Voices of Community: Neurodiversity in Life and at Work
Meristem is a nonprofit program that supports young adults on the autism spectrum to develop greater independence. Our podcast will be talking about our program and interviewing people dealing with challenges of integrating into the workforce. Meristem's Breaking Barriers Transformative Autism Program has worked with hundreds of employers and job seekers to hire, train, and retain neurodivergent people.
Join hosts Erin Schirm and Harrison Lane for real stories of "the messy middle" from people breaking workforce barriers and building real equity and inclusion.
#inclusion #equity #autism #actuallyautistic #disability #neurodivergent #ADHD
#awakenthepossible #breakingworkforcebarriers #training #work #stories #DEI #inclusion #diversity #job #jobs #jobreadiness
Episodes
26 episodes
Finding Your Voice: Navigating College and Work as an Autistic Adult
In this episode of Voices of Community, hosts Erin Schirm (Executive Director, Meristem) and Harry Lane speak with Sarah Howard, a graduate of Meristem’s Transformative Autism Program (TAP).Diagnosed ...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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42:10
Hospitality with Heart: Shepherd Hotels’ Inclusive Employment Model
Special guest Marnie Harris from Shepherd Hotels joins hosts Harry Lane and Erin Schirm from Meristem to explore how Shepherd Hotels is creating meaningful careers for individuals with developmental disabiliti...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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42:52
Supporting Neurodiverse Employees with Ventures ATL
Special guests Jacob and Jordan from Ventures ATL join Harry and Erin from Georgia to talk about how their non-profit is tackling the 80% unemployment rate of neurodiverse individuals. Check out Ventures ATL on their website
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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54:00
D.O.R. 101 with Spencer Hoke
Dive into all things Department of Rehabilitation with Harry and Eric as they sit down with Spencer Hoke, Regional Business Specialist at D.O.R.'s Fair Oaks' office.In this episode:Spencer shares his personal story about grow...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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38:54
Life After Meristem: An Interview with Meristem Alum Brandon Mark
Brandon is BACK and giving an update on his life since his last interview! He sits down with Harry and Erin to talk about his experience in the Disney College Program, moving away from California, and potentially graduating from Sac State soon....
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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37:58
How to Champion Neurodiversity in the Workplace
Harry and Eric Steward, the director of Meristem’s Work Skills program and the Transformative Autism Program, sit down with Grant Harris, a published author and chief diversity executive. Grant talks about his experience with a late autism diag...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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48:51
The Intersection of Autism and Creativity with J.D. Barker
Harry and Erin sit down with New York Times best-selling author J.D. Barker about the intersection between autism and creativity – J.D.’s journey with a late autism diagnosis and how autism has contributed to his major success as an author.&nbs...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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42:01
Goodwill & TAP: A Conversation with Ivon Perez about Breaking Workforce Barriers
In this episode, Harry & Erin interview Ivon Perez to talk about Goodwill's Expandability Program, how the Expandability Program works to break workforce barriers, and how Goodwill has benefitted from the TAP employer trainings.
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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37:43
Let's Talk About Anxiety: A Conversation About Anxiety & Neurodiversity
Harry and Erin sit down and talk about anxiety – how anxiety impacts a neurodiverse mind, their own personal journeys with anxiety, and how employers can best support their neurodiverse employees through anxiety.In this episode:
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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44:16
CCC & TAP: A Conversation About Workforce Development with CA Conservation Corps Director JP Patton
The director of the California Conservation Corps (CCC), JP Patton, joins us to talk about the mission of the CCC, and how they work to develop folks for the workforce, and their experience with the TAP trainings affected their workplace cultur...
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41:43
Life After Meristem: An Interview with Meristem Alum Miles Levine
Hear from a Meristem alumni about how Meristem prepared him for independent living and the workforce, and how he has gained a new sense of confidence from being a part of Meristem!In this episode:Miles’ journey with an audito...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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29:00
Life After Meristem: An Interview with Meristem Alum Brandon Mark
Hear from a Meristem alumni about how Meristem prepared him for independent living and how he played a part in restarting the Transformative Autism Program!In this episode:How Brandon found Meristem and his journey through th...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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35:16
Life After Meristem: An Interview with Meristem Alum Caroline Eggert
Hear from a Meristem alumni about how the program equipped her for success and how she is now using what she learned to start her own business, live independently, and keep multiple jobs!In this episode:Caroline’s pers...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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33:59
How Meristem & TAP Help People Get (& Keep) Jobs with Eric Steward
Go behind the curtain of Meristem’s Work Skills & TAP with program director Eric Steward and podcast host Harrison Lane to learn how employers and job seekers can benefit. In this episode:Eri...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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33:48
Breaking down Meristem’s Work Skills Program with Ari von Zboray
Ever wonder what Meristem’s Work Skills Program looks like behind the scenes? Take a peek inside what we do, how we do it and the challenges Meristem and our students face in achieving success in job training and internships.&n...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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33:14
Raley's & TAP Unpack Hiring Neurodiverse Job Seekers
Raley's & TAP Unpack Hiring Neurodiverse Job Seekers. Listen to this week's Voices of the Community: Neurodiversity in Life and Work with special guest, Raley's Senior Manager, Corp HR & Talent Acquisition, Bahar Abullarade.
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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42:58
Inside The River Cats Concessions, Meristem’s partnership & Hiring Neurodiverse Employees
Take me out to the ball Game! Inside The River Cats Concessions, Meristem’s partnership & Hiring Neurodiverse Employees ⚾️Join Erin and Harry with special guest, James Thompson, Head of The River Cats Concessions at Sutter Health Pa...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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34:01
It’s Going to Take All of Us!
It’s going to take all of us. How TAP and Stannum Core Solutions are changing the workplace landscape for neurodiverse individuals across the U.S. 🇺🇸Get inspired by this episode of Meristem's Voices of the Community, Harry, Erin and Ben...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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42:19
How Do I Keep a Job?
In this episode, Erin and Harry discuss what’s important to keep a job and what to expect in one of your first work experiences. Based on experiences in internships in the Transformative Autism Program, Erin and Harry offer tips like:
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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26:33
Tips for Job Interviews
If getting a new job is a part of your 2024 goals, this is the episode for you! Harry and Erin share how Meristem operates its internship program, including how Meristem uses experiential interviews for neurodiverse candidates. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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28:11
A Message on Giving Tuesday
Erin Schirm shares how you can support Meristem this #GivingTuesday. Support Meristem's work with neurodiverse young people getting on the path to work and greater independence with a tax-deductable donation:
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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1:50
Overcoming Overthinking with Ben Lewis
Meristem program graduate Ben Lewis reflects back on his experience at Meristem, what he loved about the community and the chance to live independently. He shares how he gained the skills to work on a farm and how those experiences influence...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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34:27
Learning by Doing
Harrison talks about different intellectual or developmental disabilities and asks Erin about how he has responded to difficult situations, like an outburst in class or overcoming anxiety. Listen for: Tips for noticing what you...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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27:50
Communication at Work is a Two Way Street
Guest Eric Steward is the Director of Meristem’s Work Skills team and Transformative Autism Program. With Harrison and Erin, they discuss how they work with employers and neurodiverse job seekers and share:How to ask for support at ...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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26:45
How Harry Learned Patience
Meet hosts Harrison Lane and Erin Schirm. Harrison received an autism diagnosis in elementary school and now works with employers to help them hire neurodiverse people. Erin leads Meristem–a non-profit day and independent living program for aut...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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24:14