[humanser] newly blind

Jan Bailey jb021951 at charter.net
Wed Dec 17 03:01:37 UTC 2008 

Well, I work in Minnesota and the counselors in my agency who have been 
hired recently have no background in blindness, and neither do our 
supervisors.

Jan

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mary Ann Rojek" <brightsmile1953 at comcast.net>
To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 5:36 PM
Subject: Re: [humanser] newly blind


>I would be very interested in grants also.  I have no doubt that many of 
>the newly blind in Michigan are not getting the services that they need. 
>To my knowledge, there is no data collection to track the number of 
>affected individuals either.  Unfortunately, I think that too many 
>clinicians and rehab counselors, and, I do mean rehab counselors, view 
>disabilities as tragedies that can't be overcome; and they don't have 
>positive attitudes about the potential and capabilities of disabled 
>individuals. I believe that nationally numbers could be staggering.
>
> Mary Ann-
>
> ---- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
> To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 12:12 PM
> Subject: Re: [humanser] newly blind
>
>
>> Funny you should mention this.  The three categories of the newly 
>> disabled
>> are: Accident, illness or military service.  Does anyone know of any 
>> grants
>> that would support this kind of program?  Judith
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Melissa Ann Riccobono" <melissa at riccobono.us>
>> To: "'Human Services Mailing List'" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 10:07 AM
>> Subject: Re: [humanser] newly blind
>>
>>
>>>I think this is especially important because of the number of young men 
>>>and
>>> women who are coming home from the wars blind or otherwise physically
>>> disabled.
>>> Melissa
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] 
>>> On
>>> Behalf Of Judith Bron
>>> Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 9:15 AM
>>> To: Human Services Mailing List
>>> Subject: Re: [humanser] newly blind
>>>
>>> For the past 6 months my co-worker and I at the Rockland Independent
>>> Living
>>> Center have been trying to start a program for the newly physically
>>> disabled.  I am legally blind.  It took me six years to go from a
>>> depressed
>>> nobody to a person with self esteem, goals and pride.  It is a much 
>>> needed
>>> direction when you are talking about the newly blind or people who are
>>> becoming blind.  One of the major problems is that a person who has 
>>> never
>>> had to confront a physical challenge has no idea what is out there for
>>> people who are impaired.  I'll tell you from experience, it's an uphill
>>> battle.  One time I even had the head of a mental health department tell
>>> me
>>> that all the services that I thought necessary for the newly physically
>>> disabled were available in her Department of Mental Health.  I told her
>>> she
>>> didn't get it.  A person who couldn't see anymore didn't hav a    head
>>> problem, but an eye problem.  A pperson who became paralyzed and was
>>> whealchair bound didn't have a head problem, but a leg problem.  The 
>>> world
>>> still doesn't get it.  Judith
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Julie Russell" <jar90880 at yahoo.com>
>>> To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 6:56 AM
>>> Subject: [humanser] newly blind
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hello,
>>>>
>>>> This topic is so important and so rarely touched.  I can not imagine
>>>> losing a function of the body - any part without a grief / loss
>>>> adjustment. Hopefully Axis IV allows for this to be taken into just 
>>>> what
>>>> it is - without that in the first months it seems MDD and GAD could be 
>>>> on
>>>> the horizon.  This is a dream study of mine.  While being blind does 
>>>> not
>>>> mean one needs therapy likely the loss of a body function whether 
>>>> vision,
>>>> legs, or other is a huge part of identity.  To rebuild that identity in 
>>>> a
>>>> way that is meaningful and healthy is essential.  This may not mean
>>>> therapy but it may.
>>>> To take the NFB attitudes means changing one's thought about blindness
>>>> and
>>>
>>>> often one's thought about self if a period from onset to training has
>>>> been
>>>
>>>> long in the making.
>>>>
>>>> I agree with Mary Ann.  I knew a man and after becoming blind he 
>>>> engaged
>>>> in therapy weekly by phone.  In LA this is not prohibited by the LPC
>>>> board. The reason was how hard it was for him to leave his house and 
>>>> get
>>>> to the office.  The rest I can only imagine.
>>>>
>>>> Do people have thoughts on this?
>>>> What is up with phone therapy?  I am not talking a 900 number (LOL)
>>>>
>>>> Julie Russell, LCSW
>>>> New Orleans
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Mary Ann Rojek" <brightsmile1953 at comcast.net>
>>>> To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 9:44 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [humanser] the homeless blind
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hi JD and other list members,
>>>>>
>>>>> I couldn't agree more.  If clinicians who are providing therapy are
