State DHHS secretary visits city
By Steve Herring
Published in News on February 27, 2018 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Dr. Mandy Cohen, seated third from left, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, listens as Philip Kirby, right, talks about how the training he received through vocational rehabilitation helped him get a job. Seated from left are Jackie Tetterton, facility director for WorkSource East; Chris Egan, N.C. Council on Developmental Disabilities, executive director; Cohen; and Tara Myers, N.C. Vocational Rehabilitation division director.
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, talks with Philip Kirby following Monday morning's Business and Community Services Forum at WorkSource East.
The state's disability community is an untapped pool of talent for local businesses and industries in need of skilled and dedicated workers, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
Cohen was the keynote speaker during a Business and Community Services Forum held Monday morning at WorkSource East, an accredited community rehabilitation facility that provides comprehensive vocation evaluation and employee development services.
Tapping into the disabled community and creating more jobs and job-oriented educational opportunities is why the state recently launched the Everybody Works NC campaign, she said.
In addition, the campaign is educating self-advocates and their families about the value of employment and how to access employment, training and education programs to improve an individual's employability.
The program fits into what Gov. Roy Cooper has worked on since being elected and what Cohen said she has been charged with building -- a state that is more educated, healthier and with people who have more money in their pockets and who live abundant and purposeful lives.
The Everybody Works NC program fits perfectly into that, she said.
When Cooper travels around the state, he often hears businesses say they are looking for talent, looking for a labor force and for workers who are excited to come to work every day and who are loyal to the company, Cohen said.
"What I want to make sure what everyone knows, particularly those businesses in the audience, is that the Everybody Works program is a win-win," she said. "You are looking for a labor force. We have a program here that can help you find, recruit and retain a great work force."
Those in the disability community want to work, she said.
They are highly trained, have college degrees or they are in apprentice programs at WorkSource East, she said.
Business owners do not have to go it alone, the Everybody Works NC campaign will help, Cohen said.
The program doesn't just match people up, she said.
It does the recruitment and screening, and provides an on-site job coach for the employees with disabilities to ensure the job is a good fit and to make any accommodations that are needed, Cohen said.
Tax credits might also be available to companies that participate in the program, she said.
Having a more diverse workforce is what makes a business stronger, Cohen said.
And while it is great for business, it also benefits those in the community who want to work and to fill a purpose, she said.
To underscore that point, Cohen introduced Wayne County resident Philip Kirby who said he was a high school athlete when he began taking prescribed opioids for pain relief.
But it turned into an addiction.
Initial recovery efforts were unsuccessful, and he had problems getting and keeping a job.
Kirby said his family, particularly his father, and friends stood by him and helped him get the help that he needed.
Kirby has received local services through vocational rehabilitation and is now working for T.A. Loving Co.
He thanked Cohen and others for helping get the Everybody Works NC started.
"I hope this conversation can lead to a lot of action in our community and people can be helped," Kirby said.
Cohen, who is a physician, said she appreciates the governor's focus on jobs as an important component of health.
"I think you heard it today about how jobs can actually contribute to someone's overall sense of dignity and purpose and ultimately to their recovery and to their health," she said. "We want to make sure that we are thinking about that as we think broadly about health, which is why I wanted to take the time today to talk about this program that is ready to go.
"I think it is a great intersection with all of the work that we have been doing on the opioid crisis, because once people are in treatment and recovery, we want to get them into that next phase which is re-entering the workforce and move on to have a purposeful life."
Cohen said she wants employers across the state to know about the program's availability because, currently, it is under utilized.
Goldsboro was the second stop in Cohen's travels to talk about the program. She was in Dare County a few weeks ago and will be in Asheville within the next few weeks as she works to get the word out on the program.
Cohen said she was impressed by Monday's turnout and its diversity.
"We have capacity to do more, and I want to make sure that we are doing more for the whole state of North Carolina -- to make sure that folks who want a job can find the right fit for them," she said.
The name of the game is partnership -- no one can do it alone, she said.
"Filling the room like this with so many partners from the business community, from health care, from vocational rehab and others, it was really great," Cohen said.
Cohen said the message she would take back to Raleigh is that the Wayne County community is strong and pulling together to become a more inclusive community overall.
"I will take back particularly a lot of the individual stories ... to make sure that even if they mess up once or twice, that we are not going to give up on you," she said. "We are not going to give up on you. We are going to be there to support you in your recovery and to look for that job."
Some at the session spoke of resistance on the part of some employers to hiring people with disabilities because of potential legal and personnel issues.
"For me, I think I have noticed a lack of awareness of the services that we have to offer," she said. "My job is really to make sure that they know that we are there to be a partner and to help work through some of those issues.
"They are legitimate, and we want to work through them. But for me, I just think that most employers don't know it exists."