So today I went to visit my vocational rehab counselor and told her I would take a couple of IT classes and would eventually like to start a business from home. I’m having a great time doing technical writing at volunteering and would not like doing repetitive office work for life… She disagrees with me going back to school and didn’t help me pay for it, which she can do. She says the goal is for me to get a real job and school isn’t necessary. She set me up with a 3 month paid training to learn how to scan documents. I took the job and settled by cutting back on classes. I’d eventually want a career though, not to be roped into some random office job… Idk if she’s right that working from home is not a good idea. The truth is I partially chose work from home because I get anxiety going out sometimes. What would you do? The issue is really not pressing as I want to take it slow, but kind of just want to talk lol. Any thoughts?
I tried VR once. It was truely terrible.
They wont pay for any schooling at all unless it is like awheelchair user who just needs a couple of classes. (and they probably give those folks a hard time).
Mine tried to disqualify me by sending me to a psychologist for a minimental status exam. They then claimed i was disqualified for services. I was also told “they didnt do all that” when i asked about medicine and treatment.
You can try, but in comparison with how i was treated, i think your lucky to get even what you got (if you can even get that from them?)
I really get the feeling, most of the time, they are there only to ‘help’ those people who applied for disabiliy. If your unaware, many people who fail to completely convience a disabilty judge are sent to VR.
VR was also supposed to set me up with a job recruiter since day one. They never did cause it would cost them about $500.
What happened is they just stalled me off . I was with them for about 11 months and they would not do anything for me except tell me i had to give up all accomedations i needed to work.(in which case who needs them?)
I hear it can be diffetent in other states, but here, no way. Their #1 priority is not helping the disabled to find a good job or any at all, but it is their budget.
If you want ti use them, apply for disability so that a judge may hold them accountable.
Stick with your original plan if you can. Do a little digging and see if there are any SZ Scholarships you can apply for. I got one a few years ago and it paid for half of my school.
The thing is I’m in a different Country so and right now it seems like we’re a little more resourceful, at least where I live so I can’t make any suggestions other than that.
@Macy your input cleared things up a lot for me. It might cost them too much to put me through school. It took them 6 months to “qualify” me so the process seems quite strict. Their training is 20 hours per week for $10 per hour which should pay for a few classes. Not sure if it’ll be too challenging…The thing is the soft “rehab” part of the program I think really would be helpful to someone who wanted to work but lacked support, given they are quite functional. They sent me to a two week class and got me to start volunteering. It all got me motivated, if nothing else. I just hope that if this document scanning thing doesn’t work out, they don’t try to close my case or anything. So do you have a job now…?
@MissJennyJen yes you’re right, I keep flipping around on jobs due to anxiety. This time I’ll try to “stick with” my computer freelancing idea. My therapist also thinks this is a very good option for me. I also found through volunteering that I’m very passionate about computer work. I know you are trying to go back to work too so I hope you take your own advice about sticking it out.
Were you too “mentally stable” for help? Is that why they disqualified you? Or were you too sick? If I get fewer symptoms, I plan to go to a VR place or something like it. I’m just not ready yet.
My “counsellors” (which are really social workers for SSA), via VR just did not want to help period. Your may be different, but mine were serious turds.
I was fine to work in every way and had held one job for 16 months and another for 8 months. Both full time and only 2 weeks between quitting one and going to next.
So, It was obvious i could work, was not too sick (mentally), but they just didnt want to help with other (physical) problems. What they said about them not helping with MI was a lie. I know because i read the state laws for providing treatment and what the ADA laws say. They , VR, can and do provide payment for mental health care, but only if they think it will lead to ability to work.
In my case, they simply had a psychologist disqualify me, but gave me nothing in writing to collect SSDI. (basically they just wanted me to ef##! off and not come back). They refused to tell me the diagnosis of the mini mental status exam, which they claim revealed a serious MI for which people never take their meds. They then said that since people with that illness never take there meds because it is part of yhe illness, then i was disqualified.
As i said, it was all BS. I just wanted him to know not to have high exspectstions of VR.
VR was kind of useless for me, too. I wanted to be trained in an employable field, and they just wanted me to work a minimum wage entry level position for the rest of my life.
My friend used them for a physical handicap, and she got her freaking associate’s degree fully paid for. There is a hierarchy of needs at my VR place. People don’t expect us to accomplish much, unfortunately.
But how did they know whether or not you personally were taking your meds?! What total bs! I hope I don’t have to go through that.
There were no meds. I was working while hallucinating and such. There was no access to treatment where i lived then.
I did not go toVR for help getting/keeping a job because of severe MI, even though I had one. I never had any intention of telling those people s##t about my MI. I went to them because physical problems were interfering with my ability to keep a job after I got it.
In short, I qualified instantly because of my physical problems. They just used a mysterious MI, which they refused to tell me the name of to disqualify me. Then tried to lie and said they “didnt do all that”.
“All that” meaning send me to a psychiatrist, issue meds, blood testing etc. They were not wanting to pay to help find a job compatable with the physical problems, so they lied, said i had seriousMI, then lied again saying they didnt help those with serious MI.
Mine were especially cruddy, and i was not there because a disability judge sent me there. I think other people may have a different experience, but should still remember: Their budget is the #1 priority, not the people.
I’m so sorry that happened to you. Where are you from?
Huh, I was really hoping they’d help pay for my coding bootcamp next year but when I mentioned it, they cut me off. I told them I didn’t want a government office job but then they sent me to “train” for another office job. I don’t know how assertive with her I should be that this is not where I want to go… Maybe I should push her job off till Summer so I can focus on school…? I recently found that I can be a substitute teacher in the DOE though since I have a nachelors. This seems like a job I’d like. I’m thinking of having them help me get a part time job so they can close my case “successfully.”