[nfbmi-talk] march mcb insight

[joe harcz Comcast]

For those who don't have the patience or wherewhithal to wade through the MCB web sit this is from the resources and staff links:

MCB Insight
Michigan Commission for the Blind, March 2011

 

 

In This Issue:  (Click on title to go to the complete article.)

 

Welcome, New Commissioners

By Pat Cannon, MCB State Director, Lansing

 

MCB Training Center Update

By Sherri Heibeck, MCB Training Center Director, Kalamazoo

 

Vocational Exploration and Career Planning Class

By Karen DeVera, Rehabilitation Teacher, MCBTC, Kalamazoo

 

Communications & Outreach Update

By Susan Turney, Communications & Outreach Coordinator, Lansing

 

Training Update

By Bob Robertson, Manager of Organizational Development, Lansing

 

How to Update Your NLS Digital Talking Book Player Firmware

By Meagan Daniels, Braille and Talking Book Library Intern, Lansing  

 

Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America Sagebrush Conference 2011

By James Hull, Assistant B E P Manager, Lansing

 

Letters

 

Staff News

 

Staff Profile: Patricia Angerman

By Susan Turney, Communications & Outreach Coordinator, Lansing

 

 

Welcome, New Commissioners
By Pat Cannon, MCB State Director, Lansing

 

Governor Rick Snyder has announced two new appointments to the Michigan Commission for the Blind.  Larry Posont and Lydia Schuck are now on the board.  I know that many of you are familiar with Larry through his long affiliation with the National Federation of the Blind and with Lydia as someone who is active with NFB’s parent division, the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children.  Larry Posont, of Dearborn Heights, is president of the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan. He has also served for 16 years on the board of directors for Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind. He has been active with Michigan programs for blind persons through his service to the state and the Commission for the Blind Business Enterprise Program. Lydia Schuck, of Mason, has been a member of the Commission's Consumer Involvement Council for more than six years. She also founded the Braille Sharing Library for families who are home-schooling blind students. Larry Posont replaces former commissioner Michael Geno and Lydia Schuck replaces former commissioner Margaret Wolfe. They will serve three-year terms, expiring September 30, 2013, and these appointments are subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. Please join me in welcoming Larry and Lydia to the Commission. I also want to extend appreciation again to Michael Geno and Margaret Wolfe for their good work as Commissioners.

 

 

MCB Training Center Update
By Sheri Heibeck, MCB Training Center Director

 

We are in full swing here at the Clarion!  Our student count is increasing weekly, and we expect to be up to capacity in the very near future.  We now have a fully equipped training kitchen and all classes are up and running!  In addition, we have added two new staff and moved several staff to new or different positions.  

 

Marie Knapp has joined Support Services, and we welcome her aboard.  On February 7, Katie Irish started as a Domestic Service Aide, providing both cooking and cleaning services on the night shift.  Some of you may remember Katie when she worked as a Student Assistant with the Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL).  We are excited to have both Katie and Marie as part of our MCB family.  

 

We have four people that have taken on different responsibilities here at the Center.  Corda Moss is now a Departmental Analyst and will be working with Libera to develop, implement, train, and maintain a Training Center module within System 7 as well as providing research and reports for the Training Center.  Karen DeVera is now working in a teaching capacity.  She will be running the “Vocational Exploration and Career Planning” class.  Ian Shadrick will be doing both counseling and teaching, and Wendy VanElk will be teaching almost every class we offer at MCBTC.  

 

I would like to thank the staff here at MCBTC for everything they have done to make this transition as painless as possible.  It has taken elbow grease and teamwork to make this move.  I would also like to thank MCB staff in the field for being patient with us during this transition.  I am hoping that the move back will be a little quicker.  Speaking of moving back – the scheduled date to move back is October 31.  Currently everything is on target.  The abatement is completed, much of the demolition is completed, and they have begun well digging for the Geo-Thermal HVAC System.  If you happen to be in town, stop by the storage barn.  Dan can provide a hard hat and a tour!  It’s an interesting view these days.  I will try to provide some photos, as Dave Bowden has been our resident photographer for the project!

