UMSD Job Coach

00;00;46;26 - 00;01;01;09 Chuck kirlin Hello and welcome to this edition of Community Connections. I'm your host, Chuck Kirwin. Today we are with Chuck Chase, the job coach for the Upper Marion Area High School, as well as Cha Cha, who is a student at the Upper Marion Area High School. Welcome to the program. 00;01;01;10 - 00;01;03;11 Chuck Chase Thank you, thank you, thank you for having me back. 00;01;03;12 - 00;01;21;10 Chuck kirlin It's great to have you back. Matter of fact, it's nice because you're now bringing a good friend of yours to really explain the program, to let our audience know what a job coach here in Upper Marion is able to accomplish, and all the good things that come with it. So for people who didn't see the first program, give our audience a little bit of a background. 00;01;21;12 - 00;02;07;01 Chuck Chase Sure. So what I do is basically I have students at Upper Marion High School from freshman year through senior year that are in special education and try to get introduce them to the working world, having them do some jobs at school, working in the cafeteria, maybe do a little custodial work, different things like that. And then as time goes on, we branch out to where hopefully we can get them a paid position somewhere out in the community and me as the job coach, I help assist them learn the job, the different job task, how to do them and all until they become independent. 00;02;07;01 - 00;02;28;13 Chuck Chase And also the dos and don'ts of the working world, which is a big thing, like things you shouldn't do at work that can get you in a bit of trouble, and or how to do things and communicate in a better way to get your point across. If there's some sort of issue that comes up and things all like that. 00;02;28;13 - 00;03;06;12 Chuck Chase And so that's basically the the short version of it. Some students need a little bit longer. Some students, such as cha Cha, click real quick with learning things quickly and know the do's in the don'ts. You know, before we even have to mention anything that's so. And cha cha. It's been a great example over the last four years of big time success, and I only have a small part that she did all the heavy lifting and all the work, and she's gotten where she's gotten because of her, so. 00;03;06;14 - 00;03;16;24 Chuck kirlin That's fantastic. Yeah. So you started cha cha as a freshman. Yes. And now you're getting coming into your senior year. Now, do you see the transition on how things changed over the last four years? 00;03;16;25 - 00;03;31;20 Cha Cha Yes I do I actually I was telling Mr.. I said, I'm actually glad that I came here to know express how when you were working you see the difference and change. 00;03;31;21 - 00;03;37;01 Chuck kirlin Right. But you actually did a couple of different jobs, right. What did you start out in? 00;03;37;02 - 00;03;50;04 Cha Cha I started as I did the cafeteria. I did Junebug, and I went to a Hope church to clean the toys and everything. And then I moved on to Shake Shack. 00;03;50;06 - 00;04;07;21 Chuck kirlin So that's a big difference, right? Yes. So Shake Shack, you've been really enjoying. Yes. That's awesome. That's fantastic. Now, you mentioned that you have a number of students, would you like sort of mentor a student that would want to work at Shake Shack or how does that all fall? 00;04;07;22 - 00;04;21;01 Cha Cha I mean, yeah, I would love to because it's like, I know basically everything. I know the timing of everything, like how to do stuff. So, yeah, I would love to teach a different kid about Shake Shack. 00;04;21;06 - 00;04;25;01 Chuck kirlin Now, do you have a lot of kids come up and ask you like, hey, what's it like? 00;04;25;02 - 00;04;30;24 Cha Cha Yes. Even parents like, my mom's like, how is how is this? What did you learn? 00;04;30;26 - 00;04;39;19 Chuck kirlin Very good. And of course, you're getting paid as well. Yes. Yeah. So I guess students that you're friends with are saying, is this a very good paying job? 00;04;39;20 - 00;04;41;00 Cha Cha Yes it is. 00;04;41;02 - 00;04;46;19 Chuck kirlin And the perks. Right? Yes. There's a lot of perks, right? Yes. Especially the spicy shakes. 