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May 2011 – Newsletter
Work Works!
Please Welcome New ES Staff Members! Submitted by Kay Masaryk, MS, CPRP, Program Manager
Employment Services (ES) would like to welcome three new
staff members; Lourdes Arce, Mark Ferrer and Meredith
Murray! Biographies and photos can be found on pages three
and four. Employment Services is very fortunate to have
added these three to our team. They bring a wealth of
experience with employment preparation and job
development, working with individuals with criminal records,
and assisting people with brain injuries. Additionally, they
have interesting hobbies that focus on wellness and artistic
expression. Lourdes, Mark and Meredith will be adding
richness and diversity to our already interesting and
experienced team. We are delighted to have such a fresh and
dedicated trio!
CARF accredited since 1999
MHS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. © Mental Health Systems
Becoming familiar with the many regulations of the Social
Security system, and knowing how your benefits may be affected once you
start working, can be a daunting task. Plus, with possible cuts for SSI
recipients coming in June/July 2011, now is a better time than ever to
understand the rules. However, it is your responsibility to seek answers to
questions that may be pertinent to your individual financial situations.
Luckily, there is a myriad of information available from the Internet and
other resources. If you are on SSI/SSDI or Medi-Cal/Medicare and have
questions and concerns, here are a few helpful tips:
www.db101.org This site offers a great deal of information on SSI/SSDI, Medi-Cal/Medicare and other
benefit related issues, and also offers calculators that will allow you to estimate how
your benefits and health care coverage may be affected once you start working.
www.proindependence.org Project Independence offers benefits/work incentive planning and assistance free of
charge. You'll even be able to meet one-on-one with a benefits expert. Their phone
number is 619-840-6616 or e-mail at [email protected] for more information.
www.ssa.gov and www.ssa.gov/redbook These are Social Security sites with pertinent information.
Employment Services 1202 Morena Blvd., Suite 201 - San Diego, CA 92110
Tel: (619) 276-8071 Fax: (619) 276-3542
Social Security and the Working Disabled Submitted Raymond Zambo, MFT, Employment Specialist
Dressing for Your Interview Submitted by Lourdes Arce, Employment Specialist
Men
• Know the company. Research the industry and
become familiar with their dress code.
• Wear a suit and tie for formal industries such as
banking or a management position. Choose a black,
dark gray or navy suit, a matching tie and black
leather lace-up shoes.
• Wear dressy casual attire for less formal companies;
pressed khakis or slacks, clean, ironed button-down
shirt, a belt and leather loafers will serve well.
• Match belt to shoe color. Choose black if your outfit
consists of dark gray, navy, or black. Opt for dark
brown if you'll be wearing brown, tans, muted pastel,
or medium toned colors.
• Polish or clean your shoes the night before your
interview.
• Keep interview accessories professional. Take a
briefcase or nice vinyl portfolio for résumé, references
or other documents.
• Don't use cologne, but do use deodorant.
Women
• Know the company. Research the industry and
become familiar with their dress code.
• Choose a white, ivory, or tan blouse that’s not
revealing.
• Choose a jacket and pants or a jacket and skirt
ensemble. It should look “put together.” If jacket
does not button comfortably, it may be left open.
• Skirt should reach the knee, or no more than two
inches above it.
• Best suit colors are navy, black, gray, or brown.
• Choice of hosiery should be conservative. Wear flesh
colored hose that blend with your complexion. No
fishnets.
• Best shoe is closed toe with moderate heel.
• Jewelry: wear only one ring, a watch, and simple
necklace (pearls, simple chain).
• Don't wear perfume to an interview. Safest is to
wash with a fresh soap scent.
• Make-up: Use foundation, a little neutral lipstick,
perhaps a minimal amount of waterproof mascara.
Meet Your Employment Services’ Team
Kay Masaryk, MS, CPRP Program Manager
Kay offers a variety of experience with operations and mental health counseling. As Program Manager, she is responsible for the general operation of Employment Services.
Her responsibilities include staff training and management, budget review, program and
problem solving, development and agency representation with Department of Rehabilitation, San Diego County Mental Health and CARF accrediting surveyors. She
has worked in the mental health field for over 30 years and has been with Employment
Services since 2002.
Letitia Fleming, Office Manager
Letitia has an AA in Business Administration. Her work with Employment Services includes Job Developer, Employment Specialist, and Project Manager for Welfare-to-
Work. Letitia has experience in Headstart Administration, Quality Assurance, Benefits,
Health & Safety, Employee Activities, and Engineering Research. This experience aids her in providing excellent supportive client assistance. She received the 2006 Vocational
Support Staff “Person of the Year” award from San Diego County Mental Health and was
finalist for the MHS “Employee of Year” award. She joined the team in 2000.