 

Hope to see you soon!  If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

 

 

Vocational Exploration and Career Planning Class
By Karen DeVera, Rehabilitation Teacher, MCBTC, Kalamazoo

 

MCBTC is expanding and enhancing the “World of Work” class, and the significant upgrade has warranted a new name for the class.  This class is now called the “Vocational Exploration and Career Planning” class (VECP).  It is a two-track career exploration and job readiness training course.

 

The first track will assist students not only in the choice of academic and career direction, but also in the development of individual identity and purpose.   Work can give life meaning.  It often defines people and how individuals live. Because the right job can add enrichment to life, it is important to find work that matches interests, abilities, skills, qualifications, and aptitudes.   The course will assist students in matching their traits and abilities through vocational exploration.  The class will cover these topics:  

 

·     Aptitude Testing that will measure the basic academic skills of reading, spelling, and mathematical computation necessary for effective learning, communication, and thinking; 

·     Interest Assessment, which helps an individual learn the most about themselves in relation to the wide variety of occupations available; 

·     Self Directed Search, which provides individualized career matching using a battery of self-assessment tools, where an individual begins to clarify his or her goals, assess strengths and weaknesses, and explore alternatives and new possibilities;

·     Career Exploration and Planning, by assisting clients based on the information above to assess job interest via the Occupational Outlook Handbook, Occupational Information Network, Career One Stop, Job Profiles, New Guide for Occupational Exploration, Job Shadowing, and Informational Interviewing.  Also covered in this class will be Job Searches, Networking, and Resume, Cover Letter and Application/Application Data Sheet writing.

 

The second track is for those individuals with no employment experience and/or no demonstrated work skills, or for individuals with cognitive, physical, or other limitations.  This segment will provide Evaluation and Assessment including Occupational Therapy Evaluation, Situational Work Assessment, Interest Assessment, Career Exploration, Job Readiness Training, and Job Seeking Skills Training.

 

This program has already provided great resources to students since the Training Center reopened in January.  Many students were introduced to resources available in the library for career exploration and job search at the Kalamazoo Public Library, and this service will be an ongoing part of the VECP Class.  In addition, there have been actual work experiences for students as a dishwasher at Denny’s Restaurant and a janitor in the MCBTC Maintenance Department.  Many informational interviews and job shadows have been provided,  including these: 

 

·     Investigator at Kalamazoo Public Safety Department, Criminal Investigations Division; 

·     Hearing Impaired Teacher at Woodland Elementary School; 

·     Child Protective Service Worker at Michigan Department of Human Services; 

·     Sports Psychologist with Dr. Thomas George, Ph. D., at University of Michigan; 

·     Pre-School Teacher/Childcare Worker at Curious Kids – Portage Public Schools

·     Teacher Assistant/Childcare Worker; 

·     Hearing Impaired Teacher at Portage Public Schools/Portage Central High School; 

·     Self-Employment/Small Business Owner with Dykstra’s Appliance Service, Inc; and

·     Teacher Assistant/Childcare Worker for children ages 3-4 at Curious Kids Pre-school Program.  

 

MCBTC is in the process of acquiring some accessible work sample tools to be used in the VECP class that are designed to elicit information on several work-related characteristics, including the ability to follow instructions, stamina, motivation, concentration skills, ability to follow instructions, frustration tolerance, communication skills, decision-making skills, and self-confidence.  A special recognition should go to Wendy VanElk, for her leadership in the World of Work class, and to Karen DeVera, who has worked diligently to expand and upgrade this course. 

 

 

Communications & Outreach Update
By Susan Turney, Communications & Outreach Coordinator, Lansing

 

Here’s an update of communications-related projects and media coverage during the last few months.

