Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi
RespectAbility
March 31, 2014
11:30AM CT
Operator:
This is a recording of the Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi teleconference
with RespectAbility, Monday, March 31, 2014, scheduled for 11:30AM Central Time. Excuse
me, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience in holding. The conference is scheduled
to begin in about four minutes, but if you would like to follow along with the PowerPoint
presentation for the call, you can go to RespectAbilityUSA.org and you can find the PowerPoint
presentation on the Events page. Again, that’s RespectAbilityUSA.org, go to the Events page to
find the link for the PowerPoint presentation. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for
your patience in holding. The conference will begin in approximately one minute. If you would
please continue to hold, again, the conference will begin in approximately one minute. Thank
you. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience in holding. We now have our speakers
in conference. I would now like to turn the conference over to Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi:
Hello and welcome. This is Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, and on behalf
of RespectAbilityUSA, I want to welcome you here today for a terrific program with an
outstanding group of speakers. RespectAbility is a non-profit, non-partisan organization working
to empower people with disabilities to achieve the American dream. A key part of that work is
finding real case studies of success, things that are really making a positive difference to enable
people with disabilities to succeed. One of those programs that we’ll be highlighting today is the
MOST Program. So let me just tell you that you can get captions on this video, because it’s on
YouTube, by clicking the CC box for closed captions. Additionally, we also have a transcript on
our website if that is easier for you to use, along with a PowerPoint that goes with this
presentation, so I encourage you to go to www.respectabilityusa.org and get the accompanying
transcript and PowerPoint that goes with this presentation. Our speakers today come from a
wonderful program from the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes. Our leader, who’s going to
kick us off and going to introduce us to our other participants, is Vivian G. Bass. She’s their
CEO and she’s been involved there for about 30 years. She’s been working to improve the
quality of life, independence and working as a community inclusion – and for the dignity of
individuals with disabilities throughout the metropolitan Washington DC area, nationally and
internationally. As the JFGH’s CEO since ’95, she’s responsible for oversight of the agency’s 74
residential locations regionally which support adults in a variety of service delivery models, as
well as for two innovative transitional programs and two social recreation programs for young
adults. The agency, under her leadership, has grown from under a $5 million budget to one
where their total assets are over 26 million. She’s really a role model for people like myself and
others who are working to improve the lives of adults with disabilities. This work and the work of
the team that she has assembled to be with us today is very exciting and can be replicated in
other places. That can help employers because these people are outstanding employees and
can also help save tax money as many of these individuals are now able to become financially
independent and not as dependent on government benefits. But it’s a total package program,
very interesting and again, worthy of being replicated. Let me turn it over now to Vivian Bass.
Thank you, Vivian, for being with us.
Vivian Bass:
Thank you, Jennifer, and thank you for facilitating this marvelous
opportunity, and well-deserved praise to you and your staff and interns and Board of Directors
at RespectAbilityUSA for the remarkable strides that you have made and all in less than one
year. So we truly admire all that you’ve done. I’m very pleased and proud to be representing
JFGH leadership today, along with those on our panel, and I’d like to let them introduce
themselves.
Marcy Bennett:
I’m Marcy Bennett. I’m the MOST Program Administrator.
Chucky:
Hi. I’m Chucky. I work (indiscernible 7:33) Rolyn Company
(indiscernible 7:35).
Ron Kronthal:
And I’m Ron Kronthal, the Vice President and General Counsel of
the Rolyn Company.
Ada:
(Inaudible 7:48) Ada. I work in MOST Program.
Ross:
This is Ada and she attends the MOST Program.
Jostra (ph):
My name is Jostra. I’m a counselor at the MOST Program.
Emanuel:
My name is Emanuel. I’m a counselor (ph) at the MOST Program.
Taylor:
Hi, I’m Taylor. I am or was a participant in the MOST Program.
Vivian Bass:
So what happens when, suddenly, that yellow school bus stops
coming? What happens when it’s time to begin working, and what does it mean to be an adult
and responsibilities that come with being an adult? These are all questions faced by our
transitioning youth as they prepare to exit from a system of educational entitlement into the adult
world. Prior to 2008, meetings with multiple stakeholders revealed a cohort of young adults who
had completed high school but were unable to find suitable placements with providers or with
employers.