00;04;46;20 - 00;04;51;12 Cha Cha Yes. The spicy shakes. I do not want to try. They're actually leaving soon, so. 00;04;51;14 - 00;04;53;07 Chuck kirlin Oh okay. That's good one. 00;04;53;09 - 00;04;54;17 Cha Cha Go try it. Go try it now. 00;04;54;18 - 00;05;11;27 Chuck kirlin Right. Oh, that is fantastic. So what I'm saying is that the experience for you has been great. Yes. And so you're a great ambassador to show other students like, hey, this is a good opportunity. It's a good program to get involved in. And it makes Mr. Chase's job a little bit easier to get people in the right place at the right time. 00;05;11;29 - 00;05;41;09 Chuck Chase Yes. I mean, over the years, not everything worked right. For whatever reason and all like that, we've had to make changes for students and all like that. Maybe working in, with food in a restaurant or something wasn't their thing. So we tried something else, maybe working in a grocery store or doing custodial work or something. So not everything works out perfectly. 00;05;41;12 - 00;06;04;17 Chuck Chase It's it's life. Things, you know, don't always go the way you want them, but we try to figure it out and make the best. And at least the the student gets the experience and say, okay, I tried that. Not my cup of tea or whatever, but I'm going to try this and see how that works out. And they figure, figure things out. 00;06;04;18 - 00;06;33;16 Chuck Chase And we we've had a lot of success with that. And also it's it's great to watch students grow from being super nervous. And I like that in the beginning to become more relaxed, come out of their shell, try things that they might have never wanted to try and and really grow and learn and, you know, be a part of the community and all like that. 00;06;33;16 - 00;06;40;13 Chuck kirlin So that's very good. I was more curious, how do you remember the first day you were able to meet one another and how it all came about? 00;06;40;14 - 00;07;01;00 Cha Cha Yes. When I first walked into the classroom, you know, it was a it was busy the first day because you're getting to know your schedule. You're getting to know the school more. I mean, during the summer, they do take you to go check out the school, but they did not show. Some of the kids are hallway. So I was like, where's this hallway? 00;07;01;03 - 00;07;21;13 Cha Cha But I got to know Mr. Chase. You know, we was talking about working and, you know, trying to get to know the city more and like transportation, you know, you get your school work done and you get to do the opportunity to go out in the busy world to go do some things. 00;07;21;14 - 00;07;26;21 Chuck kirlin Yes. You mentioned something that the transportation does the school coordinate that? 00;07;26;22 - 00;07;57;00 Chuck Chase No, I get to do that job as well. So we use a lot of Upper Marin's busses for student that we use, but we also try to use public transportation. So some students more so during the towards the end of their junior year, especially in their senior year, if they have a paid position that they might be continuing on post-school. 00;07;57;01 - 00;08;28;04 Chuck Chase Right. They need to get around to get to and from jobs and other places. So I travel, train them, teach them, you know, how to figure out using a Septa bus or train, maybe the local system here. The Rambler system, also big now is called as the Lyft and Uber. Yeah, you know those things. So yes, that everything you possibly think about as far as what you need to do and have to do for work. 00;08;28;06 - 00;08;36;13 Chuck Chase Yes we do. I don't like that. And if I don't do it, there's somebody else in our little group that does. 00;08;36;15 - 00;08;46;01 Chuck kirlin Yes. Because you just hit a point like Lyft and Uber. You have to learn how to work the app and stuff. So do they have to actually sit in a class or are you doing this for. 00;08;46;01 - 00;09;11;10 Chuck Chase A week? Most of the time we do it one on one. Okay. And to be honest, I am terrible at Lyft and Uber, so I'll go and reach out to say cha cha somebody a little bit younger than me that knows more about it. All right, you teach the class because I have no clue. But I learn from not just the students, but other coworkers and stuff that you use that thing and all. 00;09;11;12 - 00;09;26;01 Chuck Chase But yeah, it's something that, you know, the students eventually going to need. You know, mom and dad won't be able to drive them here and there all the time. That's true. So or you know, so let's figure it out. How do you get from A to B and all like that. 00;09;26;02 - 00;09;44;20 Chuck kirlin So you both gave us a good foundation of what the program is all about. But I'm going to go to cha cha first. So your current position you are at Shake Shack. When you went there for the first time, what did they have you do and where are you at today? 