Background
Dupree is a 35-year-old man living in Minnesota. He describes himself as outgoing and talkative, finding joy in connecting with others through podcasting and being active in his community. Dupree is a lead state advisor at the University of Minnesota (UMN) Institute on Community Integration and a teaching artist at Upstream Arts. Dupree’s passion for self-advocacy has led to many opportunities, including his role on the board for the Arc of Minnesota and as an advisor for a federally funded project based at UMass Boston’s Institute for Community Inclusion.
What’s Important
Dupree knew all along that his ability to communicate well was a gift. From young adulthood, Dupree voiced his desire to work in the community rather than in sheltered workshops when he finished high school. He knew that he had the outgoing nature to thrive in a job where he could interact with others. Dupree completed a summer internship with the Step Up Program and then decided he wanted a job with a good paycheck to build his independence. Dupree’s family and teachers understood that his goal was to find a competitive job. They encouraged him to apply for jobs in the community and also to tour the day programs and sheltered work sites that students completing the same transition program often joined. Dupree explained that this support mattered a great deal in his journey: “I think a lot of people around me let me choose the life I want to live.”
Dupree toured several programs and went on three job interviews before ultimately finding a job at a local hair salon. Dupree cleaned the salon, washed dishes, folded towels, and did other tasks as needed to support daily operations at the salon. He worked at a quick pace and formed friendly relationships with all the salon stylists. After working at the salon for over five years, Dupree, his job coach, and his manager agreed that his current job had limited opportunities to grow his career, and he decided to look for a new job with more opportunity for career growth.
Dupree left the salon and got a job as a bagger for Lunds & Byerlys, a Minnesota grocery store chain. He saw this job as a fresh start that gave him a renewed sense of energy. He formed relationships with regular customers and always brought a smile to their faces with his positive and helpful approach. He worked with his job coach to develop the skills he needed and maintain a regular work schedule. Dupree enjoyed his job and continued it for almost seven years.
Around this time, Dupree decided that he also wanted to find paid work as an advocate in the disability field. In addition to his job at Lunds & Byerlys, Dupree pursued his passion by getting involved with community organizations and building relationships with people in this field. Dupree became very interested in the classes offered by a creative organization called Upstream Arts. Dupree attended these classes and built relationships with the staff, and they eventually invited him to help develop workshops. This led to a new job with the organization. Upstream Arts recognized his dedication, and they created a paid position for him as a teaching artist. This role allowed Dupree to focus on his passions as a performer and a self-advocate. Dupree explains, “I always wanted to work as an artist, and because I’m an artist, be able to teach things. So that is kind of my dream job: performing arts, acting, poetry, dancing, things like that.”
What Happened
Dupree currently has several jobs. One is as a teaching artist at Upstream Arts. The job includes helping to get things ready behind the scenes and providing support in teaching workshops. Dupree has also served on the Board for the Arc of Minnesota. In this role, he broadened his network and connected with an employee from the University of Minnesota (UMN) Institute on Community Integration. He gave her his resume, and a few months later, ICI interviewed and then hired him. Dupree now works for UMN as a lead state advisor on system change, developing training and resources related to positive behavior supports (PBS). Dupree explained that he’s passionate about PBS because of his lived experience, attributing some of his own success to the use of positive reinforcements and communication techniques that are part of PBS. He noted:
“The reason I’m so passionate about positive behavior supports is because it has helped me calm down my behavior and be successful. ... I got to grow in the field and learned how to teach it from a psychologist, and I find it interesting that positive reinforcement helps manage my behavior and makes me think differently.”
Dupree explains that his confidence and willingness to advocate for himself and explore different options opened many doors for him. “It [the UMN job] really got me a lot of opportunities ... with the Arc of Minnesota, getting involved in employment, doing some keynote speaking, being on a panel, getting a lot of speaking engagements. ... Upstream Arts opened some opportunities for me to add some advocacy stuff.” He hopes to continue this work and inspire others to find work in their own interest areas. “My advice to people is basically ... everybody has different needs and different supports that they have. But one thing is that you could be able to live the life you want to live, and live your best life to your ability.”
Lessons Learned
A consistent commitment to employment supports skill development and the achievement of long-term career goals: Dupree has worked in several positions with differing responsibilities, and his longevity in each role helped him grow his skillset. Dupree worked alongside his job coach to problem solve and meet different work expectations.
Talk about your goals: Dupree has found what he describes as his “dream job” through consistent communication of his goals. Dupree was clear about wanting a well-paying job in the community as a way to pursue his independence, and his support system helped him explore opportunities. Dupree also stayed involved in community organizations that aligned with his passion for the arts, connection with others, and advocacy for disability issues. The combination of work experience and community networking led to new opportunities.
Self-advocacy opens doors to opportunities: With the support of his team and his willingness to ask about available opportunities, Dupree secured several jobs and eventually his dream job.
A support system that honors the individual’s goals is key: It is important to listen to and honor the individual’s goal to work in the community and provide the support needed to realize the goal. The people in Dupree’s life supported him in his employment goals by letting him make decisions.