Spreading a Message of Hope and Help

St. Petersburg—With over 400 drivers, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) employees have a remarkable amount of contact with the community, especially during the pandemic, when taxi, Uber, and Lyft drivers seem scarce. The PSTA Bus Drivers see people each and every day, and they are witnessing first-hand the struggles and challenges of Pinellas County residents. This realization led Tamas Dankos, a PlacementWorks Director to dream up a solution, and now his brainstorm is a reality.

"It's simple really," Tamas stated, "If a Bus Driver at PSTA sees someone who may be experiencing some really challenging times, he/she/they can hand out a resource card with information on how to connect with free support through PlacementWorks, PSTA, or 2-1-1, our program partners."

In partnership with PSTA and 2-1-1, the PlacementWorks Connect team met with Bus Drivers on Wednesday, December 16th before the sun rose and prior to starting the work day to distribute resource connection cards the staff members can share with riders and residents of our community. Each card has contact details for support systems related to mental health resources in our county.

Ross Silvers, Mobility Manager at PSTA stated, "I have been a fan of PlacementWorks for nearly two decades now. PlacementWorks has always taken a leadership role in the community to improve the life and liberty of residents with all types of disabilities. PlacementWorks' current focus on providing desperately needed mental health resources to those in need of support as the pandemic and its shockwaves impact us all. I am excited that PSTA and PlacementWorks are working together to help the PSTA community cope with the heightened levels of anxiety, depression, and other signs of the crises that mark these uncertain, frightening and isolating times. Together, we are sharing a message of hope and help to the PSTA community of nearly 400 Bus Drivers and Customer Service staff, and they in turn provide a link to help to our bus-riding customers."

Due to COVID-19, and with a Pinellas Cares grant from the Pinellas Community Foundation, PlacementWorks has added one-on-one counseling support, telehealth group sessions and, on-site crisis management as auxiliary services in addition to the employment coaching and job placements provided to persons with disabilities in the Tampa Bay area.

Christy Brown, the CEO and Founder of PlacementWorks stated, “through PlacementWorks, our clients and their business partners enjoy a 92% Successful Outcome Rate. We help individuals with disabilities discover their interests and talents, while we prepare them for success and sustainability. Our team of professionals help each client with implementing their sustainability plan and tackling any issues that arise. We are grateful to our program partners at PSTA and 2-1-1 to help make this service a reality. And we are forever grateful to the team at Pinellas Community Foundation who made this grant possible for grassroots organizations like PlacementWorks!”

To help support this initiative through an end of year donation or to find out more about PlacementWorks, visit the PlacementWorks website.