Meet Kelvin, Chris and Brandon
The Department of Rehabilitation Pasadena has been an exceptional partner for AbilityFirst for many years. Department of Rehabilitation’s mission is to support and advocate for individuals with disabilities in achieving their employment and career goals. Starting in 2019 the Department of Rehabilitation committed to creating employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities within their local offices. AbilityFirst worked with Pasadena DOR local office personnel to interview and hire two individuals for their state internship opportunity. AbilityFirst’s Supported Employment client Christopher Lua was the first state intern hosted by the Department of Rehabilitation. Read more here.
Christopher successfully completed 512 hours as an Office Assistant in 2021. With the help of his Job Coach Brandon Avalos, Christopher was eventually offered a Full-Time position as an Office Technician General. He happily accepted the role, and was eager to become an official member of the DOR team. Christopher has now been employed for 8 months and enjoys each day as he greet guests, answer phone calls, processes consumer authorizations, and is a part of the DOR team. His favorite part of the job is working alongside his coworkers.
In early 2022, AbilityFirst client Kelvin Leung was presented with a same State Internship opportunity at the Department of Rehabilitation Pasadena. He recently surpassed his 175th internship hour and shares with us that “…his internship is going very well.”
Kelvin enjoys working in the reception area. His responsibilities include greeting and checking-in guests, assisting his co-workers with paperwork and files, while following safety protocols. During the last few months, his DOR mentor/supervisor reported that Kelvin has shown personal and professional growth, strong work ethic, and a determination to succeed in his role. Kelvin hopes at the end of his internship, he will be able to apply for the Office Technician position.
AbilityFirst is deeply grateful for the partnership with the Department of Rehabilitation and thankful for the services it provides to our clients. Together, we have successfully employed individuals with developmental disabilities,have helped them achieve their full potential, search and maintain employment opportunities in the community, and become a contributing member of their community!
The State Internship has been enormously beneficial in providing AbilityFirst clients the opportunity to earn and receive a LEAP certificate, which allows them to apply to openings within state agencies. We thank the Department of Rehabilitation for their support in creating a welcoming environment and an excellent onboarding experience for our job seekers.