GCBHS Employment Services Helps Change Lives

Some people are born to do a job. Finding people jobs is Dashawn Johnson’s superpower.

According to Kelly Palmer, Associate Director of Employment Services at Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services (GCBHS), Dashawn has an amazing ability to place people in jobs.  “Dashawn,” she says, “is an exceptional Employment Specialist who gets amazing results.” And it’s not just finding people jobs, says Kelly, “it’s finding people jobs that they are successful in.”

Alex is an example. He has a severe and persistent mental health diagnosis, but it was his physical health that made it difficult to maintain and sometimes even be offered a position. He has a balance issue which makes walking difficult. Sometimes he needs to balance himself by grabbing a wall or a chair to keep from falling. Prospective employers were worried he would not be able to do the job.

Dashawn knows that the key to finding people jobs is to network. He reached out to one of his connections, which led to a position for Alex, selling concessions. They gave him a chance and through Dashawn’s advocacy, allowed Alex to sit when necessary. It didn’t take long for the staff to fall in with him.

Alex enjoys working at Kroger.

Through his concessions job, Alex gained confidence and some marketable skills. Although he still works on concessions on the weekends, he now works at Kroger which is close to his home, so he doesn’t have to worry about transportation. He says, “The team at GCB gave me the attention I needed when it counted the most. Their help was invaluable and thanks to them, I know I can keep working and work on myself.”

Dashawn was also able to help DeUndrae, who hadn’t had a job in 20 years. With help from the expungement clinic, he was ready for a fresh start.  Dashawn accompanied him to court to address the 120+ felonies and misdemeanors on his record. But DeUndrae also owed the courts over $6,000. The judge told DeUndrae he would need to pay his fines if he wanted his record expunged. It was a vicious circle of sorts. DeUndrae needed a job to pay his court fines, but he couldn’t get a job because of his record.

Dashawn requested to speak privately with the judge. He explained the situation that DeUndrae was in and how much work he had done to move toward a better life. Dashawn's belief in DeUndrae convinced the judge to give him a chance. The judge not only granted the expungement of ALL the charges but also waived the $6,000 fees.

Dashawn (left) with DeUndrae.

These days DeUndrae is employed as a team lead. He has a car and a driver’s license, and he’s excited about his future.

GCBHS Employment Specialists like Dashawn know that our clients need someone to advocate and assist them in addressing barriers as they come up. They help clients get organized and learn how to control their emotions so they can be successful in a job setting.

Dashawn says that no matter what position a client is working, “We need to make sure they know they are in charge. We can support them, but they need to decide what they want to do, whether it’s fast food or computer science. I’ve worked with clients who have microbiology and pharmaceutical backgrounds. They just want to know that if they fall back, we’ll be there to catch them and help them move forward.”

Dashawn also appreciates his employment co-workers and says they are some of the best he’s ever worked with. “I have a whole team of people who have been there, so they know and can help me when I need it.”

“Working in employment services is nothing like what people think it is,” says Dashawn. “It’s pretty cool because each client is different and they all have their own story. I love helping ensure that story has a happy ending.”