I get really fired up for employment. The reasons are many. But the fact remains: Careers are important.
Careers and jobs give us a sense of purpose and an identity.
For some, a job gives a reason to wake up in the morning.
Think about it...Each time you meet a new person, their first questions is: "What do you do?"
What do I do?? My job is: Jobs.
I'm a Job Developer and a Career Coach. I'm also a Graduate Student in school to become a Rehabilitation Counselor- with a focus on Vocational Rehabilitation.
In short, I have made the decision to focus my career on: Careers.
I have always been passionate about employment. I myself have been working since the age of 12. In the last couple of years I found myself un-employed. And was un-employed for almost a year and a half. In that time, I learned a lot about myself. At the time, I did not understand why. I now know why: I needed this to happen.
I'm a firm believer in the fact that we learn from every stumble in life. I needed to understand the sense of job loss and therefore the loss of my identity. I needed to feel the deep depression and helplessness that goes along with losing a job. I needed to struggle. I needed to learn. Losing my job and being unemployed myself has caused me to become more empathetic to the situation of my clients.
Some of the clients I work with are employed. They are just either under-employed, or not working in fields that offer a long term career outlook. Other clients I work with are not employed at all, and either have never been employed, or have not been employed for quite some time.
All of the clients I work with are not living up to their career potential. And because all of them are "Most Significantly Disabled" usually, by the time they come to me: I am their last shot. Everyone is out of ideas. Society has given up on them entirely.
I believe that I needed to myself be unemployed to understand just what my clients go through. So although it did not make sense at the time...it now does.
All of my clients have a disability and or a mental illness that is considered "Most Significant." It is my job to assist my clients in all aspects of their career search. And I get really excited for employment. Especially employment of individuals with various barriers. Why? BECAUSE I HAVE TO. I'm their last shot and they often have no one else in their corner. If I'm not excited...Why should they be?!
Therefore, I get really excited for jobs. My excitement is on another level.
Why?? Because what is good for individuals with disabilities and or mental illness...Is good for society as a whole. The more individuals work, the more they become self-reliant and independent. Their symptoms lesson in the right employment environment. They start to see their potential. They want to work more. They tell their friends and family members that also may have a disability and or mental illness...then they too want to work. It begins a positive chain reaction. It's good for my clients and it's good for society as a whole. Everyone wins when individuals with mental illness and or disabilities are competitively employed.
The individuals that I work with are those that are considered "Most Significantly Disabled."
They are individuals that have:
- A physical barrier that limits employment..
- A mental illness that creates a barrier to employment.
- A transportation barrier such as: not having a license, not living on a bus route, or having a license but not the means to have their own vehicle or access to a vehicle.
- An educational barrier such as: having not graduated from high school or currently working on a GED.
- A work history barrier such as: Not having any work history, Being out of the workforce for a period of time, having been employed in a field that is no longer exists.
- A housing barrier such as: living in transitional housing (the YMCA), living in unsafe housing, or living in temporary housing (friend or relative.)
- A communication barrier such as: being non-verbal, being deaf, or not having access to a phone or the internet.
- A self-care barrier such as: not having access to a shower, not having the physical means to proper self care.
- A support system barrier such as: not having caring friends or family or anyone that can talk to regarding life.
- A community barrier: being a sex offender, having a criminal record, being on the child abuse or adult abuse registries.
- And these are just the personal barriers. These are not accounting for the societal barriers of what employers think of individuals with disabilities and mental illness. This does not account for how they have been treated because of their disability.
Not all of the clients I work with have ALL of these barriers. Some may have a couple.. Some may have all of these plus some that were not listed.
Some, but not all, of the clients I work with are living on SSI or SSDI. And or Food Stamps. And or reduced housing. And or Medicaid.
I guess this is what the general public calls "Welfare." I guess if you consider living off of $681 dollars a month being "well" and "fair."
My job is to help these clients obtain jobs. It is my job to: help the client search, apply, interview, and maintain jobs. It is also my job to open doors to employers being willing to want to hire someone with the above stated barriers to employment.
My role is to coach the client on what it means to have meaningful employment. To look at the long-term picture. To convince them that they are better off in the long run not to live "off the system" but to work and earn a living.
The hardest part of my job is not the client. Even with all of their barriers to employment.
The hardest part of my job is: Society...How society looks at and treats those with disabilities and mental illness. How employers look and think about individuals with mental illness and disability.
By the time I enter the client's life...They have been treated like they are sub-human. I have met pets that have been treated better by society than some of the clients I work with.
It's heartbreaking.
At the same time, it is also very rewarding.
The other day I dropped a client off after walking into multiple employers...having them look at her...and basically say there was NO WAY they would EVER hire her...For her to say to me: "Thank you so much for helping me. I don't know what I would do without you. I'd be lost. You're the only person who cares."
Wow.
And I am just doing my job. Yes, I do care. But for this client...I'm the only one.
My job is hard. But it's worth it. I believe in it.
I believe in the system helping someone until they find the strength and courage to help themselves.
Does it always work out like that? No. But it does some of the time. For some individuals, finding the right job restores their sense of purpose and gives them a reason to go on.
And sadly, what the general public sees/hears are all the stories of how the system does not work. The media only sensationalized the bad stories. For every bad story you hear, there are 100's and even 1,000's of success stories that are never shared.
I see how it does work. I see those successes.
It's my job to stay optimistic and to be hopeful. I have to be hopeful in order to encourage and motivate my clients. Because often times, I am their only support system. And I'm not giving up on them.
A lot of times society has given up on my clients. And they have given up on themselves.
Me? I'm not giving up. I won't give up. I will keep getting up every day and try to break down barriers. Both actual barriers and attitudinal barriers. This is my goal in life: To change how people think of individuals with disabilities and mental illness.
I will advocate for those that cannot for themselves until I can no longer do so. Until I myself have a disability...Because if we are fortunate to live long enough, ALL of us will acquire a disability. And then my hope is that someone will then advocate for me.
This is me advocating.
Miss Oakley
Follow me on twitter @MissOakley
No comments:
Post a Comment