October 19th marked the one year anniversary of the Supportive Employment program at Amethyst, Inc. The goal of the program program, which is funded by The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, Fifth Third Bank and the Wohlgemuth-Herschede Foundation, is to enhance the educational and socio-economic skill development of Amethyst women. The program assists Amethyst clients with finding jobs, furthering educations and school loan assistance. Kelley Breidigan is the supportive employment specialist for the program. She currently serves 72 women with the program, each woman referred to her with a counselor’s approval.
Breidigan has noticed since the development of the program that women have greater hope that they will get their lives on track both personally and in their career path. Breidigan has contact with majority of the women in the lower level programs after they have identified a need to return to the workforce or school.
Customer service is the work environment where the ladies find themselves most after meeting with Breidigan. Customer service is the best option because “it is a nice entry level to grow from” Breidigan said. More women have chosen to attend school rather than enter the work force because of the economy and acquiring a trade skill makes a person more marketable to employers.
Women often experience barriers once entering into the workforce after the program. The problems that most often occur when entering into the workforce for the clients is they “are not sure how to advocate for themselves,” Breidigan said “ women also encounter trauma issues and triggers because workforces are not always drug and alcohol free.”
Breidigan and the staff here at Amethyst train clients with the Job Readiness program. The required program consists of 21 women who work their way through three cycles. The program includes mock interviews, how to be an ambassador for their employer and how to answer questions in a professional way. The skills that Breidigan has instilled in the women are tools that clients will have for life.
The hard work of Kelley and the women in program is demonstrated by:
• 70 referred clients have engaged in employment services to address goals identified during initial meetings
• 17 referred ladies left treatment or graduated from the STAR program during the implementation of this program
• Of the 70 referred clients
o 17 clients are in the process of obtaining a GED
o 32 clients are currently volunteering or in the process of securing a volunteer placement
o 8 clients are negotiating student loan repayment
o 32 clients have completed resumes and are working on interviewing skills
o 7 clients are currently employed part-time
o 35 clients are pursuing various educational programs
• 1 client has accepted a full-time position, which is a program first!
“There are many barriers but there are seven women employed and that is evidence that barriers can be broken through with experience and education,” Breidigan said.