>>>>> unfamiliar with the NFB philosophy or don't have a positive attitude
>>>>> about
>>>>> the potential of blind individuals, vulnerable folks could be 
>>>>> receiving
>>>>> treatment that is detrimental or damaging.
>>>>>
>>>>> Mary Ann
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>> From: "JD Townsend" <43210 at bellsouth.net>
>>>>> To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 9:57 PM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [humanser] the homeless blind
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi Mary Ann and Human Service Division Members:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I agree that therapy is not used in blind rehab - most frequently it 
>>>>>> is
>>>>>> assumed that mental health issues are not involved, or that a 
>>>>>> positive
>>>>>> NFB
>>>>>> attitude is sufficient.  We in the field know that the insult of
>>>>>> blindness
>>>>>> adds to the multi-featured structure of our complex 
>>>>>> cognitive-emotional
>>>>>> selves as does any other of our personal features.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Frequently blindness rehab counselors feel that they are qualified to
>>>>>> provide psychotherapy.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In my own therapy blindness has been a minor part of therapy, but a
>>>>>> significant minor part.  Newly blind folks, or those in rehab centers
>>>>>> would
>>>>>> benefit from a psychotherapy that encompassed the ideas of the NFB
>>>>>> philosophy while working with the whole person.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Just my little ideas.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> JD Townsend, LCSW
>>>>>> Daytona Beach, Florida, Earth, Sol System
>>>>>> Helping the light dependent to see.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>>> From: "Mary Ann Rojek" <brightsmile1953 at comcast.net>
>>>>>> To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>> Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 8:49 PM
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [humanser] the homeless blind
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Shalom David,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I am a social worker in Michigan.  I've worked with some mentally 
>>>>>>> ill
>>>>>>> blind
>>>>>>> folks, but one who were homeless.  I know of no system for tracking
>>>>>>> this
>>>>>>> data.  It sounds like an area that warrants further exploration.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> To add to the mix, I also believe that folks who are losing their
>>>>>>> sight
>>>>>>> may
>>>>>>> not be getting adequate therapy for coping with vision loss.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Mary Ann Rojek
>>>>>>> LMSW, ACSW, CAAC
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>>>> From: "David R. Stayer" <davidandloristayer at verizon.net>
>>>>>>> To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>> Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2008 6:57 PM
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [humanser] the homeless blind
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Shalom.  As we make our recommendtions perhaps something will 
>>>>>>>> happen.
>>>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>>>>> From: "JD Townsend" <43210 at bellsouth.net>
>>>>>>>> To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>>> Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2008 10:39 AM
>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [humanser] the homeless blind
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Shalom David:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I worked with homeless peoples in New York City for many years
>>>>>>>>> during
>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>> late 1980's and early 1990's, running programs to house homeless
>>>>>>>>> mentally
>>>>>>>>> ill and/or substance addicted populations.  I did work with some
>>>>>>>>> deaf
>>>>>>>>> folks, some wheelchair folks, and with a variety of disabled
>>>>>>>>> homeless
>>>>>>>>> folks;  but, never a blind person.  Until your message the lack of
>>>>>>>>> blind
>>>>>>>>> homeless never struck me.  Where were they?  I did know of many
>>>>>>>>> blind
>>>>>>>>> folks who rented a room in someone's apartment, living off a SSI 
>>>>>>>>> or
>>>>>>>>> SSD
>>>>>>>>> check;  however they never seem to have made it to the homeless
>>>>>>>>> shelters.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Now you've done it, given me something new to wonder about!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> JD Townsend, LCSW
>>>>>>>>> Daytona Beach, Florida, Earth, Sol System
>>>>>>>>> Helping the light dependent to see.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>>>>>> From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>>>>>>>>> To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 9:56 AM
>>>>>>>>> Subject: [humanser] the homeless blind
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>I don't think you can research a group of people based on 
>>>>>>>>>>disability
>>>>>>>>>>in
>>>>>>>>>>New York State.  Judith
>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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