Crossing Barriers to Employment
Employees with developmental disabilities play key role
at animal
hospital
by Katie Dolan
On bright afternoons, light
streams through the expansive, floor-to-ceiling windows at Pet Crossing
Animal Hospital and Dental Clinic in Bloomington, transforming the
veterinary facility’s
waiting area into a warm, sun-drenched atrium.
If possible, there’s an element at the animal hospital that
makes
“I
like seeing the dogs and cats, and I like earning a paycheck!”
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the place even sunnier, according
to co-owner Dr. Steve Barghusen. It’s the employees – including
the people employed through Partnership Resources, Inc. (PRI), a
program that provides support for people with developmental disabilities.
“We hire people with disabilities for a number of reasons,” Barghusen
said. “For one thing, they do a very good job, which means
it’s good for business.”
The animal hospital has employed people with disabilities through
PRI for a number of years. Employees Jamie Scattergood, Jeff Chelman,
Joe Harm and Anne Slover wash floors and windows, do laundry, vacuum
and perform general cleaning. They also fit in plenty of time to
give hugs and kisses to the four-leggeds.
“The most
rewarding part of my job is seeing more and more business managers
realize that people with [develop-mental] disabilities have
a lot to offer a workplace . . .”
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Funded by the State of Minnesota and Hennepin County, PRI serves
over 200 people with disabilities through work, leisure and art programs.
The organization annually supports up to 150 individuals at 35 job
sites. According to Terri Bauernfeind, one of the program directors,
there are currently 18-20 PRI clients waiting to find jobs. She believes
the wait will not be a long one.
“The most rewarding part of my job is seeing more and more
business managers realize that people with disabilities have a lot
to offer a workplace – that they are an asset to a company,” Bauernfeind
said. “This realization is leading to more opportunities and
options for those with disabilities.”
Scattergood, Chelman,
Harm and Slover have all found meaningful work at Pet Crossing.
Scattergood, 25, is the most recent hire, having begun work there
this past January. She and Slover job share, taking turns at laundry
and light cleaning. “I like to help my coworkers,” Scattergood
said. “I like seeing the dogs and cats, and I like earning
a paycheck!”
Slover, 29, on the other
hand, has worked at Pet Crossing for four years. “You name it, I clean it!” she
declares proudly. Slover agrees with Scattergood that one of the
best things about working is getting paid.
For Chelman, 26, the
best part of being employed at Pet Crossing has to do with the
animals. He has worked there for the past two years and loves to
walk the three office dogs (Annie, Gretta and Collin). With the
help of other staff members, Chelman also feeds and brushes the
dogs’ teeth. He is usually the first to know
if one of the resident dogs or cats is not feeling well.
Harm, 49, has the most work experience of the group. He is in charge
of cleaning floors and the lunchroom, and taking out the garbage
and recycling. He is also responsible for cutting down the number
of sniffles and other contagious diseases that the staff and the
clients encounter by keeping the door handles and the phones virus-free.
These four employees all work with an on-site job coach. This is
one feature that makes the programs so successful in a business setting.
Job coaches, which are supplied at no cost to every employer that
hires three to five employees with disabilities, provide on-site
training to help employees with decision-making skills and make sure
that employer expectations are met.
Perhaps the most important
function that a job coach can
“It’s
the barriers—those preconceived notions that people
with disabilities won’t do a good job—that
present the most significant challenges in placing individuals
for employment.”
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perform is that of facilitating
and maintaining open communication among the supported employees,
the company’s staff, customers and
vendors. “They help break down barriers that might otherwise
exist,” says Barghusen.
It’s the barriers—those preconceived notions that people
with disabilities won’t do a good job—that present the
most significant challenges in placing individuals for employment. “Company
owners or human resource executives who make a business decision
to hire individuals with disabilities get the most benefit,” Bauernfeind
said.
Barghusen couldn’t agree more. “Jamie, Jeff, Joe and
Anne are dependable, loyal workers who help contribute to the bottom
line,” he said. ![]()
FFI: Partnership Resources,
www.partnershipresources.org
Pet Crossing Animal Hospital,
www.petcrossing.com
