By Demetra Chornovas
Special to the Reporter

For the past seventeen years, a Dorchester clubhouse has reached out to residents with mental illnesses in finding employment instilling a sense of achievement and pride in workers along the way. Transitions of Boston, located at 51 Neponset Avenue, is one of thirty-three clubhouses partnered with the Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition (MCC) providing educational opportunities, housing supports, and job training to Department of Mental Health consumers.

Through the program Transitional Employment (TE), launched through the MCC, Clubhouse members receive the opportunity of returning to work in the community with support and confidence. MCC Clubhouses like Transitions of Boston offer a selection of job training skills through the program educating members on computer and typing skills, the application process, and what to expect on a job interview. TE placements are entry level, part-time positions that last between six to nine months allowing members a way back into the work force earning wages.

"I don't hear 'I can't' anymore from a lot of members. Some of these members haven't worked in years and since they've started working, I see their self-esteem is improved and they have gained a great deal of motivation," says Lissette Gauthier, employment coordinator at Transitions of Boston.

TE placements are referred to Transitions of Boston by either caseworkers or doctors from local hospitals or medical centers. Once members are placed at a work site, Transitions faculty monitor the members' progress weekly through either phone calls or personal visits to the location and keep close contact with employers. Members are also required to attend group sessions at the Dorchester clubhouse on a weekly basis. Presently, Transitions works with about 105 active members, not all of who are employed through the Transitional Employment program.

William Wilson has been a clubhouse member at Transitions of Boston for five years. He is fifty years old and has resided in Dorchester for twenty years. He has also been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. By attending the programs offered through Transitions of Boston, Wilson says he is able to function at a normal pace on a daily basis. Through his relationship with Transitions, Wilson has not only started believing in his capabilities again, but he has made friends through the program and job placements.

"It struck me one day that I was able to accomplish things I never thought I could, like passing a test for a job. I just need to do things one step at a time and that is what is making me a better person. Also, I communicate every day with faculty and members at Transitions and at work, and that keeps me going at a normal pace," Wilson says.

"There is a stigma against individuals with mental illnesses. The community needs to be educated that those with mental illnesses don't want to hurt us, but want to be productive members of society. Employment opportunities can serve as a rehabilitation tool since it consists of members being active in a work community and participating in activities with other people," says Ann Rickerson, director of Transitions of Boston.

On Wednesday, March 29, Transitions of Boston presented an award to CVS Pharmacy of Hyde Park at the annual Employment Celebration Event in the Great Hall of the State House hosted by the Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition. CVS Pharmacy was recognized for being a supporter of the program and currently employing a clubhouse member.

Andre Troy Miller, general manager of CVS Pharmacy expressed his gratitude for the recognition saying, "I feel very honored. I didn't expect it. This young lady [placed at CVS] has been doing an exceptional job here and I have seen business in her department has improved. She also deserves recognition for all her hard work."

"I hope that this will encourage other Dorchester employers to step up to the plate and employ workers who yes, have mental illnesses, and want to be a part of the work force. Everyone deserves to work," says State Representative Martin Walsh.

Transitions of Boston is a component of Dimock Community Health Center that provides health and human services to Boston's urban neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester, and Jamaica Plain. The thirty-three clubhouses partnered through the MCC work together to expand employment, housing, and educational opportunities for people with mental illness and tackle difficulties - together that one clubhouse or individual member cannot.