| By Kelly MacCarroll, Care First Vocational Specialist |
Here at Care First Rehabilitation, my aim as Lead Vocational Specialist is to motivate our clients to build bridges back to the community. I want to hear “I don’t know” as many times as it takes before they do. Learning or re-learning skills takes true vulnerability, and for that reason I do what I can to build a comfortable, exciting experience in our Sheltered Workshop.
Being a former Graphic Designer, I find that nearly every task can be turned into a creative process. Using therapeutic goals as my guide, I choose a weekly skill to focus on and inject it with artistic flow. On any given day, clients might engage in a unique approach to learning design programs, presentation skills, or team building activities.
For instance, when learning Photoshop, clients may challenge their abstract thinking abilities by being asked to build an image – i.e: “A jaguar on Mars with umbrellas in the sky.” How they choose to locate, place, and arrange these images is entirely up to them. Breaking down the full image by object (jaguar, Mars, umbrella) adds a layer of problem solving, which is highly beneficial for increasing computer navigation skills.
When approaching communication-driven skills, we might take turns selling each other obscure items, such as cat food. By adding a timer to the equation, we can target sustained attention as well. I find that using odd items adds an element of entertainment, which lessens the pressure of being a solo performer. Repetition is key, so each time the exercise is repeated, they become more familiar with the process. On the flip side, grouping clients together can offer a different experience entirely.
Take, for example, the banana piano we built using a computer programming kit. Clients were encouraged to use their skills of direction following, visual scanning, decision making, and fine-motor abilities–all with varying strengths in each regard. As a team, they were asked to determine who would take on each role and piece together the puzzle. When completed, we talked about the obstacles they endured and how they might encounter similar circumstances in a work environment.
On the whole, Sheltered Workshop aims to offer a spectrum of learning while activating professional development. As individuals, each client works to build awareness and strategies for supporting their goal areas. As a group, clients work together to seek understanding of community behaviors while achieving milestones which may be reflected in their days to come. As a Sheltered Workshop Team, everyone in the room works at their own pace, knowing they are laying out steps towards returned employment, brick-by-brick.
