Community Spotlight: Josue Filho

The Hearing and Speech Center provides important community services, such as the programs for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHOH) families and youth, and individualized career counseling. The career counseling program gives DHOH adults the tools to confidently apply and interview for jobs.

One senior client, Josue Filho, has been working with Employment Specialist, Dorothea Tolliver, since 2015. The Economic Security Coordinator, Uverda J. Harry, at the Family Services Agency of San Francisco referred Josue to the Center, and he attended one of the Center’s job workshops for resume writing and interviewing. From the very beginning, Dorothea advocated for Josue. She helped him write his resume and learn how to use technology to find work and communicate with potential employers. When potential employers scheduled interviews with Josue, Dorothea advocated for him both before and during the interview to make sure that the interviewers knew he was hard of hearing, and to accommodate for him by giving him in person interviews using an amplifier. Josue worked with Dorothea to prepare answers to potential questions that he would be asked, and to do research on the companies and positions.

He applied for over ten jobs, and Dorothea accompanied him to all the interviews to help explain the questions being asked. Josue was an outstanding candidate; he speaks three languages (English, Spanish, and Portuguese) and has a background in carpentry. Together, Josue and Dorothea succeeded in getting Josue a position as a janitor at the YMCA. Josue is very satisfied with his job. When Josue was hospitalized, Dorothea helped him communicate with his very understanding employer to ensure that he still had a job when he was healthy. “I recommend Dorothea 100%,” Josue said, “She’s just wonderful, she’s the best.”