[nabs-l] vr counselors and job support

Mon May 14 18:58:48 UTC 2012

Ashley,
I agree that getting an internship or frankly even a enter level job is important. It is a step that will help you land a full time job, and give you an opportunity to network. So your VR Counselor had know right to tell you to "go get a real job". As a future VR Counselor, I would encourage you to continue doing what you are doing, but remember that VR Counselor are under alot of pressure to close so many cases regardless of the type of employment they received. Many times in order to meet their number of cases closed so that the Rehab Agency can show to law makers that they have successfully closed cases, VR Counselors have to close the case regardless of the type of job the consumer has received. Many times they have to close cases even when the consumer has only found a fast food job, nothing related to their Vocational Goals just so they can show their boss and on up to the law makers that the agency has closed so many cases in order to receive
 funding for the next year.

Anmol
I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers.
Hellen Keller

--- On Mon, 5/14/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:

> From: Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] vr counselors and job support
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Date: Monday, May 14, 2012, 1:40 PM
> Anmol,
> Sorry but I really feel that some vr counselors don't care
> much. If they don't call or write back timely, if they will
> not update your equipment putting you at a even greater
> disadvantage, it seems to me they don't care.
> 
> I did network and worked on my own to attain all internships
> including the pending one. I even had to install my personal
> copy of jaws at national crime prevention council, since
> being non government they could not procure jaws for me.
> 
> When people, whether blind or sighted, cannot find work,
> they often get more internships to get more experience. Many
> college grads do this in this economy.  And to have
> that effort put down was real insulting to me.  And
> what in blazes does my counselor think is a "real job".
> Okay, as far as I'm concerned a "real job" is one which you
> go to work, contribute, and get paid for it.  A real
> job to me has potential for advancement. I'm concerned that
> when they just say jobs, it could be anything just to close
> your case.
> 
> I'll add then you cannot go anywhere in a job and say get
> laid off or lose the job then, and then know what you do?
> You open a vr case again! If you found a good quality job in
> the first place that seemed secure and where you exercised
> transferable skills, uyou will not need to reopen your
> case.
> 
> Yeah, I try and find internships and jobs. Not enough blind
> people do it, that is for sure.
> Ashley
> 
> -----Original Message----- From: Anmol Bhatia
> Sent: Monday, May 14, 2012 2:18 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] vr counselors and job support
> 
> Josh,
> As a person who will be a VR Counselor within the next year
> or two, I do not really appreciate people saying that VR
> Counselors do not care about their consumers. I have had a
> whole new appreciation for the field of Rehabilitation
> Counseling and for VR Counselors since I have enrolled in
> the MS in Rehabilitation Counseling program at the
> University of Arkansas.
> I agree that what Ashley's counselor is doing is not good.
> Networking and getting internship experience is important
> since thats how you get a job, and as a counselor I will
> encourage that. However, to say we do not care and the only
> thing we are interested in is to close a case is frankly not
> true for most counselors.
> The government spends alot of money on rehabilitation, but
> the unemployment number is still not going down. So tax
> payers want answers and our elected officials who have to
> answer to tax payers put pressure on directors of the
> rehabilitation agencies to show results and the directors
> put pressure on people under them and it goes all the way
> down to the bottom person who is the VR Counselor. The
> counselors are told to close so many cases with a 6 which
> means that the case has been successful and the Consumer is
> employed or else lose their job. However, policy makers do
> not consider factors that have hender the ability of a blind
> person to get a job such as a poor economy, the historical
> high number of blind people who are unemployed, and so on.
> All they care about is how many blind people are employed so
