As a local leader in the health care community, Dr. Karen Baranowski, president and CEO of Home, Health and Hospice Care in Merrimack, knew it was time to do more than talk about the importance of hiring workers with physical or developmental disabilities.
As chair of Project Search, I felt it was time to walk the walk, says Baranowski, referring to the regional pilot school-to-work training program for people with disabilities. Working with Jennifer LeDuc Cusato of Linkabilities in Nashua, coordinator of Project Search, Baranowski identified three strong candidates for a critical position in her organization-thoroughly cleaning a suite after a patient dies, so it is presentable for another family.
Baranowski admits she was initially apprehensive. The position requires the employee to interact with families during a crisis point in their loved one's life. The young man who was eventually hired, Tim Cleaveland, has become an extraordinary and integral member of the HHHC team, Baranowski says. He arrived initially with his trainer from Project Search and together we developed a very specific and detailed job description of what was required for the job, Baranowski says. It's been about six months, and Tim is an excellent employee. He's able to complete his job with real attention to detail, he's integrated with the staff and has grown immeasurably in his role with us.
He's also grown as a person, exuding the confidence that comes from contributing to a team while working hard and gaining skills. We recently had an open house for Project Search at Greenbriar Terrace Healthcare, and Tim prepared a Powerpoint, which he presented to a group of strangers. Six months ago, I don't think he would have been able to do that. But he has really become someone with a true sense of accomplishment, and it shows,
Baranowski says.
Before he was hired at HHHC, Tim worked at a grocery store. When he first came to HHHC, he told Baranowski one of his goals was to become a licensed nursing assistant. He recently completed the course work, and is a certified LNA. One of the managers at Greenbriar said she would be interviewing Tim for a position there as an LNA, and in the future, we may be interviewing him, as well, Baranowski says. It's a real success story, a win-win for all of us.
Giving a Chance
Tim's story is not about how a person with a disability was able to fit into a workplace. It's about how people like Tim are succeeding every day in the real world, once employers give them the chance. The NH State Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation, which works to place people with disabilities in jobs, provided services to 7,305 clients in FY 2010, with 1,043 of them being placed in jobs. In FY 2010 alone, the Bureau had 3,107 new applicants. Easter Seals also helps about 250 to 300 people with disabilities annually across the state with employment issues.
We place approximately 50 percent of those individuals in jobs that are maintained for at least 90 days, says Colleen Powers, director of vocational services with Easter Seals NH and Maine. The most common disabilities include learning disabilities and other cognitive impairments, psychological issues such as depression, and physical disabilities.
Fran Cianci, district human resources manager for Home Depot in NH, says her company's commitment to diversity in hiring has meant finding ways to adapt some jobs so someone with a physical or developmental disability can excel. She recalls an employee with a visual impairment who had trouble reading a computer screen. Working with his job coach, the company got a special screen to cover and magnify the computer screen so he was able to do the job without hindrance.
There are certain minimum standards any employee must meet, but beyond that, we work through situations as they arise, Cianci says. Organizations such as the NH Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation and Easter Seals are two of the many organizations in NH committed to matching unemployed people with disabilities with the right jobs.
Cianci says such employees increase productivity and efficiency. It is truly a benefit to Home Depot because, in many cases, these are loyal associates that remain with our company for years. We understand everyone brings a little something different to the table. We have associates who are 18 through 80, and over the eight years I've been with the company, I have seen a commitment to Home Depot's core values, which is about creating a diverse, inclusive culture for all our associates.
However, many employers are not aware of the existing programs to help train people with disabilities for specific jobs, and that can mean lost opportunities.
Tom Painchaud, senior vice president of distribution services for New Hampshire Distributors in Concord, became convinced he should tap into this segment of the workforce after observing a training program in Arizona. I was at a seminar in Arizona and we were visiting a beer company out there, and I saw they had a group from vocational services working in the warehouse, doing various tasks that needed to be done. In this case, it was repackaging a product that was broken, which is something we do a lot of in our operation, Painchaud says.
When Easter Seals New Hampshire contacted New Hampshire Distributors' human resources department to inquire about opportunities for disabled workers through a job-matching program, Painchaud saw an opportunity to put into action what he'd seen working well in Arizona.
That was in 2007, and the partnership between Easter Seals and New Hampshire Distributors is still going strong. Their total workforce of 133 includes three employees with disabilities, two of whom have been with the company since the program launched.
It's been a win-win situation. We currently have three employees that come in for four hours a day, Tuesday through Friday, and they have two supervisors through Easter Seals who accompany them. They take great pride in what they do, and through their supervisor, are able to follow the standards for repackaging required by the different companies we deal with, so that when items are repackaged and shipped back, we're confident that everything is going back in great shape, Painchaud says. His warehouse manager, Leon Kosko, couldn't be happier with the work being done, and the work Easter Seals does to make sure workers are well-prepared for whatever tasks need tackling. "As long as I'm prepared, they're always ready to go, Kosko says. There has never been a problem or an issue. They fit right in here, and do great work for us.
So what does Easter Seals do to make sure their clients succeed at a job site? Depending on the individual's challenges and/or disabilities, they may require assistance on the job site. Easter Seals works one-on-one on the job site with individuals who need additional training beyond what an employer provides. We do this by attending the employer training, learning the tasks needing to be performed, mastering the skills and then teaching our consumer the skills, Powers says. This can include such techniques as modeling, hand over hand, repeated instruction, check lists or picture reminders. We can get highly creative and devise individual techniques best suited for an individual. We will do whatever it takes to get the worker to independence. Like all of us, we would prefer to learn from our colleagues rather than an outside source so our job coaches are highly sensitive to this." She says they teach people to reach out to co-workers. The employer pays the employee; Easter Seals pays the job coach.
Reaping Rewards
Painchaud says for companies that may be thinking of partnering with Vocational Rehab, it's essential to realize that such partnerships are as beneficial to a business as they are to the disabled individual.
We have found that the Easter Seals clients gain a sense of accomplishment, and it's been a successful and productive move for New Hampshire Distributors. They really do a tremendous job for us, Painchaud says.
Employee retention is always an issue employers contend with, and that is another selling point for working with agencies to hire people with disabilities, says Janice Morin, store manager for Harvest Market in Bedford. In her 30 years with the company, she has seen many successful employees hired through Easter Seals, Moore Center Services or via connections with the local school district's special education program, many of whom go on to become long-term employees.
In some cases, it's just a short-term relationship, as part of a school program. But in many cases, we've found long-term employees that remain because it's a great fit, for them as well as for us, Morin says. Thanks to the training received through Vocational Rehabilitation and the one-on-one supervision, she says such employees are very reliable and can become like family.
We had an employee who worked for us for many years, a job that started while he was still in high school and continued for many years after. He eventually relocated, but still comes back to see us whenever he's in town, and he keeps in touch with us. For years he walked to work because he lived in the area, and we could always count on him to be here, no matter what the weather. He knew his job tasks, and was really an integral part of the store's operations, Morin says.
It's important for any employer to consider what jobs they have available, and look for ways to create partnerships that include the disabled, no matter what business they run. Morin says. It's certainly a good feeling to be able to give someone an opportunity to work a regular schedule and perform a designated task, she says, adding it's also a great benefit for companies, as one of the results tends to be reducing turnover. These employees come with job coaching and training. If you have a new task that needs to be added, someone will come in and do the training, Morin says. As an employer, it's really just a matter of thinking outside the box-and if you do, therein lie the possibilities.
Editor's note: This was the second story in a two-part series on hiring workers with disabilities. The first story ran in the February 2011 issue.
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