[humanser] Challenges with VR services

Mon Nov 23 18:58:07 UTC 2015

Good morning, Lisa,

         What is an inclusion coordinator?At 04:15 PM 10/6/2015, you wrote:
>Hello Ashley and Erica, A while ago I worked a 
>seasonal job with the local Salvation Army's 
>summer day camp program. I worked full time as 
>their Inclusion Coordinator. I felt as though I 
>had little support. Perhaps I wasn't clear 
>enough or, perhaps I was not very assertive. At 
>the time I was a V. R. client. As a whole our 
>local Blind Rehabilitation Counselors are, in my 
>jaded opinion, mediocre and at least one of them 
>isn't the role model I'd seek out. Needless to 
>say, I had NO SUPPORT from the Department of 
>Rehabilitation. Erica, many after school 
>programs need Inclusion Coordinators. Your 
>experiences and your positive philosophy make 
>you an excellent candidate for this type of 
>position. Additionally, you may want to check 
>with school districts and inquire about their 
>programs and services for blind and visually 
>impaired youth. I have a visually impaired 
>friend who is a teacher's aide for the program 
>that supports elementary children with vision 
>loss. If you have lived experience with mental 
>health challenges or have a family member with 
>mental health challenges you will qualify for a 
>number of positions in the public mental health 
>field. This is the avenue I have embarked 
>upon... From, Lisa Irving -----Original 
>Message----- From: humanser 
>[mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf 
>Of Ashley Bramlett via humanser Sent: Tuesday, 
>October 06, 2015 4:52 PM To: Human Services 
>Division Mailing List Cc: Ashley Bramlett 
>Subject: Re: [humanser] Challenges with VR 
>services Hi, Lisa, that was my reaction as I 
>read all Erika's education background. A BA in 
>social work allows you to do many jobs in the 
>nonprofit area. You could work in some case 
>management jobs, information and referral, or 
>maybe some coordinator positions. Ericka, I 
>think you would be a good fit for an after 
>school program with at risk children or teens. 
>If you have courses in learning disabilities, 
>you can combine the human service interest and 
>interest with kids  by working with kids 
>generally or disabled kids. Inventories are a 
>good idea to figure out what you want to do. But 
>I'd also add informational interviews which is 
>where you question people in the field of 
>interest. You might find job shadowing helpful 
>too. I suspect you cannot shadow specific 
>clients and their social workers due to 
>confidentiality, but you could perhaps shadow 
>other parts of the social work job. The site 
>indeed.com is pretty easily laid out. But I 
>don't recommend monster.com. Its sad to learn of 
>people with  much education, so much interest, 
>and so much potential still not finding work. I 
>know how it feels though having not found 
>employment with my BA. Like Ericka, I have 
>several interests including working with teens 
>and children whether they be regular kids, 
>at-risk kids, or those with some learning 
>challenges or blind themselves. Even in the DC 
>area, I've found most opportunities working with 
>learning disabled or blind kids to be volunteer 
>based. For instance the columbia lighthouse 
>recruits volunteers for its camp; same with camp 
>abilities in MD. Nothing wrong with 
>volunteering, but there comes a time when you 
>want to be paid for your work. Good luck finding 
>employment and navigating vr. Ashley 
>-----Original Message----- From: Lisa Irving via 
>humanser Sent: Tuesday, October 06, 2015 4:53 PM 
>To: 'Human Services Division Mailing List' Cc: 
>Lisa Irving Subject: Re: [humanser] Challenges 
>with VR services Ericka, Wow! You are very 
>well-rounded. I would think that should make you 
>highly employable. You might consider playing 
>around with monster.com, indeed.com (I think's 
>right), and other job posting sites just to get 
>a feel for careers. Consider writing your ideal 
>job position. Consider taking job interest 
>inventories. If you are involved in a religious 
>organization you may wish to consider taking a 
>gifts of the spirit inventory or class. Ask your 
>closest friends about your strengths and growth 
>areas. Lisa -----Original Message----- From: 
>humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>Behalf Of Ericka via humanser Sent: Tuesday, 
>October 06, 2015 1:22 PM To: Human Services 
>Division Mailing List Cc: Ericka Subject: Re: 
>[humanser] Challenges with VR services Let me 
>think on this. Can you come up with some other 
>paths for me as well? I have early 
>childhood/learning disabilities education but 
>never really was able to teach in that capacity. 
>I have a gerontology certificate and a BA in 
>social work. Unlike you, most of my things I 
>have done where volunteer unless they were part 
>time or work-study/shadowing type. I'm certain 
>that my seizures are not helping me in the 
>hiring process any either. I've never disclosed 
>until after the fact because most of the time my 
>seizures are so under control it's not an issue. 
>Ericka Short "Friends are like flowers in the 
>garden of life" Sent from my iPhone > On Oct 6, 
>2015, at 3:06 PM, Lisa Irving via humanser > 
><humanser at nfbnet.org> > wrote: > > Ericka, > > 
>In the state of California Activity Directors 
>are only required to > complete 32 hours of 
>training. My first two jobs were as an 
>Activity > Director; my degree was in recreation 
>with a concentration in > Therapeutic 
>Recreation. At the time I was nationally 
>certified. > > I see what you're saying about an 
>undergraduate social work position. > What 
>career suggestions can you share with me? > > 
>Thank you. > > Lisa Irving > > -----Original 
>Message----- > From: humanser 
>[mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf 
>Of > Ericka via humanser > Sent: Tuesday, 
>October 06, 2015 12:51 PM > To: Human Services 
>Division Mailing List > Cc: Ericka > Subject: 
>Re: [humanser] Challenges with VR services > > 
>Unless someone else can come up with something, 
>I don't think there is > an entry-level social 
>work job in the field you were looking at. The > 
>only social work related job entry-level that I 
>have been able to > obtain with a bachelors in 
>social work was an activity assistant part > 
>time at a nearby nursing home. I have a 
>non-certification teaching > degree in special 
>ad as well. You'd think I would be employable 
>to > somebody. Here are a big portion of the 
>problem is transportation and > the second is a 
>saturated environment > > Ericka Short > 
>"Friends are like flowers in the garden of 
>life" > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Oct 1, 
>2015, at 7:54 PM, Marisol Carmona via 
>humanser >> <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote: >> >> 
>Hello, >> >> I tried applying for VR services in 
>order to have some tuition >> assistance during 
>my masterâ€™s program, which I will start fall 
>of >> 2016. However, they denied me because by 
>pursuing a social work >> degree, it is expected 
>that I would not be advancing in my career, >> 
>particularly in terms of salary. I am currently 
>employed, but plan on >> quitting my job to 
>focus entirely on school work. I shared with 
>them >> this fact and they said that I would be 
>eligible for VR services if I >> am unemployed, 
>but I possibly could be asked to show proof that 
>I >> cannot get a job with my undergraduate 
>degree in psychology. I >> explained that there 
>are no jobs that Iâ€™m aware of where I could 
>work >> as a social worker without a masterâ€™s 
>level degree, to which they >> responded that I 
>could probably be hired as an entry level 
>employee. >> Has anyone had a similar challenge? 
>Your input is greatly appreciated! >> >> 
>Marisol >> >> >> >> >> 
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