Reach a dream job with a team

Nathan combines love for music with independence

Nathan Fugate lives for music. He plays drums and bass in a band at his church. He loves being around music, other musicians, and anyone who shares his love of music. With team support, Fugate was able to get his dream job, working in a music store.

 

Nathan and his family were concerned about his prospects for a job that he liked. They live in Sutherlin, the work opportunities were 15 miles away in Roseburg, and his mom does not drive.

 

Nathan entered Southern Oregon Regional Brokerage (SORB), a support service brokerage, in 2002. A brokerage is a private agency funded by DHS to help people with developmental disabilities who live at home plan, arrange and monitor the supports they need to safely live and work in their communities. Brokerages employ “personal agents” to help customers build and implement their own “person-centered” plans.

 

Fugate’s agent helped him build a team and bring together all the key supports working on his employment plan. Other team members arranged a contract with Umpqua Valley Disability Network (Center for Independent Living) to teach Nathan how to ride the bus independently. Nathan bought a watch to make sure he caught the bus on time.

 

Fugate’s team including his DHS vocational rehabilitation counselor, his brokerage personal agent and his employment consultant, family and church members all worked together to develop a job with a music business in Roseburg. He started as a volunteer, opening and setting-up the store, gathering supplies, cleaning the workplace and instruments, greeting and assisting customers and helping to monitor shoppers.

 

After his work experience, he was hired as a janitor and store assistant, and he worked there until the store closed in March 2004. With good recommendations from his former employer and more coordination from his support team, he was hired in July 2004 by Absolute Audio-Video, where he continues to work as janitorial/store assistant.

 

“I love my job,” Nathan says now. “I am learning more about music and buying equipment with my money.”

 

Support is now provided to help Nathan keep his job. His employment consultant continues to coordinate Nathan’s support team, checking with his worksite regularly and communicating regularly with other team members. The consultant occasionally reminds Nathan to follow his written checklist, and to do all his tasks completely.

 

“Nathan absolutely loves his job and all the facets of the music store business,” says his SORB personal agent, Barb Charette. “Nathan liked receiving his first paycheck; he purchased a new drum head and started saving for a drum pedal. His co-workers speak very highly of Nathan and enjoy working with him, as he enjoys working with them.”

 

“I feel good about me and my accomplishments,” Nathan says.