[rehab] Systemic questions WAS Re: Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor II - September 15 2011.docx

Thu Sep 22 16:49:10 UTC 2011

Tami,
None of it happened accidentally.  People had to get together and work at
it.  If services in your state are bad and the administrator is the
problem, you need to work with the other blind people in the state - NFB
if you are a member - to effect a change.  Things you can do that will
actually work:

1. Attend board and/or rehabilitation council meetings and express your
concerns.
2. Contact your state senator and representative to see what they can do
to help.
3. Contact the Governor's office and see what they are willing to do.
4. If your agency is part of a larger agency, go talk to the head of that
agency.
5. Attend state budget hearings in the house and senate, and talk about
your concerns, and ask them to require the agency to implement a
corrective action plan in order to get continued funding (this is
particularly terrifying to agency heads).
6. Call the Rehabilitation Services Administration in Washington, D.C. and
share your concerns with the specialist who handles your particular state.
They do periodic reviews of states and could address your issues at that
time.  It's a slow process, so be patient but persistent.

In all of the above, make sure you have good documentation, and share it
freely with the people you talk to. Stay focused on your goal, which is to
solve the problem, and accept the solutions, even if they aren't exactly
what you wanted a the beginning. Always be polite, and never say or do
anything that will allow them to write you off as a crank or a vindictive
troublemaker. Think of yourself as a surgeon who cuts someone with a
knife, not to hurt them, but only to remove something that would kill them
otherwise.

And finally, don't ever think of yourself as powerless.  You have plenty
of power.  The question is, are you ready and willing to use it?

Hope this helps.
Dick Davis

-----Original Message-----
From: rehab-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:rehab-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Tami Kinney
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2011 11:02 AM
To: rehab at nfbnet.org
Subject: [rehab] Systemic questions WAS Re: Vocational Rehabilitation
Counselor II - September 15 2011.docx

Wow! That is fascinating. Also, quite wonderful. /smile/ So, then, it
starts with leadership and is supported by some really great teamwork..
I had not realized that history or how much that original strong
leadership and teamwork then spread to influence all of us in one way or
another for the better.

This example, then, does support the basic conclusions I have come to
about the reverse effect in my state... As I see it, in my opinion, which
may or may not be as accurate as I like to assume. /smile/ Top down
problem, now endemic and pervasive. Based on clear negative attitudes
toward blindness of the administrator who has been there since the
beginning, having worked for the precursor agency. Sorry, I'm being vague
and trying to leave out names, since I'm not communicating in order to
bash. Just to try to figure some things out and gain greater
understanding. And test my own conclusions.

Now the mystery to me is why certain things have been allowed to go on for
so long. By the board of commissioners -- in that time span, it has to
have been a variety of people doing the same thing over and over.
which is to ignore the clear and documented problems by leaving the same
administrator in charge. Sorry, 35 (plus, now) years of audits failed,
each and every one, for the same reasons, with the same tone in the
response by the same administrator is beyond me to grasp. In the present,
I do see a lot of protectionism of that leadership and the underlying
layers of management and staff that appears to me to be strongly
counterproductive. If not destructive. So that's what I don't get at this
point.

Then the naturally following question for me would be "What can I as an
individual do to effect change" here in my own little corner of the Right
now, within the context of my own life and circumstances, nil to nothing.
Except to take opportunities to communicate and educate. /smile

So I thank you for your time and attention in answering my questions so
openly and informatively. Any fool can run off at the mouth about what
they think and feel, but ... Knowing and understanding is what makes
communicating worthwhile and beneficial to all parties. Knowledge is
power! Knowing how to use that knowledge is just plain tricky. /grin/

