"I Want a Job!"

By Meg Hammis,
Training Coordinator, Missoula Developmental Service Corp.
A Montana Consumer Controlled Careers Demonstration Site

IN EARLY FALL1997, I had the pleasure of meeting Lynn at the Missoula Chapter of People First. Lynn sat quietly during most of the meeting as others discussed their ideas for activities for the upcoming winter. At last Lynn’s hand went up; she wanted to share something with the group. Lynn was recognized and given the floor—the whole room intent on what she was about to say. Proudly and firmly Lynn said, “I want a job!”

November 17, 1997, was my first day as training coordinator with Missoula Developmental Service Corporation. On that first day, as I walked through a noisy building with people going several directions pursuing their particular interests of that moment, I spotted Lynn—a friendly and familiar face! Lynn welcomed me and assured me we would see each other regularly as she spends most of her days in the workshop.

Cary Griffin and David Hammis were advisors for the Missoula People First Chapter and had also met Lynn during these meetings. As luck would have it, David and I were invited to Thanksgiving dinner at Cary’s house. I had been sharing stories of my developing friendship with Lynn, so an invitation was extended to Lynn also. As Lynn would discover later, this was a turning point in her life.

We began our Thanksgiving day by cooking the feast to be devoured later. I picked up Lynn at one of the agency group homes and returned to our home. Our daughter was in from Denver and our son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter were visiting from Arizona. Our small home didn’t allow for that size of a crew to get ready quickly. Lynn settled in comfortably with this motley crew and immediately began entertaining our one-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter and our 6-month-old puppy.

Later that day, as people continued to arrive for Thanksgiving dinner, Lynn leaned over to David and said, “I want a job.” David’s reply to Lynn was that there were going to be many people at dinner and perhaps she should let everyone know; maybe someone would know of an opening.

Dinner was almost over when Lynn spoke up, “I want a job!” Questions began flying around the table immediately. Excitement over Lynn’s declaration grew. “What type of job do you want?” “What kinds of things do you want to do?” Finally, from across the table came the answer Lynn had been dreaming about, “I think we can do something about that.” Cary was referring to working with the Training Department at the Rural Institute at The University of Montana. The sparkle in Lynn’s eyes matched the sparkle in the fine crystal on the table. A job!

During one of the days following our dinner, I was asked to assist in the workshop. I was asked to work with Lynn, since she and I had developed a recognizable relationship. I was thrilled that Lynn and I could spend more time together and immediately began making plans for an afternoon adventure. Lynn and I walked to the bus stop, stepped on, and asked if this bus would take us to the mall. You have to know, eventually all buses go to the mall. After Mrs. Field’s cookies and some pop, we ventured back to the bus for another ride. This time we were determined to figure out the bus system on our own. After being on the bus an hour and laughing a lot, we realized we had no idea where we were going. Fortunately one of Lynn’s friends had gotten on and told us the proper route to get back.

When it came time to begin work, we faced many obstacles. The Rural Institute is funded by grants and funding for new staff positions needs to be included in grant application budgets, so there was no money at that time to hire Lynn. Still determined to find Lynn a position, we decided to begin “visiting” the Institute’s office. “Visiting” allowed Lynn to identify areas of interest and we could begin developing a job description and find funding to hire her (since then, funding for Lynn’s position has been secured).

By Lynn’s first day, it was determined that David would be Lynn’s supervisor. He had set up a desk, bulletin board, and all the basic office supplies. To our surprise, Lynn’s first comment was, “So where’s my phone!” This would prove to be our the first lesson Lynn taught us.

Not only did we try several different job duties during our early “visits,” we were developing accommodations for Lynn’s back, legs, and ability to reach. We went through just about every chair available to find one that was comfortable. After several weeks, we settled on a shorter work day and changing chairs every half hour or so to give her some relief. We considered building some fixtures that would reduce the distance Lynn needed to reach to retrieve papers when making packets.

Then came the ever popular obstacle—transportation. How were we going to get Lynn to work? When presented with this issue, I thought fondly of our trip to the mall and with a little more investigation, I discovered that there was a bus stop at the end of the street where Lynn lived. It provided a direct route to the University—no transfers! When I told Lynn that we could ride the bus to work, she was thrilled and, of course, had to share the story to anyone who would listen of how “I” got us lost!

Additionally, who would work with Lynn as an employment consultant? I had been going with Lynn on her visits, but my position is to teach other people. So dutifully, I began teaching one of the staff from Lynn’s home to work with her at the Rural Institute.

Over the next several weeks there were additional problems. There were days that Lynn didn’t want to go to work, days where everyone was running late and she had to be driven to work, and days when she was sick. But persistence prevailed. We continued to make adjustments and problem solve each time an obstacle appeared.

