It is with great excitement and very thankful hearts that we present our supported employment short film, “For Your Consideration”, for your viewing pleasure.
We are so proud of this project and of the initiative from which it was born. The Region 1 Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities, along with the Quality Improvement Council and all Region 1 providers, came together to ask the question: How can we really create change regarding the employment of individuals with developmental disabilities? Will anyone listen to us? We weren’t exactly sure. But we thought they would listen to the individuals themselves. And, as a result, “For Your Consideration” transformed into a story, rather than a monologue. A compilation of lives and goals and passions, rather than just statistics.
Our goal with this film is to reveal the true value in hiring individuals with developmental disabilities. We understand that the hesitation in doing so comes with the need for experience – for knowledge – and those things can only come from taking risks. Employers take risks every single day for the sake of business. And studies have shown that supported employees, on average, cost employers less money, have higher satisfaction and retention rates, and ultimately require less supervision than do traditional employees. So, truly, the benefit of hiring these individuals is far greater than it is anything else.
Don’t believe us? See for yourself.
Watch the whole video now and let us know what you think in the comments!