Tami

On Thu, 2011-09-22 at 08:47 -0500, Dick Davis wrote:
> Dave,
>
> That's the truth.  Jim Nyman, who is a Federationist, started as
> director of the Nebraska agency in the mid-1970's.  He had a good
> philosophy about blindness and a solid belief in blind people.  He
> encouraged the growth of independent, self-sufficient, politically
> astute blind people, and as a result, the NFB of Nebraska flourished.
> They didn't always see eye to eye with him, but they knew a good thing
> and supported it.  Fred Schroeder had his first job teaching
> orientation and mobility there.  Carlos Servan became one of its
> deputy directors, and still is. John Cheadle, who manages the
> facilities at the National Center for the Blind and the Jernigan
> Institute, was a supervisor in the Omaha office. Rose Lerdahl, who ran
> its Lincoln office (and I think also their orientation center) became
> director of the training center at Blind Industries and Services of
Maryland.
>
> Nebraska introduced the concept of all day sleepshades, not Dr.
> Jernigan, as many people believe.  Carl Olson worked to develop the
> concept of structured discovery learning that was adopted by the NFB
> training centers and others, and forms the basis for the professional
> training programs at Louisiana Tech.  There's Pearl Van Zandt, Fatos
> and Michael Floyd, Duncan Larson, who now works in the Colorado
> Center, Dave Dawson, who runs the radio reading service in Colorado,
> and many other good people whose names I would remember if I took more
> time to think about them.  After many years of work, they were able to
> convert the Nebraska agency, which had been in a larger umbrella
> agency, into a freestanding commission for the blind.  The ACB, which
> thought it was a good idea, pitched in to make it happen.  It took the
> work of many people, blind and sighted, over a span of 35-plus years to
make Nebraska what it is today.
>
> Dick Davis
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rehab-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:rehab-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of David Andrews
> Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 5:51 PM
> To: Rehabilitation Counselor Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [rehab] Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor II -
> September 15 2011.docx
>
> It starts with leadership that "gets it," without that nothing will be
> agency-wide.
>
> Dave
>
> At 03:03 PM 9/21/2011, you wrote:
> >Yeah, I've heard really excellent things about Nebraska's agency..
> >Despite the general devolution of the VR agencies in so many states
> >over the last decade or so... No insult to any particular agency or
> >any individual rehab counselor for working in one of the states that
> >has lost ground. It does seem to have been an unfortunate trend...
> >
> >I know some of the eastern states are still on the list of those with
> >working, effective agencies, some easier to get services from than
> >others, but it seems people get those services in the end. But I
> >notice Nebraska because It's just kinda out there all by itself being
> >really great that way.
> >
> >So here's what I wonder... What is different about their state agency
> >that makes it stand out in terms of providing those services and
> >tools for their blind consumers efficiently and in a way that leaves
> >the consumer felling happy for having such a great experience?
> >
> >I apologize if the question is beyond the scope of the list. I've
> >been looking at the overall system to better understand my own state
> >system from the point of view of a consumer, trying to figure out
> >what the secret key is that makes the difference between a great
> >state agency and a dysfunctional one. I mean, all the states operate
> >under the same general set of laws and rules and requirements...
> >They're all facing economic difficulties that are very similar in
> >nature. So what is it that makes the difference and why are the
differences often so profound?
> >
> >Just curious as heck. /smile/
> >
> >Tami
> >
> >On Mon, 2011-09-19 at 08:48 -0500, Dick Davis wrote:
> > > From our state president in Nebraska. Excellent agency!
> > > Dick Davis
> > > ------------------------------
> > >
> > > Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor II
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Closing Date: 11:59 p.m. September 30, 2011
> > >
> > > Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Description:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Under general supervision, performs complex, specialized
> > > vocational counseling, guidance and placement for individuals with
> > > visual impairments and/or other disabilities.
> > >
> > > Hours: 8-5, Monday - Friday.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Examples of Work:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Performs interviews, diagnostic services, testing, job training
> > > and job placement of eligible clients; confers with clients to
> > > discuss options and goals. Provides follow-up services for clients
> > > in all aspects of vocational adjustment; monitors and records
clients'
> > > progress and ensures goals and objectives are met. Assists in
> > > coordinating training, re-socialization, remedial education and
> > > overall client programming. Arranges for intelligence,
> > > psychological, vocational interest, aptitude
> > testing and other
> > > tests and evaluations to obtain information in regards to
> > assessing clients'
> > > needs and developing rehabilitation plans. Assists district or
> > > unit supervisors with program needs and evaluation and may be
> > > involved in corollary administrative functions. Serves as a
> > > resource person to the professional staff in vocational
rehabilitation related matters.
> > > Prepares and maintains required reports, correspondence, case
> > > files
> and records.
> > > Develops and maintains relationships with originating agencies,
> > > schools, community organizations and public employers.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Qualifications/Requirements:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > REQUIREMENTS: Bachelors degree in social science, behavioral
> > science, social
> > > work, counseling/guidance, vocational rehabilitation, psychology,
> > sociology,
> > > human development, education or related and two years experience
> > > OR Masters degree in any of the above mentioned fields or related
area.
> > > Candidates who possess the required degree, but do not meet the
> > > experience requirements, may be hired as a Rehabilitation
> > > Counselor I ($14.896/hour) until such experience qualifications are
met.
> > >
> > > OTHER: Successful candidates for employment must be able to
> > > satisfactorily pass an extensive criminal background check. All
> > > new hires will
> > complete 600
> > > hours of immersion training in Lincoln, at NCBVI expense, at the
> > > Nebraska Center for the Blind to learn the alternative skills of
> > > blindness (cane travel, Braille, assistive technology, activities
> > > of daily living, etc.); those completing the training will be
> > > certified as Vocational
> > Rehabilitation
> > > Counselors for the blind. Work is performed under the direct
> > > supervision of a district or unit supervisor. Field assignments
> > > and travel are involved in varying degrees. State agencies are
> > > responsible to evaluate each of their positions to determine their
> > > individual overtime eligibility status as required by the Fair
> > > Labor
> Standards Act (FLSA).
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Knowledge of: vocational rehabilitation counseling methods and
> > > techniques; human behavior and performance; medical and mental
> > > disabilities and their effects on the rehabilitation process;
> > > adaptive equipment available for clients served; principles and
> > > procedures for training development and instruction; group
> > > behavior
> and dynamics; basic sign language. Skill in:
> > > interviewing others to collect essential information;
> > > communicating to convey information; monitoring and assessing
> > > performance and implementing actions; reviewing information to
> > > develop options and
> implement solutions.
> > > Ability to: learn, interpret and apply provisions of the
> > Rehabilitation Act;
> > > collect, analyze and evaluate data to apply to the development and
> > > implementation of a rehabilitation plan; maintain accurate
> > > records; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.
>
>
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