The job hunt for clients continues

Lately I have been working on finding employment opportunities for clients during the month of June. We have found some businesses in the Bibb County region of Alabama who are hiring at the moment and most likely could help our agency of the Ability Alliance of West Alabama. Our goal is to hire at least 8 clients before the end of the year. It is challenging to do yet not as hard as you might think if you are indeed very creative and continuously pushing for opportunity. It also very much helps to have another Americorps VISTA member assisting myself in the endeavor.

Edufire for Live Video Learning

What is Edufire? Edufire is an online video education tool for people whom are knowledgeable on a wide variety of topics such as: website development, computer programming, marketing, entrepreneurship, Search Engine Optimization, health, and also career development. This tool is great for vocational rehabilitation counselors, case managers, volunteers, and even schools to utilize to their advantage.
The fact that people can learn job skills and be able to be tutored by teachers all over the World makes it better for everyone. Everyone benefits from learning and getting educated even if it is online education. Especially because online video classes on Edufire are cheap and practical based on experience level for those wanting to learn skills in many different areas of education.
Below is a video detailing what Edufire does and can do for you as far as online education and tutoring goes. Online classes and online advice on numerous subjects are at your fingertips using Edufire.com. Please for reference on Edufire watch the video I have placed here below.

Easter Seals Employment Conference Calls

The National Self Advocates Becoming Empowered Organization partners with Easter Seals Nationwide in a new grant with Developmental Disability Councils, the National Disability Rights Network, University Centers, and the ARC Nationwide. The grant is primarily about family support. Professionals dealing with employment will be informed on how people with disabilities will be needing their support. The purpose of these conference calls have been to bridge together self advocates and families. Each month on the third Wednesday of the month at 3p.m. Eastern Time conference calls will occur Nationwide.

Working with 3 main clients now for work

Of the four Americorps VISTA members that the Ability Alliance has now only two of the VISTA members are working on employment issues for people with intellectual disabilities. Currently we are working with three clients for employment and helping them to find and retain work. Work will be found where it can be found and or if it needs to be created it will be created. Employment can be created as an investment project of the communities that we are working with and in if none of the jobs that we find are suitable for our clients.
However in order to make sure employers can hire our clients then we need to meet with employers in the communities that we are representing. Also we need to make sure that they are accepting of the clients that we refer to them for work opportunity. If they do not accept our clients then we can not work with them as employers. As the Ability Alliance of West Alabama we would prefer that there is handicap accessible parking, good wage benefits to our clients, and the same treatment given to our clients as to other workers at a place employment. We will however make employers very informed about the whole process of employment and what kinds of benefits an employers receives, etc. Besides that our goal is to get these first three clients into employment of their choice.

Employment goal of 8 people

The Ability Alliance of West Alabama's goal is to employ 8 people in two counties before the end of 2010. In order to do this effectively we will be looking for work in four different counties which are: Tuscaloosa, Jefferson, Bibb, and Pickens Counties. This will be done because we have transportation to all of these counties and can get clients to any one of these counties by car. Our transportation system spans all of these counties and can get people to work in these counties.
First Americorps VISTA members are to meet with clients and do assessments on them in order to be able to understand what kind of work that they would like to do. Also to learn what interests them and what kinds of supports they might still be needing that they might not have. If they have the supports that they need then they are ok for that part of the assessment and the focus is solely on employment.
Considering that the goal is to employ 8 people by the end of 2010 then it would be reasonable to get between two to four people working during this Summer and 4 working in the Fall to Winter. Also keeping track of progress, files, and reports on clients is important as well. Another good way to keep track of work progress is through video interviews on if the clients are liking their jobs or not. A great example of this is People First of New Hampshire's "The World of Work"series.
http://www.peoplefirstofnh.org/WorldOfWorkOnlineTraining.htm

