Class, for this week, there are two parts to the discussion. First, please discuss what you learned from the material presented this week and give your opinion that is backed by valid studies about the use of sheltered workshops, and how they might be beneficial or the opposite when it comes to assisting some who are disabled with work. Use examples, please.
Secondly, read the following scenario and state how you as the VRC would deal with the situation especially when it comes to essential functioning:
Scenario: Todd is your client. While at work, he took a bad fall down a long flight of stairs. He was inebriated at the time and as a result, his employer said he had to go to rehab or lose his job. He injured his spine and cannot stand for long periods of time. His left hand had to be reconstructed and he also had a bad concussion.
Todd recently came out of rehab where he resided for 30 days. He was there for treatment of alcoholism as described in the DSM-5 (https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-use-disorders) as well as received physical therapy for his injuries. He also had clinical depression (https://www.psycom.net/depression-definition-dsm-5-diagnostic-criteria/) and is on medication for it.
Prior to his stay at rehab, he was an air-traffic controller; however, he no longer wants to work in that field. He also doesn’t want to put a lot of time into school in order to change careers. He tells you that he wants to work as a bartender in a posh nightclub. He stated that it has been a long-held dream of his to mix cocktails and rub elbows with the elite.
After you have completed the required intake, assessments and evaluations for Todd, you start to assist him with planning his career goals. However, you have learned about essential function and how it relates to employers, clients, and prospective employment (Rubin, Roessler, and Rumrill, 2016, p. 367). As the VRC, you need to balance the desires of the client along with the fit for the job.
Please, use examples. Be professional with your vocabulary and how you approach the situation as his counselor. This is to be a detailed evaluation. Use your text as a reference along with other research that you have found. No Wikipedia or Dictionary definitions or information, please. Be sure I can access the websites that you use as well as any other data you use.
Dr. G.
Reference
Rubin, S. E., Roessler, R. T., & Rumrill, P. D. (2016). Foundations of the rehabilitation process (7th ed.). Austin, TX: ProEd.
Week 6 Mini-Lecture
Class, as we have learned over the past few weeks, having the opportunity to work and be useful is paramount for a good quality of life for those who have disabilities. Whereas, some might want full-time work, others may want shorter working hours or being able to work from home. Working conditions, however, are spelled out by state, federal, and local laws and also by companies that have to go by a specific format in order to deliver their services.
Sheltered workshops are a controversial subject https://medium.com/beingwell/the-sheltered-workshop-debate-should-and-must-continue-9c697c45db4 . They offer/ed people with disabilities a place to work that was safe and comfortable as well as provided a social arena for some. However, the pay was less than minimal for most as well as some might not have been up to par with regards to the ADA specifications for employment. Maine was one of the first states to abolish sheltered workshops(https://www.moworkshops.org/newsFolder/shutdown/REPORT_Transitions_ConversionFromShelteredWorkshops_Maine_July2015.pdf). The transition to better opportunities for VR and VRC’s came about through negotiations that led to laws governing working conditions for all (https://wioaplans.ed.gov/node/41266).
The following video is about a sheltered workshop that was closed in NY: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua4-2lsmVc0). Support for all who who have disabilities is necessary and is needed from the community, families, different organizations, workplaces and such so that the person can feel that they are part of their environment. Although the goal is to have places of employment where individuals who have disabilities can be hired, it might be that the one-size-fits-all concept to have the aforementioned in place may not be realistic.
For this week, read the chapters in the textbook as well as listen to the audio and click on the websites that I have here to learn more about the subject. Then go to Discussions for this week’s prompt.
Any questions, please ask.
Dr. G.