00;09;44;22 - 00;10;08;25 Cha Cha When I first started, they had me, run out the trays, deal with the bathroom, like, clean up the tables and make sure the floor was swept clean out. Like the the tables, the seats and everything, you know, cleaning wise. And then, like, cleaning the doors, making sure everything was handed sized. And by the time I was working there, it was already like almost summer. 00;10;08;25 - 00;10;39;18 Cha Cha So I was outside cleaning the tables that they had outside. Then I moved into custard. Custard is easy, you know. You're just making milkshakes and like making sometimes you're part of custard and beverages. So, you know, I was doing beverages, I didn't have no milkshakes on the board. And then I switched into fry, which fries? It gets busy, but you're able to have helped with the other managers like, hey, I need help here. 00;10;39;18 - 00;11;05;07 Cha Cha Then they will say, heard I'm on my way there. Give me a second. So, when you're on fry, you're doing chicken, chicken bites, shrooms. Shrooms are like a mushroom and it has cheese inside of it. So it's two mushrooms, and then the cheese is in the middle. You fry it for like a couple minutes, then you put it to the you hand it to the bun person. 00;11;05;10 - 00;11;28;04 Cha Cha Bun people was easy. I watched them a lot for me to learn and grow. I'm not on grill yet because it's, you know, it's hard and I feel like I'm too short for it, but that's all right. Other than that, everything else is cool. Shake, shake. And I pass out the trees. The customers. When we have an older that needs to go out, we have Uber Eats. 00;11;28;04 - 00;11;35;28 Cha Cha People come in Ubers, we hand them the the food, the bag and that. Can you confirm the order? And it's easy. 00;11;35;29 - 00;11;40;28 Chuck kirlin That's pretty cool right? Yes. Yeah. You got to like that. Do you have a favorite job. 00;11;41;00 - 00;11;44;19 Cha Cha Right now? My favorite job is custard and beverages. 00;11;44;21 - 00;12;07;13 Chuck kirlin Oh okay. That's good. Yes. So they treat you well? I guess that's the bottom line. You're treated very well and you're treated like everyone else. They're not making any exceptions. Yes, and that's a good thing. And Chuck, that's what I was going to ask you. You have a very good relationship with Shake Shack. Are there other companies that you've been reaching out to to say, hey, this is our program, and is this something you might be interested in? 00;12;07;15 - 00;12;35;17 Chuck Chase Yes. I'm always looking for new job sites for students. I mean, we started off with four students 20 years ago. Now we're the last 2 or 3 years between 25 to 30 students. So we need places. So I'm constantly out there looking at places from restaurants to stores and other types of businesses. For the most part, we have good reception, all like that. 00;12;35;25 - 00;13;04;16 Chuck Chase We've come across some partnerships. I mean, not everyone is a yes, but, you know, we take what we can get and all the employers that we've had that we've dealt with over the years have been fantastic. They treat our students wonderfully. They take them in, they show them whatever they need done, and they make them a part of that team or group. 00;13;04;19 - 00;13;05;29 Chuck Chase So it's great. Yeah. 00;13;06;00 - 00;13;14;13 Chuck kirlin You mentioned that you have more students now that are getting involved. Is it through word of mouth like how is this come? Are you recruiting? How is. 00;13;14;13 - 00;13;44;20 Chuck Chase This happening? So it's special. We I work with special ed students. Right. So those students could be maybe autistic students or students that emotional support need a little extra help here. And there could be in a wheelchair hearing, whatever the case may be. They just need extra support in an everyday classroom and maybe out in the community doing things. 00;13;44;20 - 00;14;05;04 Chuck Chase So the work experience we have them try from their first year at the high school, freshman year through their senior year, and they try a variety of different jobs, just as I said, to get an understanding what it's like to have a job and all the working parts. 