Work WORKS! JOBTOBERFEST 19th Annual Job Fair for People with Disabilities. Employment Services Newsletter

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1 Work WORKS! Employment Services Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 3 Inside this issue: JOBTOBERFEST 19th Annual Job Fair for People with Disabilities September 2018 Employer Presentations...1 Jobtoberfest How to Work a Job Fair..2 Live Well San Diego Centers...3 Employment Services Team..4-5 Monday, October 22, a.m. to 2 p.m. Balboa Park Club & Recital Hall 2150 Pan American Rd. West San Diego, CA Employment Services 1202 Morena Blvd., Suite 201 San Diego, CA Main: Fax: Employment Services provides assistance and support to people with mental illness in securing meaningful and sustaining regular part-time and full-time jobs of their choice. The program focuses and builds on the client s strengths and abilities. Another important element of the program is learning how to manage symptoms that may interfere with finding and keeping a job. Jobtoberfest is the biggest job fair dedicated to employment of people with disabilities! Employer Presentations -at Employment Services Once a month Employment Services arranges for an employer to give a presentation on how to get hired with their company. In the past few months, employers such as, Goodwill Industries, Ace Parking and Sea- World, to name a few, spoke to approximately 50 jobseekers. Upcoming employers include Job Options on September 18. There ll be no employer presentations in October due to Jobtoberfest, but in November (date to be determined) Pride Industries will be presenting. Common themes of the presentations (aside from how to get hired!), have been asking about appropriate interviewing techniques, common mistakes made during an interview and what the employer looks for in an ideal candidate. As a result, a few clients have been hired by these employers even though they didn't think they d be a good fit for the job! But they are, and it s been a win-win for both employers and job seeker! We thank our employers for their time and the valuable information they have shared with our staff and job seekers. *Employer presentations are usually on a Tuesday, so please check the ES monthly calendar for dates and times.* Employment Services is funded by the Department of Rehabilitation and County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency

2 2 Attending a job fair is a proactive way of getting to know companies or industries you're interested in. It's also a great way to make contacts. You can improve your chances by being prepared. The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) announced that Mental Health Systems (MHS), Employment Services program has been accredited for a period of three years for its Community Employment Services for Job Development, and Employment Supports. The latest accreditation (November ) is the seventh consecutive three-year accreditation that the international accrediting body has awarded to MHS, Employment Services. This decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. Mental Health Systems 9465 Farnham Street, San Diego, CA P (858) F (858) mhsinc.org Once inside, get a list of participating companies and choose which companies interest you. Spend your energies on them rather than wandering from booth to booth. Check out job openings for each company of interest, typically found on a listing sheet. Or use a computer, if provided, to look up individual companies. Get a floor plan map -- usually at the entrance or information table. Plan a route to move around the floor quickly, visiting your companies of interest. Stay upbeat and energized. Try to make an impression through your enthusiasm about the work. Also try to engage the company representative in conversation about the company, and listen to what the rep has to say. Try to talk to the hiring manager or senior member of the team, if possible. Recruiters can be helpful regarding the company and what they are seeking, and human resources personnel can give you information on the hiring process and the company, but the hiring manager is the one with the clout. Let the person you talk to know what you have to bring to the company. Be prepared with a short statement about yourself and your background -- less than two minutes. Try to hook the interviewer's interest with something unique about you. Try to get a name or business card from anyone you talk to so you can use the name as a reference when you follow up. Follow up by sending a letter and another copy of your resume to human resources and the hiring manager. Mention that you talked with them, or a company representative, at the fair. Tell them how excited you are about the position. Let them know you are the solution to their problem -- you can make a difference and add value. Follow up in a week or so with a phone call, inquiring about the position and the hiring status. Use the job fair as one of many sources in planning your job search. Do further research on participating companies by visiting their Web sites and checking for additional openings and opportunities.

3 New Wellness Center in Oceanside by Helen Ravanelli, Employment Specialist, Employment Services, No. Coastal Region It has finally opened! The old 1701 Mission Avenue building was intentionally demolished in 2017 and the new building was started. After years in the conceptualization process, the new Center is open and has some occupants in place providing services, including our own No. Coastal Region Employment Services Office! The Center is located at 1701 Mission Avenue, Oceanside, 92058, (corner of Mission Avenue and Barnes.) Public transportation is conveniently located nearby. On the first floor, you will find the Mariposa Clubhouse and the Veterans Resource Center. No. Coastal MHC is located on the 2 nd floor, along with Welcome Home Ministries (a re-entry program for women), and NAMI No. Coastal sharing office space. Still to move in, are a primary care and pharmacy. The pharmacy space is located within the No. Coastal MHC space, with the primary care across the hall on the 2 nd floor. Co-located in the No. Coastal MHC, the Employment Services No. Coastal Region is a larger space than before. The Mariposa Clubhouse has extra meeting spaces and more activities can be offered simultaneously. There kitchen is extra large with a lot of space for prepping foods and cooking. There are lockers for members to use daily depending on availability. There is a washer and dryer for keeping all the kitchen towels and aprons clean and tidy. If you utilize any services at the site, please be aware that as a County facility, there are security measures in place. The security officers are friendly and low-key. They are required to have people pass through the metal detectors or if you are entering Mariposa, they use a scanning wand. These people are simply doing their jobs. They will also ask to look in any bags you might be bringing into the facility. Hopefully those visiting a provider can understand and cooperate with these safety measures in place to protect people working or visiting this beautiful public space. Construction Beginning Soon for Southeastern Live Well Center Completion Estimate: 2021 The new Southeastern Live Well Center will be a beautiful, environmentally friendly facility located near an historic intersection of the community that will provide easy access to a variety of health and social services for residents. The Live Well Center will offer both County and community-based services that are trauma informed and culturally sensitive to promote the health and well being of residents and strengthen families and communities. Features Include: Near public transportation, parking structure, well-lit campus, 24/7 security measures, community meeting and conferencing space. 3

