HMEA Program:
Employment Services
Employer:
Family Behavioral Health
Mary Ellen has been attending HMEA’s employment services program since July 2018 and has been working at Family Behavioral Health (FBH) for the past several months. She grew up in Jefferson, MA and graduated from Wachusett Regional High School in 2014. Mary Ellen currently resides in Millbury, MA with her shared living providers, Claire and Gary, and her siblings. She previously volunteered for Meals on Wheels and did administrative work for HMEA.
Tell us about what you do at FBH.
I work as part of a team of people who are responsible for keeping the facilities clean. I’m mostly responsible for cleaning door knobs and light switches, as well as taking out trash.
What’s your favorite thing about working at FBH?
I love working at FBH because it’s given me the opportunity to apply the skills I’ve learned. Prior to working at FBH, I participated in a working experience program at CVS offered through the Central Mass Employment Collaborative. Both CVS and FBH have taught me essential customer services skills that I can use in other jobs, such as teamwork and appropriate workplace conversation.
What other careers are you interested in?
I’d love to be either a translator, historian, or radio host. I took some classes at Mount Wachusett Community College that I’m hoping to use in my future career.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I love to draw, write, and listen to music, especially Nicki Minaj! She’s such a talented rapper, and my favorite song by her is “Pound the Alarm.” The beats in that song are so cool!
That’s awesome! Do you like to watch TV or read books?
I don’t watch a lot of TV, except for Spongebob Squarepants. That’s been my favorite show since I was seven years old – I’m obsessed! I really enjoy reading, though. Right now I’m reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, and I love it. I’m enjoying the way the main character, Holden Caulfield, describes things and talks about life.
