Project BOAST: Office

Project BOAST Office is a simulated office environment within MatriArk Family Center that allows women to build on the job-skills acquired in BOAST Workplace while continuing to develop and refine more professional work-related skills. Employees earn a higher base pay than in the workplace, productivity pay for completing projects, and pay for professional behaviors. Paychecks are distributed weekly.

Job Responsibilities

Employees in the BOAST Office have several roles or jobs.

Project Manager/Leader: Each employee is assigned a major project in which she is considered the project manager and leader. As a result, she is responsible for scheduling team meetings about the project, structuring the agenda for the meeting, facilitating task-focus during the meeting, and creating the action plan and timeline for the project. Some sample projects include:

• Monthly newsletters for the entire community of patients
• Conducting satisfaction survey (designing survey, administering it, analyzing data, and preparing a presentation)
• Soliciting corporate donations for the BOAST Store
• Creating an anthology of original stories for children of mothers in treatment

Software Specialist: To continue to develop skills, employees are assigned to become "expert" in one of the Microsoft Office Applications. They are provided with step-by-step instructional books with accompanying CDs, didactic teaching, and supervision. The goal is for the employees to be fully prepared to pass the Microsoft Certifed Application Specialist examination.

Administrative Assistant: Employees are given administrative tasks by the staff at MatriArk Family Center. For example, several employees worked cooperatively to type a large mailing list.

Policies and Procedures

In addition the Policies and Procedures for the BOAST Workplace, employees in BOAST Office are expected to adhere to other Policies and Procedures:

• Employees are expected to learn how to work together on projects; therefore, employees are expected to praise each others' work and respect boundaries of work responsibilities.
• If there are conflicts regarding how to proceed on a project, employees are expected to call a team meeting, structure an agenda, openly discuss the conflict, and problem-solve solutions.
• Employees in the Office are expected to show intiative and to manage their time appropriately to facilitate the completion of tasks and projects.

Hours of Operation

Employees are scheduled to work 5 hours a week in the following work schedule: Tuesday and Thursday 10 am-noon and Friday 10 am-11 am.

Support for this program was provided in part by a grant from the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through its New Jersey Health Initiatives program.

Page revised 10/23/10
Center for Behavior Analysis• abacenter@rowan.edu •856-256-5470