[humanser] Do you know about these?
Ashley Bramlett
bookwormahb at earthlink.net
Thu Dec 15 06:09:43 UTC 2016
Hello Cheryl,
I'm considering work in the human services field, tutoring or being an
outreach specialist.
I'd probably do something like Lisa Irving is doing as a paraprofessional if
I ever get hired since I do not have a masters degree although I have not
ruled that out and going back to school.
Anyways, I empathize with you. I know most EMR systems are not accessible
or barely accessible.
You said
"You almost have to familiarize the sighted co-worker with
how your system works before you can get any meaningful help, and that
takes a long time."
I totally agree!
In all internships, I've had difficulty following instructions from sighted
people because they use visual terms and instructions such as saying "that
yellow arrow" or that "drop down menu on the right" or worse to click on
some link which is an image, etc, etc.
Oh, and they do not always know where your jaws cursor is because it is
invisible.
Here is a sad personal story.
While I'm still volunteering teaching jaws at the talking book library and a
few other things, but I did so badly want to volunteer in a human services
capacity on the front lines.
I've tried hard to volunteer for experience. I thought a perfect fit for me
would be a nonprofit in Vienna, Va not far from me serving women primarily
in their career and psychological needs.
I applied to volunteer and was accepted. I told them I'd need jaws and
surprisingly they agreed. So, it was installed on the office pc by the
phone.
My position was to be an information and referral specialist. I was glad to
have it because I could talk to a variety of people and help them get what
they needed.
This means that I primarily answered the front office phone, transferred
calls to people or departments, answered basic questions, supplied
information about the center, looked up information to refer callers to
agencies,
and was supposed to document the calls. I went through the training fine.
They accommodated me by giving me the powerpoint slides. It was mostly
lecture based so posed little problems in getting the material I needed.
Here was the problem! I got a hang of the extensions with practice and
memorized common ones and I was able to remember basic info which was good
so I did not have to look it up. The problems arose with, guess what?
Documentation!
The first month was fine. They had me write down the info and it was put in
some book. But, then, someone created an excell form to document calls.
In other words, they were moving to an electronic way of tracking.
As I tried to do it the new way, my heart sank.
I was not able to use the form successfully. Jaws read some of the info, but
not enough. I remember tabbing through fields and not hearing anything or
arrowing around and getting in wrong boxes.
I can see to read large print. I continued to write out info by hand and
tried to use the electronic system.
Well, I guess it became too much work for my supervisor. She probably did
not like having to enter data in after me. I also might have been a little
slower as I was navigiting screens with jaws to look up info.
I worked hard on that position and felt I was getting the hang of things.
Working with the phones and a pc together was new to me. I sometimes had a
couple screens open at a time and alt tabbed between them. Most callers got
what they needed and some even complemented me and said I was helpful.
The main problem was documenting the calls; we were supposed to document
when and why they called and if followup was needed.
I could do the job except for the documenting. It was not my fault. It did
not help matters that the sighted person that created the form did not
understand why I was having trouble. She said she had some accessibility
checker on it and it said it had no problems found. It was obvious to me
that accommodating me was a hastle and sighted staff did not understand the
issues.
It was not long before I was taken off the position. I was asked not to come
in a few weeks due to problems with the phones. While my supervisor had
said I might be assigned elsewhere, I did not think she was serious.
But one day I called my supervisor and she indicated the phones were fixed.
However, she told me I was taken off the position and said they would find
me something else to do where I could use my writing skills; she said she
wanted to work with me but in a different way that I could contribute.
Well, we had ideas for me to interview clients and feature their stories
online, but that fell through because she said she was too busy. I followed
up with her, and she said that idea would have to wait as she was tied up in
things and she never got back to me.
Cheryl, I know what you mean about feeling miles behind your other
coworkers. Its so rough. There is another office position where you can be a
service coordinator as a volunteer. I'm discouraged and afraid to try it
because of the electronic forms issue. I can imagine that question arising
in the interview and I'm not sure what to say. I have the same question as
Lisa; how can you answer those questions without shooting yourself in the
foot.
Good luck in your job search and how nice you got interviewed. Many people
are not selected for those.
Ashley
-----Original Message-----
From: Cheryl Wade via HumanSer
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2016 10:05 PM
To: Human Services Division Mailing List
Cc: Cheryl Wade
Subject: Re: [humanser] Do you know about these?
My state agency for the blind actually worked with me for several months
to devise the system I now use for CDT. All of the visual items had to
be turned into a menu. My consultant determined the pixol points on the
screen and then plotted them using JAWS scripts. I also had to write
down sequences of things that did not speak, such as choices to check on
some of the menus.
For a time, you might need to call on your co-workers to get you out of
what I call sight gags -- problems that must be remedied with a mouse. I
had to learn not to use many of the keystrokes I have taken for granted
for my orientation on the screen. For example, I cannot use the up-arrow
to go back and correct mistakes, or else I will make the system snarl.
