An Athens County agency is working alongside people with developmental disabilities to find job opportunities and even careers with 40 area businesses.
For almost 30 years, PersonnelPlus — a branch of the Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities — has served as the primary source for people with disabilities to find employment opportunities in Athens.
PersonnelPlus is a training and employment center specifically for people with disabilities. The organization matches them with Athens businesses where they work on a regular basis, said Doug Mitchell, director of the agency.
“There’s really no age requirement, as long as they want to work, we’ll take them,” Mitchell said.
With a large variety of businesses working alongside PersonnelPlus — including East State Street stores such as Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, BigLots and Kroger — participants need only be eligible for employment services in order to be considered for a job, Mitchell said.
Before the Ohio legislature passed a bill creating the Employment First Initiative in March, people with disabilities had a very difficult time even being considered for employment, said Chris Stewart, transition coordinator with the agency.
The initiative combines the efforts of four state departments to increase employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities in Ohio.
“(The initiative) challenges people with disabilities to seek work options, and so we’re here to help,” Stewart said. “What we have found is that the people with disabilities are sometimes even more committed to the job than some of the other workers.”
Stewart works with high-school faculties, parents and the students so they have the skills and training they need when they begin working after they graduate, Mitchell said.
At Holzer Clinic, Chester Lane’s entry-level position began with PersonnelPlus and turned into a full-time, paid position.
Lane, 34, moved from California to Athens seven years ago with the hope of expanding his limited work experience.
“This is the first time I’ve worked at a clinic,” Lane said. “Holzer is like a family. I started working here when I was 29, and it’s been amazing.”
Though Lane’s duties have remained relatively consistent during his tenure, he still thoroughly enjoys the work and never complains, said Brandi Johnson, clinical manager at Holzer Clinic.
“In the four years he’s been here, I have never had any issues with him,” Johnson said. “He understands confidentiality with the patients. The great thing about him is that I can trust him.”
Lane works with the mail, medications and is responsible for sorting linens and disposing of biohazards, which required specific training.
One of the reasons Lane has remained at Holzer for four years is the amount of respect he has received from doctors and co-workers, he said.
“People treat each other with respect at Holzer and that’s really important at work,” he said. “I’ll work here until I retire or die, probably. It’s awesome being able to work here.”
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