> that they can justify spending the money they are spending
> on rehabilitation.
> The process of finding a job is a two way process and it
> takes both the VR Counselor and the Consumer to work
> together. The Counselor needs the Consumer to find
> employment so that they can successfully close their case
> and keep their job, but whats more important is that the
> consumer needs to do everything they can to find themself a
> job so that they can get off SSDI and live a happy and
> successful life.
> To be quite frank, and it will afend some people on this
> list, but many blind people are not doing their part to find
> themself a job. To many blind people expect the VR Counselor
> to do everything. To be quite honest, it has got to a point
> to where people consider rehab to be a right instead of a
> privledge. In many countries they do not have rehab and
> blind people are still managing to live and some have pretty
> successful careers. There is know law that says that you
> have to take rehabilitation so if you do not like your
> counselor or do not like the process of rehabilitation, then
> simply request for your case to be closed. The blind person
> is totally capable to find their own job, and they should do
> as much for themself as they can. As a future VR Counselor I
> will do whatever I can to help my Consumers, this why I
> entered this field but I can not help consumers who do not
> want to help themselves. So before making clames that VR
> Counselors do not care
> about their consumers, think about the job we have to do and
> ask yourself if you are doing everything to help yourself.
> 
> Anmol
> I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me
> sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but
> it is vague, like a breeze among flowers.
> Hellen Keller
> 
> 
> --- On Sun, 5/13/12, Joshua Lester <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu>
> wrote:
> 
> > From: Joshua Lester <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu>
> > Subject: Re: [nabs-l] vr counselors and job support
> > To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing
> list" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> > Date: Sunday, May 13, 2012, 4:59 PM
> > That's my problem with most of the VR
> > counselors, that I've dealt with!
> > They don't really care about us!
> > They just want to close our cases, because we're just
> an
> > unwanted
> > burden, to them!
> > I'm supporting you, and am hoping for the best.
> > BTW, we complain all the time about VR, but what are
> we
> > doing to
> > improve the system?
> > How can we improve it?
> > Well, after I get my degree, there's a job opening up,
> in my
> > state, to
> > work for VR!
> > If more of us, (clients,) started trying to get jobs,
> > working for VR,
> > we could be the very ones, to improve the systems, and
> make
> > them
> > better support our people!
> > As a VR counselor, I'd make sure that my clients were
> able
> > to get the
> > jobs, that they want, if possible!
> > Blessings, Joshua
> > 
> > On 5/13/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
> > wrote:
> > > Hi Josh,
> > > No, this is an employee of the agency; its  a
> job
> > placement specialist, not
> > >
> > > a center.
> > > My question is what do these people do? From the
> one
> > blind client I spoke
> > > with, he said the specialist didn't do much of
> anything
> > but told him to look
> > >
> > > online for job ads.
> > > I'll revise my sentence  from my first
> email.
> > >
> > > After  I just told her I looked and few
> entry
> > level jobs there and to put
> > > down an internship where my foot will be in the
> door in
> > the government  that
> > >
> > > may lead somewhere is insulting.
> > > Not clear here what insulted me.
> > >
> > > After I just told her I looked and found few
> entry
> > level jobs I qualified
> > > for, I told her I  had an internship coming
> where
> > I could get my foot in the
> > >
> > > door in the government and this internship may
> lead to
> > more permanent work,
> > >
> > > her comment about finding a real job insulted me.
> > >
> > > I'll add its like all she cares about getting
> clients
> > jobs, not good
> > > careers, to heck with what they want to do, just
> get
> > them jobs and close
> > > their cases.
> > > Not a good attitude.  Also, many college
> grads are
> > doing just what I am--
> > > getting internships to hopefully lead to full
> time
> > work. There was an
> > > article in the New york times about this.
> > Inexperienced young people cannot
> > >
> > > find work.  What world do vr counselors live
> in?