These individuals were affected by a variety of circumstances. Some were impacted by issues
including disconnects between the family and program assessments of their abilities. Some
families were just overwhelmed by the transition process in its entirety and by capacity issues
with providers and much more. In response to these findings, JFGH proudly launched the Sally
and Robert Goldberg MOST Program in 2008 to meet this tremendous need in the community.
The MOST Program, M-O-S-T, meaningful opportunities for successful transition, is a one-year
transition program serving adults exiting the school and high school entitlement and entering
that adult world. In 2011, in response to the demand here in Maryland, we expanded into
Virginia, implementing the best practices from our Maryland MOST Program. MOST provides
that gap year so many of us need to solidify skills and to provide a bridge between the structure
of school and independence of state programs. Participants in MOST build a support network by
taking part in social and recreational opportunities within the community. MOST Program is
highly individualized and provides services for those with a broad range of disabilities, primarily
typically in the 21 to 25-year-old range. The MOST Program is most definitely not a centerbased or facility-based program and it’s certainly not a classroom-type model. Instead, it is
community-based and highly individualized. Our participants spend one year focusing on goals
in three core areas after a 30-day baseline assessment period when they enter the Program.
The core areas include self-sufficiency, community inclusion and vocational planning. The first,
this self-sufficiency area focuses on the skills necessary for one’s participation in the adult
community. These skills can include personal hygiene, money management or learning
workplace expectations. In order for one to be successful in the workplace, they first need to
know how to take care of themselves and to take care of their personal needs in a dignified
manner as adults. We had one young man come through the Program and one of his goals was
to learn how to shave, and we had another participant who was working on appropriate
workplace attire and went on shopping trips with a support staff to identify items that would be
appropriate for the workplace.
The community goal, the second, includes travel training to assist an individual in getting from
point A to point B independently. That could be getting from home to a job, from home to college
or whatever, and this varies extremely for all of our participants. They learn to utilize public
transportation and some have even obtained their learner’s permit while part of the MOST
Program. They are continually working on communication skills and learning skills to
communicate with their coworkers and with others. For some, it’s simply working on saying
“good morning” and other routine daily greetings; while for others, it’s learning skills to initiate
conversations and what to say to one’s coworkers, and sometimes it’s important to learn what
not to say to coworkers. Finally, our vocational planning consists of job exploration, on-the-job
training, volunteer opportunities for individuals to learn new skills and educational opportunities
for community college. It’s a group preparing for a four-year degree program. Some of our
participants are coming to the MOST Program because they have not yet determined what kind
of job they would like to do. MOST assists each individual on a one-to-one basis to identify their
work preferences. For example, do they like working indoors or outdoors? Do they like daytime
or evening? Do they like to work with people, or would they prefer a more quiet environment?
Some have already identified the type of job that they would like and are beginning to build their
resume, while others continue pursuing educational opportunities. MOST is a new way of
thinking and planning for transitional youth. Typically, when one exits – transitions from a
school, the next step, that can be the last step, meaning that an individual remain in that type of
a program structure, receiving services until they exit many, many years later or maybe not at
all. MOST instead provides a roadmap for that participant and for the new provider to
understand and to hone in specifically on their interests and their motivations and to tackle
architectural, attitudinal and communicational barriers that they may encounter. The goals are
determined and driven by the individual and the admissions criteria for MOST focuses on the
individual’s willingness to work towards these goals.
The MOST Program assists those in taking that next step toward independence in the adult
world. Those completing the MOST Program are better candidates for employers because they
are developing the skills needed to be successful in employment through on-the-job
experiences. Participants in MOST have an opportunity to experience a variety of workplace
settings through partnerships in the community. Some partnerships (indiscernible 14:59) include
Sunflower Bakery, Jewish community center, Manna Foods, Home for the Aged Hebrew
Homes, the NAMI Thrift Shop, Holy Cross Hospital, Emeritus Assisted Living, Habitat for
Humanity, St. Coletta’s and Jewish Council for the Aging, and participants are also employed at
businesses, including Rolyn, Joe’s Record Paradise, Art Enables and Harris Teeter.
