Trial Work Experience Report

ACE Employment Services

Consumer Name: Johnny Doe

TWE Location: Don’s Diner

Background

Johnny is a 32 year-old single male who is currently homeless. We met on 2/20/17 to discuss the recommended TWE and to complete ACE Employment Services intake information. Johnny was cooperative throughout the interview. He reported being very nervous about arriving to his job on time and being able to do the work that is expected of him. He reports he has tried a few jobs on his own since the MVA in 2011 but often couldn’t keep up with the work. He also discussed some difficulties he has had getting along with coworkers and supervisors in the past. He states his best job was dishwashing but being on his feet for too long caused too much knee and back pain. He reported interest in light janitorial work.

Summary

Date: 2/25/17

Johnny arrived 20 minutes early at the worksite, due to the bus schedule, and was wearing the clothing we helped him to obtain as instructed. We planned to work from 1:30 to 4:30 on this date to help clean after the lunch rush. However, we ended up working until 5:00 as it took a little longer to complete all of the tasks after instructions were given. Don’s Diner serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Our work tasks were to wipe down the tables, sweep the floors, wipe down menus, and re-stock menus and rolled silverware after the lunch rush was over. We took a tour of the worksite and Johnny was shown where all of the cleaning items were stored and was given information on the tasks he would be performing. We reviewed which cleaning supplies to use for the various tasks. Johnny reported understanding of what he was supposed to do. However, during the tour, Johnny stopped to talk with other employees which took a long time. He was pleasant but chatted with some of the staff in the kitchen for quite a while and it became apparent that they were wanting and needing to get back to work. I redirected Johnny at that point to move on with our work assignments. We then started the work tasks together so that Johnny would have detailed instruction. Johnny was able to wipe down the 12 dining room tables and clean them appropriately once he was shown what to do. He reported that he was able to tolerate this task well physically, with no increase in his pain. Our next task was to sweep the dining room floor using a broom and long-handled dust pan. Johnny did report that sweeping the entire floor at once without a break exacerbated his back pain. We moved on to wiping down menus and restocking the servers’ station with menus and silverware. Johnny was able to sit while wiping down the menus and he reported this helped relieve his back pain. On this date he reported his knees weren’t bothering them and stated he thinks it helps to be able to move around and sit when needed. He was thorough in getting the menus clean. He was asked to get the silverware rolled in napkins from the storage area, but reported he did not remember where they were kept. Johnny was shown the storage area again and was able to restock the silverware bins in the servers’ station independently.

Date: 2/26/17

We again worked from 1:30 to 4:30 and Johnny was quite early due to the bus schedule. The manager reported that this was not a problem and Johnny was welcome to wait in the break room until his shift. He was dressed appropriately but he hadn’t shaved and his hair was unkempt and looked as if it needed to be washed. We discussed the importance of good hygiene and grooming for work and he admitted that he does not like to use the facilities at the homeless shelter where he is staying. He appeared agitated by this conversation and raised his voice when responding to me, but he agreed to work on that as he understands he needs to do so for work. Today I asked Johnny if he remembered the tasks we worked on yesterday and he was able to list all tasks with the exception of restocking the silverware. I asked Johnny to attempt this work on his own today and to allow me to observe. I advised him that I would step in if there was any problem. He agreed to this and decided to start by cleaning the tables as we had done yesterday. Johnny was able to find the supplies he needed in the storage room, but did pick out the blue spray bottle as he started to gather supplies for the tables. Johnny was reminded that the blue bottle is glass cleaner and that we use the red bottle for tables, countertops, etc. Johnny seemed irritated when I offered this correction and stated, “I know, I know, I got it.” He was able to clean all of the tables without stopping. He was thorough in his cleaning and did a very good job on that task. Johnny remembered that the next task was to sweep. I recommended that he sweep one side of the dining room and then take a 10 minute break before finishing the other side. Johnny swept up the left side of the dining room and then took a 10 minute break in the break room. Employees at Don’s are allowed free fountain drinks during break time and the manager offered this to Johnny which he accepted. As Johnny’s 10 minutes for break were up, Johnny did not return to the dining room. I went to get him and he was looking at a newspaper in the breakroom and stated he lost track of time. There is a clock on the wall in the break room. However, Johnny does not have a watch. Once Johnny returned from his break he swept the right side of the dining room without a problem. He reported that he was able to tolerate sweeping better by breaking up the task. Johnny then sat down to wipe off the laminated menus and was able to clean all of the menus independently. However, Johnny then went to stock the silverware and after completing that task, indicated that he was done with everything, but had forgotten to put the newly cleaned menus in the storage bin at the servers’ station. Once this was noted, Johnny was able to gather the menus and restock the bin. When he was finishing up this task, a customer came in and was seated. After the customer sat down, he called out to Johnny and asked question about the menu. Johnny replied rather loudly that he doesn’t know about the menu he is just learning the job. His reaction to the customer was a bit of a concern due to the volume of his voice which may have been taken for rudeness. I addressed this with Johnny and asked him to be mindful of the tone of his voice. I asked Johnny about his knee and back pain today. He again reported he did not experience any elevated knee pain. He did report some back pain but reported it was tolerable and less than yesterday since he was able to take a break as well as sit for some of the work.

