Meet Me Where You Are: Customized Employment and the Power of Community
By Nicholas Love (Featuring Brandy Price)
The Arizona Office of Employment First recently had a Customized Employment training tour throughout Arizona. While in the rural Northern region, one message came up repeatedly. The message was that community engagement is vital to employment services. When providers were present and engaged in the communities they serve, employment outcomes improved.
In Customized Employment, the Discovery process includes understanding the client, their interests, and assessing the community in which they live. Brandy Price, Regional Employment System Specialist with the Arizona Office of Employment First, emphasizes the importance of these activities. Yet, Brandy stresses being present and active in the communities where people are being served is vital especially in rural and border communities.
While professionals can complete insightful assessments from their desks, they will not be able to observe the nuances of in-person interactions. Matching someone with a job just because the service provider has the connection won’t work. It will lead to frustration and lack of engagement.
Professionals need to really observe and be present in the communities to learn how the community interacts. Get to know the personalities of the community.
Start with searching for businesses based on the interests of the client. “Doing research based on their interest is what it’s about,” says Brandy. Look at what they are already engaged in within their community – volunteering, church, or cultural activities.
Brandy said, “If someone is passionate and interested in something, you can match a job with their interest and passion. They will want to go to work. You will see the spark in their eyes.”
Brandy stated that when working in a community where she was less familiar and not fully engaged, she felt lost. The job was harder to do. When you find the passion and connect that to employment the work becomes easier.
Communities can change drastically within a 15-minute radius.
Brandy shares an example of how being present changed the dynamics and effectiveness when working with a young Navajo client. Brandy had been working on job development for this client within the community where she was more familiar just 15 minutes from where the client lived. She hadn’t been successful. And transportation was an issue.
She met the client at a senior center next to his home where his aunt worked and he sometimes volunteered. Right away she saw a shift with the client. She was able to observe his interaction with the senior center. His natural indication to help. The way he interacted with people. The people at the senior center welcomed Brandy because she was with the client. Someone they already knew.
She also took the client with her to obtain school records. Again, because the client was with her, she was embraced by the school administration. They offered Brandy tours and shared their processes. Brandy was able to have a natural interaction without ever directly bringing up employment.
Brandy created a new relationship with the school. At the same school she was having difficulties obtaining the records. Brandy stated the development happened right there in the community. New observances and opportunities opened up because they knew the client and therefore, they welcomed Brandy.
Showing up in the client’s community with them really helps. People know the client. They didn’t know Brandy. The job development occurred in a completely different way by having the client with the service provider.
Brandy recommends that instead of trying to do job development in areas the job developer is familiar with, go where the client is. And go on a regular basis. She states you can’t go for one month and then wait another month to revisit. You must go frequently to grow the relationship and keep it warm. You have to be there to learn from the community and employers.
Brandy says sometimes job development is not business or employer centric. A lot can be observed through community events. The way a community interacts with businesses and volunteerism can reveal job opportunities. Events with vendors provides a one-stop shop for a job developer. Regular participation in Chamber of Commerce events is an excellent way for a community to get to know a job developer. One event can generate several opportunities that may not arise during regular job development and employer engagement.
Involvement in a Chamber of Commerce allows a job developer to learn about businesses and employers even before there is a specific client in mind. It gives time to do research. So, when a client shows an interest or skill, a business relationship is already established. The same is true with doing some “secret shopping”. Learn and get information without talking about employment.
“Get out into the community and network. Build the relationships. When the work is based on relations, then it is more natural”, says Brandy. “You can pick up the phone to check in on the business. Because you have already built the relationship, you know how their business works, you know their needs, and what they are looking for.”
Engage with the client and with the community. Do your research. Go to the locations and just look around and get a feel for the environment.
There may be self-doubt of how to move forward. Brandy says, “Just show up. Show up for the client, the businesses, and the community.”
“Sometimes there is anxiety or nervousness because you don’t know the community. When you just go, the universe takes over and it’s magical. Things come together,” stated Brandy.