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Interviewer: It seems the change was occurring
not only for the people that you were serving, but also for your staff.
Initially, did you and your staff experience some feelings of anxiety
and concern about whether or not you had the capacity to do this sort
of thing? If so, was that difficult to overcome? How have you found
the confidence of your staff now?
Nancy: There has been a 180 degree turn-around.
Initially, the staff were very resistant and very pessimistic. Some
of the weekly staff meetings were very stressful and very tense. What
had to happen was taking this overwhelming concept and breaking it
down into, "Ok, what can we make happen between now and next
week?" It was breaking it down into very small stages that resulted
in tangible outcomes that were achievable; and then balancing that
with a lot of support, encouragement, and flexibility.
It was key to hold people accountable. There had to be some bit of
firmness in the process that this was serious. We were trying to change
people's lives. You could not take this seriously. As people started
getting outcomes based on those very small steps that we would define,
week-for-week; it became something that they took pride in and felt
that they had achieved. Then, it became fun. It was a much more enjoyable
process than just the standard supported employment [like working]
at a typical fast food or grocery store. People saw this was a valued
role for the individual and actually a career path, because it was
based on their passion and what they wanted to do in life.
Interviewer: Excellent. Thank you so much,
I appreciate that. How can Social Security benefits, such as Plans
for Achieving Self-Sufficiency and the Ticket-to-Work Voucher system
be used?
Nancy: The PASS Plan is really a tool that
can maximize resources for the folks we support. It's critical when
you look at the folks that we're trying to support who are often living
under the poverty level and have few resources because their benefits
don't allow that. Through the PASS Plan and even the IRWE, you can
maximize those resources, enabling the individual to expand his/her
options through his/her business. The Ticket-to-Work really hasn't
been something that we've had a lot of experience with in Georgia.
I know there are some kinks that are still being worked out with that.
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