[humanser] INTERVIEWING

Wed Oct 23 23:49:25 UTC 2013

JD, thanks for your thoughts on this matter.  From your original post about 
interviewing, I figured you didn't come out in depth concerning 
accommodations, useful technology, etc.  I originally rewrote documents that 
all the other clinicians filled out by hand.  Then I'd sit with clients and 
use my Braille display and Pac Mate to fill in the forms, or write notes, 
etc.  The display is especially great for me as I have a hearing loss and 
can't pay attention to synthetic speech when being attentive to clients 
talking to me.  The hard part is that I mostly hear from one ear, making it 
pretty impossible to know exactly where sound is coming from (I often 
explain this to new clients). My forms got synchronized to my desktop and 
printed. When we began to use third party electronic software, my situation 
worsened.  I found a work-around to do the paperwork, which worked for me, 
but was hard to skim read for anyone who wanted to determine which choices I 
labeled amongst the options on the form. Well, the bottom line is to be 
positive and practical.

Sandy
--------------------------------------------------
From: "JD Townsend" <43210 at Bellsouth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 9:08 AM
To: "Sandy" <sandraburgess at msn.com>; "'Human Services Mailing List'" 
<humanser at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [humanser] INTERVIEWING

>
> Hello Sandy:
>
> In an interview I never go into details of accomadations that I may or may 
> not require.  I may inform that that I have software that makes their PCs 
> available to me in braille or speech, but I never go into details about 
> blind services assistance or other concerns.  The accomadations are mine 
> to make and to take responsibility for and, if I give one message about 
> blindness, it is that I will require little or nothing from them, a 
> message of my independence.
>
> I
>
>
> As for electronic records, mine are available to me one way or another. 
> Those folks who write scripts for Window-Eyes or JAWS can make any system 
> work.
>
>
> -----Original Message----- 
>
>
> JD
> From: Sandy
> Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 1:29 AM
> To: 'Human Services Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [humanser] INTERVIEWING
>
> JD,
>
> This message from you is being kept in a folder I call "work."  It is
> certainly true that our being therapists is dependent on more important
> things than how little, or how much we see.  You mention how some people
> prefer to talk with a clinician who can't see them, and I heard just that
> comment from a fairly new supervisor at the mental health agency I am
> temporarily not working at while we clear up how accommodations will be
> employed due to the new electronic health records.  If I work at another
> agency, most likely the electronic records will be problematic.  At an
> interview, do I briefly speak of how the paperwork gets done despite the
> records, handwritten files, etc.? Do I simply state that I am able to do 
> the
> paperwork, and get in to accommodations when I am hired?
>
>
> Sandy Burgess, LCSW
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "JD Townsend" <43210 at Bellsouth.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 10:29 PM
> To: "'Human Services Mailing List'" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: [humanser] INTERVIEWING
>
>>
>>
>> how would you handle it if you're trying to talk about your skills as a 
>> social worker and the employer keeps referring back to the blindness?
>> Alyssa,
>>
>> I might try to be casual, but ask:
>>
>>
>> “You seem fascinated by blindness.  I can assure you that I can and will 
>> be timely with the paperwork, excellent with my clients and an involved 
>> team member, my disability has nothing to do with that, but I’d be happy
>>
>> to tell you how I shop, dress and cross-country ski if that’ll get me the 
>> job?
>>
>>
>> “If your blindness questions  center around wondering if I can keep up, 
>> if you wonder how I’ll accomplish my daily tasks, trust me, I’ll show you 
>> my productivity, my writing talent, and my clinical successes.”
>>
>> “It’s funny, but a blind psychotherapist I know asks how the light 
>> dependent do all of that with ink on paper.  He’s the most productive 
>> worker at his job and has a great reputation as a clinician.”
>>
>>
>> “You have lots of questions for me, now let me ask you about the agency 
>> and how you see me in this position.”
>>
>> “I have found that many clients feel more comfortable with a therapist 
>> who is blind and they address their core issues more readily, feeling 
>> less judged.”
>>
>> “I have found that many of the clients you have described feel disabled 
>> by their mental illnesses and feel more comfortable discussing their 
>> issues with a therapist who is also disabled.”
>>
>> “You may be concerned that you would not be able to do this job if you 
>> lost your sight.  Let me assure you, should that happen, with good 
>> rehabilitation and a positive attitude you would.  I have had that 
>> rehabilitation and I have that attitude now.”
>>
>>
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>
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>
> JD Townsend LCSW
> Helping the light dependent to see.
> Daytona Beach, Earth, Sol System
> 