|
North Suffolk Transitional Employment Group (NSTE)
North Suffolk Mental Health Association is a partner of the Metro Boston Recovery Learning Community. Together, we collaborate in managing North Suffolk Transitional Employment, a program designed to help people with psychiatric diagnoses “get back to work.” Specifically, NSTE consists of three separate positions which are shared. Two of them involve customer service. We have a coffee shop on the mezzanine level of the Lindemann Center that is peer-supervised and staffed entirely by people diagnosed with various mental illnesses. Secondly, there is a gym attendant position in the building. These individuals are responsible for monitoring the activity in the Lindemann Center gym, replenishing supplies, and tracking gym attendance. Last, but certainly not least, NSTE employs five mail clerks that work to guarantee that everyone in the building gets their mail sent and delivered in a timely fashion. There is consensus at the ELMHC site that the NSTE staff contribute to the diverse culture and sense of community in the building.
The nature of this program is transitional (typically nine months per position), which means that we are often looking for new employees to join our team. Traditionally, our jobs have served as a “jump-start” for people who have been unemployed for awhile. Transitional employment is designed as a teaching tool to help people gain experience and confidence in various fields and/or sharpen the skills they may already have. After the nine month period, the Employment Coordinator is available to assist workers in obtaining competitive employment in the community. This is the ultimate goal of the program.
Please feel free to contact the Employment Coordinator with any questions/concerns:
Molly Swanberg
617-626-8531
|
