projectABLE

Maria’s story- asking the questions others don’t

Posted on July 30, 2015July 30, 2015 by Evan Ellis

My name is Maria Henao. I am the manager for person centred practice at Woodville Alliance.

What’s Person Centred Practice you ask? It’s about making sure our programs are tailored to the loves, passions and skills of our service users. It’s about the person receiving the services, not the organisation delivering them.

I look after the operational aspect of Woodville’s day programs. As we work primarily with young adults with an Intellectual Disability our activities are targeted at helping people build their independent living skills; to travel independently, cook independently and handle money independently. These are essential for going on to live more independently, to access work or study.

Woodville was my introduction into the disability sector. I graduated with a Bachelor in Psychology and a keen interest in intellectual disability. I applied for a Program coordinators role and that was where it all began!

During high school I wasn’t too sure what was out there. When we think about disability services we often think, “Oh, there’s only one job there -a support worker.” Although once I started at Woodville, I was working alongside accountants, psychologists, psychiatrists, speech therapists, physiotherapists. Disability Services is far more that front-line support – although this is an extremely important role – there are a lot of behind the scenes positions.

That’s one reason I like being part of projectABLE.

I want young people to know there are lots of options out there. You don’t have to settle for one role.What is common across different roles and job descriptions is a passion for people. The difference you get to make in the lives of others is amazing. It’s extremely rewarding.

A story to illustrate. When I first started I was working with a woman with autism. She also had high levels of social anxiety. She couldn’t go to her mail box. But we don’t focus with what she can’t do, or what she has difficulty with. We ask the questions people don’t usually ask, to gather as much information as we can.

What does she love? Well, she loves numbers. She loves swimming. So we spoke with her family and got her involved in bingo, gave her opportunities to swim. Slowly, over a year and a half we saw her confidence grow. She now has friends and participates in some of our community events.

This is what the sector offers. It’s a place where you watch someone you have assisted dance in a performing arts show, when previously they struggled to leave the house. A place where parents who immigrated to Australia, who lived in refugee camps, tell you your programs have changed their child’s life and that they’ve never been happier.

They say if you love what you do you never work a day in your life. How can you not love making such amazing differences to the lives of the people you support every day?

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WANT TO TO ASK THE QUESTIONS OTHERS DON’T? START WITH A PROJECT-ABLE WORKSHOP. WOODVILLE ALLIANCE ARE HOSTING WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT TERM 3.

Ashvin’s story- a privilege to make a difference

Posted on July 28, 2015July 28, 2015 by Evan Ellis

My name is Ashvin. That’s me up the back on the left. I am a Year 11 student and I volunteer with Interaction Services in Sydney’s northwest. Last year I attended a projectABLE workshop run by Interaction.

I chose to attend the workshop because I had little knowledge into what the lives of those with a disability were like. I wanted to try and understand how the clients of Interaction went about their day-to-day business and what challenges they faced. I also wanted to learn how to interact with people with disabilities. This was the only program that I was aware of which allows high school students to gain this sort of valuable information.

From the moment I arrived the staff at Interaction made us feel at home. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming.

The program itself was extremely effective. For me the most memorable and eye-opening segment was the student-client session. Students were encouraged to ask questions and talk with a person with a disability. This was the point in the program that truly opened students’ eyes. We understood people with disabilities were just like us, regular individuals, who embraced the challenges that they were presented with.

After the workshop I took the opportunity to volunteer with Interaction. I believe that volunteering is one of the few activities that a student can do as a means of having a break from studies whilst giving back to the community.

I volunteer fortnightly on Saturdays from 10am-12noon. I participate in two different sessions; music and arts and craft. In the music session my role is to motivate the clients to get involved; either through dancing or simply holding an instrument and playing along.

The arts and crafts session involves a lot more interaction with clients. Each week a new craft project is presented. Clients are encouraged to work as independently as possible but I’m on hand to help with anything they find difficult. During both sessions I have a chat with the clients and ensure that they have no issues with the activities.

The most rewarding part of this program is not immediately noticeable. It’s the changes you see over a period of time. When I first started there was a woman who was disengaged. Slowly, after four months she started to make a conscientious effort towards completing the activities. In another four months she was communicating enthusiastically with me and other clients. Now she produces beautiful crafts and seemingly enjoys every minute of it.

It is stories like these that make volunteering at Interaction so enjoyable and worthwhile. You can see the positive impact the program has on the clients who attend.

Despite my hectic study schedule I plan to continue volunteering. Volunteering helps me to develop time management skills and balance a variety of activities. It is a privilege to be making a difference in people’s lives.

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WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? START WITH A PROJECT-ABLE WORKSHOP. INTERACTION SERVICES ARE HOSTING WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT TERM 3.

Kathryn’s story- a purpose to get out of bed

Posted on July 24, 2015July 30, 2015 by Evan Ellis

My name is Kathryn Davies. I am a Personal Assistant at Challenge Community Services, Maitland. My role is a jack-of-all-trades position really. In any moment I might be answering mail, doing data entry, writing blogs, collating data for board reports, organising meeting agendas or supervising our Transition To Work (TTW) participants. Essentially I’m the office manager of our back of house.

I started working with Challenge three years ago. Here was an organisation that was making a difference in the disability sector and was a not-for-profit. Money wasn’t the driving force. Also I have young children so the job flexibility was attractive. I started permanent part time and was able to pick and choose my working days around childcare. Now I’m full time but the flexibility is still there. I can take time off in lieu, get rostered days off and am able to put aside pay to increase my annual leave.

Challenge is all about helping people in their daily life. It’s about giving people more opportunities and helping them voice what they want to do. The young woman I supervise as part of our transition to work program (TTW) is a prime example of this approach. This program is all about assisting young school leavers with a disability to develop skills and experiences so they can find a career.

When this woman originally started at Challenge she was shy and not very confident. In the beginning a TTW worker stayed with her during the workday and helped her build both her skills and confidence. Now? She is just beaming. She arrives on her one day a week with set tasks and works independently. During her time she has completed a Cert II in hospitality, gotten an RSA and is now out there looking for work. Her productivity is through the roof. It’s such a great thing to see a young individual come leaps and bounds in such a short time.

Things like work and being out there in the community are so important. It helps people feel needed. It contributes to their identity. It’s about having a purpose to get out of bed and be active. If you feel that you’re needed and that you’re contributing it just increases your well-being and improves your outlook on life.

2015 is the first year Challenge has participated in the projectABLE program. I want young people to know that with the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the sky’s the limit. The sector is going to be less tied to 9-5 work hours. Rather people with disabilities are seeking like-minded individuals to spend time with. This means that the sector is the place to follow your passions, like art, music, travel and to share them with others.

People with disabilities will be able to select the support that best suits them. Young people can still go off to uni and study on their set days but work in the sector on weekends and evenings. Listening to a concert, a trip to the pub or simply going to a movie. Work in the sector will look more like the activities people with disabilities are interested in.

This doesn’t mean there aren’t concerns about the NDIS. As someone with experience in running the administrative side of a service provider, I wonder how smaller organisations will adapt to the new system. But I’m excited that under the NDIS people with disabilities have the freedom to say, “Hey, this is what I want. You guys are there to assist me.” At the end of the day it’s about being positive, proactive and ensuring we get the best outcomes for people with disability. So I say bring it on.

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WANT TO HELP OTHERS CONNECT WITH A SENSE OF PURPOSE? START WITH A PROJECT-ABLE WORKSHOP. CHALLENGE COMMUNITY SERVICES ARE HOSTING WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT TERM 3.