Another problem, folks, is this: So you get a job and you get the names
of the software products the agency uses. You don't get a JAWS
consultant to come to your work place until about three weeks after you
start. So, you're already miles and miles behind, and your supervisors
are reluctant to assign you certain kinds of jobs because they know you
don't know enough about the system to perform them right. In adition,
it's hard to have a sighted person explain to a blind consultant what
the system does, because the JAWS cursor isn't the one the sighted
person sees. You almost have to familiarize the sighted co-worker with
how your system works before you can get any meaningful help, and that
takes a long time.
I hate to be such a naysayer, but it's been eight months and I'm still
not allowed to perform assessments. For the last two weeks I earned a
total of $150 for counseling sessions. I was a writer for 33 years, and
I helped people understand and thrive in their communities by writing
for my local paper full time. What I'm doing is barely, barely treading
water. My ability to help people is minimal. I don't know what to do
except maybe file a complaint with the EEOC. I feel largely without help
and without support.
Cheryl Wade
On 12/12/2016 9:07 PM, Lisa Irving via HumanSer wrote:
> Is anyone out there using net smart avatar? I am not a licensed clinician
> and therefore do not have as many electronic medical record's requirements
> however our company, are I international is switching to this system.
> Recently I met a Blind social worker here in California. She is a
> clinician and she has to use net smart avatar. Much of it is not
> accessible.
>
> What does one do when one has to document however incidental when an
> electronic medical record system is not accessible?
>
> My current job is in the realm of paraprofessional, peer support. Mental
> health America is trying to set national standards that is national
> certification standards for our growing profession. Some states such as
> New York to have certification requirements for peer specialist as you may
> have guessed this is due to the ability to bill Medicaid. Additionally
> this has something to do with the integration of medical care and mental
> health care.
>
> On a similar note, what do many of you do as clinicians when going for
> interviews and the issue of electronic medical records comes up? How do
> you handle this conversation without shooting yourself in the foot? From
> Lisa Irving
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Dec 12, 2016, at 5:30 PM, Ginny Duff via HumanSer
>> <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> JD is right. It is all worth it even if it is frustrating. Yes it takes
>> more time but if you make it work, its such an honour to be able to make
>> this contribution to people's lives.
>>
>> Ginny
>>
>> Dr. V. Duff
>> Clinical Director
>> West End Assertive Community Treatment Team
>> St. Joseph's Health Centre, Toronto
>> Psychiatrist,
>> Extended Forensic Out-patient Services
>> Centre For Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto
>> Lecturer, University of Toronto
>>
>>> On Dec 12, 2016, at 7:40 PM, JD Townsend via HumanSer
>>> <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Hello:
>>>
>>> Unfortunately Electronic Medical Records are, well almost, universal in
>>> hospitals and in most larger agencies. The programs are rarely easily
>>> accessible for blind folks and do take more time for light-dependent
>>> folks as well.
>>>
>>> So, is it worth it? Yes, speaking for myself, it is. Always the
>>> documentation takes more time and effort than we would like to spend,
>>> but the insurance companies demand it. If these documents were
>>> developed to be of clinical importance, they would look very different.
>>>
>>> The ability to provide psychotherapy is a great honor and challenge.
>>> Always there will be paperwork. The EMR programs are many and,
>>> unfortunately, do not meet ADA or Rehab Act requirements. At some time,
>>> soon I hope, the NFB will challenge them in court. Until then, we have
>>> to wade through a migraine of adjustment.
>>>
>>>
>>> JD
>>> -----Original Message----- From: Cheryl Wade via HumanSer
>>> Sent: Monday, December 12, 2016 5:23 PM
>>> To: Human Services Division Mailing List
>>> Cc: Cheryl Wade
>>> Subject: [humanser] Do you know about these?
>>>
>>> Hi, listers,
>>>
>>>
>>> I took part in a job interview today at a counseling center that is
>>> under the umbrella of a hospital.
>>>
>>>
>>> The interviewer said the company uses Intelligence Medical Software,
>>> part of HealthTech, and Phoenix software.
>>>
>>>
>>> Have any of you used either of these software types? Is any research
>>> available?
>>>
>>>
>>> I suppose my broader question is, Why bother being a counselor if the
>>> act of paperwork is so time-consuming that a person who is blind never
>>> can keep up? It took me weeks even to feel comfortable with the software
>>> I'm using. What was the learning process for you folks? How can you ever
>>> make a living at this when it's so much work and such a drag to do?
>>>
>>>
>>> Please tell me if all this is worth the effort, and why.
>>>
>>>
>>> Cheryl Wade, Outpatient Therapist
>>>
>>> Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Center
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> HumanSer mailing list
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>>>
>>> JD Townsend LCSW
>>> Helping the light dependent to see.
>>> Daytona Beach, Earth, Sol System
>>>
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