April Longhurst, Admin. Assistant
April is the glue that keeps the Employment Services central office and all four out-stationed offices together. She is responsible for inputting all client information into a
database, statistical analysis of year-end data, and assisting clients and staff with clerical
and computer issues. April has been with Mental Health Systems since 2001 and serves on the Anti-Stigma and Accessibility Committee at Employment Services.
Ted Nunn, Job Coach
Ted is from upstate New York. He started working in mental health in 1990 as a mental health worker following relocation to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ted has a broad
background working with people with varying psychiatric and developmental disabilities.
Following his tenure with ARC of Albuquerque, Ted transitioned into the mental health field where he worked for three years as a mental health worker at a private local hospital.
Ted moved to San Diego in 1994 where he has maintained a rich and diversified career in
mental health. Ted has been with Employment Services since 2007.
Kathy Young, Job Developer
Kathy has her degree in business administration and has worked with individuals with multiple barriers to employment for over nine years. Prior to going into social work, she
was a business owner and an HR Manager. She spent the first six years working for a
contractor for the County of San Diego for Welfare-To-Work, CalWORKs as a Supervisor for ACS (formerly Lockheed Martin) in the East Region of San Diego County. The focus
of the position was to teach and manage staff to assist individuals with barriers, and from
varying socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, to find and retain employment, and to do employer outreach. She has been Employment Service’s Job Developer since
2008.
Meredith Murray, MS, Employment Specialist, North County Meredith has a Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling from San Diego State University. She
has worked with people of all ages who have various physical, psychiatric and speech
disabilities and her area of expertise is with brain injury survivors. She is very passionate
about helping people achieve an independent lifestyle and improve their quality of life.
Meredith joined the Employment Services team in 2011.
Raymond Zambo, MS, MFT, Employment Specialist
“There is no barrier that can hold back a motivated and enthusiastic candidate.” For the past 18 years, this philosophy has aided Ray to be successful when working with clients
who have a disability. With a Masters in counseling and as a licensed Marriage and
Family Therapist, he works to create balance within a client's life so they may be victorious with whatever they set out to do. Ray has been with Employment Services since 2001.
Carey Strazulla, Employment Specialist
Carey is a recent graduate of the Rehabilitation Counseling Master’s Program at San Diego State University and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. She has been working
with people with various physical, mental and learning disabilities since she moved to San
Diego in 2004. Carey has been with Employment Services since 2009. She co-facilitates Job Search Network and Vocational Assessment classes. Carey is proficient in American
Sign Language.
Monica Porch, Employment Specialist
Monica has a Master’s in Library Science and is currently working on a degree in Human Behavior. Her work experience includes 13 years in social service providing support to
adults with developmental disabilities. She has also helped to empower people with mental
health issues in her previous position as a Case Aide. She has been with the ES team since January 2010.
Skyler Samaniego, Employment Specialist, South Bay
Skyler has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and his work experience includes being a mental health counselor in an acute and outpatient psychiatric facility, case manager for
troubled adolescents and an alcohol and drug case manager. Skyler is bilingual in English
and Spanish. He has been with Employment Services since 2004.
Susan Hennessy, Job Coach, ARRA OJT Program
Susan has been an Employment Specialist since 2002. She was recently re-assigned to her new position providing coaching and documentation for clients working under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, On-the-Job Training program. In addition,
she is a Registered Recovery Worker with the CA Association of Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Counselors.
Lourdes Arce, Employment Specialist, East County
Lourdes is originally from Lima, Peru. Her work experience includes 12 years in social services, providing case management support to adults. For the past 9 years she worked with clients on
probation, helping them with case management and working with them to overcome barriers to
employment. She also worked with CalWORKs for 2 years. Lourdes is bilingual in Spanish and English. She has been with Employment Services since September 2010.
Mark Ferrer, Job Developer, North and East County
Mark has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from San Diego State University. He believes perseverance and persistence coupled with action and hope is the key to finding
employment. His job development experience also includes advocating, teaching, and
counseling adults with developmental disabilities, CalWORKs recipients, and at- risk youth, helping those with special needs transition into employment of their choice. He
brings a wide range of employer contacts to MHS. Mark began his job with Employment
Services in March 2011.
