Announcer (00:16):
Welcome to Network Looks At, topics that are near and dear to our hearts at Networks that are really at the core of who we are. We hope you really find these helpful, so enjoy it. Take care.

Nikita Arnett-Orr (00:37):
Hey, this is Nikita Arnett-Orr.

Joe Murphy (00:40):
And Joe Murphy, from Networks for Training and Development.

Nikita (00:43):
This episode is part of our series about working in the disability field with a focus on roles in supported employment. These roles provide an integral part of making our communities inclusive.

Joe (00:55):
We hope you enjoy listening.

Nikita (00:58):
So today's guest we have Mariya from CATCH, which stands for Citizens Acting Together Can Help. They're located here in Philadelphia and they provide a multitude of resources for folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health challenges, as well as folks struggling with drug and alcohol abuse.

(01:16):
I'm so excited to talk with you, Mariya. Welcome.

Mariya (01:19):
Thanks so much for having me on today.

Nikita (01:21):
(laughs) So, could you please introduce yourself to our listeners and tell us how long you've been with CATCH, what your role is.

Mariya (01:31):
So I started in CATCH as a job development specialist in January. Previous to that I was a Supports Coordinator for about a year and a half, so I'm familiar with the field. I was really excited to join CATCH. This is my first time in the industry, so I was really excited to jump in and learn all the new roles and tasks that come with it.

Nikita (01:53):
Awesome. And for our listeners, Mariya was, like, the first person to say, "Heck yeah," to this podcast.

Mariya (01:58):
(laughs)

Nikita (01:59):
And I just wanna know, like, why? Why did you say yes, girl? (laughs)

Mariya (02:04):
I love podcasts so much. I spend so much of my time listening to podcasts and I feel like we don't have enough podcasts about our job or our field, so I would love to make this happen. I m-, I'd love to be a part of this.

Nikita (02:19):
Awesome. Thank you so much.

Mariya (02:22):
Cool.

Nikita (02:22):
All right. (laughs) So, what makes-

Mariya (02:24):
(laughs)

Nikita (02:24):
... your job so fulfilling?

Mariya (02:26):
I think it's the, the fact that it's not just job coaching. There's more to it and there's development and outreach. You're also community building, you're constantly going into new places as you're looking to build new relationships to be-, even between you and the individual, you and d-, and an employer or you and just as a community in general. So there's a lot more to just job coaching than, I think, people realize and I, that's what makes my job so fulfilling, learning all those other roles that make the job successful.

Nikita (03:00):
Absolutely. And I think most job coaches would say similarly. Why do you stay in this field? I know you said you just kind of joined this industry, um-

Mariya (03:12):
Mm-hmm.

Nikita (03:12):
... and before we started recording, you were talking about how you were an SC and you have your MSW.

Mariya (03:16):
(laughs) Yeah.

Nikita (03:18):
So what's up with that? Like ... (laughs)

Mariya (03:21):
(laughs) It's definitely not somewhere you'd expect someone with an MSW to be, but I love the fact that I get to go into new jobs and learn new industries and constantly am learning new ways to break down a job and help an individual learn it based on their skills and their level and just, it's just tailored learning and that's what I love about it.

Nikita (03:44):
It sounds like you really like the day to day, like, challenge, I would say, or, like, the variety of it all. It sounds like you thrive in that. I know others are like-

Mariya (03:55):
Yeah.

Nikita (03:55):
... "No, I can't do (laughs) this." I'm glad-

Mariya (03:55):
Yeah, I-

Nikita (03:59):
... you found what works for you.

Mariya (04:02):
Yeah, there are definitely some days where I'm like, "I just need to sit in my office and not talk to anyone," definitely and those are more, like, development days where I'll work on looking for job fairs or looking for new, like, community opportunities. But, yes. There, there's definitely a lot of challenge and there's a lot of, you have to be really flexible and really patient.

Nikita (04:23):
Mm-hmm. And it sounds like you have both of those traits, which leads me into the next question. You know, what makes you really good at this job?

Mariya (04:33):
I think it's my love of learning, honestly. (laughs) I'm always fascinated with new jobs and learning new processes and I'm very into logistics, which I've just learned. (laughs) So-

Nikita (04:46):
Oh.

Mariya (04:46):
... like, when you have an individual at the Phillies Stadium, and she has to be there three hours before gates open and just seeing the amount of work the Phillies put into making the game happen, it's all so beautifully and seamlessly and having our individuals be part of that is just such a beautiful experience. (laughs)

Nikita (05:09):
I love that and I love that you talked about the Phillies.

Mariya (05:11):
(laughs)

Nikita (05:11):
For our listeners who are not from Philadelphia, please know, I'm sure you know, that Philly is a huge sports town, sports city, and-

Mariya (05:20):
Oh, yes. Oh, yes. (laughs)

Nikita (05:21):
... and we love all, all of the pieces that come together to make our sports the way that they are, so I love that you get to be a part of that by supporting someone there. That's amazing.

Mariya (05:34):
Yeah. And seeing the level of support they provide our individuals is, I love seeing how kind they are, how supportive they are. And it's just so beautiful being there in the right work environment, seeing your individual thrive. You're like, "Wow, this is why I wake up in the morning." (laughs)

Nikita (05:51):
Oh my gosh. That's so sweet.