Date: 2/27/17

We continued with the 1:30 to 4:30 shift at Don’s Diner. Johnny arrived approximately 25 minutes early and waited for me in the break room. He was well groomed today with clean hair and had shaved. He was again wearing appropriate clothing that we had provided him earlier. I asked Johnny to perform these work tasks on his own again today while I observed. However, I provided Johnny with a laminated checklist of work tasks to be performed as well as a few reminders, such as which cleaning supplies to use for which task. We built in a 10 minute break as we had used yesterday. I informed Johnny that it would be his responsibility to manage the break schedule on his own and return from break at the appropriate time. Johnny was able to use the check list with a dry-erase marker to mark off what he had done. He completed all of the tasks without issue and I complemented him on his work as he really had done a fine job. We did have an issue regarding his break time. Johnny went to break after sweeping one side of the dining room floor, just as we had done the day before. However, once again, Johnny did not return after 10 minutes from break. When I went to find him in the break room he was not there. I waited and after a few more minutes he returned to the dining room and reported that he had stepped outside since it was such a nice day. We discussed that returning promptly from break is important on a job and that failure to do so could lead to problems and possibly even losing a job. He became agitated once again and raised his voice stating that he was doing the best he can and then tossed the cleaning cloth on a table and said, “I don’t need this!” I asked him to calm down and eventually he sat down with me to discuss. Johnny reported that he loses track of time very easily and it has been an ongoing problem for him. He noted that he is easily frustrated and we discussed how this has impacted him in other employment situations. Due to Johnny’s loudness and behavior, the manager stepped out into the dining room and let Johnny know that he would need to keep it down due to the customer’s and other staff in the restaurant. Johnny apologized.

General Observations and Recommendations

Questions posed in the referral:

Please address consumer’s ability to maintain focus and complete assigned tasks.
Johnny maintained focus on his work tasks but had difficulty remembering certain instructions or aspects of the job. However, Johnny performed well with the use of a laminated checklist for tasks and reminders that he can check off as he goes along.
How does he respond to instructions?
Johnny has difficulty following instructions at times and may become upset when corrected. He did not appear to have effective coping skills when met with difficulty.
Is he able to remember work assignments and complete them?
He has difficulty remembering work assignments and specifics regarding how to carry out some tasks, but this was able to be addressed by using a simple checklist.
Does he interact appropriately with others in the work setting?
Johnny displays some difficulty understanding appropriate workplace behavior, such as occurred when he spoke for too long with staff who were busy trying to get work done. He is also sensitive to criticism and sometimes becomes upset and raises his voice inappropriately in the workplace.
Is he able to arrive on time and complete a work shift?
Johnny did arrive on time each day and worked his full shift. He had difficulty keeping track of time during breaks in order to return to work on time.
Can he tolerate minimally physical work with short breaks to allow him to sit/rest?
Yes, with breaks and the ability to sit at times, he reported he was able to tolerate all activity that was assigned to him during this trial. Johnny may benefit from a watch or similar device with an alarm to help him to stay on schedule, particularly for breaks.
What supports might help him to be successful in employment?
In addition to the checklist and watch as noted earlier, Johnny may need some assistance to learn appropriate workplace behavior and to improve his coping skills when frustrated or upset.
Please address cleanliness and hygiene concerns.
Johnny had to be reminded of proper grooming and hygiene for work after the second day of his TWE. However, he followed that instruction appropriately. Johnny may need help staying on track with proper grooming. However, it is difficult to assess fully with the short duration of this TWE. Further work with Johnny may shed some light on whether or not he will be able to consistently show good grooming and hygiene for work.

Indiana Smith______3/5/17

Employment Specialist SignatureDate