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Presentation Minutes

Valeo Vocation - https://www.valeovocation.org/

  • We presented the idea in the fall of 2017, and now are a full fledge company (raucous cheers –ed.)
  • Sherri Jensen - sherri@valeovocation.org
  • I hate the public speaking
  • Valeo started here from this committee.
  • We started the coalition about a year ago.  James had the idea to bring all the partners together.  I dove in right then.  We’ve developed as a subcommittee.  Hire253 started from the workforce development subcommittee.  I did that for about a year.  I felt that I was just sending folks to minimum wage jobs – wanting a non-profit staffing company that can move folks into a full time, living wage job.  Valeo came from this work.
  • Greg Walker - greg@valeovocation.org   (the name Greg Walker means “watchful walker”, kind of comforting, or a bit creepy, I’m not quite sure… -ed.)
  • I’m new to this community and to homeless populations.  I come from a military and business background.  Sherri, a family friend, came to me.  Instead of taking profit out, weuse it to help our clients.  We aren’t the first doing this in the County, but one of the first.
  • We started in September 2018.
  • Will talk about who we are, what we do, and how your clients can engage with us.
  • Looking at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs –ed) – we all want to be at the top.
  • Sheri –  I wanted to name the company Thrive – but lots of companies are names that - although I still fought for it.  Valeo comes from Latin – meaning strong.  Vocation really spoke to me – it isn’t about getting a job- just surviving (from the latin vocare – “to call” –ed).  It is about finding purpose. 
  • We are a non-profit social enterprise.  For-profit staffing agencies go into the community, look at labor demands, warehouse worker, receptionist, etc.  They charge a staffing fee – it is a profitable model – there are 24 of them in the area.  We turn that profit into supportive services.  This is the social enterprise model – compete in the for-profit market but not rely on government grants.
  • Greg – the idea is we go to businesses with labor needs.  Warehouses often have staff needs that differ over time.  You hire labor for you minimum needs, then use temporary staff for busier times.  The staffing agency pays the worker.  The staffing agency then bills the warehouse – at a higher fee.  We don’t have profit, but have excess revenue to help our clients. 
  • Things that set us apart
    • Get case management – supportive services.  We don’t use our clients as a tool to generate revenue – rather try to set them up for success in work and housing.  We want to run out of clients. 
    • Our goal is to move folks into permanent employment
    • We are investing in the people and are looking for work that matches their abilities and keep working with them through case management
      • We have someone there to guide someone through all the resources in the community
      • Folks often have mental health issues, substance use, etc.  they need case management to support them.  Not just employment, but we want to help folks every step of the way. 
      • Navigate folks to mental health – who takes their healthcare, how to get there, make sure they get medications. 
      • Helping folks with childcare and getting a driver’s license and all the hard things.
      • Orientations every Wednesday – we find out who folks are and where they want to go.  About 90% of people don’t know what they want to do, or what makes them happy.  Folks experiencing homelessness are just trying to survive.  Part of the model is helping folks to dream and figure out what they want to do to survive. 
        • Help obtain ID
        • Be honest with where they are – what challenges are there – mental health, substance use, etc. 
      • Greg – a client Sherri worked with in a previous job – they had a job opportunity in a good paying job.  They needed a driver’s license because of fines owed.  She had funds, but couldn’t help them.  With Valeo – we can pay the fine – we can help with the things that are holding folks back.
      • Once the client is sent on an assignment, we check in with worksite supervisor and the client.  We try to be proactive in our communication – ask what we can do better – so that problems don’t fester, but can be addressed.  We have good outcomes when we bring issues to the client about what changes they need to do to stay employed. 
  • Do warehousing, general labor, fire/water restoration.
  • 2 pathways – we identify through the interview
    • Clients who are ready to go to work. 
      • Get assigned a case manager and employment specialist to determine right assignment based on clients knowledge, skills and abilities. 
      • We are very deliberate when working with our customer base – the companies that work with us.
      • Goal is to get a client in a workplace permanently.  4 weeks into the assignment the client is eligible for a full time hire.  We have that 4 week limit so we can generate some income from the investment we have in the client (this is so much more reasonable than any staffing agency that I’ve ever worked with –ed.)
    • Transitional Employment Pathway (TEP)
      • Thought is that we work with folks – stability site folks – who want to work, and work will solve a lot of their challenges.  But, they have challenges that prevent them from working. 
      • These folks need an income in order to be stable.
      • We provide services to stability site residences.  We can transition them into the workforce – they can work part time – they can get income to minimize employment barriers.  People have active substance abuse issues.  They can still work – they are monitored by the non-profits.  We can help work to increase their work ready status.  Heavy case management – and are prioritizing their barriers. 
