her CSS Self-Determination Program. The Consolidated Supports and Services Program is a New York State program for people with special needs funded by the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities. It is meant to enable those with developmental disabilities to choose their own goals and be able to pursue those goals with support staff.

Camp gave Marisa time to transition away from school life in to the real world, where one will hopefully be able to earn a living, learn to save for a rainy day and someday graduate to living as close to independently as possible. Marisa's goals and dreams summarized in her CSS plan, which was started in October 2010, was finalized by early July. What she wished for was to be involved in Special Olympics, join a gym for regular daily exercise, learn to cook nutritious and healthy meals and obtain a job in retail sales, preferably in women's fashions. She also hoped to be able to attend concerts of her favorite pop star singers and navigate in the community with friends.

Fortunately, for Marisa, Camp Northwood located in Remsen, New York, which she attended for 8 years, has a separate program called The Northwood Center for 24 young adults to learn to live and work as independently as possible. The Northwood Center, for 18 to 21 year olds, consists of 4 homes on the camp grounds. It is a place where 6 young adults live in a home with the support of 2 counselors. They shop for their food, prepare their meals, clean the house, do their laundry and hold jobs on the camp grounds, while also experiencing tours at local merchants to learn how various businesses are run and what kind of jobs might be available to them.

It was the perfect transition for Marisa! When camp ended Marisa came home with mixed feelings. She was scared and sad about both her school and camp years ending, yet hopeful and excited about her future. Fortunately, before school ended, she had obtained a part-time paying job one day a week at a local clothing store where she had trained with her class before graduation. The manager got to know Marisa while she worked in the store with her classmates once a week. Marisa enjoyed the job so much that she had actually approached the manager about work. To her delight she was rewarded with the part time position!

Now back home, Marisa is hoping to find more work. Always trying to fill her time productively, and being a very fashion conscious person, she is eager to earn her own income. She started by listing all the stores that she enjoys shopping at for herself. Self-determination has made it easy for Marisa to get around with the help of her support staff, apply for numerous jobs that she is interested in. With each outing in the community, advocating for herself, she has gained valuable experience in how to approach store managers when applying for a job.

Marisa has been home from camp since August 20. It has been exactly one month since her return, and in this short time I have seen amazing growth already. She has joined the gym of her choice where she goes with support staff a few times a week to exercise regularly. Pam, one of her support staff, also belongs to the gym and is able to exercise along side Marisa, making her feel like she is participating in an activity with a friend. Marisa has also joined Special Olympics and is enjoying participating in the practice sessions scheduled. She attended the Cow Harbor Walk and Run event to raise money for Special Olympics this past Saturday, where she proudly helped carry the Special Olympics banner with her coach. She has also been busy these past 2 weeks visiting many retail stores to fill out job applications, in the hope of adding more hours to her employment schedule.

So what has been accomplished? Having CSS has given Marisa the chance to be out on her own and pursue her dreams of working with fashion and staying fit and healthy. To me this is an invaluable experience, not just because she is advocating for herself, but because she is gaining experience filling out job applications, meeting potential employers, learning how to converse and ask questions about potential jobs all with the support of staff right there by her side to encourage, support and cheer her on with positive reinforcement for her efforts.

Seeing the smile and pride on her face as she walks through the door and announces the days accomplishments after being out on the job search with her support staff, Kathy, is a wonderful feeling.  Will she be rewarded with one of her choice jobs or have the chance to add more hours to the job she already has? Only time will tell. The fact is, having the self-determination supports in place will increase those chances, creating more of an incentive to employers who might otherwise be hesitant to take a chance hiring a person with a developmental disability. And if it doesn't happen this month, there's always next month to follow up on and try again. Nevertheless, the time spent on the search is time well spent. Experiencing the interaction, the application process, the chance to converse and make ones thoughts and feelings known will increase the likelihood that an opportunity will arise. After all, life is  about challenges and Marisa is facing those challenges head on. So I am thinking, Marisa charge ahead and find your dream! We are rooting for you!