We supported one young man who stated that his dream job included a long commute. He is
now commuting one and a half hours each way to his job as a clerical assistant. There was a
location closer to his home but because he didn’t want to – he didn’t want to work there because
he really enjoys that metro ride every day. The local community college, Montgomery College,
offers classes in training in specific areas such as computer training or childcare certification,
and numerous MOST participants have partaken of these marvelous opportunities. At the
conclusion of the year-long program, our MOST Program participants transition to another
organization that they have been matched with, although understandably, many have difficulty
saying goodbye the day of change (ph). The participant and their family members, advocates,
play an integral role in that matching process. Some move on to receive job training and
supports, while others continue with their college and other educational studies, internships,
prospective project search or daily volunteer positions. The MOST Program assists those
individuals in taking the next step towards independence and they are truly better candidates for
employers because they’ve developed those skills. At this time, I will turn our session over to
Marcy Bennett, MBA, who – my colleague who has served as the MOST Program Administrator
since the Program’s inception in 2008. Thank you, Marcy.
Marcy Bennett:
Thank you, Vivian. Here with us today are a few of our individuals
who are either currently enrolled or have been through the Program. The first one is right to my
right and that is Chucky, who completed our MOST Program in 2012. Chucky came to us
because he needed some assistance in getting to that job that he wanted and wanted to find out
how he could learn those skills to get from point A to point B. His way of getting around was his
parents were driving him everywhere he needed to go, and Chucky needed some assistance in
learning how to do that. So he worked at the MOST Program with the support staff learning all
of those skills he needed, how to get around on the bus, when the bus was coming, what
happens when the bus is running on a holiday schedule and how do I make the transfer. So
Chucky learned how to do all of those skills, and Chucky’s other interest was he wanted to get a
job, wanted to make money. So Chucky went out and he interviewed and was hired by Rolyn as
an office assistant, and now he is working there five days a week and part of his job is
restocking inventory; he’s in charge of setting up for all of the meetings, make sure their
conference room is spic-and-span, and Chucky brought with him today Ron from Rolyn, and
Ron, can you just tell us a little bit about what it’s like to have hired Chucky and having Chucky
work for your organization?
Ron Kronthal:
Sure. First of all, thanks so much for inviting me. This is a real
pleasure and an honor to support this Program. But I have to tell you that Chucky’s just been an
enormously valuable addition to our team since day one, and honestly, we don’t know what we
would do without him and that’s the truth. I mean, I can tell you and will tell you all the different
things that Chucky actually does for us, you know functionally, but probably just as importantly
is the attitude that he brings into our office every day. It is impossible to walk past Chucky and
not smile. It is impossible to walk past Chucky and not say, “good morning, hello, how are you
doing?” I mean, he just makes Rolyns a better place to work and a better place to be, and we’re
all better off for this Program, I can tell you, and we’re very thankful that we had this
introduction.
Marcy Bennett:
Thank you, Ron. Next, we have Ada, who is in the Program
through almost her sixth month, so almost halfway through the Program. Ada, can you tell us
what your dream job is?
Ada:
Help people.
Ross:
So you’d like to help people?
Ada:
Yes.
Ross:
And what kind of positions are you interested in?
Ada:
Animals.
Ross:
Helping animals as well?
Ada:
Mm-hmm.
Ross:
Something that we’ve talked about is (inaudible 20:13) interested
in a greater position at the front of the store and helping people there? (Inaudible 20:19). So
what kind of places have you applied to?
Ada:
Petco.
Ross:
So Petco?
Ada:
(Indiscernible 20:28).
Ross:
Bed, Bath and Beyond and some other jobs you’ve applied
(indiscernible 20:31).
Marcy Bennett:
So, Ada, can you also tell me what you’ve been doing at the
MOST Program in finding your dream job?
Ada:
(Inaudible 20:46).
Ross:
So the (indiscernible 20:55) the staff has been helping me with
applying for jobs, right, so one thing you’ve been given is a computer. She’s been using the
computer to search for jobs with staff assistance and the one thing we’ve practiced the most is
doing mock interview questions, so as an interview setting where Ada will interview the staff and
we’ll ask various questions that would impact on the real-world situation. And also, Ada goes out
with staff to visit local businesses, and we also – she’s searched for a job so what – for what
kind of a job she’s interested in and to show her what kind of jobs are out there. And also, lastly,
Ada does some volunteer work that’s a real benefit for (inaudible 21:43).
Marcy Bennett:
All right, thank you, Ada and Ross, for that assistance. So Ada will
be completing the MOST Program in September and all of these skills that she’s learning at the
MOST Program is going to make her just that better candidate for that employer when she’s out
there looking for that job.
