Work Case Histories
by Gary Gill, Vocational Specialist at Lamplighter House
Lamplighter House in Kalispell, Montana, provides services—day treatment, vocational outreach, and case management—to Montanans with mental illness through the Western Montana Mental Health Center. This year Lamplighter House received a grant through the Rural Institute's Montana Rural Employment Initiative (MREI) to expand our vocational service capacity. As a result of this grant, we built our vocational capacity by developing an employment advisory council and monthly educational forums. MREI funds paid for an additional staff person to work with me on employment and provides extensive staff/consumer training and technical consultation.
We were also able to take advantage of money from a second Rural Institute employment program, the Job Training Partnership Act: Montana/Wyoming Careers Through Partnership Project (JTPA). This project provided funds directly to consumers to start their own businesses or pay for vocational training and services. Throughout the year, each time someone successfully found a job, it inspired the other consumers we serve to look for community employment. Success blossomed into more success, and it all started with seed money through the Rural Institute's supported employment projects.
Below are four consumers' work histories. Each consumer successfully found employment as a direct result of Lamplighter House's partnering with the Rural Institute.
Ron
Ron is 55 years old and was referred to Lamplighter House in late 1997. He has been seeing our psychiatrist and using case management service for the past year and half. Because he hadn't worked since 1992, he was referred to our vocational services to participate in our Job Club and for assistance with searching for work. Our Job Club meets once a week and the members set the agenda. At the Job Club, members can get leads on jobs, get help filling out job applications, and share their job-hunting and work experiences with their peers.
Ron was referred to my office in December, 1998. He felt he was ready to go back to work and would like my help with his job search. After interviewing Ron, completing a Vocational/Personal Profile Form and an Interest Form, we concluded that Ron would like working outdoors in a laborer position, preferably one without a great amount of supervision. Because his work background was in the timber industry, this is where we began our job search. Ron and I worked on his resume and filled out applications together, but Ron went to his job interviews alone. He found a job splitting and stacking firewood with Montana Timberline in Columbia Falls. He started with them on December 20 and worked there until January 15. While he was working for Timberline, Ron continued to apply for better jobs and he found a better paying job with Great Northern Bark Company. He went to work for them on January 30, 1999. This summer Ron found an even better job, working as a groundskeeper at Glacier National Park for $9.00 an hour.
Zach
Zach is 42 years. When Zach was first referred to Lamplighter House, he was nervous around people. He "feared people" because they might believe he was not "good enough." He was isolated at home in his bedroom. In public, his thoughts were racing, he breathed rapidly, and he easily became angry with others.
Because of treatment and medications, Zach no longer suffers from the majority of his symptoms and now wants to be a productive citizen. While interviewing Zach, it came to my attention that he enjoyed working with wood. He said that he had completed and sold several wood carvings. He brought several of his carvings into the office and I was amazed at how good they were. I asked Zach if he thought he could make a living doing this and without hesitation he stated he was sure he could. I asked what he would need to set up a shop with all the tools to start a business. Zach did all the footwork and gathered prices of all the tools and equipment he would like, and I helped him apply for JTPA funds for his own business. Zach received $2,973 in JTPA money. He now has all the tools and materials for his wood products business.
Zach has been selling his sculpture and jewelry boxes at the Farmer's Market in Kalispell and at various arts and crafts fairs in Western Montana. Recently he sold a sculpture for $1700.
Garold
Garold is 32 years old. He has visual hallucinations, is hypersensitive to noises (birds, cars passing by), and sometimes feels a "hardening of his chest" with pressure coming from the inside. Television commercials have special meaning to him and seem to tell him "don't buy here, you don't have the money, I do."
Garold came to my office in December, 1998 and explained he had lost his job and needed to find work. He enrolled and began attending Job Club every week. The second week he attended, he noticed a job opening that I had found on the Montana Job Service Web Page. He said he thought he would like to be a janitor and this opening fit the bill. I asked if he wanted my assistance applying for the job and he said he really wanted to do it by himself, so with my moral support he applied for the job. He received an interview and asked me for some tips on how to interview. We did two mock interviews before he went to interview for the job. Garold was chosen for the job on the January 15 and has been working at Lee's Janitorial since. I did not have to job coach him.
Miss "T"
Miss "T" is 38 years old and has a history of chronic depression. Miss "T" came into my office in February, said she needed a job, and asked if I would assist with a job search. While interviewing her, it became apparent to me that this woman had a wonderful work history, including such postions as personnel supervisor for a large national marketing and managing group, team coordinator and fine arts project coordinator for a school district, physical therapy technician, and assistant and posting clerk for a federal credit union. She also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Economics, graduating with a 3.93 GPA.
Job searching in northwest Montana during the winter is not exactly full of promise and most of the jobs available are fairly low paying compared to other parts of the country. I felt that Miss "T" had credentials that warranted a higher paying job than those being offered in Montana at that time. One day when she was in my office, I discussed this with her and asked if she would be willing to accept a position outside Montana. She thought for a moment and said yes, so we broadened our job search to cover areas outside the state. Within a week we found an opening on the Internet for a position in Washington, DC. She applied for the job, was granted an interview, and was accepted for the position of administrative assistant at a Congressional office. Miss "T" began her new job February 27, 1999, and is still employed there.
Mario
Mario is 38 years old and has a bipolar disorder. Mario's symptoms have interfered with his ability to work. He had not worked in a year and currently lives with his parents.
I interviewed Mario on February 1, 1999. At that time he didn't know what kind of work he wanted to do. He had an impressive work history in graphic design, but stated he just didn't want to do that again, just yet. He said he didn't know if he could take the stress. After Mario had left the office, I was looking over the list of interests he had filled out and noticed he was an avid skier. A new ski resort called Blacktail Mountain had just opened in the Flathead Valley and had been advertising for ski instructors. I obtained an application, then called Mario. Mario was interested; he applied for and got the job. He started working on the February 5 and worked until the resort closed for the season on April 4.
As I look back at each of these cases, I see one common denominator. I did not get jobs for any of these individuals—they all worked hard and obtained jobs on their own. All I did was facilitate. I assisted with their job search and gave them support, but they did the leg work and it was a job they chose, rather than a job I chose for them. By the time they started working, each of them had a vested interest in their respective jobs and to that I attribute their success.