Transitional employment sites are welcoming us back. Members have already hit the ground running in positions at Pines of Sarasota and Sunset Cadillac, with Sarasota Memorial Health Care System next to begin. In Supported Employment, there is a wide array of employers and job fields. Members hold positions in industries such as social services, administration, customer service, food service (both front of house and back of house), retail and more. Members in Transitional Employment receive the highest level of job support; however, all working members are supported by Academy job coaches as is appropriate and necessary for success.

The Clubhouse model is a fertile training ground for those who seek employment. The transformation from new member to experienced mentor to wage earner is gratifying and inspiring for all of us. Those who hold positions in the community almost always continue to attend the Academy, acting as a role model and motivator for those just beginning their journey. As this cycle continues, more and more members are regaining their footing in the culture of work, and able and proud to answer the age-old question: “what do you do?”

Pictured above are just a few members of the members who are back at work: Ian Churchill, Chantel Gingerich, Eric Broderick, Rebecca Wolsfon, Matthew Thomas and Carolyn Robinson.

With so many intriguing projects going on all at once at the Academy, it can be a challenge to keep our greater community up to date on our latest endeavors. We count on the Multimedia team to document how we move and shake. On any given day, it is not unusual to see our budding photographers and videographers popping up in the teams to catch us in action, showing candid shots of us engaging in interesting and meaningful work.

Today was particularly exciting, as it was our first remote shoot since the pandemic began a year ago. As our lives begin to move toward something resembling “normal,” we look forward to more opportunities to increase our range, be it to advocate or outreach, or to document our contributions in our community. The video we shot today will serve as a “best practices” training tool for other clubhouses to develop their own TE programs. In sharing what we have learned, our triumphs and trials, we hope to help create robust Transitional Employment near and far.

Shown above are Dariel Paredes, left, and Kevin Luckner preparing for the video shoot by testing the equipment.

Back in March, we had seven members on transitional jobs, and another member who was slated to begin her role at Sunset Cadillac. We all know what happened in March. As the world seemed to come to a halt, so did our Transitional Employment program.

It has been a long eight months, and we are now thrilled to announce that our first Transitional Employment position has been reinstated. Sunset Cadillac has taken every precaution to keep us safe by providing a larger office space with less foot traffic, plexiglass barriers to provide added protection, and a mandatory mask policy. Today, member Rebecca Wolfson headed out with staff member Joanne Campbell, to begin her training as a Scanning Administrator at Sunset Cadillac. Rebecca shared that she was a mix of excitement and nerves, but ultimately very happy to get back to paid employment.

We are indebted to employment partners such as Sunset Cadillac, who are helping to transform lives by providing these opportunities for growth and experience. When members such as Rebecca enter or reenter the workforce, they are taking steps towards independence and self-reliance. We believe that these employment partners are also benefitting greatly from employing members, like Rebecca, who are highly motivated and happy to be working.