00;14;05;08 - 00;14;11;22 Chuck kirlin So yeah, and you're the lone wolf here in terms of you really don't have much support, right? 00;14;11;23 - 00;14;16;08 Chuck Chase Well, I do have support. I'm kinda the co-ordinator. 00;14;16;09 - 00;14;20;04 Chuck kirlin Okay. You're like a GM. You're like people in the right spot, right? 00;14;20;11 - 00;14;47;21 Chuck Chase I have a lot of help. I work with three great teachers. Oh, good, Mrs. Kenny, Mr. Rock and Miss Layman, and then the other pair educators that are in the work in those three classrooms. They are also deemed job coaches as well. So I can't be at 20 places at once. Sometimes I try not quite so much, but they all play a part in it and I like that. 00;14;47;21 - 00;14;59;06 Chuck Chase And if they're not helping at a job site with a student or several students, they're back at the school holding down the fort with doing reading, writing, math and so on with the teachers. 00;14;59;06 - 00;15;00;21 Chuck kirlin So that's nice. 00;15;00;23 - 00;15;10;02 Chuck Chase That's that's the support I get, you know? And if I didn't have that, this wouldn't be happening today, 20 years later. 00;15;10;03 - 00;15;14;02 Chuck kirlin So that's why I was going to ask how was the program developed? Because it is a great idea. 00;15;14;04 - 00;15;49;20 Chuck Chase Yes. So I came from Overbrook School for the blind, where work experience was a very big thing. So I was brought to Upper Marion to work with a particular student, and then also to help develop a work experience program. So it started with four students. We started at the Upper Marion Township building, helping the Park and rec department, and we did a variety of different jobs from like office type work, doing some paperwork, mailings and things like that and all kinds of other things. 00;15;49;20 - 00;16;19;23 Chuck Chase We would decorate the township building during the holidays or we would take it down and so on and so forth. So over the years, we've had more and more and more kids. So we went from four to, like I said, between 25 to 30 students now every year. So the freshmen started off at the in-house jobs at the high school or the middle school and so on, and then they expand out into the community. 00;16;19;26 - 00;16;31;21 Chuck Chase Like I said, some not paid, some are the ones the students that are paid. They're like juniors and seniors. So you kind of graduate up the ladder and someone like that. 00;16;31;22 - 00;16;34;28 Chuck kirlin Well, I picked up, you said 20 years. Is there going to be a celebration? 00;16;34;29 - 00;17;00;07 Chuck Chase Yes. So every year at the end of the year, we celebrate with the staff, the students who put all the work in and the employers and the parents, and we we have a little award ceremony that we each student gets some sort of an award, maybe most improved or most productive, so on like that. Our big award is the MVP. 00;17;00;09 - 00;17;31;08 Chuck Chase The most valuable employee award. And we celebrate the success of the students and the employers and everybody in between. And then we do a little luncheon. So this year is 20 years. We're going all out. So all the students this year, staff this year parents, we're bringing back some student alumni that have gone through some staff alumni and some former employers that we had worked with over the years. 00;17;31;10 - 00;17;43;13 Chuck Chase So it's a big to do, very exciting at all, and it should be interesting to hear and see some of the former's and have them talk with the new students and so on. 00;17;43;13 - 00;17;44;09 Chuck kirlin That should be fun. 00;17;44;09 - 00;18;04;23 Chuck Chase And I always get a kick out of parents talking to the other parents because they're like, I never thought my son or daughter would be able to do this. And they're talking to somebody who maybe has a son or daughter that's done it for 2 or 3 years. Oh yeah, you got to do this, got to try that and so on. 00;18;04;24 - 00;18;05;11 Chuck kirlin That's that's. 00;18;05;11 - 00;18;09;05 Chuck Chase The best. So that's the coolest thing. I just stand back and watch and listen. 00;18;09;06 - 00;18;10;25 Chuck kirlin Yes. The accomplishment. Right. 