I wanted to go back to Chucky. Chucky, I forgot to ask you – I wanted to ask you very a specific
question. Can you tell us the name of the company that you work for?
Chucky:
Okay, Marcy. Me work at Rolyn Company to – where
(indiscernible 22:20) Target Community.
Marcy Bennett:
You work at Rolyn Companies and you get your support from
Target Community?
Chucky:
Uh-huh.
Marcy Bennett:
Very good. And what is the name of your job coach who helps you
each day?
Chucky:
Seth.
Marcy Bennett:
Seth? And Seth is coming to work and what does he help you do?
Chucky:
To Windex doors and windows, through some boxes, to deliver
package.
Marcy Bennett:
Very good. So when you were with the MOST Program, you had a
job coach who was with you all the time when you were at Rolyn when you were doing your
work and now, because Chucky has become so good at his job, his support staff has stopped
coming as often. So Chucky’s working more than half of his time completely independently.
Great job, Chucky.
Chucky:
Yes.
Marcy Bennett:
Yes. And the last person we have with us today is Cameron.
Cameron:
Hi.
Marcy Bennett:
Cameron, can you tell us where you’re working?
Cameron:
I’m working at Harris Teeter at (overlap).
Marcy Bennett:
And what job are you doing there?
Cameron:
I am a bagger, bagging food and (indiscernible 23:26) and
sometimes sweep the floor.
Marcy Bennett:
Very good, and when did you get that job, Cameron?
Cameron:
Two months ago.
Marcy Bennett:
Two months ago. So Cameron came to the MOST Program and
Cameron wanted to get a job, and part of what Cameron needed was some on-the-job
experiences because he had very little to put on his resume coming out of high school. So
Cameron started out and volunteered at the NAMI Thrift Store, and his job there was to
organize and alphabetize books. I’ve heard rumors that he actually put another volunteer out of
work because he was so good at it. Within the first month, they doubled his volunteer hours
because he was doing such a great job. And then Cameron got his internship through Home
Goods and he was working there for a short period of time, learning how to restock in the store
and work in a retail store that size. Unfortunately, or – I don’t know – fortunately for Cameron,
the funding for that program ran out, which opened up the door for Cameron to then get
competitively hired at Harris Teeter, and he is currently working at Harris Teeter. He’s learning
all of the job skills that he needs for that, and he think (ph) – you like your job, right, Cameron?
Cameron:
Mm-hmm.
Marcy Bennett:
Yes, Cameron is liking his job. So those are only three examples
of individuals who are coming through the MOST Program, and whether they’re gaining on-thejob experiences, whether they are learning the skills that they need to get out there, they’re
becoming better employees and better candidates for our employers, and they are taking that
next step toward independence for when that yellow school bus stops coming.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi:
Fabulous. This is a great presentation, very tight, lots of great
information. I’d like to ask some questions perhaps of some of your participants who are getting
the jobs. I’m wondering, do you envision a time when you’ll be able to work full time, or are you
looking to really ideally have part-time employment? And how much you’re paid; are you making
money so that you’re able to buy things that are important to you?
Marcy Bennett:
Chucky, how much money do you make?
Chucky:
Okay, I want…
Marcy Bennett:
I think you make an hourly rate.
Chucky:
Hourly rate.
Marcy Bennett:
Of $10 per hour, correct?
Chucky:
Per hour, correct.
Marcy Bennett:
Yup, and right now, you are working, if I did the math correctly, 20
hours per week.
Chucky:
It’s true.
Marcy Bennett:
Right?
Chucky:
Uh-huh.
Marcy Bennett:
Did you want more hours if they’re available?
Chucky:
Uh-huh.
Marcy Bennett:
Yeah.
Chucky:
Yes.
Marcy Bennett:
So Chucky definitely would like to work more hours if the hours
were available, likes his schedule right now. And how about you, Cameron? You’re just starting
out in your new job, so do you remember – can you tell the panel how much money you’re
making right now?
Cameron:
I’m making about 8-something an hour, about four hours a day.
I’m still on for four hours because when I was doing (indiscernible 26:48) a day, about a week
ago, it was a real busy day with carts and I mean, the only cashier (indiscernible 26:56) know
what I mean, was (indiscernible 26:58) carts, and I was walking around all day, and so I decided
to start for four hours and that way I would get used to it.
