Group formed to secure employment grew from Community Living
Agency is now Perth County’s largest employment service provider Monday December 5, 2011 -- Deb Bartlett
The work that began more than 20 years ago to get people from Community Living St. Marys out of sheltered workshops and into jobs in the community continues today as Partners In Employment.
Deb Hotchkiss was an employee of Community Living St. Marys at the time the board decided to close the workshops and find employment for the people that wanted to work.
She says the move from workshop to jobs worked because the association never considered the people it supported as a group.
“It was always looking at what the individual wanted to do. What their interests were, what their passions were. We did it one step at a time,” says Hotchkiss.
She took on the portfolio of helping people find work.
Hotchkiss says the association’s executive director at the time was in discussion with other community organizations including boards of education and mental health services about their funding for employment.
Each of the agencies had small amounts for employment, and rather than working solo, the money was pooled to create a county-wide agency focussed on employment, says Hotchkiss.
The first year’s budget was $16,000; she is now executive director of Partners In Employment, Perth County’s largest employment service provider, with a budget of $1.8 million.
Hotchkiss says the focus and philosophy has always been to create a generic employment service that specializes in helping people who have a disability.
The group started working just with people who have an intellectual disability in shared space with Service Canada.
“Before long, they were asking us to take on some of their clients,” says Hotchkiss.
Work with the Ontario Disability Support Program and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities followed, and Hotchkiss says the agency now has offices in St. Marys, Stratford and Listowel.
“In Perth County, we are the main employment service provider,” she says.
Partners In Employment has 3,000 employers in their database, and prides itself on matching skills to clients.
“Because we are really honest with employers about skill sets, they believe us and say ‘Okay, send them over,’” says Hotchkiss.
Staff members at the agency focus on what people are good at, whether the person has a disability or not, she says.
“We never do anything for anyone they can do themselves,” she says, which encourages ownership and responsibility.
Do you have a story to share about how community agencies are supporting your Community Living group? Contact Deb at 800-294-0051, ext. 30, or e-mail deb(at)axiomnews.ca.
To comment on this story contact Deb at 800-294-0051, ext. 30, or e-mail deb(at)axiomnews.ca.