00;18;10;27 - 00;18;26;01 Chuck Chase Yes. You know, because I'm very happy and always excited and very proud of all the students of their accomplishments, whether they're very small or they're big, you know, so. 00;18;26;03 - 00;18;46;21 Chuck kirlin You're dealing with like 20 to 30 students. You might have some parents that this is more curiosity that might not feel comfortable, that maybe their child might not be able or capable of doing a job that you think that they would excel at, right? How would you go about convincing that parent that this might be a better opportunity? 00;18;46;28 - 00;19;30;23 Chuck Chase It's tough sometimes. So when I do speak to a parent, if the case is that I know that this said student can do things that maybe a parent doesn't see at home or doesn't think they're capable of doing because of whatever the disability might be. I say let them try. The worst thing that happens, it doesn't work out, but for the most part, they will surprise not just me, but Mom and Dad's because they can. 00;19;30;25 - 00;19;55;21 Chuck Chase I have seen over the years where there's a student that has a lot going on with whatever the disability might be, but I see that they can do stuff and I say, you know, you know, they have a brother or sister that doesn't have any disabilities. Let them try. I said, let them make the same mistakes as they have. 00;19;55;22 - 00;20;23;22 Chuck Chase Let them have a failure. It's not going to hurt them. They will actually surprise you, dust themselves off and get back in there and try that much harder to do. And they they just will blow you away. I'm still blown away after 40 years of working with different students that what I've heard people say. They'll never be able to do anything. 00;20;23;22 - 00;20;51;09 Chuck Chase They're just going to be at home when they're done school for the rest of their life, just kind of sitting off in a corner because they can't do. And it's like, oh no, that's not happening. And we've seen it time after time after time where that student blows them away. Where I've seen this one young lady who graduated a few years ago, she did custodial work at the local community center here in Upper Marion. 00;20;51;12 - 00;21;16;24 Chuck Chase She vacuumed, she dusted, she cleans, she helped take out trash and all like that. When I was like, oh, gloves are off now. She bought her a vacuum cleaner and she got her into helping around the house. She later on worked at chick fil A. She started off slow with her production, only doing a cleaning a few trays and relying on them, only doing a handful of prepping kid meal bags to. 00;21;16;25 - 00;21;34;28 Chuck Chase After about a month or so, doing 75 trays, doing almost 300 kid meal bags and a two hour period. And it was. And me, along with her job coach that we worked with and her parents just like, wow. 00;21;35;00 - 00;21;50;29 Chuck kirlin So it's total life lessons. That's exactly what it is. And I like the fact that the program wants their students to be treated just like everyone else. They don't want any favoritism. They wanted them to experience it because when they're out in the real world, things are going to be this way. 00;21;51;00 - 00;21;54;08 Chuck Chase That's for sure. 00;21;54;11 - 00;22;22;27 Chuck Chase Special education, the rules and the landscape of people with disabilities now, compared to 30, 40, 50 years ago is totally different. It's an equal level playing field for the most part, and me as a job coach can't take a student out there and kind of promote to the student. Don't worry if you mess up or whatever like that because of whatever disability overlook. 00;22;23;03 - 00;22;45;18 Chuck Chase I can't do that because it doesn't happen that way. And this is a lesson that you need to learn and understand. And the students get it. They are much mature thinking than a lot of the groups, believe it or not. And they survive and they thrive. 00;22;45;22 - 00;22;57;06 Chuck kirlin That's fantastic. And that's what I was going to ask Cha cha, because you being a senior, you've been through the program. It's now going to prepare you for what's next in life. Do you have any idea what you'd like to do? 00;22;57;08 - 00;23;07;00 Cha Cha Right now I am focusing on baking. I'm dealing with facials and things like that. I would like to go out there and show what I can. 00;23;07;00 - 00;23;18;03 Chuck kirlin Do right, because this type of program gives you the confidence that you know you're able to do it and you're proving everybody, hey, give me the opportunity, I'll make it happen. And you're doing just that. 00;23;18;04 - 00;23;45;15 Chuck Chase Yes. And she's got to jump on everything. And she blows me away all the time. I'll be talking. What's. No. Oh, by the way, did you hear that? I'm going to school for cosmetology. I said oh, really? When? Oh, I have it all set up. My mom and I went and talked to people, so she's a perfect example that she has taken the bull by the horns and gone and did it herself. 