THE WORK PROGRAM

There are 101 residents at Brookwood, and another 25 students come to the Community each day. They range in age from 19 to 66 years. Some of the day students are in evaluation for anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. Some families provide a one-on-one aide who accompanies the student to Brookwood, and attends to him through the day until he has acclimated to the environment and becomes integrated into a work setting, and the Brookwood staff is able to take over his care.

Each of the 126 citizens is given job assignments that fit with their talents and preferences. Most work in two settings each day; although some chose to stay in just one. Some of the job assignments must take into account the weather conditions as well as the stamina of the citizens. For example, when the hot summer temperatures prevent workers from using the greenhouses, other assignments are made.
There are 19 teachers and their volunteer assistants in charge of the workers in each setting. Additional paid, professional workers keep the workshops running like businesses with high quality products at required production levels.

Daily Schedule

After breakfast and morning chores in their homes, the workday schedule begins at 8:30 a.m. when all the citizens go to their assigned work sites. Some walk independently, others are led by housemates. Some propel their own wheelchairs, some ride in wheel chairs pushed by their friends. One of the blind young men is able to follow the pathway to his building by counting out paces each day. Others ride longer distances in one of several Brookwood trams; and a few who cannot find their own way are driven in cars and delivered to work by their home teachers.

There is a snack break at about 10:00, and lunch in the cafetorium is at 11:30 for the crafts workers and 12:00 for the horticulture group. A few who may be distressed by the noise and activity in the large eating area eat at a separate table in a quiet room nearby, with more individualized staff attention. Afternoon work hours are about 12:30 to 4:00, with another break midway through the afternoon. Anyone can request additional breaks as needed. If someone is having a bad day, they might observe for a while or just sit while the others work.

There are breaks for exercise for those who need them. Some in wheelchairs, who have mobility problems, are picked up during the day so they can move around out of their seats. One staff member person in crafts and one in horticulture will help them do some walking around.
The work program coordinator oversees all the work sites and supervises her staff.

Plaster Casting

A tall young man mixes and pours plaster and water into molds that have been carefully designed by professional sculptors and. The object being produced must be teachable; not so elaborate that when they take it apart it breaks into pieces. The workers feel the temperature of the plaster as it cools, and the minute they know it’s ready to come out of the mold, they take it to another young man who will use his tool to take off the fiberglass part and peel off the rubber covering.

One group uses a variety of skills to take the molds apart. Another group knows how to assemble the molds. Some know how to complete the whole process from start to finish, while others have mastered one small part of the process.
A new worker might be assigned to work alongside someone who has been here for years. They can then work together to complete a task, as the new worker learns the sequence of steps.

Over the years, new products are added, and new learning is always going on. After the casting is removed from the mold, the next task is to clean it up, patch it where needed, and remove all the rough edges. The professional staff provide finishing touches at this stage, and then the cast is ready to be painted. Skill training is a continuous part of the workshop operation. It is much like a business were they take their best producing workers and keep training them to upgrade their skills. At Brookwood, a staff member is responsible for going into the shops and craft areas, identifying people who are really productive and achieving well, and teaching them new skills. The workers are encouraged to gradually accomplish more and more. As someone moves into a role with more responsibility, there’s a shift in jobs in a shop, and another worker then needs to be trained to fill the empty task slot. The teacher in that shop is responsible for getting someone trained to perform that task.

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