TJMaxx / Homegoods of Acton Honored
for Mental Health Leadership and Hiring Diversity

Local companies are employing individuals who have mental illness with positive results. Thanks to support provided by DMH funded Clubhouse employment and recovery centers, over 1,900 Massachusetts citizens recovering from the effects of mental illness earned over $13.2 million dollars in FY09 according to the Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition (MCC) which held an event at the statehouse on Thursday, March 25th to recognize 38 companies that employ Clubhouse members.

Elm Brook Place, a local Clubhouse program in Bedford, MA, nominated TJMAXX/HomeGoods as their employer of the year for the event. According to Carrie Endicott, Director of Elm Brook Place, “We have had an exceptional experience working with this store. You can see their commitment to having a warm, productive and diverse work environment from the top down, and it has been a positive, life-changing experience for our members who work there. The store managers have been great to work with.” Elm Brook Place is one of thirty-seven (37) Clubhouses throughout Massachusetts that provides a variety of vocational rehabilitation services to people who are out of work and are ready to re-enter the job market. TJMAXX/HomeGoods has hired three members of Elm Brook Place since June 2009.

Melcina Swatzell, Store Manager of TJ/MAXX, Acton, MA was not only honored with a plaque from the Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition and Elm Brook Place, but three legislative citations: A Special Citation was presented to Swatzel by the Senate President Theresa Murray for Excellence in Diversity hiring; Legislative Aide Brad Putnam from State Representative Cory Atkins office and Legislative Aide Katie Green from Representative Jen Benson’s office awarded the store a House of Representatives citation in honor of the store’s commitment to hiring persons with disabilities; and Brendan Jarboe, Legislative Aide from James B. Eldrich’s Office gave the store an additional Senate citation for their hiring and support of people with disabilities.

During his presentation, Legislative Aide Brendan Jarboe from Senator Eldridge’s Office commended TJ MAXX/HomeGoods for making the entire community a better place because of its hiring practices.

Also present were Don Siriani, Chief of Staff from Senator Sue Fargo’s Office and Chris Ryder from Rep. Charles Murphy’s Office.

“Governor Patrick knows very well how important the Clubhouse centers are to the more than 8,000 individuals they serve annually and their families and that is why he protected Clubhouses in the FY11 budget” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. JudyAnn Bigby to strong applause during the event. Secretary Bigby accepted an award, presented to Governor Patrick on behalf of the MCC, for his commitment to making Massachusetts a model employer for individuals who have disabilities and for not only talking employment, but walking the walk by hiring individuals who have mental illness with Clubhouse support.

“For many people who work for the companies awarded today, the job they work is an important part of their path to wellness” said Reva Stein the MCC Executive Director. There are 32 Clubhouse employment and recovery centers in Massachusetts. Governor Patrick spared these Clubhouse centers from the 9c budget cutting axe this past October as a way to continue funding services for those most vulnerable. Stein credits the six years of funding provided by the Sidney R. Baer Jr. Foundation, which enabled the MCC to organize a national employment expansion initiative, with helping the group engage the leadership of current employers, with helping earnings jump by over $4 million dollars. The Project engaged the leadership of over 75 companies who helped to reach out to their colleagues encouraging them to explore hiring Clubhouse members. In addition, the Project built an Employer Advisory Board that helped to guide the effort, held employer recognition events as a way to let companies know that, there are other Clubhouse employment and recovery centers in the state and the country, just like them, who also provide top rate employees and employment supports. The Project also organized forums to share best practices.

Bigby told the crowd of over 300 legislators, employers, Clubhouse members and staff, family members and organizations “we know that Clubhouses not only help individuals recover, but they are part of our economic engine as well… The earning power of members also shows that employers have tapped into a pool of talented, skillful, hardworking individuals who have overcome the greatest odds and found their strengths as productive employees.”

2010 NAMI Walk - the “Dream Team” triumphs in body, spirit and fundraising!

31 members of the Elm Brook Place set out on this year's NAMI Walk on Saturday May 15, 2010 at Artesani Park in Boston. Under the name of the "Dream Team" we began the 3 mile walk along the Charles River amidst the festive atmosphere of music, and a panoply of colorful t-shirts from over 135 teams from all over Massachusetts. The partly sunny weather, andtemperatures in the 60's provided almost ideal conditions for the event sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness to promote awareness of the existence of mental illness and the potential that those with mental illness can achieve through treatment and services. In other words those who live with a mental illness are not to be shunned as strange or unable to live meaningful lives but rather valuable people who can thrive when society accepts them and offers them helpful treatment and services. That's what the NAMI Walk aspires to promote.

The Elm Brook Place Dream Team shares that dream where all people are valued as members of the Human Family. Thus the team committed to fundraise to promote Nami's mission and work. In spite of very uncertain economic times, Elm Brook Place was able to Raise $5075 for Nami, well over our goal of $3000. Many members participated in fundraising, and other members pledged members who were NAMI walkers.

Everyone shared a fun time and a well deserved sense of accomplishment. As the walk concluded members enjoyed a nice lunch, good music and some even danced. Through it all we celebrated our motto of: "One Dream, One Team".

Elm Brook Place awarded TJX Foundation grant for second year in a row!

On March 18, 2010, Laci Feraro, Store Manager of Marshalls, Bedford came to Elm Brook Place to formally present us with a check from the TJX Foundation for $5,000!

This is the second year that we have been supported by the TJX Foundation, and this year we will use the funds towards our wellness and fitness initiative as well as other programmatic needs. We thank Laci and the TJX Foundation for their on-going support! You really makes a difference to our mission!

Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition Rally Reaps Success in Protecting Funding!

On October 27, 2009, Elm Brook Place rented a bus with our sister clubhouse Renaissance Club, and joined with the 30 other Massachusetts Coalition Clubhouses to rally first at DMH offices in Boston, and then to the State House to protect clubhouse funding from 9C cuts. The event was attended by over 800 people and got unprecedented press coverage including Channels 4 and 5, FOX News and the Boston Herald.

Our efforts resulted in the Governor mentioning on both TV and radio that he would be protecting Clubhouse programs in Massachusetts (Yes, he actually mentioned clubhouses by name!). We are very grateful to the Governor and our legislators for their support of the important work that clubhouse programs do! We sent a giant thank you card to Governor Patrick from all of us at EBP. We are grateful to NAMI for their advocacy on behalf of clubhouses as well.