History of Chesco Inc.
Chesco was incorporated as a private, not for profit 501(c) (3) corporation in 1985. It was New Hampshire’s first purveyor of community based, supported employment services for individuals with significant disabilities. This service was created initially to specialize in providing employment, placement training, and ongoing support services to individuals who had severe disabilities. Chesco was affiliated with the University of Oregon’s Specialized Training Program for the first 5 years. This connection provided the agency with start-up support, systematic training technology, technical support and quality assurance reviews (quarterly). In return, the agency supplied the University with pre-determined outcome data. Data submitted to the University confirmed that Chesco was an exemplar supported employment model throughout its first 5 years of service.
This initial connection established our commitment to full community involvement, the importance of community connections, choice, the value of contribution and real employment, the potential of individuals to work in a variety of jobs, the importance of systematic training, and utilizing creative methods to provide unobtrusive, ongoing supports.
Initially, Chesco was set up as a mobile work crew model. It employed 15 individuals by placing them with a tradesperson. The agency marketed itself as a business that could provide such services as hardwood floor sanding, commercial painting, wall paper removal, post construction clean up, commercial cleaning, lawn care and small moving jobs. Each work crew consisted of 5 individuals with disabilities and one experienced trades’ person. Before long, Chesco accumulated a 6 month waiting list for floor sanding alone. Many of the individuals served during this time, took their first ‘community steps’ on these work crews, after many years of institutionalization and limited or no access to the real labor market.
In 1988, an interest was expressed by an individual served, to leave the work crew and work at a local company. With some thought, it was decided to try to place this person in a job of his own, with natural supports. This was the beginning of many changes for both the individuals served and the agency. The first placement was quite successful and initiated the beginning of a paradigm shift in our mission statement and future direction. It was quickly evident that placing individuals in their own jobs enhanced choice, self-determination, personal connections, community involvement, independence, self-esteem and wages. Chesco spent the next couple of years disbanding the work crews, placing individuals in their own jobs, and expanding its individual job placement skills.
In the early 1990’s, Chesco was given the first opportunity to provide supports to individuals in their homes. The agencies’ experience with developing individual job options and unique, specific on the job supports for each individual was important. It provided us with the skills and experience to individually tailor supports to the unique needs and dreams of the individual served in a more ‘whole life’ way. As employment specialists, we had also gained skill in teaching new skills, providing unobtrusive, transparent effective supports to people. All these skills gave us the knowledge and understanding of how to truly listen and respond to the needs and dreams of the person as opposed to pushing them into cookie cutter type ‘programs’.
Throughout the 1990’s Chesco expanded its scope of service and altered its mission to include the philosophy of providing whatever supports it takes to keep someone living and working successfully in their community.
As a result of Chesco’s skills being so conducive to supporting a wide range of individual needs and disabilities we continued to expand the types of supports we could uniquely offer each person served by the agency. Each individual and their support team can specifically pick supports and services based on their specific needs, goals and dreams. The new services that emerged, include 24 hours per day staffing capabilities, 24 hour/day, emergency on call services, recruitment and support of home providers, recruitment and support of unpaid roommates, private pay options, transition from school to work support, medication supports, literacy training, life long learning assistance, community connecting and most recently, supporting senior citizens who wish to pay for supports themselves, and specialized services for individuals with developmental disabilities.
In addition, Chesco was the first provider agency in New Hampshire to support an individual with both developmental disabilities and mental health challenges with the support and funding of local area agencies. This included staff being trained and certified to provide MIMS (Mental Illness Management Services). This additional support added to our pool of knowledge and provided us with very helpful skills when supporting individuals who are dually diagnosed.
Chesco is proud of its 24 year history of consumer based, dynamic, creative, responsive, supports for people with unique needs. All supports and categories of services are entrenched in a consistent commitment to the agencies’ mission and principles.
Today Chesco is proud to serve over 65 individuals living in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire. As a locally based, consumer driven, established, company in this area, we will continue to provide employment, home and community supports to its local citizens. As an active member of the Keene business community, Chesco also contributes much to the local economy as evidenced by our ever growing pool of 160 plus employees and subcontractors.