      • We want to work with anyone that is coming to us.
      • Full time employment is not possible for everyone. 
      • Currently have 3 placed with the Salvation Army – they are shining examples of what employees can be.
      • Wages are paid by the City of Tacoma
      • Program is time-limited – need to encourage them to identify the next step.  Start off part-time, then move them to full time.  Need to incentivize moving them to full time employment. 
      • Question - is it working?  Sherri – we’ll see – one client is in the process of moving to the next step.
      • Question - how many folks?  Sherri – this program is for stability site folks only, where only about 10 are able to work full time.  20 are enrolled in the program. 
      • Greg – this was started with a goal from the City of Tacoma – when we got into it, as the process evolved, We thought we could put these folks on commercial contracts right away.  There are expectations there – show up on time, work at a certain pace.  We realized these folks have been out of that lifestyle for a long time.  We needed a way to pay wages – City came up with funding, but only for stability site clients.  There is only so much money – can only take on as many folks as we can afford to pay.   Have a new contract for the first 6 months of the year.  We are restricted on who we can work with.  We had clients that moved into the pallet shelters – we offered them housing, but they were living in a place better than they’ve lived in 10 years, and they don’t have to pay for it – so that can be a challenge.   
      • Working on sobriety plans for some clients – so they can stay employed.  Clients get lots of chances.
  • Accomplishments
    • 4 months of work
    • Transitional Employment Pathway
      • Served 23 clients, 5 clients on payroll,
      • Over 150 hours, $10k in wages
      • One client completed treatment pathway –> inpatient treatment to transitional housing –> work assignment.  Client had spent time with every provider that came to the stability site.  Active drug use for quite some time.  We laid out a step-by-step process for her.  Client did 45 days inpatient –she graduated, and was placed a clean and sober house with a great supportive community, just placed her with employment at a safe place. 
      • Greg -  many of our clients exit treatment to environments that contribute to recidivism.  We had housing lined up for her. 
    • Commercial contract pathway
      • 29 clients worked over 3,000 hours, over $42 in wages
      • One family living in a tent, moved to shelter an then to housed and permanent, living wage job.  We bought the tools he needed to get employed.  Got them into a housing solution. 
      • One client completed training program to earn a medical assistant certificate
      • Some clients never earn a dollar of wages – one client came to us – the right fit was an apprenticeship program with the unions, which we helped make happen. 
      • We don’t turn folks away if we can’t make money from them.
      • A couple clients – we just helped them find work with the skills they already had.
  • Where are we going
    • This has been a success.  We never envisioned how cool this would be or how well it would work (yes you did – you all had a great vision – and you’re so humble too…-ed.).
    • Want to increase number of workers employed – from 10 per day to 25 per day
    • Want to have broader offerings – we don’t have anything for folks that can’t do physical labor.
    • We have had tremendous success in helping companies loosen background check requirements.  Some are very restrictive – and we have been given opportunities to change the business community.  Often, we can’t get around that we can’t place felons in certain places. 
    • We can’t take folks who are sex offenders – a restriction on us placed by our insurance provider.  We are working to find a way to hire folks with sex offences – but need places to place them
    • Want to grow Transitional Employment Pathway – need outside money to run it – paying wage but no billing a client for wages.  Need to grow that funding pool – hoping to expand it to residents of all shelters in the City. 
    • Having conversations with Puyallup and county
    • Want to increase supportive services offerings
      • Need to teach  folks how to engage with coworkers and bosses
      • Increase client’s digital skills.  Yes, you can survive without a cell phone, but it gets harder every day.    Many places, you must apply on-line, or fill out a time card on-line. 
  • How to engage
    • On the corner of 13th and Yakima - 1224 Tacoma Ave S, Tacoma, WA  98405
    • Orientation on Wednesdays - At goodwill if the 253JobClub is happening, otherwise at 1224 Tacoma Ave S. 
    • Case Manager – Mitch and Sherri. 
    • Send clients to us on Wednesdays, or have a case manager contact Mitch or Sherri. 
    • http://Valeovocation.org/
  • Wendy – Associated Ministries has internship opportunities – even if not documented.  Mitch – our undocumented client is doing some volunteering. 
  • Greg – Let us know where we can partner up. 
  • Leo –How many case managers do you have? – Greg – just the three of us.  Sherri – we partner with most everyone.  What if St. Leos wants to connect – get workers?  Just e-mail us – sherri@valeovocation.org . Do you expect us to have our own funding?  Mitch – let’s talk offline – we are open to all sorts of ideas.
  • James – congratulations to Valeo for making things happen
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