Careers Through Partnerships Project
by Tom Hayes, Program Manager of Montana Job Training Partnership
Ron F. (Kalispell): Ron is an SSI recipient with dual diagnosis (psychiatric and developmental disabilities). He is also a Vocational Rehabilitation consumer. Ron's employment goal is to own and operate a lawn service and snow removal business. As a result of a collaborative effort between the mental health center, Careers Through Partnerships, and the local microbusiness development center, Ron is on his way to realizing his career goal. The mental health center in Kalispell helped Ron develop his business plan, and they will continue to help him manage his business finances. Careers Through Partnerships purchased Ron's "tools of the trade" including a weed eater, snow blower, leaf blower, lawnmower, work clothing, and other miscellaneous tools. Through the microbusiness development center, Ron obtained a loan to buy a pickup truck. Careers Through Partnerships is also helping Ron with advertising expenses such as flyers, business cards, and an answering machine.
Ron's story is just one of the early successes of the Careers Through Partnership Project. This project is helping meet the employment needs of people with disabilities in Wyoming and Montana. The first component of the project was to build the capacity of service providers in the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) system or any other provider interested in giving people with disabilities an opportunity to become employed in the job they chose. In order to fulfill people's aspirations, techniques such as supported employment and job carving were a primary component of the capacity building. Underlying these principles, however, is the fundamental belief that everyone is job-ready. The trick is finding that job.
Montana Job Training Partnership, Inc., (MJTP) serves as the administrative agency for Job Training Partnership Act programs across Montana. Formed in 1990, it is a private, non-profit in Helena, Montana. The Rural Institute Training Department is providing the training in supported employment and job carving techniques for the Careers Through Partnerships Project. Funded with $450,000 of JTPA funds, the project will be extended for another year, with a third year possible after that. Most of the funds are reserved for direct services for consumers.
The Wyoming portion of grant activities has begun and all initial training will be completed by mid-May 1999, with more enrollments expected soon after. As of this time, four capacity building workshops have been held in Montana, with two completed in Wyoming. Each workshop was an intensive three-day seminar conducted for service providers and consumers that included field work on job analysis in local businesses. In addition to these first steps, all follow-up and PASS (Plan to Achieve Self Support) training sessions have been completed in Montana. Thirty-eight people have been enrolled under the project, and more applications for enrollments arrive at the MJTP office daily. Services are being provided by a variety of agencies, from those who have traditionally been JTPA providers to mental health centers with no JTPA experience.
Self-employment has become a pre-eminent interest among customers of the project. While seemingly a risky venture, there have been successes in self-employment. In their initial start-up phases, it is really too early to judge the long range outcomes of these businesses. What has been most encouraging has been the resourcefulness of local agencies to bring together a number of different program funds in order to make the most of the money available. It is not unusual, for example, for one of these entrepreneurs to access JTPA funds from this project, Vocational Rehabilitation funds, and even secure a microbusiness loan.
Another Success Story
Five participants with psychiatric and emotional
disabilities in Miles City are forming a business partnership
to own and operate a transportable food cart. The partnership
will provide their food service to the local high school during
the school year, at the city park in the summer, and at special
events and occasions throughout the year. The food cart, valued
at approximately $10,000, was donated to the participants by Vocational
Rehabilitation. Careers Through Partnerships is assisting participants
with liability insurance, uniforms, and transportation.