[nfbmi-talk] Rehab Counselling

[joe harcz Comcast]

Hi Cheryl,

In a different vein here I must say I was a reporter for decades too. And 
this was while legally blind too. Bottom line is public entities must answer 
the fundamental questions of: who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Of course there is always a tension between those of us who are also 
advocates and these objective principles. But, MCB doesn't answer under this 
regime to either course. Man they haven't had a public hearing, for example 
on anything related to state plan under Cannon. Even commissioners don't get 
timely information related to affairs of this public agency in any format!

My point here is that this agency from the top is very secretive, not unlike 
the old Soviet Union and even when it evolves public documents as my 
numerous posts around the ADA, 504, FOIA and OMa attest.

In my experience as a former reporter I found that whenever a public agent 
or a public agency tried to hide information they indeed inevitably had 
something to hide.

Oh, lord this agency is now half way through its fiscal year and yet is 
trying to make me jump through hoops to get precisely how it spends its 
money which every citizen has the right to know regardless as to 
affiliation, party, or whatever.

There is another layer of insult in these regards and that is that we as 
blind folks have to fight for and are required to pay extra for the same 
information that the average sighted person can get with a click of the 
mouse. And this is illegal, and a pure violation of the ADA/504.

But, here's one rub amongst many rubs...Just who is and who has been the 
State of Michigan ADA coordinator? Well Patrick D. Cannon! Enough said on 
this point for this goofball is a documented serial violator of fundamental 
civil rights within and without the system and state wide at that.

There is not enough time to document the abuses here and the violations of 
fundamental "checks and balances". But, needless to say I've documented many 
of them on this and other lists and they are archived.

Some, though not very many do not like my focus on Cannon, or the Executive 
Management Team at MCB for that matter. But, they are the ones who have 
perniciously and over a protractive period of time who have violated more 
laws in fact and documented fact and deed than the proverbial "Carter has 
liver pills".

All we need to look to again is to the continued requests for accessible 
information and in a timely manner sans even subjective motives to see this 
is true.

This is, in other words a well documented regime by any standards that is 
purely out of control and the Director is a violator, in most documented 
fashion of so many laws and over a protracted period of time and again, in 
documented fashion I can't even count the instances of same.

Peace comes only with Justice,

Joe
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cheryl Wade" <wadecher at msu.edu>
To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2011 11:22 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] Rehab Counseling


> Hello,
>
> Fred, you mentioned how, at NFB programs, counselors invite students to 
> their homes for meals. That's a great idea for a program that's 
> self-contained, and I think I would feel comfortable doing that in such a 
> situation. But for ethical reasons, counselors feel they might compromise 
> their relationships with clients if they become too friendly outside the 
> office. It's kind of like my reporting career: if your beat is city hall 
> and you hang around at the city manager's house for BBQ, some might 
> consider you suspect.
>
> Of course, counselors should above all be caring, loyal to their clients, 
> considerate of clients' needs above those of the status quo or outside 
> parties. They should, and indeed are commanded to, practice beneficence 
> and justice toward clients. That sometimes means treating all clients in a 
> similar way -- though not alike. So, if there are cuts and prioritization 
> of services, we must handle emergency situations but must not push some 
> clients ahead of others
>
> You guys are tough, and I like that. But I hope you give some of us newly 
> emerging counselors a chance. I would encourage clients to tell their 
> counselors when they're unhappy.
>
> Fred, you also mentioned how counselors should take the lead role in 
> finding jobs for clients. There is considerable discussion about that. I 
> believe that counselors should encourage clients to take as much 
> responsibility as they are comfortable doing, but prepare them for that 
> level of independence. The reason is that, if we don't encourage that kind 
> of personal responsibility in the counseling venue, we might unwittingly 
> be making clients more dependent, not less so, and patronizing them by 
> making them feel that the job search is the counselor's agenda. It is the 
> client, after all, who will be working at that job for awhile and should 
> be comfortable and happy as possible with it.
>
> Cheryl Wade
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Larry D. Keeler" <lkeeler at comcast.net>
> To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2011 9:33 PM
> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] Rehab Counseling
>
>
>> Great points Mary and Fred!  I was thinking of the general counseling 
>> program at Eastern Michigan University.  It is a generic program that 
>> teaches the skills of counseling to a wide variety of professions.  What 
>> I have found out is that yes, you can come out with many of the 
>> essentials but some of the specifics not so much.  Fred, we sure do need 
>> a center like that one in Michigan!  Joe, we need to change the system 
>> here in Michigan because everyone shouldn't have to leave the state to 
>> become self reliant.  Right now I see you are entirely correct but my 
>> hope is that we can change it before there is nothing at all!
>> Intelligence is always claimed but rarely proven!
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>
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