Reaching For the Stars Through Group Supported Employment
It’s a busy morning at the Greenway and 101 Chick-fil-A restaurant in Scottsdale, where employees are hustling for the midday lunch rush. Among them, on this particular Wednesday, are three participants from the Scottsdale Training and Rehabilitation Services (STARS) program.
As a DES Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) service provider and community partner, STARS helps DDD members and many other individuals with developmental and cognitive disabilities through vocational programs like Group Supported Employment (GSE). Jules Hyde, program manager for STARS says, “DDD is quintessential to our program, supporting 95 percent of our participants.”
Nina Najera is part of the recent STARS team hired on at Chick-fil-A. “I never imagined anything like this,” says Nina. “When I heard about this job, I was really excited because it’s a very good job.”
Through the program, STARS partners with local businesses to provide site-based training, which helps the participants work toward vocational independence. Above all, Hyde says STARS’ work is dedicated to changing the community‘s perception about the ability of individuals with disabilities to function in a professional environment. “These are extremely capable and reliable workers, and for 99 percent of the people that go through our program, their end-goal is to work.” For participating businesses, this translates into top-notch employees.
STARS trainees work with job coaches who prepare them for the challenges and responsibilities they may encounter in their new positions. “Participants look to me for support, but they also look to fellow [Chick-fil-A] colleagues for support,” explains job coach Catherine Umba. “My goal is for the participants to be able to get hired permanently and to eventually work independently at Chick-fil-A.”
Chris Gammel, the Greenway and 101 franchise owner, says his partnership with STARS has fostered many mutual benefits. “These are some of the most respectful team members I have. It’s not just them learning from us, it’s been us learning from them as well.”
Each STARS Chick-fil-A trainee begins in an entry-level position, which allows him or her to experience work in the restaurant and in the kitchen. This is Luke Fowls’ first job in a restaurant, and he’s catching on quickly. “I start with cleaning tables, then I get on trays,” he says. Fowls really likes working as a team, especially alongside his buddy, Matt Walker, also in the program. “We cut lemons and sometimes do dishes,” adds Walker. “We want to be sure to keep the kitchen clean at all times.”
The trainees’ enthusiasm for their jobs is greatly appreciated by Gammel who hopes for a long term relationship with his newest crew. “I don’t view them any differently than any of our team members. I have the same concerns for them that I have for every member. They have the ability to learn and grow just like their colleagues. They are an extension of my family.”
For more information on the STARS program, please visit their website.
By Vielka Atherton