Area businesses awarded for supporting Options' program members deemed asset to work force

Marlborough - David Barton stood up during the open mic portion of Employment Options Inc.'s Employment Awards Dinner March 25 and said the Options' member who is employed by Trader Joe's of Framingham is "definitely a good addition to the store." Barton is on the management team at Trader Joe's and represented one of 26 area businesses that were honored at the dinner for their support of the agency's employment program. Marlborough-based Employment Options serves adults with mental illness and people with other challenges - providing a range of programs including transitional, supported, and independent employment programs.

Businesses that form a relationship with Options are fully supported by the agency, according to Anupa Shah, Options Marketing and Employment manager. Employment Options' staff, she said, come on-site to the business and help with all phases of their members' employment - from hiring to training to filling in for employees if they miss work.

"So it [hiring members] is a real benefit to the employer because we're going to be giving them full coverage," Shah added.

Sarah Hagan, an employer from Northwestern Mutual Financial Network in Westborough, said their company's association with Options has been great.

"We're a small office and I needed the help," Hagan said. "They did a good job of training their people. The person who's come in has really done a good job in taking over their assignments. We don't always have the time to stand over her, and she's done a really good job of coming in and doing the work that she needs to do. The community as a whole needs places like this [Options]. It helps the community as well as the members."

Julie Rich said there was a time she had trouble keeping a job. But support from Options has helped with that.

"You can always come back to the [Options'] Clubhouse at the end of the day and have someone ask you how your day at work was, and they check in with me regularly," she said.
As for what it's like for her to go to work now, she said, "They like me there and I like to go to work everyday."

Rich was recognized at the dinner for her work at Harrison Conference Services.

Bolstered by support from Options, Carolann Clevesy said, she has learned that she can go out to work by herself and do her job. Once afraid that employers would judge her, she said with help from Options, her confidence "has gone way up." She holds a job at CVS.

Some of the other area businesses that hire Options members include Target Stores in Marlborough, Little Brook Apartments of Hudson, Northboro Radiator Service, and Eddie Bauer at Solomon Pond Mall. Another company, Marshalls of Westborough, was not only among those recognized at the dinner, but also received a statewide honor April 5 when they were named "Employer of the Year" by the Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition (of which Options is a member).

Options Executive Director Toni Wolf has hopes that even more businesses will hire Options members.

"Sometimes," she said, "people don't see us as the alternative labor market that we are. Our employees want to work as hard as the next guy, and with support from us, we'd like employers to open their minds to seeing people with mental illness as good employees. I mean, you heard it tonight [at the awards dinner] - employers stand up and say, 'I'm proud of my employee.' What more can you ask for?"

For information about hiring Employment Options members, call Shah at (508) 485-5051.

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