00;23;45;17 - 00;23;53;09 Chuck Chase Yeah. So she's learned the the tricks of the trade, so to speak, of what I need to do to get from here to there. 00;23;53;10 - 00;24;08;08 Chuck kirlin So yeah, you've learned the wherewithal and that's, that's, that's saying something because these experiences are going to carry you on the rest of your life, and that's how you have to look at it. And I hope you're sharing your experiences with other students that might be interested. 00;24;08;09 - 00;24;30;13 Cha Cha Actually, a couple of weeks ago, I was actually doing coffee. Kurt, in school, we do a coffee cart business. We sell out to the teachers. No students. I was actually, I was doing the afternoon shift, and one of the kids did not want to do classroom like I sat down with. I'm like, listen, look at me. 00;24;30;14 - 00;24;48;29 Cha Cha Look at a perfect example that I'm going to give you. I said, I work in the morning doing coffee cart with another student, and then I go to work. But when it's like a record day, like today, I will go in the morning, do coffee cart, and in the afternoon I will do coffee cart again. I have no problem with that. 00;24;49;01 - 00;24;51;11 Cha Cha It's easy and it's quick. 00;24;51;19 - 00;25;01;21 Chuck kirlin That's pretty good. That's very good. You know, I forgot to ask, is there a time limit in terms of, as a student allowed to work a certain amount of hours? How does that work? 00;25;01;23 - 00;25;36;12 Chuck Chase Legally, yes, especially in a paid position. Okay. Only allowed so many hours during a week and per shift. So like, for instance, with your child, Shake Shack, she can't work any more than six hours in a day because of her age. Gotcha. Once you hit that magical number of 21, you can work as much as you want. Okay, as far as our in-house jobs and all like that, we try to spread it out so everybody has a chance and an opportunity to do a job or two during the course of the day. 00;25;36;13 - 00;25;46;12 Chuck Chase So the high school cafeteria, the coffee cart, we have two coffee carts that go throughout the building and other other jobs. So yeah. 00;25;46;13 - 00;25;52;13 Chuck kirlin Is that sort of like a job training? Would you consider it that way? Yeah, yeah. 00;25;52;15 - 00;26;09;18 Cha Cha It's like you're going around in the hallway and saying greeting the teachers, giving them. We actually have a list. Everything is like almost $1. So I was like, hey, it's you're giving us things and we're giving you something. So it's like, I go every day. 00;26;09;19 - 00;26;35;15 Chuck Chase Yeah. And it's not just that they have to go and purchase the items. So every so often they have to purchase the the inventory, the coffee, the creamers. They have sodas and other snacks, stuff like that. They have to learn the money exchange and all like that. Communication skills, how to try to sell that coffee and like, you know, what would go with that coffee, Mr. Smith? 00;26;35;18 - 00;26;57;13 Chuck Chase You know, one of these little snack packs here look pretty good, too. And, you know, kind of sell a little bit there. But all that, it's not just one thing. It's multiple things, whether it be working in the coffee cart or wherever they go. It just pulls so many other things in. So. 00;26;57;14 - 00;27;02;13 Chuck kirlin So one final question. If someone's looking to get involved in the program, how would they go about doing so. 00;27;02;21 - 00;27;13;01 Chuck Chase So they can reach out to me? You can either email me at UMass. 00;27;13;03 - 00;27;36;06 Chuck Chase And just send me an email that way, or they can phone call me at 610 8425160. And or you can send a message through the high school by just calling the high school or admin building, and they'll get it around to me and all like that. And then I'll be glad to talk to you about whatever you want. 00;27;36;12 - 00;27;51;05 Chuck kirlin Perfect. Well, it was great meeting you here today. And Mr. Chase, thank you as well. Thank you. From the Upper Marion Area School District job coach, Chuck Chase. And we'd like to thank you all for watching this edition of Community Connections.