[nabs-l] Questions About Using Vocational Rehab's Services

[Ashley Bramlett]

Kerri,

You might do well to see a counselor with such low self esteem. Insurance 
pays that sort of stuff and if you get medicaid, it will too.
I think you need to be more positive and set some goals.

As for rehab, I echo Arielle.
The counselor sounds open minded.
This is what is supposed to happen. Although as you will see in the last 
part of my message, rehab does not help much.
First, I think you need to look for work yourself and have a  plan. Take 
control of it. Rehab may attempt to dictate where you apply or discourage 
your exploration, but its your life and do what is in your best interest.

Second, about rehab.
This is what is supposed to occur.
You will meet your counselor as you are doing. You will state a vocational 
goal. You will have an individualized plan for employment, called the IPE 
for short.
Your current services will be on the IPE. Ideally, you and the counselor are 
involved and agree on the services. Then you sign your IPE; so bring your 
signature guide.

Tell him its temporary work. But make it related to your goal. For instance, 
you mentioned earlier months back that you might want to be a journalist. So 
if that's the case, your vr goal is journalist, but your current job goal 
might be part time newsletter writer or being some communication assistant.

I know you went to a center, but if you wish to review or improve any 
skills, request this. Your state should offer home based services for 
training; for instance, you might want O&M or pc training.
This is on the IPE.

Next, you work on your plan.
Next, counselors and clients do their part and keep in touch. They work 
together to find jobs suited to the client's goal.

So, your comments about the workshops should not even be  an issue.
Your counselor legally has to follow your IPE. If they fail to do this and 
attempt to steer you to a sheltered workshop or any other setting not in 
your documented best interest, you have the right to complain.

So, just be firm and don't let them try to take advantage of you.

Now here is what happened with me.
Rehab has been little help finding internships and jobs.
They  tell clients to look for work themselves and do not restrict where you 
apply to.
They only send job leads and such leads are often irrelevant to my skills 
and goals.
I just ignore those.

Some rehab agencies try to place clients in jobs just to close their case.
It varies significantly from one state to another.
So you will have to get a feel for your own state and in particular your 
counselor. I've had bad counselors, but there are actually counselors who 
care and do their jobs.

As to what you can realistically do without a degree, you can do a lot.
Think of your interests. Do you like teaching? Do you like kids? If yes, you 
could tutor kids or teens in subjects you are strong in. This assumes you 
can explain the concepts well. Often agencies only hire college educated 
people as tutors, but I see no reason why you can't just tutor kids on your 
own; just advertise your services at a local school or day care.

Do you like writing? can you work in an office?
If yes, jobs such as writer and editor come to mind.
Many blind people without degrees work in customer service call centers.
Do you think you can do that?
A lady in my nfb chapter works for NIB and she used to work for Hyatt.

Are you interested?
If so, there is a center focused on call center work in NY.
It is a great program. You hear from industry experts in the program. You 
also learn to use common databases you'd use on the job.
They call them contact centers; but it’s the same as call center.

It is the National Statler center.
Google it for more info.

Do you like cooking? Maybe you could work in a bakery.

I hope these ideas are helpful.
I think as long as you have a goal and assert yourself, rehab will not place 
you in a dumpy job and close your case.

Ashley
-----Original Message----- 
From: Kerri Kosten via nabs-l
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2014 10:04 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: [nabs-l] Questions About Using Vocational Rehab's Services

Hey Everyone:

Since I can't go back to school, I have to find a job or something to do.
What is it like using Rehab to help you find a job?
I'm afraid they will just place me into one of those sheltered
workshops doing something simple like for example shredding paper or
something like that and then when I want to go back to school my
family and my counselor will say something like "This is your job now.
You get paid doing this," or something like that and will mess with my
head and they will convince me I can't go back to school or anything.
How does using Rehab to help you find a job work?
How do blind people end up in those sheltered workshops, particularly
the ones that pay sub-minimum wages that the NFB has been trying so
hard to fight?
Does Rehab just place you in a job they want/think you should have
just to give you a job?
Does Rehab encourage you to do research and look for jobs on your own
or do they just dictate to you which ones they feel you should apply
for?
I have to make an appointment with my rehab counselor and I am really
really scared. The counselor I have now is one I really respect. He is
a former football player, who actually lost his eyesight playing
football for the team/school I am a huge fan of. Because of things
that have happened in my past (I won't go into it here, if you want to
know more email me off-list) I really look up to, and respect males
like my counselor who are really really into sports. Ever since I got
this counselor back in 2011, I have always tried to do my best for
him. Even though I was absolutely scared to death about going to
training at LCB, I pushed myself because I wanted to do well for him
and for him to see me as a motivated individual. After completing
training, when I would speak to him on the phone, he was always so
proud of me. He really thinks I am this motivated individual.
Now, the problem is I'm really not like that. I tried going back to
school last semester and unintentionally failed out. My counselor does
not know this yet, and when I have this meeting I will have to tell
him. I myself am very ashamed and embarrassed about what happened in
school, and don't really like talking about it with anyone,
particularly those I really look up to such as him.
I also really know nothing when it comes to just getting a random job
when you have no college degree. I'm not sure what I as a blind person
I could realistically do. This again really embarrasses me, because I
want my counselor to see me as confident, independent, and motivated.
Would it be best to maybe apply for a couple of jobs before I go into
the meeting so I can tell my counselor I have done a couple of things
on my own first? I could apply to our grocery store, or maybe Walmart
might be looking for a greeter or something like that...
I am just so so afraid I am going into this and will end up totally
depending on Rehab for everything and I don't want to do that.
Because of my lack of knologe of what I want to do and such, I'm
afraid my counselor is just going to place me in some kind of
sheltered workshop or something like that and since I can't go back to
school for a year, I will get comfortable in said job and then when I
want to go back to school or something everyone will convince me
otherwise.
I guess I just don't want my counselor realizing how much I have
slipped since coming back from training. He spent a lot of money to
send me to training, and I want to be confident and such the way we
were taught at training. But, I'm really really afraid as the meeting
progresses he will see through me and figure things out. I just really
struggle horribly with self-esteem issues, and when someone says to me
"I am so proud of you I sent you to training and now your setting the
world on fire," that makes me feel so good and I really want to
continue to do well for that person.
Any answers/experiences regarding rehab and your counselor you could
share would be great!
Thanks,
Kerri

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