WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:03.060 --> 00:00:04.450 Brent Geske: My name is Brent Geske. 00:00:04.470 --> 00:00:09.030 I work with vocational services as a vocational clinician or employment 00:00:09.030 --> 00:00:10.950 specialist as we see it here. 00:00:11.370 --> 00:00:14.430 I worked in a lot of government jobs before this, so a lot of county, 00:00:15.480 --> 00:00:17.430 workforce centers in various counties. 00:00:18.015 --> 00:00:21.465 And I found that, in those sort of environments when you're 00:00:21.465 --> 00:00:24.615 helping people with work it comes down to people are just numbers. 00:00:25.485 --> 00:00:30.525 And, when I was looking for a change, Jefferson Center came up and I looked 00:00:30.525 --> 00:00:34.755 at all the awards it was getting and, all the good reviews it was getting. 00:00:35.290 --> 00:00:37.210 And I'm like, I'm gonna apply there and see what happens. 00:00:37.210 --> 00:00:40.090 I've never applied for a nonprofit, so I was a little bit nervous, 00:00:40.540 --> 00:00:43.210 but I'll tell you, it's been just nothing but the best ever since. 00:00:43.390 --> 00:00:45.340 I've been with the JCMH for eight years. 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:46.060 I love it here. 00:00:46.420 --> 00:00:48.040 I've been here, happily ever since. 00:00:48.430 --> 00:00:53.290 I think what I really like about vocational services is it's a 00:00:54.830 --> 00:00:56.450 immediate gratification, so to speak. 00:00:56.450 --> 00:00:59.660 'Cause you're, it's easier to find people jobs as opposed to 00:01:00.050 --> 00:01:01.160 helping 'em through therapy. 00:01:03.035 --> 00:01:06.500 I was in that role a little bit and I found it very difficult because, 00:01:08.510 --> 00:01:11.630 when you help someone get a job, it could be a couple weeks, but 00:01:11.630 --> 00:01:12.830 with therapy it could be years. 00:01:13.190 --> 00:01:18.460 And so I really liked seeing that turnaround when a person's at, just 00:01:18.460 --> 00:01:21.730 dire straits, gonna be homeless, they don't know what to do. 00:01:21.730 --> 00:01:24.790 They just, they need some sort of income or a job. 00:01:24.790 --> 00:01:26.350 And it's I can help with that. 00:01:26.950 --> 00:01:30.220 And, it's, for me, I've been doing it for so long, I feel 00:01:30.220 --> 00:01:31.990 like it's just second nature. 00:01:32.530 --> 00:01:36.100 And, yeah, I just feel like it's, where I'm supposed to be. 00:01:37.360 --> 00:01:40.625 Through the IPS model, which is the individual placement and support. 00:01:42.295 --> 00:01:45.205 You know what that really just comes down to meeting the client where they're at 00:01:45.745 --> 00:01:51.955 and allowing that person to figure out and with our support, figure out what sort 00:01:51.955 --> 00:01:54.595 of career they want to find and get into. 00:01:54.985 --> 00:01:59.305 And we know that, through the model, which is a research based model, that 00:01:59.305 --> 00:02:02.935 when people are obviously working in the job that they like, hopefully love. 00:02:03.555 --> 00:02:04.935 Their symptoms go down, they feel better. 00:02:05.085 --> 00:02:08.595 We spend so much time at our job that you better like it. 00:02:08.715 --> 00:02:12.495 'Cause if you don't, it's gonna be a real tough time because you're 00:02:12.495 --> 00:02:14.265 just adding more stress to your day. 00:02:14.565 --> 00:02:18.435 So the collaboration would come down to workforce centers for one. 00:02:19.125 --> 00:02:23.025 There's a lot of training opportunities that the workforce centers can offer that, 00:02:23.415 --> 00:02:26.685 a lot of our clients can go to and we try to get them to go there because it's free 00:02:26.685 --> 00:02:28.605 training, tax dollars are paying for it. 00:02:29.925 --> 00:02:31.455 So there's a collaboration with them. 00:02:31.845 --> 00:02:34.905 Hey, let's bring some people in that could possibly help the situation 00:02:34.905 --> 00:02:39.195 because we find that there's a lot of different things that 00:02:39.195 --> 00:02:41.055 people can do in varying levels. 