4 Meet Your Employment 4 Services Team Kay Masaryk, MS, CPRP, Program Manager Kay offers a variety of experience with operations and mental health counseling. As Program Manager, she is responsible for the general operation of Employment Services. Her responsibilities include staff training and management, budget review, program problem solving, development and agency representation with Department of Rehabilitation, San Diego County Behavioral Health and CARF accrediting surveyors. She was awarded the Vocational Support Person of the Year in She has worked for over 35 year in mental health services and been with Employment Services since 2002 and has a Masters degree in Counselor Education. April Longhurst, Office Manager April has been with MHS Employment Services since She started as the Administrative Assistant and is now Office Manager. She has served on the MHS, Cultural Competency Committee, ES Risk and Accessibility Committee and is currently the ES Safety Officer. April was awarded the Administrative Support Staff Person of the Year 2013 from the San Diego Behavioral Health Recognition Committee. Joana Meza, Job Developer, All Regions Joana has over ten years experience ranging from public service to workforce, and has an Associates degree in Criminal Justice. She has worked with at-risk youth, refugees and people with disabilities by assisting them in finding employment, and previously worked as Supervisor for a Federally funded employment program. She s passionate about assisting individuals with multiple barriers to employment, and helping them to acknowledge and achieve their full potential. Marie Denis, Employment Specialist, Central Region For over fifteen years Marie has provided community based services and has worked as an advocate for children and families throughout the country. Marie has worked for the Department of Children Services, New Alternative Homebase, and with a vendor of the Department of Rehabilitation in Dallas TX, to name a few. Marie is a Certified Mental Health Worker Trainer, and has an Associates degree in Social Behavioral Science. Most recently, she worked as a Homeless Advocate Specialist for MHS Mid-Coast Regional Recovery Center. Marie s goal is to always motivate her clients to be the best they can be, through training, encouragement, and support. Danielle Brunetta, Administrative Assistant Since 2003 Danielle has provided employment services and office support to various nonprofit agencies helping to prepare people for the world of work. This includes youth job development programs, a funding agency and most recently a shelter serving single women and families experiencing homelessness. Danielle is passionate about contributing to helping people overcome obstacles to enter and remain in the world of work and likes the quote, Remember - regardless of the pace forward is forward.

5 Meet Your Employment Services Team Helen Ravanelli, Employment Specialist, North Coastal Region Helen received her Bachelor s degree in psychology from Biola University in 2012 and joined the Employment Services team in She has been providing employment and education related services since 1994 in a variety of settings such as colleges, universities, temporary staffing agencies, welfare to work programs, MHS s Mariposa Clubhouse Helen was awarded one of RICA s, This Person Award in Helen has been with Employment Services since March Raymond Zambo, MS, LMFT, Employment Specialist, Central Region There is no barrier that can hold back a motivated and enthusiastic candidate. This philosophy has aided Ray to be successful when working with clients who have a disability. With a Masters in counseling and as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, he works to create balance within a client's life so they may be victorious with whatever they set out to do. Ray has been with Employment Services since Tanya Booth, M.S., C.R.C., Employment Specialist, Central & North Inland Regions Tanya is a graduate of the Rehabilitation Counseling Master s Program at San Diego State University and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. She has an Advance Certificate specializing in mental health. She interned with the Department of Rehabilitation for over a year with a focus on individuals with a mental health diagnoses. She has several years experience working with individuals with various disabilities and the homeless populations. Tanya has been with Employment Services since August Luis A. Blanco Jr., Employment Specialist, East Region Luis is a former NYS Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Instructor and a former State of California Employment Program Representative. Luis holds an Associates degree in Pre-Hospital Emergency Care and has been a vocational instructor for over 20 years. He has worked with various organizations throughout San Diego County in order to gain access to resources, programs, employment opportunities, and other services. Specializing in job development services and readiness for clients with multiple barriers: long-term unemployed, monolingual, disabled, and/or ex-offenders provides him with a well rounded and comprehensive approach to job development. Luis has been with Employment Services since September