Crew Supervisor Inspires Clients In New Role

"I am a facilitator, not a teacher, so we are going to have a conversation and share our experiences."  Those are the words of Matthew Usher, Crew Supervisor as he opens the Bronx Community Solutions Decision Making class.

Matt began as a "facilitor" for one of our social service classes in December, and has flourished in this new role.  The Decision Making class is designed to assist individuals in making more rational and wise decisions by encouraging clients to take personal responsibility for their actions.  The goal is for participants to learn to recognize the choices they have when making decisions.  Through this process, with the aid of healthy decision-making skills and a clearer understanding of the consequences of their actions, participants learn to plan for their future. 

Through a combination of humor, story telling, inspirational quotes, fact checking, and a focus on the future, he engages 15 -25 clients per week.  At the end of a session, clients thanked him for asking good questions and helping them to think about things they have avoided thinking about.

Matthew has been an employee with the Center for Court Innovation for four years, working in Queens at a community clean-up site and at Bronx Community Solutions.  Matthew brings to each experience a love of people, and an appreciation for different viewpoints.  Matthew also states that "I learn as much from the students in the class as they learn from me"