In celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month during October, KTOO’s Juneau Afternoon interviewed members of REACH’s supported employment team. Ryan Hellman is a supported employment specialist and Mariana Sausedo serves as a staff manager. They visited the show Oct. 4, 2024, to discuss REACH’s supported employment program.
“We help people with disabilities find jobs in the community and maintain those jobs,” Hellman said.
Employment offers people experiencing disabilities the opportunity for increased independence. REACH’s supported employment program connects individuals with careers paths in Southeast Alaska.
“We talk through what jobs they might like and the things that might be best for them,” Hellman said.
Hellman searches for open positions in the community that would be the right fit. He also approaches companies that partner with REACH to see if they have any positions that might suit the individual. Once they get the job, they’re paired with a job coach that helps them succeed through on-the-job training and skill-building.
“Our job coaches assist people with disabilities. They come in and they provide training, helping them do their tasks, those type of things,” Sausedo said. “It’s a teammate to them, they work together and they figure out to do this job accurately.”
In order to increase independence, job coaches create a list of objectives for the employee. The list is designed to help them move forward with their skills, with the goal of eventually doing the job completely on their own. Supported employment not only benefits people experiencing disabilities but it’s great for the employer and community.
“Statistically speaking, people with disabilities are often more reliable employees, they show up on time, they don’t quit as often, their productivity rate is really high, so you really end up with a high-quality employee,” Hellman said.
For more information on supported employment, call (907) 586-8228.
Listen to the full show here.