Steve Ramsland's Blog Buckelew Programs

What It Takes

I was interviewed today by a smart and insightful staffperson at the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development.  She’s putting together ideas on how to use the Supported Employment model to assist people who have struggled with mental illness, substance abuse, and homelessness in the City’s Mid-Market area.  She knew about Buckelew’s success delivering Supported Employment and Social Enterprise opportunities to similar populations in the counties we serve, and wanted to learn more about our experience and insights.

We talked about the unique and common challenges in working with people with complex, co-occurring service needs—whether in the City or the suburbs.   How important is housing stability in helping people to get and keep jobs?  Can you have any success in helping people to find employment success while they’re still homeless?  How do you get employers to give clients with complex needs a chance?  How do you support clients once they’ve landed a job?

When I get around to it, I’ll likely put some thoughts to paper on questions like these.  But for now, here were a few of my words of advice:

1)      I think Supported Employment works best when integrated within a comprehensive behavioral health agency, not as a stand alone employment program.   People with histories of serious mental illness, substance abuse and homelessness have complex service needs, and we need to wrap an array of supports and behavioral health services around them as seamlessly and conveniently as possible.

2)      Try to get, and blend, as many employment-related funding streams as you can, but really try to also maintain as much fidelity to the Supported Employment model as possible.  That’s not always easy, as each funding stream has its own rules, and they’re not always consistent with the evidence-based supported employment model.

3)      Try to get funding for the  ongoing client “supports” part of Supported Employment (or for Social Enterprise ventures, too.)  That’s probably our biggest funding challenge, as most payors only authorize time-limited support services and our clients often need longer-term supports.  But no matter what, clients that we place into competitive employment need to know that we’re there for them, if and when we’re needed, no matter how many years down the road.

4)      Try a professional staffing service model of job development, like Buckelew’s Blue Skies Staffing Service, which was acknowledged a couple of years ago by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Ashoka’s Changemakers as an innovative model  (see:  http://bit.ly/onGvlm ).  The model reduces stigma and builds trusting relationships with employers in the community.  The employer is your customer, as is the qualified employee/client you place with that customer.

5)      Work with what the client brings you, in a welcoming way.   Find them a job that’s a good fit for them.  And don’t insist on “housing first.”   If they’re homeless but want to work, get them a job.  We’ve had a lot of success in helping people to get and keep jobs, even when they first came to us while living in a car, a shelter or some other form of transitional housing.  Although Buckelew operates some 600 permanent housing units, only about 30% of clients in our employment services also live in our housing programs.  A job is often a first step towards a home.

Celebrate the Uncelebrated

I had the privilege last night of attending the 9th Biennial Marin County Mental Health Board Recognition Awards Dinner, entitled “Celebrating the Uncelebrated.” It was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy dinner, music and art while honoring family, consumers, providers and other members of the mental health community who have selflessly contributed to the betterment of our entire community.

Two of the eight honorees were nominated by Buckelew. Lee McDougle has hired 11 client/trainees from Buckelew’s Blue Skies Cleaning Service over the past year to work on the maintenance team at Northgate and other area shopping malls. Lee believes that everyone deserves respect and the right to earn an honest living, and he “gets” the importance of work in the path of recovery for our clients. He’s been an amazing partner in helping us to create jobs, hope and opportunity. Our other winning nominee was Matt Tasley, for his time, support, dedication and artistic expertise freely given in a weekly art class for youth in Buckelew’s Transition Age Youth program. Matt is a talented artist and mentor who has had a real positive impact on the youth involved. We’re very grateful to Matt and Lee for their contributions to the Buckelew community.

It was also gratifying to hear many of the other honorees—as well as Marin Community Foundation’s Tom Peters—give a “shout out” to Buckelew for the work and impact of our staff in the community. As we grow and add new programs that meet the needs of the community, our number one priority is delivering quality services to clients. We can only achieve that aim through the dedication and talents of our greatest organizational strength: our staff.

One of our staff, Erika Klohe, was presented with the 2011 Hope Award from the California Association of Social Rehabilitation Agencies (CASRA) a few weeks ago for her work with families in Sonoma County. Others, like Napa’s Kathy Lee and Marin’s Amy Rogers have recently shared their expertise as speakers at professional conferences. The line-up of speakers at Buckelew’s North Bay Conference on Wellness & Recovery in Behavioral Health last fall showcased just how smart, experienced and dedicated our staff are. Most clearly love their work, they’re really good at it, and that’s what makes all the difference in the world in the lives of the people we serve.