 

Several media outlets did stories on the December 10 MCB Achievement Honor Roll Awards presentation.  Three Lansing TV channels (6, 10, and 47) aired stories on consumer award recipient Jeff Smith, formerly of Owosso.  In addition, the Owosso Argus-Press and the Flint Journal published stories on Jeff Smith, and the Traverse City Record-Eagle noted that Bill Jones of Bellaire had received the award.  The press articles are posted online with links on the Press Room page of the MCB website (www.michigan.gov/mcb). 

 

In late December, MCB State Director Pat Cannon and Consumer Services Director Leamon Jones were interviewed in Lansing by DSE-TV President Ann Bratsburg regarding MCB’s mission and array of services.  DSE-TV is a Muskegon local cable TV station and multi-media organization broadcasting on Comcast channel 97, www.dsetv.com, and YOUTUBE CH-dsetvmuskegon.  The program is expected to be re-broadcast in the future and posted online.

 

Pat Cannon was invited to share the podium with optometrist Dr. Sarah Hinkley during her presentation titled “Low Vision Rehabilitation Through the Lens of Primary Care,” presented at the Michigan Optometric Association’s annual Winter Seminar of continuing education on February 9.  This is the first time that an MCB director has been invited to participate as a presenter at this event, which has been strictly limited to technical presentations within the field of optometry.  Although Director Cannon was unable to participate in person on that day, he prepared a video message on the important role of eye care professionals in referring their patients to MCB for rehabilitation services.  Dr. Hinkley spoke about the importance and relevance of low vision rehabilitation in a primary care optometry setting, and the DVD was played as a part of her presentation.  Dr. Hinkley received many favorable comments from the seminar participants, and since then MCB has received phone calls from optometrists requesting MCB publications to distribute to their patients.

 

On March 11, I met with the executive director of the Michigan Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (MiSEPS) to discuss opportunities for collaboration during 2011.

 

The MCB 2010 Annual Report has been posted on the MCB website in Microsoft Word and PDF formats, and print copies have been mailed to all MCB locations and approximately 3,000 individuals and organizations. This year’s report includes highlights of MCB’s FY 2010 accomplishments, information on the high return on investment for dollars spent on rehabilitation, statistics on how new clients hear about MCB and are referred to the agency, and the photos and stories of the six 2010 consumer Achievement Honor Roll Award recipients.  The cover photo features 2010 Achievement Honor Roll Award recipient Steve Scott of Portage repairing a snow blower in his store.  Steve is a former consumer of West Region Assistant Manager Lisa Kisiel, and he’s the owner of Something for All Seasons, a lawn mower and snow blower sales and repair store. There’s also a photo in the report of Hope Springstead (a former consumer of Lansing Rehabilitation Counselor Nichole Wright).  Hope has just graduated from MSU with a degree in journalism and wants to become the first blind news anchor in the U.S.

 

MCB is continuing to provide information on its services in print and in online community service directories and to send MCB publications to eye care professionals, Michigan Secretary of State offices, health care professionals, community service organizations, and individuals upon request.  

 

 

Training Update
By Bob Robertson, Manager of Organizational Development, Lansing

 

A program called Race and Culture in Rehabilitation Services was presented on December 13 in Lansing. Unfortunately, a severe winter storm prior to that date resulted in only about half of the scheduled participants being able to make it. The presenter, Dr. John Lee from Michigan State University, has agreed to do a repeat presentation for those who missed the last one. That information will be shared with all staff as soon as Dr. Lee is able to find time on his busy schedule. The feedback from those in attendance was overwhelmingly positive. In fact, at least a couple people said it was the best session they’ve ever attended on race and culture.

  

The annual MAER Conference is scheduled for April 14-15 in Livonia. About eight MCB staff are expected to attend. The agenda for the conference covers a wide range of topics including a session on assistive technology. 

 

Other in-service training programs being considered or already scheduled for the coming months are a follow-up session on the Motivational Interviewing training that occurred last summer for counselors and teachers from the TACE Center, a CRC ethics program being presented by the Job Placement and Development Division of the Michigan Rehabilitation Association, and a safe driving program with the Michigan State Police.