00:02:42.875 --> 00:02:45.515 There's people that we have highly educated on our caseload and then 00:02:45.515 --> 00:02:49.774 we have, people who, don't even have a GED or a high school diploma. 00:02:50.195 --> 00:02:52.745 But really we treat them all the same 'cause it really comes 00:02:52.745 --> 00:02:53.945 down to what they want to do. 00:02:54.365 --> 00:02:56.945 I have clients on my caseload that I've had for nearly eight years 00:02:57.334 --> 00:02:59.800 and it's just, and some of them have been working that whole time. 00:03:00.575 --> 00:03:04.505 But they just need that, that maybe biweekly meeting to talk about, hey look, 00:03:05.315 --> 00:03:07.325 I'm having an issue on the job about this. 00:03:08.435 --> 00:03:11.045 Can we figure out a strategy to, solve it? 00:03:11.495 --> 00:03:14.435 A lot of times it's just come down to communication and, 00:03:15.485 --> 00:03:17.375 communicating with disclosure. 00:03:17.570 --> 00:03:21.130 And asking for certain accommodations, which can really help our 00:03:21.130 --> 00:03:24.640 clients because, with a certain accommodation they can be successful. 00:03:28.285 --> 00:03:33.760 I actually got a few of them, but the one that comes up is a, is a 00:03:33.760 --> 00:03:38.740 young man who I met who was 18 when I met him when I first started. 00:03:39.355 --> 00:03:44.935 And he has a social phobia and so it was really difficult getting 00:03:44.935 --> 00:03:46.195 him outta the house to work. 00:03:46.255 --> 00:03:47.655 And so I started working with him. 00:03:47.655 --> 00:03:52.545 I was able to get him to meet at Panera and, eventually we're able to 00:03:52.575 --> 00:03:56.430 bridge the gap and get him a job at Sprouts, which he's still there today. 00:03:58.330 --> 00:04:03.470 But not only that, he's also then gotten another job working in a more 00:04:03.470 --> 00:04:06.830 professional environment, behind the desk at our local business. 00:04:07.310 --> 00:04:13.190 And so he's working there full time plus a little bit overtime and Sprouts and he 00:04:13.190 --> 00:04:15.020 is going to school to get his associates. 00:04:15.020 --> 00:04:16.310 Which he'll be finishing up in May. 00:04:16.760 --> 00:04:19.610 I think that's why we're all in this job, at least I would hope, 00:04:19.610 --> 00:04:21.800 that's why we're all in this job is 'cause we like helping people. 00:04:22.280 --> 00:04:27.085 And like I said, I, like helping people, but I like seeing that immediate sort 00:04:27.085 --> 00:04:31.555 of gratification that they, like the weight's been lifted off their shoulders 00:04:31.555 --> 00:04:33.175 that, oh my God, I got a job now. 00:04:33.895 --> 00:04:35.515 It's like I actually have some income. 00:04:36.370 --> 00:04:37.810 It relieves a lot of stress. 00:04:37.810 --> 00:04:39.190 So I like that. 00:04:39.610 --> 00:04:43.600 It's, it could be that day we find 'em a job or get 'em an interview, 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:45.159 or it may take a couple months. 00:04:45.159 --> 00:04:48.850 But, I really like that, that, process. 00:04:53.169 --> 00:04:55.360 Being from Colorado, I'm all about the outdoors. 00:04:56.770 --> 00:04:57.755 I was brought up hunting and fishing. 00:04:58.315 --> 00:05:00.805 I lived on a farm in Erie, Colorado. 00:05:02.275 --> 00:05:06.835 So with my family, if we're not, camping, we go a lot of camping during the 00:05:06.835 --> 00:05:12.175 summer because, my wife's a principal and she only had, so many days off. 00:05:12.895 --> 00:05:14.725 In the summertime is when she's off. 00:05:14.725 --> 00:05:19.465 So we pack as much camping into that as we can, and that's a good recipe for us. 00:05:19.465 --> 00:05:24.480 A good, time away from electronics and, the hustle and bustle of every day. 00:05:25.140 --> 00:05:27.285 So we're always up in the mountains fishing or renting 00:05:27.285 --> 00:05:28.230 out a cabin or something.