Partnering with InReturn for Prefabrication Services

Unistrut Midwest has recently partnered with InReturn to assist with our prefabrication services. The InReturn team supplements Unistrut Midwest labor by assembling parts and preloading fittings for kitted offerings. InReturn's Executive Director, Kelsey Schaible, shared how this partnership has impacted the InReturn team.  

What is InReturn? 

Since 2005, Cincinnati-based nonprofit InReturn has offered viable employment to traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors and those with neurological disabilities through manufacturing work and life skills classes. InReturn partners with manufacturers and small businesses to train associates in job skills like assembly, disassembly or destruction, kitting, sorting for recycling, and packaging. The goal is to provide associates with tasks that are challenging enough to encourage problem-solving and engagement but repetitive enough for associates to gain confidence.  

An InReturn associate's day is split between a morning work shift and an afternoon spent on life skills courses as associates work towards independence. Life skills classes can focus on anything from cooking and wellness to reading and yoga. Associates are encouraged to introduce new topics that they are interested in learning about, as continuous learning is a life skill in itself. This balance helps associates prevent burnout so that they continue to be excited to come to work every day and maintain a schedule.   

While some associates use InReturn as a stepping stone to return to the workforce after a brain injury, many team members are with InReturn long-term. As Kelsey described, "it becomes a family. It can be hard to find a network that knows how to handle a TBI, so we maintain long-term relationships with associates."  

InReturn and Unistrut Midwest 

Unistrut Midwest and InReturn were connected through industry contacts who knew that Unistrut Midwest's prefabrication and kitting tasks were a perfect match for InReturn associates' skillset. Kelsey described the tasks as "incredible for them [associates]. It challenges the way they think, from making sure parts are aligned correctly to placing bolts in the right spot, and even practicing the forethought of pulling the right number of nuts and bolts to prep each set. It's been amazing to watch them learn, improve, and get excited to see which part shape is coming next."  

Associates are trained on how to appropriately assemble each new part, with some receiving individualized instructions depending on need. Because memory is often a challenge for TBI survivors, the InReturn staff creates diagrams or stencils when needed to help associates gain confidence and independence.  

Beyond helping associates grow their job skills, Kelsey shared how the Unistrut Midwest jobs have positively impacted associates' physical skills. She said that one of their associates struggles with tremors, "but he shared that when he's focused on Unistrut work, the shaking stops. Several others mentioned how much it's helping with their fine motor skills – something many of them worry about as they get older."  

The Unistrut Midwest team has been pleased with the results of InReturn's assembly work for us, and we are proud to partner with them and support their mission.  

How to Support InReturn 

InReturn is always looking for new business partners to provide work opportunities to their associates. Their ideal business partner is someone who requires assembling small parts in repetitive tasks that are different enough to challenge thought processes (focusing on alignment or mapping out which parts go together) but just repetitive enough for associates to thrive.  

Other ideal business partners are companies that don't currently recycle but are interested in outsourcing their trash and recycling sorting, and smaller businesses that need help with packaging.   

If your organization has a task that seems like a good fit for InReturn, contact Executive Director Kelsey Schaible at Kelsey@inreturn.org.