> > > Well not the real world where people are
> struggling and
> > worried about lay
> > > off and people are losing homes or working three
> part
> > time jobs to pay for
> > > the essentials of life.
> > > I'm trying to say its tough for anyone, and being
> > > blind makes it a little harder. A vr counselor
> should
> > support you by giving
> > >
> > > you the skills to look for work and help you
> network,
> > not throwing you to
> > > some so called specialist who probably just finds
> any
> > job and if you take it
> > >
> > > they can close your case. No, I'll be bold and
> stand up
> > to them and go for
> > > the job that fits my skills.
> > >
> > > Ashley
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Joshua Lester
> > > Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2012 5:22 PM
> > > To: National Association of Blind Students
> mailing
> > list
> > > Subject: Re: [nabs-l] vr counselors and job
> support
> > >
> > > LWSB was a job placement center.
> > > You'd go, and they'd train you for the IRS
> programs.
> > > If you work with VR, you'll know, they'll try to
> send
> > you to LWSB, or
> > > a center like it!
> > > Blessings, Joshua
> > >
> > > On 5/13/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
> > wrote:
> > >> Hi all,
> > >>
> > >> Well, I couldn’t think of a good subject
> line for
> > this complex issue.
> > >>
> > >> I’ll say that I graduated in 2009 with a
> general
> > BA degree in liberal
> > >> studies; kind of where you make your won
> program to
> > complete a degree; I
> > >> picked  my concentrations of social
> sciences
> > and communication. Then
> > >> after
> > >> some training at our state center, I pursued
> a
> > writing certificate at
> > >> Nova,
> > >> northern Virginia community college. 
> I’m
> > finishing that next semester.
> > >> I
> > >> wanted to add more to my resume and take
> classes
> > specific to writing, so
> > >> this was a good investment for me.  My
> career
> > goal is broad; in this
> > >> economy
> > >> you cannot be too picky, whether you are blind
> or
> > not.
> > >> I desire to work in something to help people.
> I’m
> > thinking outreach,
> > >> communication, customer service, or
> > development.  I want to work with a
> > >> team
> > >> of people in an office.
> > >>
> > >> That is some background.  Now as we all
> know
> > getting a job is tough with
> > >> the
> > >> down economy and most jobs are gotten via
> > networking anyway.
> > >> I networked via a disability mentoring day
> for
> > customs and border patrol;
> > >>
> > >> I
> > >> was refered for a unpaid internship in section
> 508
> > compliance after
> > >> following up with the disability program
> manager. I
> > intend to get this
> > >> internship once going through their rigorrous
> > background check.
> > >>
> > >> Well, I’m frustrated with my vr counselor.
> > I tell her I’m looking for
> > >> work
> > >> and explain barriers like lack of experience;
> > visual tasks in entry level
> > >> jobs that include filing, sorting mail, data
> entry
> > etc, etc.
> > >> She schedules a meeting with me to talk over
> my
> > case and I wonder if she
> > >> is
> > >> forcing a service on me for which it will do
> no
> > good.
> > >>
> > >> I then tell her about my internship to end
> the
> > call. “well, you are good
> > >> at
> > >> finding internships, but lets look for a real
> > job.” How insulting! After
> > >> I
> > >> just told her I looked and few entry level
> jobs
> > there and to put down an
> > >> internship where my foot will be in the door
> in the
> > government  that may
> > >> lead somewhere is insulting.
> > >>
> > >> Have anyone of you worked with or  known
> > people who worked with job
> > >> placement specialists?  This counselor
> wants
> > to refer me
> > >> to one. I am skeptical he can help me unless
> he
> > actually takes me out to
> > >> go
> > >> in person to employers, its called cold calls.
> I
> > asked her what he’d do
> > >> for
> > >> me and she was real vague.
> > >> “He’ll send you job leads.” she said.
> > She said something about job
> > >> announcements.
> > >>
> > >> I’ll get more info in the meeting. But I
> just am
> > not sure I should work
> > >> with
> > >> him. I mean it sounds on the surface like a
> waste
> > of time.  I’d rather
> > >> have
> > >> vr work with me on things like a good cover
> letter,
> > interview skills,
> > >> professional dos and don’ts, stuff like
> that. So,
> > I’m wondering if any of
> > >> you had this service and how it went.
> > >>
> > >> Ashley
> > >>
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