Mariya (05:51):
(laughs)

Nikita (05:51):
(laughs)

Mariya (05:51):
(laughs)

Nikita (05:54):
All right, well, that's a feel good moment, that's a feel good-

Mariya (05:56):
It's true.

Nikita (05:59):
... environment, but is there a specific feel good or, like, funny moment that you've experienced so far that you wanna share with our listeners?

Mariya (06:06):
For me there are a lot of, like, little moments that I like to remember because that keeps me going. (laughs) But I had one client, I finally successfully taught her how to roll, uh, silverware, like, tightly and correctly so it wouldn't fall apart in the bin. And she finally got it and I was finally like, "Finally, a perfect roll." And then she just started clapping in celebration after each roll that she did. (laughs)

Nikita (06:31):
(laughs)

Mariya (06:33):
And the silverware bin was full, but she would clap after each one. (laughs)

Nikita (06:37):
Oh my gosh, yes-

Mariya (06:37):
[inaudible 00:06:43]

Nikita (06:37):
... pat yourself on the back. Applause for yourself.

Mariya (06:37):
Exactly.

Nikita (06:42):
Okay? Like-

Mariya (06:43):
Exactly.

Nikita (06:44):
Yes.

Mariya (06:45):
And I learn so much from our individuals. I'm like, "Yes, we have to celebrate our small achievements."

Nikita (06:52):
Yeah, that's what keeps us going.

Mariya (06:52):
'Cause they [inaudible 00:06:53]. Exactly.

Nikita (06:52):
(laughs)

Mariya (06:52):
(laughs)

Nikita (06:54):
I love that. And listen, there's a lotta work that goes into rolling silverware. I used to do it when I worked in a restaurant.

Mariya (07:01):
Yeah.

Nikita (07:01):
I would do it early in the morning and I was very proud of my rolls.

Mariya (07:06):
(laughs)

Nikita (07:06):
I was like-

Mariya (07:06):
You should be.

Nikita (07:07):
... these things are tight and they look amazing. Nobody mess with my bin. (laughs)

Mariya (07:11):
Yeah, it's hard to get a good roll. It really is.

Nikita (07:14):
Yeah. (laughs)

Mariya (07:14):
(laughs)

Nikita (07:16):
I'm so glad that you could help her to feel good about her rolls and ...

Mariya (07:22):
Yeah, I think that's the best part of this job is just helping our individuals achieve what they always could've, but, you know, they just never had the support.

Nikita (07:31):
Mm-hmm. What is one thing that-

Mariya (07:35):
Mm-hmm.

Nikita (07:36):
... you would wanna tell people who aren't familiar with this field?

Mariya (07:42):
Hm.

Nikita (07:42):
I know that's kind of a big question.

Mariya (07:42):
(laughs)

Nikita (07:42):
(laughs)

Mariya (07:43):
(laughs) What do I wanna tell them about this field? Just in general?

Nikita (07:49):
Mm-hmm.

Mariya (07:49):
Yeah? Oo, that's a big, big question.

Nikita (07:53):
Or maybe about employment for people with disabilities in general.

Mariya (08:00):
I think honestly just having more patience with people that are doing their jobs, (laughs) wherever you are would be very helpful. (laughs)

Nikita (08:10):
Yeah. Absolutely.

Mariya (08:12):
You know?

Nikita (08:12):
In general too, like, that's not limited-

Mariya (08:14):
Yeah.

Nikita (08:14):
... to, like, people with disabilities working-

Mariya (08:16):
Yeah.

Nikita (08:16):
... that's, like, literally everyone because everybody-

Mariya (08:18):
Everyone.

Nikita (08:19):
... is, like, on a short fuse these days.

Mariya (08:22):
People just really need to, like, take a break, breathe, like, realize it's, it will be okay. (laughs)

Nikita (08:29):
Yeah. Absolutely.

Mariya (08:31):
Just provide space for something to happen.

Nikita (08:34):
Yes.

Mariya (08:35):
(laughs)

Nikita (08:35):
Is there anything else that you wanna tell our listeners about yourself, your role, CATCH? Anything? (laughs)

Mariya (08:46):
Oh, man, you didn't prepare me for that question.

Nikita (08:48):
Oh, sorry. (laughs)

Mariya (08:52):
(laughs) That's okay. A- CATCH has been around for a long time and for a good reason. We're a very close knit organization and we love getting to know our individuals and I think that's what makes part of my job so fun is I really get to know who my individuals are so I get to place them in jobs that really work well for them.

Nikita (09:11):
Awesome. I'm so glad that you have found a positive and supportive work environment and it sounds like you're thriving and you're so excited to go to work, which is what-

Mariya (09:22):
(laughs)

Nikita (09:22):
... we want for everybody.

Mariya (09:24):
Yes, it's actually a really nice change of pace. (laughs)

Nikita (09:27):
That's so great. Well, thank you so much for sharing your story today and I hope our listeners enjoyed.

Mariya (09:34):
Well, thanks for listening.

Nikita (09:36):
Thank you.

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