NYAPRS Len Statham, Employment and Economic Self Sufficiency Specialist (585)

 A statewide coalition of people who use and/or provide community mental health recovery services and supports dedicated to improving services and social conditions for people with psychiatric disabilities by promoting their recovery, rehabilitation and rights  Members Services and Technical Assistance  Grassroots Advocacy E News Regional Forums Annual Conference Exec Seminar PROS Academy  Service Transformation  Community and Economic Development  Peer Services  Cultural Competence website

 Participants will learn how culture drives outcomes and outcomes drive culture  Participants will recognize the link between poverty and mental illness  Participants will come away with ten concrete steps they can implement immediately that will help them foster a culture of employment  Participants will be introduced to curriculum that will help move people along the continuum of Employment and Economic Self-Sufficiency.

 Welcome & Expectations  Why Employment & Economic Self- Sufficiency?  Exercise: What do we want?  “We Can Work DVD”  The Tools  Making Employment Work: Building a culture that supports work  Evaluations

Being able to provide for ourselves in order to meet our essential needs and wants. When we are self-sufficient, we are financially independent. When we have independence we can pursue the life we want for ourselves.

1. Having control over one’s financial life 2. Having independence from public programs 3. Having sufficient earned income 4. Having assets 5. Being able to contribute to one’s communities

 Living with chronic worry or anxiety to meet one’s basic needs  Residing in neighborhoods where violence and deteriorating community ties leave individuals in isolation  Being so afraid of not making it without benefits that one prefers to stay in the benefits trap  Lacking transportation to take a job or a better paying job  Lacking the resources or supports to pursue a new career or advance professionally

Employment Increase self esteem Decrease psychiatric symptoms Decrease potential for relapse Increase income Increase social status Increase social contacts Positive opinions about the future

 Name 5 things you would like to have in your life in the next year? 3 years?  How will you acquire these things?  Can you do it on a budget of $785 a month?

The role of life dreams and aspirations in the pursuit of employment and economic change – What moves people to do what they do? – Why people would consider work or becoming more self-sufficient? Key questions: – What are your life dreams and aspirations? – How would you like your life to be like in 1 year? in 2 years? In 5 years? – What would you like to have? What would you like to be doing? Where would you like to live? 15

WE Can Work DVD: Our Stories of Recovery and Employment Success 16

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Lesson 1: Why Is Economic Self-sufficiency Important to Recovery? Lesson 2: What Can Providers Do to Support Economic Self- Sufficiency? A recovery-oriented approach to financial wellness What providers can do to support economic self-sufficiency: An overview  Engaging individuals through conversations about life dreams  Assessing readiness to pursue economic self-sufficiency  Developing readiness to pursue economic self-sufficiency  Creating a plan towards self-sufficiency  Developing skills and capital to achieve self-sufficiency  Linking and referring individuals to economic self-sufficiency services Lesson 3: Strategies and Tools to Engage, Assess and Develop Readiness towards Economic Self-Sufficiency 19

Lesson 4: Strategies and Tools to Create a Plan towards Self-sufficiency Lesson 5: Strategies and Tools to Develop Skills and Capital to Achieve Self- Sufficiency ◦ Module 1: Budgeting ◦ Module 2: Accessing work incentives to increase earned income ◦ Module 3: Filing taxes ◦ Module 4: Saving ◦ Module 5: Clearing and building credit ◦ Module 6: Dealing with predatory lending ◦ Module 7: Getting help with addictions and financial stressors ◦ Module 8: Increasing social capital Lesson 6: Strategies and Tools to Increase Access to Economic Self-sufficiency Services 20 Provider Guide: Contents

Outcomes drive Culture

 Zero Exclusion  Application process for job development or volunteer positions  Performance Reviews  Time off request  Job Board  Achievement Board  Weekly / Monthly Forums  Workshops

 Integrated team – Everyone is on the employment team.  Everyone supports economic self- sufficiency.  Support recovery and work oriented culture  Look for job leads  Training  Jobs are celebrated milestones  Employment discussed at every staff meeting.

 “No one ever talked to me about work.”  “I experienced that work was helpful in managing my symptoms.”  “Work gave me the confidence that I can do anything that I put my mind to.”  “Has help me to be a better person knowing that I am needed somewhere.”

 Employment time vs. Human service time.  Visits to employers using the 3 Cups of Tea Method.  Sits on the following Business/Association Councils: North Clinton Business Association, Wal-Mart/City Hall Committee, Rotary Club, and Rochester Area Employment Network.  Using numerous job development strategies.  Our circle is their circle.

Help me determine what my level of readiness to pursue employment is Enhance my willingness to engage in activities/actions to pursue employment Find best ways to engage me in the process Get in touch with my hopes, preferences, values Explore past and current experiences Consider future possibilities Create action steps that develop readiness 28

 NOT about labeling me as “ready” or “not ready” to work  NOT about screening me out or excluding me from vocational services  NOT about my capacity to work or improve my economic self-sufficiency  NOT about determining the achievability or realism of my goals 29

 Expectations  Reflections  Outcome-oriented  Accountability

THANK YOU! NYAPRS Len Statham, Economic and Employment Self Sufficiency Specialist (585)