Although we sometimes emphasize the impact of our work through data, we also strive to never lose that personal touch. It’s our people that make a difference.

Who Has Your Back?

"Buckelew has my back.”

That’s a phrase I’ve heard from several of our clients when they describe the difference we make in their lives. In a terrific new article on Buckelew's Blue Skies social enterprises in the January 2011 issue of  NorthBay Biz magazine Jason, a lead barista at Blue Skies Cafe, describes how he hadn't held a job in 17 years before coming to Buckelew 16 months ago. He struggled with alcohol and drug abuse, depression and a 5 year period of homelessness. In telling how his life has changed for the better, Jason said "this is a place where for the first time in their life they [people] can come and feel comfortable and not be judged for having a mental illness...Having Buckelew back you up and having a chance to succeed at the cafe, you can move on and have a chance at a normal life."

Richard W. works for Blue Skies Cleaning Services. Illiterate, he has struggled with mental health issues and has spent much of his adult life in and out of jail for drug-related offences.  In the same NorthBay biz article Richard attributes much of his newfound success to having Buckelew backing him up.  "If you like the job, you get along with the people you work with, and you have people backing you up in your corner, you can't go wrong...Five months ago, I was just standing on street corners looking at all the people going to work," says Richard. "Now I'm one of those people."

Clients like Richard and Jason know that the staff at Buckelew are there for them…that they can be trusted. Providing a home, a job, and services are important, but it is also the intangible sense, the knowing that we’ve got their back that often makes all the difference in the world to vulnerable persons in need.  It's what gives them hope.

All In A Day’s Work

     What’s the best moment of the work day? My guess is that that most people would answer, “the last,” but that’s not the case for Ana Quinteros, crew supervisor for Blue Skies Janitorial Services.

      “My favorite moment is the very first, when the crew and I are all together, before we load the van and organize    our work,” she says. “It’s a new day and everything lies ahead of us.”

     Ana has been with us for ten years. She has trained hundreds of clients who are recovering from mental illness to take pride in work well done, to support each other on the job, and to learn as much as possible about all facets of janitorial work. It’s no easy task. Clients face a number challenges. Many haven’t worked for years, others are recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. Some are still struggling with their mental illness, and some have been homeless.

     Tough work? Ana shrugs. “I usually don’t have any problems.”

     People think that mopping, wiping, and cleaning are easy, but Ana emphasizes that there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it. “Clients come in and think they know how to mop,” she says. “But they’ve never done it before, or they haven’t learned the right way. I show them how to take long strokes, how to make sure the water’s clean and the mop is dry. There are a lot of details that people don’t think about.”

     For the past year, Ana and her crew have used eco-friendly cleaning products, an endeavor that was recognized last month by the Marin County Board of Supervisors when they bestowed Green Business Certification on Blue Skies Janitorial. The certification recognizes outstanding efforts to reduce pollution and solid waste while conserving water, energy, and other natural resources. Ana says that sometimes the crew has to work harder to get things clean, but that the payoff is worth it. “It’s the right thing to do. It’s better for our team, our clients and the earth.”

     Ana may have more responsibilities in the coming months as Blue Skies Janitorial Services is accepting new contracts from customers throughout Marin, Sonoma, and Napa counties. Ana looks on the bright side. “Some of the crew want to work more hours, so it’s good for them. It’s good for me. And more people will get a chance to learn.”

     Crew members spend about four months in the paid training program, after which they’re eligible for placement in permanent jobs. They leave with valuable experience, more confidence, an improved résumé, and a letter of reference. They’ve told me how much they’ve learned from Ana and their coworkers, and how much they’ve enjoyed the camaraderie of being part of the crew.

     What are her strategies for supervising people who, if not for Blue Skies, might have a hard time finding their ways into the workforce? “Everyone’s different,” Anna says in her typically understated way. “After three weeks, I know them pretty well. It’s easy to be with them all day, to talk and work. When they want to be alone, I let them alone. I accept who they are and expect the most from them.”

Learn more about Buckelew's Blue Skies social enterprises at http://www.buckelew.org

Getting to a Triple Bottom Line

Great news! In August, Blue Skies Janitorial—one of the three social enterprises operated by Buckelew Programs—was awarded Green Business Certification by the Marin County Board of Supervisors. The Marin Green Business Program, part of a Bay Area regional project now involving 2,200 organizations, was launched in 2002 to encourage recycling, energy efficiency, and conservation to boost both economic and environmental resources. All of us at Buckelew are proud of this accomplishment, since environmental practices that promote sustainable lives are integral to our mission. We take the triple bottom line—profit, the planet, and people—seriously.

