Experienced Box Makers and Packaging Experts need only apply!
How to Build an Integrated Work Opportunity by Really, Really Trying
Step 1 – Embrace the idea that individuals need to move out of segregated settings
Step 2 – Realize they are going to need supports above and beyond the SEMP model
Step 3- Look for opportunities Step 4 – Repeat Steps 1-3 until something
sticks – or change the order
Here’s our story…….
Looked for business performing similar work to what we were completing in the work center
Knock on doors (or truthfully – walk right through them if they aren’t locked)
Once you find the opportunity – lead with your strongest team
We Knocked – The Door Opened
A local distribution center was utilizing a large number of temporary employees from various staffing agencies to make boxes and fill displays with organic milk cartons
In December of 2012 a small crew of 8 -10 individuals from our work center and 4 staff took on a 3 day project
*spoiler alert – we have been working there ever since
Individuals in our work center have been training for this type of work for years, the only thing that was different was the address
Individuals from Cantalician could keep up with the “temps” working alongside them
Individuals were much more motivated to succeed than their counterparts
Light Bulb Moment!
Startup Lessons Learned
Assign staff that can see the possibility and are not personally afraid of the opportunity to move into the community
Assign more staff than you think you need and then assign 2 or 3 more know they will eventually fade
Respond to all panicked phone calls by bringing the cavalry to the project This lessened any apprehension the distribution center had regarding
working with individuals with disabilities and kept staff from quitting
Don’t forget about the people left back at the ranch They will feel the shift in resources
Acknowledge that life is different
BRING DOUGHNUTS
You’re Doing a Fantastic Job!
Quickly realized that the small project was turning into a long term gig and the distribution center wanted us to bring more people to the job
We had about 12-13 individuals working and the as the “new opportunity” became a routine job – the number of staff supports needed at the site dropped
Individuals were now scheduled for 2-3 days per week and we needed to enroll them in SEMP
(oh great – now what!)
Begin Enrolling People in SEMP
Enclave
(easy right? – think again)
Wow – You Guys are Amazing
The distribution center is really happy with us and they begin scheduling fewer and fewer temps. We now have about 20 people employed
Opportunities for individuals goes up Integration goes down We need to look for partners
(Great – We are running out of people!)
We contact other work center programs looking for individuals who are interested in working
This doesn’t go as well as you’d think
Integration, Integration, Integration
The temporary agency is now out of the picture, and all we really accomplished was moving the location of the work center
Once again we went back to the drawing board and looked for viable partners
We realized we needed to find a partner that was also looking for work for (typical) individuals
We partnered with Catholic Charities refugee resettlement program and hired 20 production workers
Although this group is anything but “typical” the experience for all involved has been amazing
Lessons Learned While Growing
Keep your administrative team abreast of what you are doing even if you know they are going to scream
Get buy in from your CEO, Board of Directors, HR and Finance Department
Convince them this is paving the way to services of the future
Bake Cookies Repeat as often as necessary until everyone
agrees with you or at least stops saying NO
Isn’t this great?
Opportunities for individuals with disabilities = Number of individuals with new cell phones = Number of people gaining valuable work
experience = Number of individuals in SEMP = HR resources and frustration = Fiscal Department resources and frustration = Number of grey hairs =
(maybe not for everyone)
It just keeps growing….
We now have over 100 people employed, working in 3 locations on 3 different shifts
We have to start worrying about the Affordable Health Care Act
We have to start considering benefit packages
We have to worry that our pricing will never cover these additional costs
We have some explaining to do……
(Can too much of a good thing be a bad thing?)
You need a Business Plan
Our CEO, CFO, HR Director and Board of Directors insist we develop a business plan
We highly recommend you put yourselves through this (painful) process
We used the template on the Small Business Associations Website (with some modifications)
We found a mentor in the staffing business who wasn’t our competition
We have to consider spinning this off to be a separate company
(But we have BA’s in psychology – now what?)
The question you are just dying to ask
What did we do about transportation? Scheduled everyone that could ride the Metro (Para
Transit) to the bus accessible location Enlisted the help of our local ETP coordinator and
secured funding for a portion of the cost for a van service for the location that is inaccessible by Metro
Hired a part time driver and bought a 15 passenger van Charged the individuals a $10 a day co-pay for their
share of the cost (this doesn’t mean they actually pay it!) Stopped sending transportation bills to people’s homes
and moved to a pay per day system
(But we just keep talking)
Let’s talk about the staffing you need
Started with 2 production supervisors, a production foreman and the Coordinator of Sales and Production
Our knowledge of work flow and efficiencies became very valuable to our customer
Juggled staff through the work locations like
Let’s talk about the staffing you need
Brought in job coaches to do training and provide follow along
Moved away from job coaches to do training and provide follow along
Moved to full time vocational trainers at the job site providing training, working on the line and fighting fires
Moved away from production supervisors on site and moved to assistant supervisors for each shift at each location. Assistant supervisor positions are now 100% funded by the customer (this took 1 year)
Let’s talk about staffing you didn’t know you needed
FULL TIME JUGGLERExperience with OPWDD –SEMP, ESEMP and ETP services, ACCES-VR and manufacturing practices. Able to deal with constant changes to the daily schedule, refusals to work, irate residential managers and constantly changing cell phone numbers. Ability to speak Burmese, Nepalese or any African or Far Eastern language a plus.
Let’s talk about staffing you didn’t know you needed
Full time Production Manager Experience with a high paced distribution/manufacturing environment. Ability to coordinate a work crew of 25 with varying degrees of skills and English language proficiency while maintaining a safe work environment and keeping a sometimes crabby customer very happy. Ability to speak Burmese, Nepalese or any African or Far Eastern language a plus.
Lessons learned about the individuals we serve
We were most successful when individuals worked 2 to 3 days per week
All were given the option of what they wanted to do on their days off
Most chose to return to continue receiving prevocational or day habilitation services
Having staff that the individual is familiar with go with them makes all the difference
“These things must be done delicately”
For example…
Q: “Do you want to work at (insert name of community work location here)?”
A: “No!” Q: “Do you want to go and work with Cindy
today?” A: “Yes!”
Fast forward 3 months later while visiting a work site… “Tell Cindy I said hello!”
Lessons learned about the care providers of individuals we serve
Families and/or Care Providers were very cooperative at first, however, attitudes changed significantly when: transportation bills arrived in the mail Social Security checks decreased Income taxes needed to be filed
Provide as much information and examples on how income will effect benefits and earnings
Show them the math Keep your fingers crossed
(These things must be done even more delicately)
More lessons learned
Our agency as the employer works. Having a buffer between the customer and the individuals we serve = long term retention.
Having staff cross trained and utilizing work center staff to cover at the work site
Having OPWDD/ETP work with us to cover a portion of the transportation expense and additional staffing costs
Bringing a variety of skill levels works Integration not just for the sake of integration but to
meet the needs of the customer
Contact Information
Darren Lisicki, Coordinator of Sales and Production
716-901-8956
Anne Spisiak, Director of Community Services
716-901-8906
Consulting provided for a small feeJust kidding!It’s really expensive.
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