Editor’s note: This is the second in a four-part series that is a collaboration produced by members of the Vermont Care Partners for National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, featuring stories by and about Vermonters with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as the work of Vermont’s Developmental Services network. This part is written by Lila Bennett, director of Marketing, Development and Community Relations at Northeast Kingdom Human Services.
This was written before the coronavirus pandemic.
All around us, life is happening. Mothers and fathers are driving their children to school and to the doctor, or racing to the grocery store or off to work. Every day people are doing every day things, all day long. Nearly all of us take this way of life, of just ordinary living, for granted. There is a whole other segment of the population though, that we often overlook.
There are people all around us who are either neurologically different or intellectually/developmentally different than the average person. Everyday things might not come as easily to them. These are people who may have to work harder than the average person to enjoy their day to day, and rather than a sign of weakness, that is a sign of determination. As we go about our lives, take a moment to observe all people who may have struggles that differ from ours. Instead of judging them for it, look more closely, and notice the ways they give to the world. The ways exist. We just must be willing to see and understand.
Designated Agencies and Support Service Agencies (DAs and SSAs) in Vermont are organizations that work to support people who need extra help to live and function well in society. The work occurring at DAs and SSAs make a big difference in the lives of the clients they serve and in the economy, by providing jobs. Instead of treating people who have different abilities as if they are less worthy, DAs and SSAs are comprised of professionals that support all people who walk through their doors, helping them create a path to a better life.
Prior to the implementation of DAs, we had institutions. Institutions are where people who struggled to fit the confines of American culture were housed. The cost of this was significant, and in 1990, when the last of these institutions, the Brandon Training School, closed in Vermont, the annual cost per individual was about $501,000 annually for room and board and care.
Today, DAs and SSAs hire direct service providers to support individuals to live independently in their apartments, in finding and keeping jobs, and in getting to and from their jobs. With the help of the DSPs, we now have more people joining the workforce. An individual with support, living independently, costs about $56,000 per year today, rather than the $501,000 annually in 1990. By being segregated from society there was no way for these people, these human beings with thoughts and feelings and gifts and skills, to give back to their communities. They were unable to support an independent way of life, or to contribute to the greater whole by being employed and paying taxes. All of that is changing now, and with great success.
At Northeast Kingdom Human Services and many DAs across the state, there is a program called JOBS, which stands for Jump on Board for Success. This program links young people who are struggling with social, emotional or intellectual challenges, and places them at an appropriate job, and helps them grow and be successful. Sharon Ryan, director of IDDS at NKHS says it best: “Our goal in IDDS is that our staff and individuals we support will have the empowerment that comes from knowing they are believed in and can believe in themselves.”
Tiara K. Mandala, is one such success story and example of this. Tiara came to the JOBS program at 15 in Derby, and this is what she has to say about her life today:
“My Name is Tiara K. Mendala. I learned about the JOBS program through my case manager, Carol Simmons. At 15 years old I was a very unruly individual, and I really didn’t care about anyone but myself and my own feelings. I wasn’t responsible, organized to anyone or even respectful to others. I didn’t even care about my appearance at the time.
“I learned about how to: Take care of myself. I learned how to manage my money better, I have learned to take constructive criticism. I can be on time for work. I have learned to keep my opinions to myself, and not to take stressful situations to work with me. I have learned to care about how others may feel and to be completely honest with myself and others. JOBS won’t always be easy and you will have to work really hard at everything you all will do, be doing, or already have done. But, if I can do it then you can and you will get a job and be successful. I have started working on my job on October 17, 2018. If you stay focused and committed even when things are extremely emotional and hard, this program will do all of you a world of good. JOBS won’t always be easy and sometimes you may not like the people you work with. Just like life it isn’t generally easy. But, I can do it then I know, you can too. Thank you for listening and remember if you really apply yourself I mean really, really try hard, you can be successful.”
We can all learn a lot from Tiara. In our culture, we are often made uncomfortable by people who are different than ourselves. With March being Disability Awareness Month, the DAs and SSAs across the state are working hard to change that perception. There are success stories all around us every single day of people living well in society who have overcome incredible challenges to be who and where they are.
When you go to the grocery store and you see a person who may be different than you there bagging your groceries, respect that person and their efforts. Appreciate that they are working hard to better their life and contribute to society, just the same as anyone else.
For more information about Northeast Kingdom Human Services visit our website at nkhs.org or call 24/7 at (802) 334-6744. Or visit our website at nkhs.org. This series is a collaboration produced by members of the Vermont Care Partners statewide network of sixteen non-profit, community-based agencies providing mental health, substance use and intellectual and developmental disability support. To find an agency near you visit https://vermontcarepartners.org/agencies/