Three Community Action Teams (CATs) are up and running. They are: The Anoka County CAT, the West Metro CAT, and the Ramsey County CAT. The Anoka CAT was the first to form. They officially began in January 2010. Since they became a CAT, the team has received training and consultation on customized approaches to employment including Discovery, Systematic Instruction and Customized Job Development Strategies. The team has held monthly meetings and selected the job seekers with whom they will focus their attention. Tammara Geary of Griffin-Hammis Associates, LLC has been acting as the primary consultant for this team. She has provided training and is working with the discovery teams to create customized employment situations for the job seekers supported by this team. Currently, the team is focused on Discovery and setting up informational interest-based interviews with local businesses.
The West Metro CAT is a collaboration of two organizations, Cooperating Community Programs (CCP) and Rise, Inc. Together this team is focusing on 6 job seekers. The people who are the focus of this team represent an array of complexities and life situations. The common thread is that many professionals have labeled these individuals as difficult to employ or unemployable. Another facet of the West Metro CAT is the involvement of residential services as a key partner in leading discovery and job development for one of the job seekers. The CAT has completed their initial training and is in the first stages of discovery with the job seekers. They are preparing for a consultation meeting with Cary Griffin to review progress and gain advice about next steps, etc.
The third team is the Ramsey County CAT. The lead agency for this CAT is Ramsey County Human Services. The focus of the Ramsey County CAT is young adults who are transitioning from school to the adult world. The plan is to select 5 individuals who will be the focus of the customized approach. Another element of the plan has been to select 3 provider organizations to receive intensive training and support to work with the job seekers. In addition to the 3 providers, one family is part of the team. This family is using their Consumer Director Options to hire someone to guide their daughter in the customized employment process. They are using their personal budget provided by the county to accomplish this. The Ramsey CAT has just completed their initial training and held its organizational meeting. They will be working with Bob Niemiec and Cary Griffin as lead consultants for this CAT.
Plans are underway to establish at least one more CAT, preferably outside of the Twin Cities metro area. Bob Niemiec, MNTAT Director, has had meetings and interest interviews with groups in at least 4 locations in Greater MN. We are looking forward to at least one of these groups taking the plunge and becoming a CAT.
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