 

 

How to Update Your NLS Digital Talking Book Player Firmware
By Meagan Daniels, Braille and Talking Book Library Intern, Lansing  

 

At the Braille and Talking Book Library, one of the most common questions we are asked by patrons who download books from the Braille and Audio Reading Download, or BARD, is “How do I get my digital player to read more than one book from the same thumb drive?”  

 

In order to play multiple books from a thumb drive, you will need to update your digital player’s firmware if your player is operating with any version older than 2.1.0.  Firmware, the software that controls your digital player, is periodically updated by the National Library Service (NLS) to add features such as the Bookshelf. The Bookshelf allows a user to select a title from a list of multiple titles stored on the thumb drive.   NLS will be putting firmware upgrades on new books as they are released on cartridges for patrons who get their books through the mail.  Whether you are using BARD to download your reading material or relying on cartridges delivered to your home, here’s how you can download and install the latest firmware: 

 

1.          Go to the BARD website (https://nlsbard.loc.gov) and log in using your user name and password.

 

2.          Click on the link that says “download latest DTBM Firmware” at the bottom of the page.

 

3.          Download the file titled “Latest DTBM Firmware.zip” to your Desktop.

 

4.          Once the file is downloaded, go to your desktop and click on the zip file to open it.  

 

5.          Select the folder called “Upgrade” within the zip file. 

 

6.          Go to the “Edit” menu and click “copy.” 

 

7.          Insert a thumb drive into your computer. A dialogue will appear. Click on “Open folder to View files.”

 

8.          Go to the Edit menu and click “paste.” This will paste the upgrade folder you copied into your thumb drive.    

 

9.          Remove the thumb drive from your computer after the paste is complete. 

 

10.     Put the thumb drive into the USB port on your digital player. The player will say, “upgrading firmware, please wait.” You will hear a series of beeps. After about 30 seconds, the player will turn on and function normally.

 

11.     To get to your Bookshelf, press and hold the play/stop key until the player beeps and says “Bookshelf.” You can use the fast-forward and rewind keys to move through the books on your thumb drive or cartridge.

 

12.      Press the play/stop key to begin playing the selected book.  

 

 

Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America Sagebrush Conference 2011
By James Hull, Assistant B E P Manager, Lansing

 

The Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America (RSVA) held their 30th annual national Sagebrush Conference the week of February 7-11 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Promotional Agent Joe Pelle and I attended on behalf of MCB, and we were introduced to a variety of innovations at the conference.  

 

At the conference, RSA Commissioner Rutledge spoke on her goals for the program, including improving relationships with other federal departments to increase opportunities for vendors, and she introduced participants to the new RSA Randolph-Sheppard Program Manager, Dan Fry.  Other highlights included presentations on cashless vending systems, interactive sessions on active participation with licensees, and panel discussions with program administrators throughout the country.  

 

One of the most productive sessions in the conference was the session including representatives from RSA to discuss the modernization of the program.  Much of the discussion focused on the decrease in sales nationally, the decrease of vendor earnings, and the advancing age of licensees throughout the country.  There was a lot of discussion about modernizing the program and finding ways to encourage younger people to enter into the program as entrepreneurs, given the broader array of career opportunities that are now available to blind people.  It was noted that the Randolph Sheppard Program is still one of the most successful job opportunities in the country for blind people, and the complexities of new military dining contracts and the establishment of higher quality food services within facilities lends itself nicely to highly educated and motivated people throughout the country.  

 

Regarding Michigan’s program, we highlighted the 12 trainees graduated in the past year, which is more than double that of any other state, and our Reciprocity Agreement, which allows licensees from other states to come to work in Michigan after an abbreviated training, the only such arrangement in the country.  We were also able to expand MCB’s relationships with other state staff members and vendors in order to continue to bring new and creative ideas and opportunities back to our program.

