WorkLink: Creating meaningful lives for people with disabilities UCSF Developmental Disabilities Conference March 4, 2016 Sara Murphy How do we help people with I/DD to become active, productive members of our communities? 2 WorkLink’s Services • Program Goals: 1)Maximize Independence, 2)Build skills, 3)Direct Hire Employment • A menu of braided services– allows us to build service plans to order • 100% Community ‐ based • WORK Focused ‐ value adding • Individualized, person ‐ centered
What People Want in Life • Employment (money & self ‐ worth) • Engagement in community & friends • A happy home, a sanctuary • Health • Choices/options • Freedom & Independence • Meaningful lives Meaningful (adj.): full of meaning, significance, purpose, or value; purposeful; significant: a meaningful wink; a meaningful choice ‐ Dictionary.com Community ‐ based Support Services • Explore interests • Develop social and professional networks • Gain independence, self ‐ confidence • Learn hard/soft skills • As natural supports are developed, program services fade
Adding Value and Building Skills Volunteering 7 Creating Meaningful Lives Anna • Employed at GAP 9 hrs a week. Earns $12.53/hr. plus stock options • Learning to cook at Project Open Hand • Swimming & Zumba @ 24 Hour Fitness • Volunteers for Save the Redwoods • Independently travels on bus/Metro all over town • Loves the Karaoke bars in Japantown CUSTOMIZED EMPLOYMENT Our focus is on STRENGTHS, not deficits 9
Help Wanted Company looking for individual with developmental disabilities, Cerebral Palsy, autism and history of aggressive behaviors. Auditory processing delays. Lack of Visual/Motor integration, Extensive history of hospitalization preferred. Drug addiction, poor social skills and delusional behaviors OK. Call for an application. 10 Julio and his co ‐ workers at IDEO.org We must re ‐ frame how we see individuals with disabilities. See DISABILITY as human variance Reframing: ROY (aka the Tornado ) What we said: What the file said: • Bombed out of Physically active guy • 3 programs/5 jobs Very, very outgoing • • AD/Hyperactive Has to move • • Moderate/severe ID/DD Hates getting up in the • • Can ’ t sit still, can ’ t focus mornings • Anger management issues, Loves variety • behavior problems Can match numbers and • • Limited academic skills use site words • Low motivation Opinioned, passionate • • Stubborn Gearhead ‐ loves • expensive cars 12
Roy’s VENN Diagram Use VENN diagrams to target employment settings based on candidate’s unique characteristics. Good with his Hands Fast Paced, Lots of Variety Employee of the Year Divisadero Car Wash CUSTOMIZED EMPLOYMENT It Works! 15
WorkLink Employment Outcomes 2015 Outcomes Number Working 21 Ave. Hours/week 19 hours/wk Range of Hours 4 to 40 hours Range of Wages $12.25 ‐ $22.86/hr. Average wage $13.65/hr. % of Successful Closure 95% (transfer to Habilitation) Number of Placements in 4 2014 ‐ 15 In Job Development 7 16 Alvin, Patient Transporter Kaiser Permanente/San Francisco Jessie, Development Assistant American Conservatory Theater 18
Karen, Packer/catering support Bi ‐ Rite Markets 19 Enrique, Office/lab assistant Diadexus 20 Delmy, Housekeeping Equinox 21
Simon, Office Clerk, Phillips, Spallis and Angstadt, LLP 22 Simon’s Path to Success • Started in volunteer jobs learning hard & soft skills • Polished skills in professional setting (Project SEARCH KP) • Now employed as a clerk at PSA, 18 hrs a week, $16/hr. • Day Services continue 12 hours/wk: Koret House (laundry & cleaning ), Let’s Get Lost (problem solving), POH (initiation & communication) “The greatest danger may not be that our aim is too high and we miss it, but rather that it is too low and we reach it.” ‐ Michelangelo 24
For more information, contact: Sara Murphy TransCen, Inc./ WorkLink Program 785 Market Street, Suite 670 San Francisco, CA 94103 415.979.9520 smurphy@transcen.org www.transcen.org 25
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