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Bureaucracy - rant
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<blockquote data-quote="1 Day At a Time" data-source="post: 165371" data-attributes="member: 3704"><p>Marg,</p><p></p><p>What a frustrating and compelling story and situation! I thought that employment programs for the disabled here in the states were really as bad as they could get, but it seems you are experiencing the worst of bureaucracy and turf guarding as well.</p><p></p><p>We have completely separate programs here in the States for disability payments (Social Security) and employment for the disabled (Vocational Rehabilitation). I have worked for both agencies - as a disability adjudicator for Social Security and as a vocational counselor, job placement counselor and manager for Vocational Rehabilitation, and I know the programs intimately. It is extremely difficult to obtain Social Security Disability benefits unless you meet what is called a "listing". These lisitings are all serious and grave disabilities and they are purposely difficult to meet. However, if you meet them and you have the recent medical evidence you are there. Otherwise, you go through 2 levels of denial, ask for a hearing, ask for an appeal , etc. It's a very lengthy process, and it can take 3 years or longer. Supposedly, the Social Security Administration encourages those on Disability payments to go to work, and they have a program called"ticket to work". You are allowed to make a threshold amount of income, and keep some of your benefits - and most importantly - your health coverage. The truth is that once you earn a painfully low amount of money in one month - called Substantial Gainful Employment , you are on the radar to be re-evaluated. A phrase that sends fear and trembling to those on Disability payments (or it should). Once you get into that loop, you are in trouble. My boss, who is a quad - meets a listing for payments. She is an incredible woman, who is a practicing attorney and lives independently. She went back to work and immediately contacted Social Security. They continued to send payments, and she put all of the money in the bank. A year later they hit her up big time and called her into their offices . They would have humilated another person - but not her....Of course she paid back the money. But she is still eligible for other Social Security programs but I cannot talk her into using them - she's just that turned off.</p><p></p><p>Vocational Rehabilitation and Social Security are two separate agencies- one is state managed and one is federally managed. They do not work together. As a vocational counselor and job placement counselor I worked with individuals who could work, we found them jobs, but they were "uninsurable" due to their disabilities and the deplorable way insurance companies are allowed to work in this country. Sadly, more than a few of these wonderful people had to QUIT their jobs because they needed medical treatment. I became very impassioned about this issue and was able to testify regarding several cases before the General Accounting Office. This was ten years ago, and nothing has happened - it fact it is worse. After a while, I realized that I was swimming against the tide - helping to empower individiuals to live fulfilling , productive lives while the massive organization that says they are helping people to get to work penalizes them when they do. After I went to a fund raising event to help one of my clients raise money to pay his medical bills (while he was working in a job I placed him in) - I realized it was time to move on, and I sadly left my profession to move to a new field.</p><p></p><p>My personal belief is that Disability systems should be seamless - individuals should be protected moving in and out of work. Disabled individuals have good times and bad times. Companies go out of business, compassionate bosses get new jobs - and the new boss doesn't want to take the time to accomodate the job for the disabled individual. If Disability payments are easier and quicker to obtain, and individuals are not penalized for trying to work and be productive - I think you would find many more disabled people being willing to work "above the table". in my humble opinion.</p><p></p><p>What we have now is turf guarding and unwillingness to work with other agencies to meet the needs of the disabled individual. Working together takes effort - but it can be done. Marg, I think you are seeing the worst of this with your two agencies and I am saddened to hear that this is a bigger problem than I thought. If folks would step back from behind their desks and talk as real people this rubbish would never transpire. And the "talk" around the office about difficult child? Sad to say, I'm not surprised by this. I was often outraged by the way some of my coworkers would talk about our clients in staffings. This is the main reason that husband and I have decided not to involve our difficult child in Vocational Rehabilitation . We know he is eligible , but given my work history with the group, and the fact that husband spends most of his hours suing the agencies in Federal Court on the behalf of wronged clients... well you get the picture...</p><p></p><p>I do agree with you about your reluctance to contact the employer. After all difficult child 1 is an adult and was hired as such. Here in the States, agencies are held accountable by how many "successful placements" they make - meaning a placement that lasts at least 90 days. Trust me, agencies will try to take credit for a placement that a family member arranged - because they are under the funding gun. I always spent time working on a networking list with my clients - because the truth is that most people are hired because of personal relationships- especially disabled people. Knowing that this organization wants to "take credit" and that the other organization is trying to ding them - gives you some power in this situation. Perhaps you can use that power to help resolve difficult child 1's situation. I would help to remind them that all of this is really about difficult child I- without whom their program would have no reason to exist. I think that governmental agencies often forget this notion. Marg, I have all of the faith in the world that you will remind them.