 

 

Letters
Below is part of a note that was sent to Pat Angerman, which includes some compliments regarding Shig Toda.

“I want to tell you how much I have appreciated Mr. Toda’s assistance.  He has given me much help in adjusting to my limited eye sight.”

The e-mail below was sent to MCB staff by Kirsten Durling at the MCB Flint Office:

Dear MCB Staff,

I wanted to take a moment to personally let you know that I'm leaving my position with MCB for the birth of my child this spring. My last day of service will be April 1, 2011. I have truly enjoyed my internship and working here at MCB and I sincerely appreciate having had the opportunity to intern and work at MCB.  Thank you for the support and encouragement that you have provided me during my time with the Commission. I will certainly miss being part of an agency that does such great work for persons with visual impairments in the State of Michigan. Please keep in touch via email.  Again, thanks so much for your support.

Best regards, 

Kirsten Durling

 

 

Staff News
Elsie Duell is our new Administrative Services Manager.  Elsie comes to MCB’s Lansing central office from Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS), where for the last 10 years she has worked as a manager overseeing the AWARE Case management system, AWARE training & help desk, technology, network security, federal reporting, budgeting, social security reimbursement, and customer service desk functions.  Her state government career began 30 years ago with the Department of Labor and the Michigan Employment Security Commission (MESC) in Detroit, and continued with the Secretary of State before MRS.  Elsie can be reached at 517-335-6224 or duelle at michigan.gov. 

Marie Knapp has started work in Kalamazoo as Rehabilitation Services Coordinator at the MCB Training Center.  She can be reached at knappm2 at michigan.gov. 

 

Katie Irish is now in Kalamazoo working as a Domestic Services Aide at the MCB Training Center, cooking and cleaning on the night shift.  Katie had previously worked with MCB as a Student Assistant at the Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL).   Her e-mail address is irishk at michigan.gov. 

 

Samantha Blankenship joined MCB staff as a Student Assistant at the Braille and Talking Book Library in Lansing.  You can reach her at (517) 373-5614.

 

The Detroit office welcomed Leon Wilborn to MCB as a clerical support person. He comes to us from the Department of Corrections, where he was a Word Processing Assistant. He has a degree in Computer Graphics from Schoolcraft College. His phone number is (313) 456-1656 and his e-mail address is wilbornL1 at michigan.gov.

 

The Gaylord office has a new temporary secretary.  Her name is Jennifer Pearson, but she prefers to be called JLynn.  She comes to MCB from Kelly Services and will be with us until May or until a permanent secretary is hired.  Her e-mail address is pearsonj1 at michigan.gov and her phone number is (989) 732-2448.  

 

Shig Toda is now a member of the MCB Training Center family.  Most of you know that Shig has extensive teaching experience and is passionate about technology, making him a great asset to MCB.  Shig has agreed to assist the West Region with teaching for the next several weeks while they fill not only his position but also the teacher position in the Grand Rapids Office. His e-mail address is the same as before:  todas at michigan.gov. 

 

 

Staff Profile:  Patricia Angerman
By Susan Turney, Communications & Outreach Coordinator, Lansing

 

Photo: Patricia Angerman
 

Say hello to Patricia Angerman, better known as Pat!  Pat is a Rehabilitation Counselor and has been with MCB since 2005, when she started as an intern.  Pat graduated from Western Michigan University, where she studied counseling and teaching.  Though Pat has been with MCB this entire time, in December she was hired as a state employee.  She was previously working for SVRC as a teacher/counselor in Grand Rapids, and now she’s filled the rehab counselor position in Kalamazoo vacated by Lisa Kisiel when Lisa was promoted.

 

Pat had an interesting start to her career in rehab work.  She explains, “My bachelor’s degree was in psychology.  After I graduated, I answered an ad in the Chicago Tribune for a job with Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired as an adaptive technology specialist. I was getting more into computers, so it kind of fit. I also worked for a while in banking, and then insurance, and I worked for a company that taught computer networking to persons with disabilities.”

