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Interviewer: You mentioned Resource Ownership.
Nancy: Resource Ownership is really one
of the employment choices that the folks we work with seem to choose
more often. We have some very interesting examples. The point is that
we all have something that we bring to a job that makes us valuable,
whether it's an education or having a car. It's the resources that
you come with. Many of the folks we work with have limited resources
that they bring with them. They have been in a segregated situation.
Through their individual training accounts, or funds that are built
through Social Security initiatives, the individual can buy equipment,
supplies, resources, that they own. They can use these in negotiating
a position with businesses. An example would be a gentleman who wanted
to work with dogs purchased through his individual training account,
a hydraulic table and washing table. It's his. He brought it with
him to this Veterinary Clinic. He has a wage job on top of that. It
gives him some power in the employment setting. The vet could not
afford to purchase this. [The gentleman] was able to bring that with
him and create a job situation for him.
Interviewer: That's really an interesting
aspect of this. I hadn't necessarily considered the value-added element
of self-employment. You bring a resource that someone else in the
community may not necessarily be able to access or purchase themselves.
Nancy: Exactly. We have probably fifteen
examples that are very creative such as the following: an espresso
bar, a Bobcat where someone wanted to work in construction; a woman
who is going to be an assistant manager at a hair place and she's
going to run some hair drying sorts of equipment; an individual who
wants to open his own carwash brought with him an extractor machine
that helps clean cars; and a woman who has a computer lab for children
in a daycare center. These are some really creative options. It also
provides not only power, confidence, and integrity for the consumer
that we're trying to support; but, it also enables the staff to help
the consumer negotiate some situations that are to that consumer’s
advantage, that might not be negotiable in just a regular job.
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