Thriving employer partnership finds

matches, unwavering support

A committed level of support, coupled with a close employer partnership led to an independent job with increasing responsibility for a woman who is nonverbal.

Pam Pritchard is in her 60s, and has been with Udac in Duluth since 1996. She worked in-center and more recently on a crew with EasyLiving, a property maintenance company started by military veteran Nick Retzlaff, who is its CEO.

Independence - 'name of the game'

Udac is helping people stretch toward greater independence and Retzlaff is on board. For Pritchard, there were some hoops to jump through, and Udac’s Casey Lozon, who works in employment support, was there to do the groundwork.

Pritchard formerly had the support of Udac supervisors on a work crew. She made some great friends there, said Lozon. But could she work independently without basic verbal skills and an inability to read? How would she navigate the tasks, get to work and fulfill her duties?

Udac finds a way

The setting was a motor pool garage where janitorial work and extra cleaning for the pandemic were needed. Lozon thoughtfully and incrementally assessed the situation and Pritchard’s abilities and created a checklist of her duties with photos of her doing each task. Cards were developed that allowed Pritchard to communicate with colleagues in the building, and with community transportation drivers.

“One gentleman would let her know if he wanted his office cleaned or not by responding to a card she shows him,” Lozon explained.

Pritchard has always been a dedicated and hardworking individual, said Udac Executive Director Karen Herman. She's been willing to take risks and expresses interest in wanting to do things. "That's definitely an asset and a strength."

Getting to her job was another new challenge as Pritchard only had experience with Udac transport, not community transportation. Lozon said her residential staff were concerned with the idea of her taking a taxi.

The idea eventually prevailed, with Udac following behind the cab on the first few runs to make sure everything was OK. Pritchard had a Udac created communication card with her to show the necessary information to drivers.

Looking back, looking ahead

In talking with her residence one day, Lozon said she felt guilty that Pritchard had not had the opportunity to work independently for the bulk of her adult life. The response was reassuring. “No, you’ve been preparing Pam all of this time for this moment.”

“It was quite an accomplishment for Pam. She was able to overcome challenges to independence even as she approached the end of her career,” said Lozon. Herman said when challenges come along, Pritchard doesn't let it defeat her. "She never backs down."

Experienced, supported Udac placements convinced CEO to hire more

Similarly, Retzlaff, who has hired about 10 people referred by Udac, said he wished he would have tapped into this source for employees sooner. Of all his Udac hires, he has only had one employee quit, who did so for medical reasons.

Retzlaff said that at the end of the day, they have had a great experience with reliability and positive attitudes. Many of his new employees supported by Udac had previous cleaning experience. “Honestly, they’re just solid employees.”

The CEO said he was skeptical about directly hiring people at first because he had no experience with people who have disabilities. “Then, all of a sudden you get into it and get a feel for it,” he said, recognizing that it really works well for everyone.

Retzlaff and other staff at EasyLiving have the same expectations for all of their employees, “for good or for bad.” He said the expectations are the same, and standards are the same. Accommodations and adaptations can be made for support and training. Udac provides job coaching and skill development assistance to help individuals grow in their independence.

Building a business, other employers might consider this option

Retzlaff said his employees, supported by Udac, help his company to get contracts and keep them. “And, each person has a job,” he said, noting that more employers, if they tried it, would find it beneficial.

Retzlaff worked his way into this business after returning from Iraq, where he was an infantry squad leader in the Army. His wife wanted to move to her native Duluth. Not finding another job, he purchased a house to fix up, then started buying more.

At one point, had had 30 buildings to care for and others needed their property managed, so he expanded his focus to include property management. Today, he employs between 20 and 30 people to keep up with his customers’ needs.

Retzlaff first encountered Udac when his company did some building maintenance and grounds management for the nonprofit.

Room to advance, respect to stay

As for Pritchard, she now has greater responsibilities, along with other EasyLiving employees, in a residential setting for children. “They are the A-team, so to speak,” said Retzlaff.

“We are very thankful for the relationship we have with EasyLiving,” said Lozon. “They treat the employees we have with them with incredible respect.”

Lozon is a 21-year employee at Udac and has considerable experience working with individuals of all abilities, older clients and those with dementia.

“It’s really an incredible process to help people become independent in their job- people I never thought would become independent” she said.