Our innovative solution was to fundraise ourselves by washing cars to purchase our technology needs to implement a new skills development program. This initiative was based on the belief that persons with mental health issues and disabilities are dedicated and committed to becoming self-reliant. Through our program we are able to provide skills to enable participants to become employed in a variety of jobs such as Customer Service Representatives with positions at retail establishments, office environments and other employment positions where customer service skills and computer skills are pre-requisites of the job such as contact centers. We have implemented a program, which encompasses two hundred (200) hours of instructor lead skills development, which centers on the transferable tools necessary to obtain and maintain employment within this field.
Ability to be Used as a Model
In January of 2003, we opened a new pilot project in St. Catharines. In August of 2003 the Chief of Opportunities Fund Canada attended the North Bay site with her staff and asked how we envisioned this project going national. We explained how we have developed the program in a transferable model and received funding to open three new sites in 2004-2005. In April of 2004 we opened a new site in St. Catharines, ON. In May of 2004 we traveled to Moncton N.B. and opened a permanent site there. We then traveled to Winnipeg and opened a permanent site there in June of 2004. All four sites are fully staffed, have volunteers and local steering committees made up of local business, agency, organization, and program participants. All sites run programs with 10 participants per program and all have waiting lists of persons coming in to the program.
This project has been incredibly successful. Literally hundreds of persons are now employed in their communities. This is an extraordinary accomplishment and is testament to the motivation and dedication of the participants. Persons often come into the program with very low self-esteem and self-confidence. Participants have often been refused employment on many occasions; often enough that they begin to believe that they are less than needed in their communities. Through this program, we watch as the participants realize that many of them in the room have very similar traits and have been through situations and experiences that are also very similar. This atmosphere promotes a comfort level and support structure that allows participants to feel at ease, which provides a safe learning environment. Persons leave the program with significantly increased confidence and skills levels, which include computer skills, professional skills and work ethics as well as personal skills. The most positive change that occurs in the participants is in their own sense of self-worth. Graduates have renewed outlooks, positive goals and a new support structure. The friendships that have been developed during the programs continue to be a source of support for the participants, even after graduation. There are wonderful post-program graduate and mentoring meetings that take place in the facilities. We continue to support and assist the participants throughout their futures. We maintain long-term contact with the graduates.
Benefits to the individual and the community
Keep in mind that all this was started with a few five gallon buckets and a hose at car washes and accomplished by people with disabilities who had been let down time and time again by our existing service delivery models which have evolved over the years based on the need to generate revenue.
We have created a program dedicated to ensuring that persons have access to employment. We are bringing employers to our doors now. We have developed partnerships and have graduates employed with such companies as the Royal Bank of Canada, AOL Canada, Sykes Canada, Convergys, Canadian Tire, O.P.P., Teletech Canada, and many more. We have made great strides at reducing stigma and promoting inclusion in the workplace. We have proven that our graduates are enthusiastic and professional employees whose dedication and skills are second to none. This is evident by the continued involvement and hiring of participants by all community employers and partners.
The feedback from the local employers was consistently very positive with high retention rate of the graduates. The participants themselves have expressed a high rate of increased independence leading to high levels of self-esteem and self-confidence. Determination and belief in reaching out to help our fellow human beings was and will remain to be, the reason for our existence and how we are able to bring the very best out of the participants.
Everyone gains from this program. Persons who have been unemployed are now working and contributing to the community. Community employers have a skilled and capable workforce. Community businesses gain from employed persons increased purchasing power. Provincial and federal governments gain from reduced social services costs and increased tax revenues.
The main benefit of this program and the most important aspect of this national initiative is the positive lifestyle changes for the participants and their families through increased self-esteem and confidence, fewer depression issues and overall improved mental health.