My journey with Community Living started in 2005. I had just ended a long career in the HR/Retail sector and was looking for something a little different. I had two part time positions that were not set in hours and I reached out to the manager of Job Quest, a division of CL. I knew about this program because in my previous position I worked with the manager and the individuals that were being supported at the store I was at. It was in my opinion a great program and felt I had something to offer.
Being hired as a casual Job Coach was my start. I did continue on with my other positions and the Job Coaching role as well. It did however morph into more hours with Job Coaching and I soon had to choose my direction. I chose Community Living and Job Quest. I felt the services and supports that were offered were within my belief system and that again I could help make a difference.
My role as Job Coach grew and so did the program. I was then hired full time as a Job Coach/Life Skills worker and front office staff. This position allowed me to work more one on one with the individuals and help them towards their goals of employment. The position continued to grow and I was able to be successful and gain a position of Employment Counselor (now called Employment Coordinator). This position provided many challenges and growth within myself and towards the clients that were supported.
The program saw direction changes and we were supporting clients with high barriers, and individuals who had barriers that were undiagnosed. This allowed for me to develop additional skills and abilities to further my portfolio of supports and I was able to transfer my knowledge over to help clients with their goals. Some of the goals may not have been employment, we as a program saw a lot of pre-employment supports being offered. This ranged form helping us being advocates in; court supports, medical assistance and finding the right direction for the client to become successful.
In 2020 we faced a whole new set of challenges. The pandemic saw some Job Quest staff re-deployed to cooking for the group homes to working one-on-one with people supported. The program is now up and running full-time again along with more changes have come our way with Ministry direction. As the changes happen, we too adapt to be able to support the people who come to Job Quest for employment supports. This role with CLTH has allowed for me to grow into an employee who can manoeuvre multiple systems and seek out the right programs and supports for the clients who come through the Job Quest doors.
I continue to believe that the mission of Community Living Trent Highlands is always in the back of my mind “CLTH’s mission is to inspire respect and equality for people living with a developmental disability by promoting community knowledge, organizational excellence and individual quality of life”. I feel I do this each and every day that I work with the clients supported in the Job Quest program.