 

She wasn’t entirely satisfied with her job, and at the time she was living near Western Michigan University, one of the top universities for rehabilitation counseling and teaching.  She entered the master’s program there, and she’s been in the rehab field ever since.

 

Pat says, “In rehab work, one of the things I enjoy most is being able to work with consumers from where they start to their ultimate goal for employment, and seeing those changes in that individual along the way.  Among the challenges are that we don’t have enough time to get everything done as quickly as we’d like to.  Also, you see all the potential that an individual has, yet it has to be up to that individual person to make the change.”

 

Pat says she would like to do more in MCB with technology.  Pat says, “I’d like to help diversify our technology options even more.”  She’d also like to work more on transition from high school to college level.  Pat explains, “We do a lot, but not enough.  We also need to do more with transition from college to employment.”  

 

In her free time, what little there is, Pat enjoys going to concerts with her husband.  Their musical interests are very diverse, and they listen to music of almost every genre except heavy rap.  Pat says, “We went to see Sugarland last week.  Buddy Guy is one of my favorites, and I’ve seen him several times.  My mother-in-law used to be with the Kalamazoo Symphony, so I’ve been to a lot of those concerts.  I’ve seen Miles Davis, and I saw Buddy Rich when I was in high school.  My band director was really instrumental in making sure I knew who these people were.”  

 

Speaking of high school band, Pat was in both the marching band and the concert band.  She played, trumpet, French horn, trombone, mellophone (which is similar to a trumpet with a larger bell), and drums, but not all at the same time.

 

Asked about other aspects of her life, Pat says, “ I’m married, I have two dogs and my husband.  I like to make greeting cards.  I like gardening, both vegetables and flowers, and I can’t wait for summer!”

 

Pat says that in the future she’d like to travel, because there are a lot of places, even in the United States, that she hasn’t seen.  Pat says, “I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon, or Mt. Rushmore.”

 

Asked if there’s anything else she’d like to add, Pat answers without hesitation, “When I started my internship under Michelle Visscher, she gave me the most challenging consumers that she could find to work with, including people with unique and nearly insurmountable challenges.  I am happy to say that Michelle’s trial by fire did not make me leave the rehab field, and in spite of all her attempts, I’m here to stay.”

 

If you’d like to contact Pat for information on upcoming concerts, card making, or gardening, you can contact her at (269) 337-3276, extension 257, or angermanp at michigan.gov.   

 

 
MCB Insight is a bimonthly e-mail newsletter published by the Michigan Commission for the Blind (MCB) and distributed to MCB staff during the first week of odd-numbered months.  If you have articles or ideas for MCB Insight, please send them to Christine Movalson at movalsonc at michigan.gov anytime.  Your suggestions and comments are welcome.  This publication is available in alternative formats upon request to persons with disabilities.

 

Contributors and others assisting with this issue:  Patricia Angerman, Cindy Caldwell, Pat Cannon, Sue Chinault, Meagan Daniels, Kirsten Durling, Sherri Heibeck, James Hull, Bob Robertson, and Susan Turney.

 

Editor:  Christine Movalson, Communications & Outreach Intern, Michigan Commission for the Blind, DELEG.

 

Associate Editor:  Susan Turney, Communications & Outreach Coordinator, Michigan Commission for the Blind, DELEG.

 

Associate Editor:  Bob Robertson, Manager of Organizational Development, Michigan Commission for the Blind, DELEG.

 

The Michigan Commission for the Blind, a part of the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth, is an equal opportunity employer/program.  

 

Michigan Commission for the Blind

Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth

201 N. Washington Square, 2nd floor

P.O. Box 30652

Lansing, MI 48909

Voice (toll-free) 1-800-292-4200

TTY (toll-free) 1-888-864-1212

www.michigan.gov/mcb

 

 

 

 

 

 


  

 

 

 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: clip_image002.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 2371 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/attachments/20110330/d47e990c/attachment.jpg>