[nabs-l] Thoughts on an interest group for Health Care Professionals

[Darian Smith]

Kaiti and all,
  This is a great question and one that in my opinion (for whatever it’s worth) is difficult to find a clear answer to without a  good bit of looking around for  likeminded folks.
 I can’t claim to be an expert on how divisions might go about their business, but I imagine Human Services might go about establishing a committee for  healthcare professionals. This might make  for a gathering place within the division and could give all the opportunity to explore common concerns and share tips tricks and  techniques. 
   this could make for a great opportunity to expand the  activities, programs and reach of the division   without making any real changes to the  structure of the division.  a part of the  agenda of meetings could easily be carved out to explore the types of things   the committee wants to talk about. 
 I think it could be very similar to a committee for international students within NABS. The  positives for such an organized subgroup are present  in that there are certain similarities connecting  these  interests to the larger division, but  differences that  bring important value to having    an established   committee.
 I hope that makes sense.
  Regards,
   Darian.
                                     
> On Dec 9, 2014, at 2:48 AM, Kaiti Shelton via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> Recently there has been discussion over on the Human Services List
> about whether or not to change the division's name to allow for
> inclusion of those in the health care fields.  If this passes, the
> division would become something like the "Health and Human Services
> Division."  Right now, views seem to be split almost down the middle
> at least by those who have responded to the thread.  Some believe that
> the mind-body connection warrants the inclusion of health care
> professionals in the division, and think that there aren't enough
> people in the health care fields within the NFB to form a separate
> group or division.  Others point out that the problems encountered by
> blind health care professionals are different from those in the human
> services fields, and that although there is a connection between mind
> and body and those individuals could be included in the human services
> division we don't really know whether or not there is enough interest
> or a population of people worth starting a separate group for because
> no one has made one yet.
> 
> As someone in an allied health profession, which follows a very
> wholistic approach not just addressing the mind and body, but also
> emotional wellness and spiritual health for those who choose to be
> spiritual, I have my own opinions about this.  I have found the human
> services to be a great group of people who have been a great resource
> to me, but there are some things I've experienced as a student in my
> field which they have no idea how to comment on.  Though my field uses
> a lot of the same principles found in sociology and psychology, as
> well as counseling, the people there truly don't understand the full
> scope of what people in professions similar to mine do.  However, if I
> had a group where people understood the physical workings of the human
> body, I could ask the questions I can't ask on the human services
> group like, "How to do X with a client with Y physical limitation."  I
> could also ask questions specific to hospital problems, ways to get
> around accessing visual information on patients, etc.  So far the
> adaptations for things like getting the information that is found on
> monitors have been just things I've thought up myself, but it would be
> great, I think, to have a think tank of people who have tried
> different approaches, have different ideas, etc.  I would stay in the
> human services division no matter what because that is a huge aspect
> of my future career, but I do think this topic warrants at least a
> separate mailing list or group if there are enough people to make it
> worthwhile.
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> -- 
> Kaiti
> 
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