[humanser] Follow up MSW Practicum placement challenges email

Tue Apr 5 00:28:44 UTC 2016

questions:
>
How do you perform an assessment where visual detail is required?

I ask the patient about all things visual.  You get more information and 
more accurate information than sighted folk will.
Race and ethnicity are often assumed visually and often that assumption is 
incorrect.  Asking is best.
Ticks are not always present, so ask.
Tattoos, piercings and scars are often not observable, so ask.
Restlessness and gait issues can be heard as well as observed.
And, I’ve been told that I can hear when a teen rolls her eyes.

Walk me through a real life scenario of a client evaluation. How did you 
adapt the visual information?

I perform a psychosocial my own way, usually reviewing a patient’s life 
chronologically, then translate my notes, taken on a BrailleNote, into the 
agency’s format.

I will do treatment plans on a PC prior to the patient’s visit, having 
reviewed their problems and goals during the last session, and review them 
briefly with the patient as we sign it (Our treatment plans are now 8 
ridiculous pages long).

How did you interact with your reader driver during an assessment? Did you 
develop a list of observation criteria for your reader/driver regarding 
visual information before going to see the client?  What did you do as far 
as checking in with your reader/driver regarding visual information as it 
relates to case notes?

I have asked a receptionist to describe a patient when more information is 
needed.  I would not advise asking a driver or reader ever to do this as 
they are not part of the agency.  Perhaps 5 times in the last 10 years have 
I felt the need for eyes to provide any visual patient information.  I can 
tell if they have hygiene issues as I have a nose and my patients tell me if 
they are wearing their PJs to a session.  Likewise when I made home visits 
for a living in Brooklyn using public transportation, I was quick to notice 
if a place was clean and safe for children;  if bugs were crawling on me; 
also, if I had to step over people zoned out in the apartment hallway, I 
knew that substance use was very active in the building.
>

Take me through a typical day as a blind social worker

Wow, just the same as a sighted social worker and, depending on the job, 
quite different.  For me here is how it goes working in a child & adolescent 
psychiatric outpatient program part of a major local hospital.
*  Rush in in time for my first patient, checking my ‘phone messages, email, 
& schedule while warming up my PC.  My schedule is on my BrailleNote, the 
‘phone messages are on my ‘phone, and the email is on my PC.
*  See patients, supervise interns & student interns, interact with various 
parts of the agency in person, in meetings, via email and the like.
*  Write notes and other paperwork.

I do intake interviews with new patients and this might involve reading a 
psychosocial via PC or a reader, signing a large number of consents & 
agreements, this is a hospital, and this can be a problem.  I have read the 
forms and know how to present them in short or in more detail as needed.  I 
sign them after the patient leaves,  sometimes with a hospital volunteer’s 
assistance.  I will arrange the papers so that I know the order of the 
various documents prior to the interview.

I perform a psychosocial my own way, usually reviewing a patient’s life 
chronologically, then translate my notes, taken on a BrailleNote, into the 
agency’s format.

I will do treatment plans on a PC prior to the patient’s visit, having 
reviewed their problems and goals during the last session, and review them 
briefly with the patient as we sign it (Our treatment plans are now 8 
ridiculous pages long).

What alternative blindness skills have you developed to assist in performing 
the job description?

If you have excellent mobility skills you can get to any place and find 
yourself comfortable completely independently.  If you have good braille 
skills you can mark files and write notes completely independently.  If you 
have good screen reading skills you can read and write notes and the like.

I use a screen reader on the PC, have a braille display, a scanner with a 
scan & read program, a braille note-taker.  I am beginning to use the KNFB 
Reader on my smart ‘phone as well.

I received my MSW in 1980 from Boston University.

Good luck to you.

JD Townsend, LCSW

-----Original Message----- 
From: Lora :) via humanser
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2016 6:01 PM
To: Human Services Division Mailing List
Cc: Lora :)
Subject: Re: [humanser] Follow up MSW Practicum placement challenges email

merry,

Noted on you copying Valery Tingling.  I am meeting with the practicum
liaison next week so oh am trying to compile information by the end of this
week.  Thank you for responding I was concerned my email had been lost in
email space.  I look forward to your answers.

Yiska
On Apr 4, 2016 6:53 AM, "Merry Schoch via humanser" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Hello Yiska,
>
> I will follow up with this email more thoroughly by the end of this week.
> I
> apologize for not getting back with you sooner.  The Human Services
> division
> held its monthly board meeting last evening and I encouraged members of 
> the
> board and guests to respond to your questions.    Please provide
> information
> on to the time sensitivity of this matter.
>
> I have briefly spoken to Valerie Yingling at our National office about 
> your
> situation and this is why I have copied her on this email.
>
> With warm regards,
> Merry c. Schoch, LCSW
> National Federation of the Blind
> Human Services Division
> President
>
> Cc:  Yingling, Valerie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Lora :)
> via
> humanser
> Sent: Friday, April 01, 2016 1:49 AM
> To: humanser at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Lora :)
> Subject: [humanser] Follow up MSW Practicum placement challenges email
>
> Hello List,
>
> I emailed the list a while back about a practicum placement in a masters 
> of
> social work program. I had been talking to the practicum liaison and
> agencies and himself had concerns about being able to complete an
> assessment
> without full use of all my senses and confidentiality of reader/drivers. I
> have some follow up questions for the list. I am looking for anecdotal
> factual qualitative data that I can then present showing what is working
> for
> blind social workers in the trenches day to day. I would also appreciate 
> it
> if you included what school you obtained your degree from. Following are 
> my
> questions:
>
> How do you perform an assessment where visual detail is required?
>
> Walk me through a real life scenario of a client evaluation. How did you
> adapt the visual information?
>
> How did you interact with your reader driver during an assessment? Did you
> develop a list of observation criteria for your reader/driver regarding
> visual information before going to see the client? What did you do as far
> as
> checking in with your reader/driver regarding visual information as it
> relates to case notes?
>
> Take me through a typical day as a blind social worker
>
> What alternative blindness skills have you developed to assist in
> performing
> the job description?
>
> Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
>
> Yiska
>
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JD Townsend LCSW
Helping the light dependent to see.
Daytona Beach, Earth, Sol System 