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One client at Skills Development Services assumed he\u2019d never be able to find a job. He deals with physical and developmental disabilities that make using one of his arms hard. After some brainstorming, Medley found a tool that allowed his client to reach and grab using one arm and got him a job picking up litter, which he loves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t sound like glamorous work, but he had never had a job before,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a point of pride for people. He\u2019s happy as a clam and doing a great job for his employer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Skills Supported Employment currently has clients working in government facilities, restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies, recreational facilities, and more in Coffee County, Lincoln County, and Bedford County. Recently, Medley said he had a client who worked at a restaurant chain for 16 years. He was laid off due to corporate changes in operations. The department was able to find and secure a similar job at another restaurant immediately. He did not miss a single day of work and is \u201cdoing a splendid job\u201d for his new employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDuring COVID, we had a number of our clients furloughed or laid off,\u201d Medley said. \u201cSome had worked for their employer for years. We were able, once things began to settle down, to find new jobs for many and worked to smoothly reintegrate some back into their former work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those success stories and the \u201cvery good track record\u201d with employees and employers keep Medley going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s a joy to get people out working and to see them enjoying their work,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I like being in the community and mixing it up.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In most cases, it\u2019s especially beneficial for employers to hire Medley\u2019s clients. People with disabilities are statistically proven to have a lower job-leaving rate than those without disabilities, according to the United States Agency for International Development. Once they find a job, they often stay there for a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFinding and holding a job is a big deal, and it makes you feel good,\u201d Medley said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through his work, Medley said he also found that having a person with disabilities working for an employer motivates the other team members. He said it encourages what is known as \u201cnatural supporters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey\u2019re not really learning the job from us or the employer a lot of the time\u2014it\u2019s through their coworkers,\u201d Medley said. \u201cThey\u2019re supported by the people they see on the job and work side by side with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other agency areas\u2014residential, day program, administration, etc.\u2014work together to ensure workers with disabilities are work-ready. Even after a client is placed at a job, Medley and the rest of Skills Development Services will do anything to ensure the candidate is successful. They will assign a job coach, speak with managers, and make sure they figure out schedules and transportation needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur work is possible due to the support of our administration and staff. I would be remiss if I didn\u2019t give credit to the dedication of our state-certified job coaches in Coffee, Bedford, and Lincoln Counties,\u201d Medley said. \u201cThey do great work and are total professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, their work wouldn\u2019t be possible without the local employers and community members. Coffee County is a welcoming and open place for people who have disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve had no problem finding support from local employers,\u201d Medley said. \u201cEven when they can\u2019t offer someone a job, they often do what they can to help. The reception has been good. The response has been good. The results have been good.\u201d GN<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Skills Development Services in Tullahoma helps Coffee County residents with disabilities find dignity through work with local employers. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":10100,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/DSC09981-1024x683.jpg\")