John is an individual who was non-communicative, had anger management issues, was hanging out with “the wrong crowd” and didn’t know where his life was taking him. When Work Opportunities Unlimited started with John on his Customized Service Plan there was some resistance. John would spend as much time outside smoking or inside the bathroom as he could. Eventually John began to take an interest in the process as perhaps for the first time he felt he could choose the direction his life would take.
John then decided he wanted to present his plan to his support team. He put a lot of effort and time into preparing, and when he finally presented his plan to the people he chose to invite, it became an extremely emotional experience for both John and his extended family. It was powerful because 1) John, who had been non-communicative was speaking in front of a group 2) John spoke of his feelings for his family and 3) John was telling everyone “this is where I want my life to lead me”. His team did not expect to see this out of John, much less in the short time he had been working with WOU. The planning process for John was a very powerful tool.
John is now working at McDonald’s and is volunteering at an animal shelter (John wants to eventually work with animals full time).