 Blue Skies Janitorial offers quality cleaning services to customers throughout Marin, Sonoma, and Napa counties. The enterprise provides people recovering from mental illness with job training and paid employment. Graduates of the program are eligible for placement in permanent jobs. Our staff and crew have worked hard to conserve water, energy, and other natural resources while using eco-friendly cleaning supplies. It’s clear their efforts have paid off and we congratulate them for it.

 We’re poised to expand Blue Skies Janitorial so that we can employ more individuals with mental illness. We’re offering free estimates for new contracts and a 10% discount to members of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce. Dan Daniels, who heads up Marketing and Community Relations, expects many clients—including businesses and schools—to switch to environmentally safe, effective cleaners to improve the health and wellness of their communities. He emphasizes that Blue Skies Janitorial is committed to maintaining its solid reputation for excellent service and its competitive pricing while meeting all standards for eco-friendly operation. If you know someone who might be interested in employing Blue Skies Janitorial, please ask them to contact Dan directly at 415-456-9350 x115.

 We’re looking forward to more exciting developments as we head into the Fall, including the opening of Blue Skies Coffee & Teas in Napa, and the launch of a new food-focused social enterprise, so stay tuned!

To Be of Use…

Although I majored in English (& Psychology) in college, I have to admit that I don't read a lot of poetry.  But my wife does, and the other night she read me a poem that just floored me.   Written by American poet, novelist, and social activist, Marge Piercy ("Circles on the Water," 1982), "To Be of Use" speaks to me in so many ways about my own experience of work, as well as what I hear from our clients and staff.  Here it is:

To Be of Use, a poem by Marge Piercy

 The people I love the best

jump into work head first

without dallying in the shallows

and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.

They seem to become natives of that element,

the black sleek heads of seals

bouncing like half-submerged balls.

 

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,

who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,

who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,

who do what has to be done, again and again.

 

I want to be with people who submerge

in the task, who go into the fields to harvest

and work in a row and pass the bags along,

who are not parlor generals and field deserters

but move in a common rhythm

when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

 

The work of the world is common as mud.

Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.

But the thing worth doing well done

has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.

Greek amphoras for wine or oil,

Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums

but you know they were made to be used.

The pitcher cries for water to carry

and a person for work that is real.

Wow!

My doctoral dissertation was on the experience of "flow" in the workplace, those moments in time when you're fully focused and absorbed in your work.  Tools are ready to hand, time passes in a flash, and you find yourself performing to the best of your abilities.  These are transcendent moments, and yet they're available to all of us, in everyday work experiences.  With just the right balance of skills and challenges we're all able to harness ourselves, pull like water buffalo and submerge in the tasks of life. 

A client/trainee in one of our social enterprises wrote to us of his recent experience at work.  Previously disconnected from the workforce with issues of depression and low self esteem, he wrote of how his work with Buckelew helped him to acquire new skills, find what he does well and, in his words "work at my own capacity, and challenged a bit to go further as well.  This made the time at the cafe move quickly as I was able to enjoy the responsibilities given to me and work with others at the same time.  I come away from this feeling more confident in myself and ready to face more challenging situations.  This is a vast improvement over where I had started 4 months ago...I am thrilled that I had a chance to 'show my stuff'."  What a wonderful example  of a supported, social enterprise experience helping a person with mental health challenges to advance his wellbeing and feel what it's like "to be of use."   "The pitcher cries for water to carry and a person for work that is real."

Sustainable Livelihoods: Linking Mental Health & Economic Development

     Buckelew Programs recently hosted a community forum led by my friend, Richard Dougherty, the President of BasicNeeds US, on cross-cultural issues in the delivery of mental health services in developing nations of Africa and South Asia. I’m constantly looking for ways to reach out and engage members of our community in a shared process of learning, exploring, and developing new and innovative approaches to providing services and supports to youth, adults, and older adults with mental illness. So I thought it might be interesting to hear what BasicNeeds is doing in countries like India, Sri Lanka, Ghana or Uganda, and compare their approach with what Buckelew is doing here in Marin, Sonoma and Napa.