Marcy Bennett:
Right, so you’re just in competitive employment for the first time,
so Cameron’s starting out with less hours and then working his way up to when he can work full
time.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi:
That’s great. And when you were in high school, did you have any
job training in high school, or is this new to you to have job training and experience like this?
Cameron:
Yes and no. I – there’s – let’s just say I had an experience that let
me know you can’t goof off on a job, but I will say I did have volunteer work at the library. They
have this library nearby the school.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi:
And how about you, Ada, do you have volunteer work? Have you
been a volunteer before?
Ada:
No.
Ross:
Have you done any volunteering events?
Ada:
Not yet.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi:
So you haven’t done volunteering work yet.
Ada:
No.
Ross:
Well, have you done the (indiscernible 28:04)?
Ada:
(Inaudible 28:05).
Ross:
No, you have done that. Sorry, sometimes at Moe’s she helps out
with bagging items for children at the (indiscernible 28:15) school, so she helps out with placing
items in the bag and prepares them for their delivery.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi:
Great. Well, I have some questions for those of you who are
leading the Program about what it takes to run a program like this. If you can pull the phone
down a little bit, that would be great. I want to be sure our sound (inaudible 28:34) our listeners.
When you have a program like this, what kind of staff support needs to be in place to make
something like this a success? How many people at a time can you serve? What’s the staff to
participant ratio, and what kinds of budget numbers are people looking at if they want to
replicate a program like this?
Marcy Bennett:
Would you like me to take this one?
Vivian Bass:
Sure (overlap).
Marcy Bennett:
So the staffing is we are looking for the highest quality staffing that
we can find and those are individuals who are able to teach the skills, be out and teaching the
employment skills that each of our individuals need. The number of individuals that we are
currently serving in our two locations is up to 15, and then the staff, number of staff varies on
each of the needs of the individuals. So for individuals who have higher needs, there is a higher
staff ratio for them, and then as individuals are becoming more independent, their staff supports
start to drop off.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi:
And what does it look like five years later for people who have
been through the Program? I know MOST isn’t very old, but for people who are already out of
the Program, do you have people who are financially independent and living independently, or is
this more of an iterative process?
Marcy Bennett:
Because we’re talking about transitioning youth, they’re still
emerging into that adulthood and really getting out there on their own and living independently,
so each of the individuals are in very different stages of starting out in the working world, gaining
work experience, getting their own apartment, so those who are five years out are still in those
various stages.
Vivian Bass:
And we maintain an alumni grouping (ph) within the MOST
participants so that they remain, you know, part of the extended JFGH family, even after they
continue, whether it be that they need, you know, a job reference, whether it be that they’re
interested in residential services or family referrals or peer mentors or other type of capacity,
and each year when we have our transition celebration, our ceremony when people move on to
the next phases of their life after completing MOST, we invite the former participants and their
families to join us as well and sometimes they’ve come along with their employer or a job coach,
whatever. So it’s really a way for us to monitor the success, not only in the year that we’re in but
for several years out as well.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi:
What are the benefits for the employers and the taxpayers with a
program like MOST?
Marcy Bennett:
The benefit to the employers, I think Ron can speak a little further
on this, but they are better candidates. They have all of those skills for working in, for example,
an office environment, how to interact with coworkers, that water cooler talk, all of those skills
and they’re ready for that working environment. And, Ron, if you just want to add to that about –
from an employer perspective.
Ron Kronthal:
I will but I think there’s something I’d like to start off with before. I’d
like to – for everyone to know how seamless this was for us and how easy this really was for our
organization. Chucky’s been with us for two years now. There have been absolutely no hiccups
whatsoever. Any employee that we engage in our company, you know, we expect there to be
some startup where, you know, there’s going to – where they just need to understand, you
know, what the nature of the work is that they’re supposed to do and how they’re supposed to fit
in, and I can tell you, there were absolutely no issues whatsoever with Chucky. The things that
Chucky does for us are things that we would be hiring candidates for under any circumstances.
