For the past year, JFCS has piloted the RAISE (Recognizing Abilities & Inclusion of Special Employees) program, bringing paid employment opportunities and social skills training to four neurodiverse adults in our community. Each RAISE participant is a part-time, temporary JFCS employee, and the goal of the program is to help them gain the skills and experiences necessary to secure permanent employment and excel in their jobs.

Below, a current RAISE employee shares her experience in the program and discusses the value it brings to our community:

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It’s time to RAISE our awareness that adults with neurodiversity and developmental disabilities can have a key role in the workplace. RAISE (Recognizing Abilities and Inclusion of Special Employees) is nearing the end of its first year here at JFCS. In this program, adults (like me) with disabilities can maximize their potential to enter the workforce. As participants in the RAISE program, we are placed in two different job settings, and we work 6 hours per week, earning an hourly wage. In addition, each of us is paired with a bright, knowledgeable job coach, who provides guidance along the way. This helps us to work optimally while getting feedback in real time.

RAISE was designed to help neurodivergent individuals ready themselves for the professional, corporate, or business world. It’s almost as if we speak a different language, but the truth is, we are just like everyone else…with a flair of our own. This program speaks to us because it gives us the tools and resources to succeed, while considering our limitations, challenges, skills, strengths, and talents. In this program, we all have the benefit of learning what works for us and what does not.

RAISE offers another unique component where employees participate in a weekly, interactive Lunch and Learn led by Eric Larson, a licensed JFCS clinician. We learn interviewing skills, social skills for the workplace, how to work cooperatively on a team, and how to improve communication skills. Specifically, we learn how to pose clarifying questions, self-advocate, handle anxiety and distractions/stimuli, and understand body language and facial expressions. Potentially, the best part of Lunch and Learn is having the opportunity for social exchange with other peers, and the ability to make great, like-minded friends in addition to work associates. Here, we have a community of fellow, clever individuals who help us feel less alone when it comes to being oriented at work.

RAISE helps us acclimate to workplace norms already in place. This is not particularly easy, but it is essential to our success. Diversity and inclusivity is now a large initiative, and slowly, changes are being made, as our societal differences are being better acknowledged and understood. Sometimes, living in a very big world where being neurotypical is typical, we struggle to understand each individual. RAISE helps us all believe and convince the rest of the world that each of us has something priceless to contribute.