Watch the recorded webinar here. Have you and the individuals and families you support experienced this "messy" phase as your organization moves away from facility-based services to community employment? This transformation from segregated work settings is happening across the country, and can bring liberation and empowerment. But the process of change is not always easy or comfortable for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families. A variety of issues can come up for people with IDD as the agencies that serve them switch to integrated employment:
- They might stop getting a weekly paycheck when their workshop shuts down.
- They might stop seeing their friends on a daily basis once the workshop closes.
- They may get a part-time job, leaving the rest of the day needing to be filled.
- Their family may feel the pressure of helping their child or sibling with IDD find and keep fulfilling work in the community.
So how do we get to a "gorgeous" ending, where people have a satisfying job and relationships in the community? Watch this archive of our March event for a candid discussion of this issue. Our discussion in March featured:
- Jeff Gentry, the director of transition and community services at Triangle, Inc. in Malden, Massachusetts. Jeff believes that employment is key to a successful life, and will share his perspective from his 9+ years working with people with IDD at Triangle.
- Christine Murdocca. Chris works at least 20 hours a week in supported employment, where she earns at least minimum wage, at Polymer, a contact lens display company, and on a Department of Public Health contract. Chris is also a host of Triangle’s Ablevision television program, that has produced the video included in this webinar.
"All change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and so gorgeous at the end." - Robin Sharma