We were just lucky that we got Chucky. But I think for potential employers – for what’s – I would
think would be very important for them to know, again, is really how seamless this is, that the
support that Chucky has received from both of – both from Seth and the counselor that was with
him beforehand is really, you know, quite extraordinary. Like I said before, my organization is
much better off with Chucky and, you know, for – because we need to have things done, the
duties that he performs for us. I have 120 employees in my Rockville office. We’re a national
company. We have about 120 employees in Rockville. Chucky has interaction with virtually all of
these employees. He knows everyone by name, everyone – he says hello to everybody in the
morning; everybody says hi to Chucky. If they need things done, they tell Chucky what it is that
has to be done and they are – and everything gets done. So, you know, if Chucky needs more
hours, that can be taken care of. Seriously, it just – it’s a great program. It’s a really great
program.
Vivian Bass:
We make certain that people, you know, prepare. We really want
to set them up for success, and sometimes people have ambitions that may be a little lofty, you
know, and we’d rather them start and then go about (ph) so they can experience that and then
gradually (overlap).
Ron Kronthal:
If they want to become general counsel, it’s okay with me.
Marcy Bennett:
Okay (overlap).
Ron Kronthal:
(Overlap) be a lawyer, it’s okay.
Marcy Bennett:
Yeah.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi:
So now, he’s making a good rate. I mean, $10 an hour is a good
rate. At what point does he become at risk for losing benefits, and – if at all, and how does that
conversation work for people with disabilities who are succeeding to transfer from dependency
into independence?
Marcy Bennett:
And for Chucky, he is not at risk at this point because he’s not
working enough hours, but he’s – as he approaches more hours, that’s a good thing that he is
living independently and being self-sufficient in taking care of his needs, and those are
conversations that his support staff would have and assist him with that process of completing
that – those next steps.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi:
So let me see if others have questions. Yes, Esmé.
Esmé Grant:
Hi to everyone on the phone. This is Esmé Grant with the National
Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities. You all are doing such great work and
I’m so impressed. We’re really glad to see all of this work on the ground being done in
employment. My question is around how do you identify folks that are interested in the MOST
Program? And then a second part of that is, are you planning on expanding? I’m so glad to hear
that you’re working with some carpentry and projects (inaudible 35:53) and hope to see those
programs expand as well, but in light of the new CMS rules that are really going to enlighten
how these new home community services and that will impact employment, I’m hoping that we
do see you expand. So I’m only going to give you a leading question, hoping that it is a yes, but
I’d love to hear about your plans to really work with a broader community (indiscernible 36:19).
Vivian Bass:
I’ll start the first and then Marcy can pitch in too. We receive
referrals really from a wide, you know, range of sources, certainly from – you know, the public
school system is a major, as well as from individuals, social workers or other itinerant
professionals they work with. Certainly family to family is a major (indiscernible 36:39) because
so many individuals of families have known one another, you know, for years over courses and
growth and development and that’s another ongoing source and other successes in the
community and other means.
Marcy Bennett:
Yeah, so a majority of them are coming through the public school
system in Montgomery County and Fairfax County, but as word gets out there and as we grow
and expand, I think Vivian said it perfectly, it’s word of mouth. Because people are having great
experiences at the MOST Program, they are telling their friends and families and it’s a –
Montgomery County’s a small county. We’re finding out that everybody knows everybody, so
that referral system takes place. Your question regarding expansion, we successfully duplicated
the Program identically to Fairfax, Virginia after the success of the Maryland location, so my
hope, and I’m hoping to be (indiscernible 37:41) shaking yes too, is yes, we’re going to continue
expanding this model and duplicating it identically.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi:
Do you have a wait list, and what is the budget for a program like
this which has 15 participants in it?
Marcy Bennett:
So the wait list question is always one of my favorite questions. At
this point, there isn’t a wait list because it’s a rolling admission, so because it’s only a one-year
program, we can continuously serve individuals, and as one exits the Program, we can serve
the next one who’s ready to go. Regarding the budget, that’s really dependent upon the
jurisdiction that the Program is in. The funding is coming from a variety of local and national
government agencies to fund a program like that.
Vivian Bass:
Each applicant has to be (indiscernible 38:32) indeed that this is,
you know, an appropriate placement and that the individual could hopefully benefit from the
services provided in MOST, so a very comprehensive profile is presented and we do it with
input from family and individuals themselves and itinerant professionals, the school system, and
then we help, and in that way, we have a familiarity and a baseline when that person enters the
Program.
