Els Center Provides Opportunities for Spectrum Adults

On a recent visit to the east coast of Florida, I spent a whole morning at the Els Center of Excellence for Autism.

Located in Jupiter, Florida, the home of the PGA, Ernie and Liezl Els started this academy and resource center in August of 2015.  The philanthropy of the area and the corporate support from the PGA and those companies associated with it, The Els Center has truly become an amazing facility with rapidly growing resources for individuals with ASD of all ages.

Having visited several years ago when they had just begun, I returned with the intention of seeing the new program called, Adult Services.  What an inspiring morning I experienced.

Directed by Dr. Kerri Morse, the Adult Services Programs include various opportunities for pre-employment training as well as work experience.  They began with providing work experience for their clients in their first and second year working in the field of hospitality (a considerable market in this part of Florida) and also at the PGA.  The newest opportunity has been established at the Jupiter Medical Center.

Today, clients who are involved in this program participate in a program that runs 5 months.  They spend the Fall working at the PGA in a variety of jobs from course maintenance to catering and hospitality.  In the Spring, the clients move to the Jupiter Medical Center.  They work 3.5 hours on each visit for 2.5 days per week.  The program is free to all participants as the program is currently funded by a very generous gift from a private family foundation and then state funding through autism support programs.

I met Kerri at the front of the Medical Center and we walked to two different, of the three parts, of their work program.  The first site was in a warehouse-looking part of the hospital where a number of the clients work on skills related to Materials Management.

Participants in this program patiently showed me the various computer printouts that they use to properly store, monitor inventory, and deliver materials as needed to various parts of the hospitals.  Long lists of computer codes were nothing more than Greek to me, all represented critical information about the materials, where they should be stored, how much was delivered to the hospital, and eventually who they should be delivered to when needed.  The participants are trained to not only work the computer programs to generate these sheets, but also where and how to store each case of materials.

Their work also allows them to learn how to operate the equipment used move the materials, skills associated with interacting with employees all over the hospital and also with each other as part of a department.  It was exciting to see how the participants interacted so positively with the managers of the department.

Kerri also took me down to the cafeteria of the hospital where other participants are learning a wide variety of jobs associated with feeding the hundreds of employees at the Medical Center.  Skills in this area begin with working the actual dining room.  Here they work on cleaning all surfaces of where folks eat.  It also includes stocking all of the purchased items such as drinks and snacks.  Following that, they begin working in the kitchens as part of the Dietary Staff.

The third area I didn't visit is the Operating Room department in which all materials used in the Operating Room are stored, maintained and accessed as needed.

In addition to these programs for the trainees, there are parent education programs that provide information and resources to the parents of these young adults who are transitioning into a more independent world.

Their staff in the Adult Services program include 1-1 Job Coaches, a Behavioral Specialist, several college interns and a Social Worker for approximately 16 trainees at a time.

Meeting with many of the trainees, the Els Center employees who provide the program, and also some of the hospital employees allowed me to see a true "behind the scenes" view of how this program is developing.

Kerri and I talked about much of the similar programming we have going at Hill Top in the ET programs for 10, 11 and 12th graders.  In addition, I shared how we have developed very exciting partnerships for Hill Top alumni and some seniors for not only employment but summer internships.  She was very envious of the opportunities we have set up for our folks who are talented in the computer world.  I was excited to learn how to expand work opportunities for alumni who are not interested in computer coding but who have interest to work with people and in management and storage of large quantities of almost anything.  The Els Center is seeing that this training in Materials Management is providing a future to work in many of the clearing houses and distribution centers in their area for such companies as Walgreens, Home Depot, Publix Grocery Stores, and large mail order programs such as American Express or Amazon.

Kerri and I will both be in attendance at the Autism at Work Symposium being hosted at Microsoft in Seattle.  She has agreed to give me additional time in Seattle to talk over further progress I make on my project over the upcoming month.

The willingness of professionals to give up their time from their own duties to share what they have learned and express interest in what we are doing continues to inspire me.  What a great morning with many amazing people.