     While many of us here in the US have been touched in some way by mental illnesses, we’re fortunate that we don’t face the devastating hardships of poor people with mental illness who are living in parts of the world without access to mental health services of any kind. I learned, for example, that it is not uncommon in parts of Africa and South Asia to chain a person with mental illness to a tree—often as a desperate attempt by loved ones to keep their family member out of harm’s way in the absence of accessible and appropriate mental health services. BasicNeeds is working in developing nations to build local capacity for mental health services that reduce symptoms, promote recovery, sustainable livelihoods, and integration in households and communities.
    

Despite the vast differences in culture and resources between the Bay Area and developing nations in Africa and South Asia, I was really struck by the vision shared both by Buckelew and BasicNeeds of creating opportunities for people with mental illness to live, work, and lead more sustainable, engaged lives in their communities. I liked BasicNeeds’ approach of explicitly linking mental health and financial development, of enlisting natural supports and social networks in the community—as well as mental health treatment—to aid mental health consumers with their recovery. Their attempts to develop “sustainable livelihoods” echo Buckelew’s drive to create more jobs and economic opportunity through our supported employment programs, our social enterprises, and our planned financial literacy and savings program.
    

We know that for people with mental illness—here, as well as in Africa—poverty is one of the most pervasive, significant, and debilitating barriers to achieving recovery and full participation in the community. And so we go beyond providing essential mental health services to also create homes, jobs, and—ultimately—hope for those living with mental illness.

Rethinking Mental Health Employment Services to Create Real Jobs

Buckelew has been honored to have been selected as a Finalist in an international competition on Rethinking Mental Health Services.   The competition was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Ashoka's Changemakers.

A prestigious panel of judges reviewed more than 340 inspiring solutions to improving mental health services from 42 countries, and they selected a group of 12 finalists for their vision, impact, and unique approach.    Buckelew’s finalist submission was entitled:  “Rethinking Mental Health Employment Services to Create Real Jobs:  Blue Skies Personnel Services.”   

Blue Skies Personnel Service is a full-service, non-profit employee staffing entity that places people with mental illness into direct-hire jobs in the community.  It was established as an innovative strategy for overcoming mental health stigma in the workplace so that more clients could obtain competitive employment.  Studies show that although 70% of people with mental illness want to work, only 15% are employed. The majority of people with serious mental illness in the US have incomes below the poverty level. A big hurdle to employment is the stigma associated with mental illness, and traditional mental health employment approaches have failed to surmount those challenges, resulting in such low rates of employment and income.

Small businesses comprise the vast majority of local employers. Most do not have professional HR departments, and rely on staffing services for hiring and general HR needs. By forming our own staffing service, we gain direct access to companies that might employ our clients. Professional job developers work with employers to identify their staffing needs, and then introduce qualified job candidates to the employer, assisting the client with the interview process. Once hired, job coaches provide a quality assurance role, working with the employer and client to ensure the success of the placement. HR specialists provide ongoing consultation and training to the employer. 

Blue Skies Personnel Services "rethinks mental health" by marketing itself as a professional HR staffing service, and not a mental health program. It's outreach staff are marketing and sales people who have been trained in working with mental health clients, not traditional mental health professionals who may be comfortable working with clients but are not adept at working with businesses.

In the year prior to starting Blue Skies Personnel Services, Buckelew Programs placed 17 people with mental illness into jobs in the community. In every year since, we have placed between 75 and 93 people into real jobs--over 400 individuals in the past 5 years!  Our reputation as a reliable staffing service for small employers has grown, and a dozen local employers serve on our Employer Advisory Council. We are the preferred staffing service for our local Staples, Home Depot, and others. The clients placed into employment have, on average, increased their income by over 45%.

So why is it important to help people with mental illness to get--and keep--real jobs?  Because like most people, people with mental illness feel better about themselves when they are engaged in some form of meaningful occupation.  Research suggests that people with serious mental illness who are working report higher self esteem and self-confidence than non-working peers.  They seem to be better able to manage symptoms and improve their social skills and presentation to others.  They begin to lead more satisfying, sustainable lives among others in the community.  As one of the Rethinking Mental Health competition judges wrote:  "This initiative deserves widespread recognition for its excellent approach.  It really takes on the issue of stigma and provides opportunities for work.  It helps recovering patients manage their on-going illness as part of the workplace."

Blue Skies Personnel Services is just one approach to helping consumers to obtain employment, and employment is just one component of helping people with mental illness to successfully manage their illness and recovery.  Future postings will take a look at these, and other important aspects of mental health wellness and recovery, sustainability, social enterprise,  news and innovations from Buckelew.