Durham and Jackson already had hired Jeanette Toro, a young woman previously receiving public assistance, and she has remained a loyal employee for three years. The question was how to design a more formalized program for such hiring.
Rehab Options' new program came about in response to a request for a proposal from the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). The executive director of PHA, John F. White Jr., was looking for a way to provide comprehensive health care to PHA's senior citizens while offering job training and employment opportunities to younger residents.
The result was the Geri-PERK program, which offers training for home health and rehabilitation aides. Once applicants have passed an entry test, they are given 40 to 80 hours of classroom instruction. They are tested again at the end of the course. If the participants pass the exams, they are offered the first available positions with Rehab Options but are also free to pursue employment elsewhere. The company will even serve as a referral source for applicants to other health-care providers such as Allegheny Hospitals and Mercy-Douglass Human Services Corp. As with all employees, those hired under this program have a three-month probationary period.
Geri-PERK job descriptions are also sent to the Training and Employment Division of the Resident Affairs Department of PHA.
Although this program is still in its infancy, all participants have expressed great hope for its success, offering those on public assistance an opportunity for professional achievement.
Erika M. Hedden is director of marketing and public relations for Rehab Options Inc.
