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Jennifer
On any given afternoon you can walk into TLC’s Early
Learning Center (ELC) and Teacher’s Assistant
Jennifer will greet you. Her smile and warm
personality will make you feel instantly welcome.
Jennifer has been employed at ELC since December
2004 and was recently awarded Employee of the Month.
She completed CPR and First Fid trainings, and
eagerly participates in all continuing education
courses offered by ELC. Jennifer’s supervisors
commend her positive attitude, enthusiasm for
helping children, willingness to offer an extra hand
and ability to work on a team. When you observe
Jennifer interacting with the children at the
Center, you sense immediately that Jennifer has
chosen the perfect career path. She is patient, kind
and attentive to their needs. In 2006, Jennifer
received an award from the Maryland
Association of Community Services.
Jennifer’s dedication to service in her community
did not begin with this position. Throughout high
school, Jennifer volunteered at Summit Hall’s after
school program, the Family Service Agency and the
Gaithersburg elementary school cafeteria. She
continues to volunteer her spare time at Montgomery
County Public Schools. As a woman who takes great
pride and pleasure in helping children, Jennifer
also manages to leave time for relaxation and
leisure. She participates in Outcomes’ monthly
Consumer Support Group and is an active member of
her church community. Jennifer enjoys spending time
with friends and riding four-wheelers with her dad.
Victoria
After
running a successful housekeeping business for six
years, Victoria developed a severe arthritis that
forced her to give up her business. The physical
limitations imposed by her arthritis restricted
Victoria’s job options, making it difficult to find
work. She accepted a cashier position at a local
pharmacy, but the job, much like her previous
housekeeping work, demanded long hours of standing.
The continual pressure on her joints soon prevented
her from doing the squatting and bending necessary
to stock the store. She was soon forced to leave the
job. As months went by, Victoria remained
unemployed, something that both discouraged and
depressed her. The situation deteriorated until she
had no option but to move into a shelter.
During her stay at the shelter, Victoria
participated in a counseling program that eventually
referred her to The Treatment and Learning Centers.
TLC, recognizing her needs, placed her in The
Outcomes Service for career assessment. Given her
interests, skills and abilities, as well as the
limitations imposed by her arthritis, Victoria set
her goals on attaining an administrative position in
an office of some sort. Throughout the process,
Victoria maintained a superbly upbeat attitude.
While her motivation and enthusiasm would have
served her well in any workplace her lack of
computer skill prevented her from being marketable
for an office-job position.
Knowing the disparity between her career goals
and her career skills, The Outcomes Service enrolled
Victoria in its Employee Development Program (EDS).
She started practicing typing skills while becoming
more familiar with various computer applications
such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook. In very
little time, she gained more confidence and skill in
these areas. In addition to exposing her to office
technology, the EDS staff also helped Victoria
create a resume, practice her interview skills, and
conduct an organized job search. Before long,
Victoria received an offer to be an entry-level
administrative assistant position at the Department
of Energy.
With the help of the job coach EDS provided and
the support of her new supervisor, Victoria
continued to improve her skills and, in time, became
a valued employee. Her renewed financial stability
allowed her to move into her own apartment and even
purchase a car. Almost more important than her
renewed financial stability is Victoria’s renewed
self-confidence and self-esteem, her rediscovered
sense of utility and purpose, her capacity to feel
self-reliant, and her ability to feel able despite
the crippling nature of her arthritis.
TLC’s Outcomes Service gave Victoria the
resources she needed to recover and achieve. The
combination of these resources and Victoria’s
determination proved successful: just recently,
Victoria accepted a promotion at the Department of
Energy.
Ephraim
Ephraim is now 48 years old. On his last day of classes in
1978 as a senior at Sherwood High School in Olney, Maryland,
Ephraim was involved in a terrible car accident that killed
two people. He sustained a traumatic brain injury which
resulted in partial paralysis on the right side of his body
and severe language problems. He spent the next four years in
hospitals and rehabilitation facilities before returning home.
As a teenager, Ephraim had discovered and cultivated his
talent for drawing. His mother said, "He was born with a
pencil in his hand. When he was younger, if we sat him in
front of a table he would immediately ask for a pencil and
begin doodling." Ephraim did not return to his art until 1983,
when he was enrolled in an art therapy class at Montgomery
College. He had to train himself to use his left hand. With a
great deal of determination, he is once again finding joy
through his art, and is able to earn money through it as well.
He was commissioned to sketch the cover illustration of the
program for a horse show in Virginia. In July 1999, The
Treatment and Learning Centers hosted a show of Ephraim's
drawings and paintings. It was a lifelong dream come true.
Ephraim has participated in the Work Services Program at TLC's
Outcomes Rehabilitation Center since 1990, where he continues
to develop his artistic ability, work behaviors, communication
skills, and cognitive abilities. |
The mission of TLC's Outcomes Service is to enable adults with
brain injury, cognitive impairments, neurological and developmental
disabilities to reach the highest levels of productivity,
independence and inclusion in the community.
