Even before they were hired as DSPs recently at YAI's Howard Beach residence and supportive apartments, Stephanie Arias and Cody Souffrant both got a taste of YAI's person-centered mission.

It happened early in the interview process. Juan Rosario asked Stephanie if she knew anything about Spanish cooking. The question caught her a little off guard but her response, "Yes, I may be a little rusty, but I do and I can find some good recipes," impressed Juan.

Person-Centered & Person-Directed

Meanwhile, Lorraine Nemoga asked Cody how he could help her achieve her goal of learning to use the computer. His response gave him an edge over other candidates. "I told Thomas (Hardy, Howard Beach’s Supervisor) I liked Cody," Lorraine said.

Cody has been true to his word, helping Lorraine use the computer. "She knows how to turn the computer on and off, do her emails and today we were talking about paying bills online," Cody said. "She already is checking her online bank statement daily. It's great to help her achieve this goal."

'It's About What They Want'

Stephanie walked away from the interview with a better understanding of the individuals living at Howard Beach. "I learned that a lot of the decision-making is up to them – because in the end it is about what they want in their lives," she said. "It was more comforting to interact with the people who I might be working with, rather than only the supervisor or administrators."

Having a Say Early On

The idea of involving individuals earlier in the interview process started somewhat by accident when Cameo Todd, Coordinator, and Antoinette Powell, Assistant Supervisor, couldn't find a private place to interview a candidate at YAI's Jackson Heights supportive apartments. So they asked two people who live there to sit in on the interview. "It added a lot to the interview process,” Cameo said.

In the past, people frequently met candidates during floor visits, when candidates had pretty much secured the position. With support from Thomas and Cassandra Reyes, Supervisor of Westchester supportive apartments, the Queens Self-Advocacy Group developed a toolwhich included questions for candidates and role-playing, involving budgeting, missed medication and other real-life scenarios.

'We're In Their Home'

"We're in their home or apartment sometimes more than anybody else in their life," Thomas said. "They should have a say in who is going to be helping them."

Our goal is to include the people we support in every stage of decisions affecting their lives. Personal Outcome Measures, as well as person-centered thinking and planning are the tools to guide us.

"It was a very different interview," Cody said. "Making that connection with the people I'd be supporting was a great way to learn about them and the job."