Working with this population literally changes your life, you can not help but become better because of the adults and children you come into contact with. They are accepting of everyone, quick to forget and forgive and HAPPY. Because we offer developmental therapy (teaching necessary life skills) to them we also get to see clearly where our own lives lack. For example: sometimes I'll pair up an employee with a client who has a cooking goal and discover that this employee has no idea how to cook. Instead of giving up...they learn to cook so they can teach the client.
I think one of the neatest conversations I've had was with an employee who had only been at there about a month. He was in the process of realizing that people don't look at people with disabilities...really don't look or listen. One gal in her wheelchair whose head is always down was laughing with the group and suddenly he could understand her lingo and she became a "person" to him. I wish I could remember his exact words, I was humbled to be listening to his experience.
We have about 125 clients and nearly as many employees. I hire or change positions of 30-40 employees about every four months, very stressful. The changeover happens so often because I hire sOOOOO many BYU-I students. They are really awesome, so I keep doing it. I've read a lot of stories where businesses have chosen to hire from the LDS colleges over some others because they produce students with good work ethics and they are honest. I have discovered this to be true as well. Because this field is so difficult we find the burnout rate is high so it seems to balance...hiring all these college students that is.
At the time I started this post I think I was on a roll...well at least going somewhere with it. Now it's just info and a reminder to myself that spring semester is about to end and it's time to start hiring again. Whoo Hooo....partytime!
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