Finally a true breakthrough! As we (staff) sat making our notes of the day’s activities, Lynn told us that she didn’t want us at “her job.” She wanted to work with her co-workers: David, Nancy, Diana, Mike, and “the big boss.” We’d never considered this option. So, we went back to the drawing board.

David and Nancy agreed to work with Lynn when she came in, but Lynn still wanted to ride the bus. As we sat and discussed options for the bus and how staff would be able to ride with her yet not work with her, Lynn simply said, “I can ride the bus.” Yes, in fact that was another lesson for us. Why did we need to be on the bus with her? We set up a system where Lynn would walk to the bus with us and we would help her board. As Lynn was too short to see out the windows to know when she arrived at her destination, we informed the bus drivers where she would be getting on and off. David and Nancy agreed to meet her at the bus stop on the other end and assist her getting off the bus. Until we were sure that the system was working well and Lynn felt comfortable riding alone, we also informed the bus drivers that a staff member would be following the bus. Should any problems arise, they could pull over and we would be able to assist. It’s probably no surprise to you that to date there has never been a problem.

Lynn was doing great and really enjoyed working with her co-workers, but there were several days when her supervisor David had to travel. Stepping up to the plate with enthusiasm was Nancy. Nancy and Lynn began developing their own system of getting things done. Just as we had learned from what Lynn was telling us, Nancy was picking up quickly on Lynn’s interests. First they developed a wish list together: a computer, a telephone, water cooler, pink chair that felt good, etc. . . .

During one of the weeks when David was traveling, Nancy realized that there was a full staff meeting for the Rural Institute and Lynn probably didn’t know. She called me immediately to inform me that it was that afternoon and could I get Lynn there in time. When Lynn arrived and saw all of the wonderful pot luck goodies that accompanied this meeting, she told me to “come back later.” In the following weeks it became clear that Lynn made many new friends that day. The relationships Lynn developed from this meeting are growing stronger. People from throughout the organization are making it a point to stop by on the days that she works, just to say “Hi.”

This meeting was the first time Lynn had met Timm Vogelsberg, Executive Director of the Rural Institute. He was curious as to who this young woman was. Timm asked David and Lynn to his office to discuss an upcoming meeting. During their conversation Timm asked, “What do you do here?” Lynn replied, “I work here.” Timm was pleased with Lynn’s ability to express herself and invited her to take part in the federal site evaluation of the Institute this past March. Lynn was thrilled, particularly when she found out that she would be paid $25 for her time! After this meeting, and now knowing where Timm’s office is, Lynn stops by regularly to “keep in touch.”

Lynn and Nancy continue to work on their wish list and to date Nancy has been able to get a telephone (and has it connected) and a computer. Don’t put it past her to find that water cooler someday! As most of you know, when you have a telephone, it becomes clear that you also need a Rolodex. Nancy and Lynn sat down one morning and wrote out cards for all the people Lynn knows with their telephone numbers and put them in a Rolodex. During her work day, Lynn will take a break and call one of her friends just to chat.

With each visit Lynn gets another list of the things to be accomplished during that day. I’ve seen a couple of these lists and they can be very extensive. But I understand the two of them are quite a team and the list never goes unfinished—particularly the photocopying! As Lynn passes through the hallways of the Rural Institute, you will hear, “Lynn! Can you make me 50 copies of this?” “Lynn! I need 20 copies of this by the end of the day. Can you do that for me?” “Lynn!” “Lynn!” “Lynn!” So just how did they get everything done before Lynn got there?

“Visits” continued while Lynn applied to Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) for Community Based Work Experience money. Lynn will receive a pay check! Along with wages, VR will be paying for an evaluation for a proper chair and purchasing the chair for her use. Not to stop there, VR has also set up an account for Lynn to buy some new work cloths! Time to dress for success!

Another avenue we’re exploring is using a PASS (Plan for Achieving Self Support), a Social Security Work Incentive. We are looking at the buying a paper folding machine and (to our surprise) a touch screen for the computer to match Lynn’s interests with the tasks that need to be completed on a regular basis. About a week ago Nancy set up a training evaluation data entry screen on the computer. Nancy had Lynn doing the data entry on the computer. Though she was a bit slower than most folks because she had never used a mouse, Lynn was relatively accurate and enjoyed working on the computer. There was some trouble with the coordination between the mouse and the computer, but this could easily be solved with the use of a touch screen.

Today Lynn is attending a department retreat meeting with all her co-workers at the “big boss’s” house. I’m sure that our lessons have only just begun and that Lynn has more to teach us all. So what did we learn from participating in the Montana Consumer Controlled Careers Initiative? How to listen and how to let go!

Lynn! You Got a Job! Thank you Lynn for your wonderful lessons!