Workfirst, a Baltimore-based organization for people with disabilities, recognizes a need for people with mental retardation and other cognitive disabilities to be integrated into the work world.
Through a wide variety of services they provide, this company endeavors to open up a world of employment opportunities to people with cognitive disabilities, giving new meaning to the “American dream.
Workfirst serves people with mental retardation, learning disabilities, and psychiatric disabilities, proving that everyone, including people with disabilities, can have a chance to work and make money.
Workfirst attempts to educate clients and their families about the significance of working. Job training is at the heart of the company's success. One’s eligibility to participate in job training rests on a number of factors. While most of the people served are in their mid to late twenties, one can obtain services at the age of eighteen. Workfirst clients must express a desire to work, that ultimately drives them to get a job. You need to have a “documented disability” and the ability to care for your personal hygiene needs. Self-discipline is another attribute essential to Workfirst clients. Though it is a non-profit organization with roughly $1.2 million in profits, Workfirst isn’t completely free. Clients must have some type of funding source. They accept clients who have been referred to them without a funding source, and are eager to facilitate these individuals. They work to help them find a source to fund their participation.
Leann Posko, executive director, is quite active in the execution of Workfirst’s services. Though she rarely works directly with clients, Posko carries out most of the organization’s administrative functions. Her primary responsibility is to ensure that services are carried out properly and that clients receive “quality services.” She also conducts fundraisers, promotes the organization, and works with organizations outside of her own. Workfirst evaluates its clients based on the skills they have, and they use these skills to determine what job one will succeed in. All clients must undergo an extensive assessment of their abilities. Through this evaluation, Workfirst employees get to know the individual and their needs. The process is designed to evaluate an applicant’s strengths and weaknesses. Included in the evaluation is an assessment of everything from math and reading skills to the rate at which one can put something together. They also teach clients how to deal with conflict resolution.
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