Store Earns Honor for Hiring Mentally Ill

A Ventura department store is to be honored by a county agency Monday for giving jobs to the mentally ill.

Representatives of Montgomery Ward will receive a plaque at a meeting of the Ventura County Behavioral Health Board.

The store has gone beyond the hiring of mentally ill workers, said county jobs developer Jill Spencer.

“They’ve been very supportive,” Spencer said. “They don’t necessarily expect these people to be up to speed immediately. They make all kinds of accommodations with schedules if someone needs to work fewer days or if something comes up.”

Spencer said the store hired five workers from her program and placed them in jobs as varied as warehouse work, sales and drapery customizing.

All have moved on but none was fired, Spencer said.

The program began nearly five years ago under the auspices of Turning Point, a Ventura social services agency for the homeless and mentally ill. It was absorbed by the county about 18 months ago.

Spencer said other employers will be recognized in the next few months.