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Thank you for your interest in HMC! Many times
people who apply at our agency have not worked in the field
before, and want to know what to expect. The following
Job Preview will hopefully give you an
idea of job expectations. The “buzz words” that probably
best describe HMC are a residential setting serving adults with
developmental disabilities.
Residential means we work with people in their
homes, generally apartments or houses located in Mankato. For
example, in our Intermediate Care Facility we have 10 apartments
with 3-4 people living in each apartment. Each person has their
own bedroom, and share a common living room, bathroom and
kitchen. Other people may live in other houses or apartments.
Residential defines not only where people live but also what you
might do on the job. Think about the things you do when you’re
in your own home, when you’re not at work or school. Those are
the kinds of things you could be doing while working at HMC -
except that you will be doing them in the context of assisting
and supporting the people who live there. Thus, you may help
someone get out of bed, get dressed, eat breakfast and brush
their teeth...help someone take their medications...cook a
meal...clean a bathroom...make their bed...wash clothes...rent a
video and watch a movie...exercise...go out to eat...make a
phone call...use the bathroom...write out a check...take a
bath...water plants...grocery shop...go to a ballgame...go on a
vacation! The activities you do each day will depend on whom you
work with and their interests, as well as the day and time
(getting ready for work in the morning vs relaxing on a weekend
afternoon.)
The second term was people with developmental
disabilities. All people served by HMC have a diagnosis of
developmental disability, usually mental retardation. All the
people we serve need assistance and support in their
environments; help in order to do the everyday things we may
take for granted. At that point though, any generalities we can
make about the people we serve end. A few people may need only
minimal assistance with areas like financial management, or food
preparation, or social skills. Most people, however, need more
assistance. That assistance can be anything from helping someone
record a purchase in a checkbook to helping someone use the
toilet, or helping someone sort their clothes or plan a meal.
Many of the people we serve have no reading or writing skills.
Some may have additional physical and/or medical problems. Some
can walk, some can’t. Some can talk and carry on conversation,
others have a very limited vocabulary, and others may
communicate with sign language, electronic equipment, gestures,
or facial expressions. Many are limited in their social skills
and may not know how to act in various social settings. Some may
get upset easily, and not always handle their anger
appropriately.
So what’s difficult about working at HMC?...
Working with people is a demanding job. You will
be asked to do a wide variety of different tasks, and the people
you are serving may or may not want to do the task at hand. It
takes time to develop a relationship with people. You may have
to assist someone in very personal cares, like changing a
disposal brief on an adult. Some people have difficulty
expressing their needs and may strike out or yell at you in
their frustration. You will be very busy, and may feel the
pressures of “too much to do and not enough time.” You may be
working in a situation where you’re all alone.
But...
Working at HMC is also very rewarding! Having a
wide variety of tasks means a more interesting job. You will
have an opportunity to get to know people, and to develop
friendships and relationships that will become very meaningful
to you. You’ll be able to see people grow and change, and you
will see the impact you can make on other people’s lives. You
will work as a member of the team. You will learn alot from your
coworkers and you will learn even more from the people you
serve. You will be amazed to find out how smart people who have
developmental disabilities really are. You will do fun
activities - games, concerts, restaurants, movies and more, and
get paid at the same time.
With this career, as with many careers, there
will be many demands and pressures and sometimes unpleasant
tasks to do. But there are also many rewards to the job and many
exciting things to do...and best of all, many terrific people
for you to get to know.
We value a
well-trained, diverse workforce committed to person-centered
services and the contributions they make
as team members.
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