By Moryt Milo
The South Bay arm of AbilityPath offers individuals with a mental illness a door into the working world.
The nonprofit works with the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) and San Andreas Regional Center to provide employment programs for people with disabilities. This includes individuals with a mental health condition or intellectual and developmental disabilities.
To qualify for AbilityPath’s help, individuals must have a “diagnosed disability,” a letter from their doctor, and a desire to work. Individuals who receive SSDI or SSI fit the disability criteria.
Steering the program is AbilityPath South Bay Employment Services Manager Angela Lucero Perry, who has 25 years of experience working with people with disabilities.
Angela points out a desire to work is key.
“It can’t be mom’s desire or dad’s desire. It has to be their desire to work, because we all know when we are pushed to do something we don’t want to do, we sabotage it and make it not work,” she said.
For those who are determined to try, Angela said AbilityPath will work the gamut to figure out what a person can do within their range.
She gives the example of a person saying they want to be a veterinarian. She then points out this requires years of schooling and internships. But she recognizes the person has an affinity toward animals, so Angela suggests looking at jobs at a veterinary clinic, pet store, or animal shelter.
“We really try to work within a person’s desires and realistic goals,” Angela said.
Doorway to Work
For families with loved ones challenged by a severe mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, this is a unique program. When Angela came on board five years ago, she added this service for those with a mental health diagnosis, after working 18 years for the nonprofit Services for Brain Injury.
Her vision to enhance the program enabled my son, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia 13 years ago, to work with AbilityPath to find part-time employment.
The program helps the job seeker craft a resume, cover letter, develop interview skills through role play, and most importantly gives the person confidence and hope they can find a way back into the mainstream of society.
Another critical component in the support process is the nonprofit’s knowledge of which employers will hire someone with a disability. In our situation, my son’s case manager drove around our community connecting with receptive employers.
“I think transparency is very important when looking for employment for someone,” Angela said. “What I don’t want to happen is to send someone to a setting where: A) the employer hasn’t worked with someone with a disability and doesn’t understand; or B) the client is not ready for [the job].”
Time and patience are key to turning an opportunity into a success and giving that individual a sense of purpose in life. Job coaching is not rushed. The case manager discusses the importance of making a first impression including how to dress.
“The worst we can do is set them up for failure, and I have found that people who come through our door have faced so many failures in life,” Angela said. “I don’t want the employment process to be one of them.”
If the individual is coming from Regional, the case manager will assist with the application and then go to the interview with the client. AbilityPath will work closely with the client 100% of the time the first few months, then support eventually tapers down to 30% until the case transfers back to Regional for support.
My son came to AbilityPath through the DOR and his case manager worked with him as needed for about six months until the case was closed. During that time, his case manager was instrumental in helping him when work became a bit rocky.
He got a job at a Campbell grocery store, but his hours were not consistent and the irregularity started to become difficult. His case manager stepped in and asked the store if they could make an accommodation and give him hours around the same time of day. The grocery store agreed, and this continuity created his ticket to success.
This was considered an appropriate request because the individual was asking for a stable routine, Angela said. What is not considered an appropriate accommodation is when a person doesn’t want to work on weekends because they want to hang out with friends.
Stability Is Critical
For those with a mental illness diagnosis, the individual must also be stable. If things start to go awry, due to a change in medication or they stop taking medications, AbilityPath will step in and let the employer know the person may need to take a medical leave. But Angela emphasizes this needs to happen before the situation degrades and the person loses their job.
Four years into my son’s job, he went through a rough patch where the voices had become too loud, and he was having difficulty at work. He talked with his psychiatrist who wrote a letter. My son explained to his employer he needed to step away for mental health reasons and he took a
two-month medical leave. Employers have to give an employee medical leave when it’s bona fide. This way the individual doesn’t lose their job.
“I think this is really important for the client when a family has an advocate and sees the person going off kilter,” Angela said. “It’s important to shoot a message to the support team prior to someone getting fired or before it escalates. We can talk to the employer without disclosing the issue and request a medical leave and come back with a doctor’s note.”
Angela said today disabilities are more pronounced and people are opening up more about mental health, but it’s seen as a taboo.
“It’s becoming more mainstream and so there is tolerance of it, which is not what we want to deal with,” she said. “Who wants to be tolerated? Everyone wants to be accepted.”
So, Angela pushes to educate an employer even if they are not ready to hire someone with a disability, because if she has educated them just a little then it’s been a good day.
My son took that bold step when he opened up and told his managers and friends in the store he had schizophrenia. They never flinched. They treat him no different than anyone else. Through his work ethic, my son has shown them this illness doesn’t define him.
AbilityPath wants to take this perception to the next level.
The South Bay AbilityPath offices are located at 2248 N. First St. in San Jose.
Angela Lucero Perry can be reached at 408.304.3485.
To watch the full AbilityPath presentation, click here.
