On October 19th I attended the Capital Region NDEAM (National Disability Employment Awareness Month) Annual Business Recognition Awards Event. I was both inspired and enlightened by keynote speaker JOEL M. GOLDSTEIN. Author of “No Stone Unturned: A Father's Memoir of His Son's Encounter with Traumatic Brain Injury”, Mr. Goldstein shared his family’s and son’s journey since Bart’s accident eleven years ago…
Just about four weeks ago, Bart started a job as restaurant opener at Swifty’s (Delmar-based restaurant and pub)…In Goldstein’s words, “This is real work that needs to be done…and we couldn’t be happier if he’d graduated college with honors.”
Marsha
Marsha Lazarus, MBA
Director of Consumer and Business Outreach
Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc.
194 Washington Ave
Albany, N.Y. 12210
(518) 434-0439 ext 224
www.MHANYS.org <http://www.mhanys.org/>
<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mental-Health-Association-in-NYS-Inc/239331516565?v=wall>
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS IN THE WORKPLACE!
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Just about four weeks ago, Bart started a job as restaurant opener at Swifty’s (Delmar-based restaurant and pub)…In Goldstein’s words, “This is real work that needs to be done…and we couldn’t be happier if he’d graduated college with honors.”
And according to Bart’s Facebook status that first day… “Finished working Swifty’s Restaurant and Pub…showered…Damn IT FEELS GOOD to be working again.”
And our hats off to Swifty’s Restaurant and Bar owner and the 18 organizations/business recognized last week…who are willing/able to look beyond an individual’s disability and recognize individual’s strengths and talents and ability to contribute to their businesses!
For more information about TBI, the 6 million TBI survivors like Bart and “No Stone Unturned: A Father's Memoir of His Son's Encounter with Traumatic Brain Injury”, check out www.facebook.com/NSUnturned <http://www.facebook.com/NSUnturned> .
This event is organized by the Capital Region Employer Alliance (CREA) including representatives from BMPC – KNOLLS ATOMIC POWER LABORATORY, THE COLLEGE OF SAINT ROSE, COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY HANDICAPPED, FIRST NIAGARA BANK, INDEPENDENT LIVING CENTER OF THE HUDSON VALLEY, MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION IN NYS (MHANYS), NYS DEPT OF LABOR, NORTHEAST CAREER PLANNING, REHABILITATION INITIATIVES and not least, NYS ACCES-VR, Albany District Office. For information on vocational rehabilitation services throughout N.Y.S., go to www.acces.nysed.gov <http://www.acces.nysed.gov> .
Marsha
Marsha Lazarus, MBA
Director of Consumer and Business Outreach
Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc.
194 Washington Ave
Albany, N.Y. 12210
(518) 434-0439 ext 224
www.MHANYS.org <http://www.mhanys.org/>
<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mental-Health-Association-in-NYS-Inc/239331516565?v=wall> MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS IN THE WORKPLACE!
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