Female Speaker:
So how do you decide what kind of outcomes (indiscernible 39:05)
have in the Program? Do you decide if it’s continuing education or job training, and do they pick
what they want to do or do you decide kind of for them (indiscernible 39:15) the Program want
to achieve?
Marcy Bennett:
We’re not the ones achieving it. It’s the individuals who are
achieving what they’re achieving. We’re just there to help them along the way. So the
individuals that you heard from today, those were their goals (ph). That’s what they came in
with; that is what they were hoping to accomplish while they were there. Our role at the MOST
Program is to help them sort of fine tune what it is that they are going to focus on during that
one year. One year goes by so fast and we can’t get everything done a lot of times in that one
year, so part of what we’re doing is helping the individual accomplish what they can, as well as
set up what those next steps are going to look like for that next provider to then take over where
we’ve left off.
Female Speaker:
What typically would be the next step after MOST?
Marcy Bennett:
It depends on the individual. For an individual like Chucky, he
already has his employment when he was leaving us, so it was helping him to find a match of a
provider who could provide those supports on the job, both being there physically but then
checking in as Chucky has become more independent, and he found that through Target
Community Services and his job coach continues to check in. With an individual like Ada, she’s
going to be looking for a program that is going to be helping her take that next step of getting
that employment. She’s going to have all the skills needed when she leaves MOST; it’s that next
step of getting out with the job development and finding that actual employment.
Vivian Bass:
And certainly does that. (Indiscernible 40:56) College, that’s
another, you know, avenue that helps to open so many other opportunities, like we mentioned,
whether it be in childcare certification to work in a daycare or a nursery or other type of
children’s (ph) setting or computer skills and other areas that make certain that classes are
appropriate and suitable and that there are realistic goals and there is a, you know, or a stated
plan (ph) once the completion of those classes has been taken care of (ph).
Female Speaker:
Great.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi:
Were there other questions? So let me just ask your advice for,
somebody’s trying to form a program like MOST. What would they want to do if they’re thinking
of starting something like this? What would the toolkit need to have in it?
Marcy Bennett:
The toolkit has to have individuals ready to go through this type of
transition. That’s the first and foremost thing that this type of program needs, individuals who
are ready, willing and able to take that next step toward independence, and the supports that
are needed to do that. A support staff who has experience working with individuals, getting them
out into the working world, preparing them to be better candidates and really getting out there to
take that next step.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi:
Any other advice you would give to somebody who is starting from
square one and starting something like this?
Vivian Bass:
We’d certainly work with a school system. That’s always good to
make certain that this is something that would be an appropriate transition from the schools to
the MOST Program, and that synergy is involved now. After five years, our schools know us and
they know and can help to facilitate that in more of a seamless manner, and certainly, you know,
families, education, advocates, professionals that are area and (indiscernible 43:07) and
certainly part of JFGH’s mission is to help other communities to be able to emulate our highly
successful programs and we’ve done that in a way. We’ve now been mentor and consultant and
more than that to over 28 different communities over five continents that have learned from
JFGH, and that we continue to – a lot of travel back and forth and to continue, and certainly, we
would be a good source to begin with as well.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi:
Great. Well, I want to say congratulations to Cameron and to
Chucky for getting jobs and succeeding at them. Ada, I want to wish you success in getting your
first job out there. I want to thank the aides, the job coaches, the supports and particularly the
employer who took a risk and made it work for your company and for your team. I want to thank
your whole team, Vivian, for the amazing work that you are doing and, Marcy, for your
leadership on this. I want to thank everyone who came today for our webinar, or our call. I want
to remind you that we will have this on our website at www.respectabilityusa.org, where you will
also find many other such sessions with best practices and ideas. The PowerPoint that goes
with this is also on our website, as will be the transcript. hanks again, Vivian Bass and the entire
team. We’re really delighted to have you. Let me also thank the team of RespectAbility. I want to
thank, in particular, Garrett and Pilar and Evelyn and Donald for all their tremendous work and
for Liz and to Omar who also helped. This is a non-profit organization that is led completely by
volunteers. All of us are volunteers, and if you too want to be a part of this movement, I want to
ask you to join us. Esmé, thanks for being here on behalf of the DV Council (ph). It’s always a
pleasure and an honor to partner with you. Thank you and let us know if you have any
questions.
####