</p><p></p><p>OK, rant over....</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="1 Day At a Time, post: 165371, member: 3704"] Marg, What a frustrating and compelling story and situation! I thought that employment programs for the disabled here in the states were really as bad as they could get, but it seems you are experiencing the worst of bureaucracy and turf guarding as well. We have completely separate programs here in the States for disability payments (Social Security) and employment for the disabled (Vocational Rehabilitation). I have worked for both agencies - as a disability adjudicator for Social Security and as a vocational counselor, job placement counselor and manager for Vocational Rehabilitation, and I know the programs intimately. It is extremely difficult to obtain Social Security Disability benefits unless you meet what is called a "listing". These lisitings are all serious and grave disabilities and they are purposely difficult to meet. However, if you meet them and you have the recent medical evidence you are there. Otherwise, you go through 2 levels of denial, ask for a hearing, ask for an appeal , etc. It's a very lengthy process, and it can take 3 years or longer. Supposedly, the Social Security Administration encourages those on Disability payments to go to work, and they have a program called"ticket to work". You are allowed to make a threshold amount of income, and keep some of your benefits - and most importantly - your health coverage. The truth is that once you earn a painfully low amount of money in one month - called Substantial Gainful Employment , you are on the radar to be re-evaluated. A phrase that sends fear and trembling to those on Disability payments (or it should). Once you get into that loop, you are in trouble. My boss, who is a quad - meets a listing for payments. She is an incredible woman, who is a practicing attorney and lives independently. She went back to work and immediately contacted Social Security. They continued to send payments, and she put all of the money in the bank. A year later they hit her up big time and called her into their offices . They would have humilated another person - but not her....Of course she paid back the money. But she is still eligible for other Social Security programs but I cannot talk her into using them - she's just that turned off. Vocational Rehabilitation and Social Security are two separate agencies- one is state managed and one is federally managed. They do not work together. As a vocational counselor and job placement counselor I worked with individuals who could work, we found them jobs, but they were "uninsurable" due to their disabilities and the deplorable way insurance companies are allowed to work in this country. Sadly, more than a few of these wonderful people had to QUIT their jobs because they needed medical treatment. I became very impassioned about this issue and was able to testify regarding several cases before the General Accounting Office. This was ten years ago, and nothing has happened - it fact it is worse. After a while, I realized that I was swimming against the tide - helping to empower individiuals to live fulfilling , productive lives while the massive organization that says they are helping people to get to work penalizes them when they do. After I went to a fund raising event to help one of my clients raise money to pay his medical bills (while he was working in a job I placed him in) - I realized it was time to move on, and I sadly left my profession to move to a new field. My personal belief is that Disability systems should be seamless - individuals should be protected moving in and out of work. Disabled individuals have good times and bad times. Companies go out of business, compassionate bosses get new jobs - and the new boss doesn't want to take the time to accomodate the job for the disabled individual. If Disability payments are easier and quicker to obtain, and individuals are not penalized for trying to work and be productive - I think you would find many more disabled people being willing to work "above the table". in my humble opinion. What we have now is turf guarding and unwillingness to work with other agencies to meet the needs of the disabled individual. Working together takes effort - but it can be done. Marg, I think you are seeing the worst of this with your two agencies and I am saddened to hear that this is a bigger problem than I thought. If folks would step back from behind their desks and talk as real people this rubbish would never transpire. And the "talk" around the office about difficult child? Sad to say, I'm not surprised by this. I was often outraged by the way some of my coworkers would talk about our clients in staffings. This is the main reason that husband and I have decided not to involve our difficult child in Vocational Rehabilitation . We know he is eligible , but given my work history with the group, and the fact that husband spends most of his hours suing the agencies in Federal Court on the behalf of wronged clients... well you get the picture... I do agree with you about your reluctance to contact the employer. After all difficult child 1 is an adult and was hired as such. Here in the States, agencies are held accountable by how many "successful placements" they make - meaning a placement that lasts at least 90 days. Trust me, agencies will try to take credit for a placement that a family member arranged - because they are under the funding gun. I always spent time working on a networking list with my clients - because the truth is that most people are hired because of personal relationships- especially disabled people. Knowing that this organization wants to "take credit" and that the other organization is trying to ding them - gives you some power in this situation. Perhaps you can use that power to help resolve difficult child 1's situation. I would help to remind them that all of this is really about difficult child I- without whom their program would have no reason to exist. I think that governmental agencies often forget this notion. Marg, I have all of the faith in the world that you will remind them. OK, rant over.... [/QUOTE]
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