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July All-Stars
Finding a job in the community when one has a disability can be very difficult and frustrating. Employers often do not look past the disability to see the person underneath or the work skills they bring to the table. Vocational Rehabilitation Services assist individuals with disabilities to find and maintain employment in the community. Employment Specialists work with the individual to determine interests and preferences related to employment and then to find job positions which are a match. For some, this can be a long and difficult road but the pay off at the end is worth all the hard work put in by the individual and their support team.
Anthony’s Story
Anthony Westphal was born into a Military family in 1983 in California. He spent the first 6 months of his life there, then moved to Germany, Texas, and finally to Buffalo, Minnesota where he has resided independently for the past 5 years. Anthony’s vocational history includes custodial work, cleaning classrooms and offices, and was a cart attendant for 3 years. After realizing he needed a change, he began attending Functional Industries where he had the opportunity to work on a community-based production crew. Ten years later, Anthony realized it was again time for change and began his search for community-based employment.
In February 2016, Anthony was referred by his social worker to Functional Industries’ Vocational Rehabilitation Placement team; he was paired with Dana, an Employment Specialist. They met to discuss Anthony’s interests and preferences in relation to work. Anthony expressed interest in becoming a janitor, stocker, or warehouse worker. The obstacle was that Anthony did not have transportation to get a community-based job, so finding one close to home was crucial. “I’ve wanted to find a job in the community, there just weren’t jobs I could get to,” Anthony explained. He and Dana began by building Anthony’s resume, and then moved on to filling out job applications and going to interviews together. Anthony also explained he was able to talk to Dana about his fears regarding community employment, that he had “been out of it for a while” and didn’t know what to expect for his future. Throughout his job searching journey, Anthony’s employability skills naturally sharpened as he learned more about applications, interviews, and job options that fit his interests.
“I’ve wanted to find a job in the community; there just weren’t jobs I could get to.”
In April of 2016, with the support from his Employment Specialist, Anthony landed a job at Walmart in the shipping/receiving department, just a few blocks from his home! He is responsible for unloading trucks with a team of employees and placing the items in the correct bin to be dispersed throughout the store. When asked what he likes most about the job, he went on to share that he has met new friends, and even employees in other departments. He exclaimed that he makes more money and stated, “I get to do different things every day.”
Anthony continues to utilize his support system as he becomes acclimated to community-based employment, and more specifically to his job at Walmart. Anthony is proud of his success, and his confidence continues to grow as he becomes more independent at work!
Logan’s Story
Logan Boward was born in 1995 in Coon Rapids, Minnesota and has resided in Otsego his whole life. He graduated from Roger’s High School in May, 2014 during which time he worked at Cub Foods for five years. At the same time Logan graduated high school, he was enrolled in Vocational Rehabilitation Services and began working with his counselor, Jessica Outhwaite, to determine what type of career would best fit him. His biggest interest included working with elderly individuals and assisting them with physical care and their overall enjoyment in life.
In June of 2014, Logan began working with an Employment Specialist Holly, at Functional Industries, to complete two community-based work assessments to determine Logan’s work skills, abilities, and interests. He completed one work assessment at a nursing home in the activities department and fell in love with the residents. There, he was able to do crafts, call bingo, play cards, and share stories with the residents. Finding his calling, Logan completed a second work assessment at another nursing home completing food service work. This solidified his passion for working with elderly. Moving forward with his career exploration, Logan completed an informational interview alongside Holly at the Anoka Ramsey Technical College where he was able to discuss his options with the head of the Certified Nursing Assistant Department. Following this, and with the support of his Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor he enrolled and successfully completed his Certified Nursing Assistant Certificate in June, 2015.
“It was kind of nerve wracking. It was the fear of the unknown.”
After completing his schooling, Logan began job searching with an Employment Specialist, Dana at FII. When asked about his job search, Logan commented, “It was kind of nerve wracking. It was the fear of the unknown.” Shortly after he began his search, however, he landed a job which he worked at for 8 months until deciding to relocate closer to home. Since January 2016, he has been in his current position at Stoney River Assisted Living and Memory Care as a full time Trained Medical Assistant (TMA), with his primary job consisting of passing medications to residents. When asked how he felt he was supported throughout his community employment journey, he responded, “Dana was there when I needed her, which was quite a bit. She was there to talk to, and to get through a bad day at work.” Through guidance from Dana, Logan has established natural supports at his current job which he uses for ongoing support, and no longer needs continued support from an Employment Specialist.