Job searching

It is of importance that after we do an assessment of a client who is ready for work then what we do is search for employment on their behalf. It is very similar to searching for jobs on your own and for Summer employment, etc. Yet this is for our clients the job search that is. Once the Americorps VISTA members find employment for the clients of the Ability Alliance of West Alabama then we count them towards our grant from the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. Our total amount of jobs needed is 8 and if we can accomplish that much then we get refunded again next year. If there are services that our clients need in order to do their jobs then they shouldn't have to wait. A good video of this is seen below in the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxTESMHWepM

New Americorps VISTA members and supported employment case manager join the Stronger Together Project

At the end of April two new Americorps VISTA members joined the Stronger Together VISTA Project in Northport Alabama. One of the Americorps VISTA members just started on May 17th, 2010 and is from Centreville Bibb County. The VISTA member went to college at the University of Alabama at Birmingham for Community Health Education and graduated in 2009. The two new VISTA members will be helping me work on issues of employment and to get jobs for our clients. Until recently I have been alone working on employment. Now there are three members working on supported employment.
Also there is a new supported employment case manager that is working with us to guide us in developing employment opportunities. The new supported employment case manager just started working with us on May 17th.
The goal is to get as many clients as possible employments from our current list of clients that is about 25 people thus far. The strategies will range from using our standard grant money to get employment, public relations, marketing, and also local currency and or trading systems. By the end of the year we hope to get 25 new jobs for our clients if possible and if we only get from 15 to 20 jobs then it is ok as well.

Americorps VISTA Appreciation Event for Alabama

Last Tuesday and Wednesday I participated in the annual Alabama Americorps VISTA Appreciation Event from Tuesday May 11th to Wednesday May 12th. The event was held in Birmingham Alabama and was at the United Way of Central Alabama's office. Guest speakers attended about social media and also about the meaning of Americorps VISTA members support at this time in our country. Every Americorps VISTA project throughout the state of Alabama was represented at this event. Each Americorps VISTA project got up and told everyone at the event about their project. There was also ample time to do networking at the event as well. There was a volunteering activity on Wednesday with Habitat for Humanity that unfortunately I did not go to.

Job coaching begins

I have begun my job coaching with one of our clients from Tuscaloosa Alabama on this past Monday May 17th. So far we have taken her around the building and gotten her acquainted with where she needs to go for doing the job tasks that she needs to do. We did that on the first day and then went through taking out garbage and doing her employee orientation as well. Also we did some sweeping the first two days that she worked. The third day which was today she picked up garbage outside of our building and swept up outside.
Also I have helped her with her job application and to fill it out properly which she has struggles with. Writing or reading does not come easy to her and I have taught her to read some more words. I expect that she will want to learn to read more as time goes on especially if is to get another job in her life. Our client that is working at our building still goes to the Tuscaloosa ARC but only for half a day for four days and one full day on Fridays. She likes the work that she is doing at our building thus far and I am glad that I am working with her to help her do a good job. It is my first time ever job coaching and it has been good so far. The Ability Alliance of West Alabama had hired her a week ago but now she is working 10 hours a week and four days a week.

Meeting with Ala-WIN counselor and Tuscaloosa ARC about job benefits for client

Earlier today I attended a meeting that is a part of the job process for those receiving supplemental security income, and or Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. The meeting was to inform the client that I am job coaching on how her benefits will be affected and or helped by working. The meeting was with a counselor from Ala-WIN(The Alabama Work Incentives Network). Ala-WIN helps supplemental security income recipients and social security disability insurance between the ages of 14 and 64 understand their work options so that they can make good choices about their money and their employment. The Alabama Work Incentives Network is administered by Independent Living Resources of greater Birmingham Incorporated and United Cerebral Palsy of greater Birmingham. Ala-WIN serves 38 Northern and central counties of Alabama while the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services 29 counties in the southern part of the state doing the same work incentives program.
These agencies exist to assist Social Security beneficiaries understand federal and state work incentives. Alsos staff are on site to assist beneficiares in knowing the impact of earned income on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and any other public benefits that they may receive.
A meeting regarding social security disability insurance and or income is very common when working with people with developmental disabilities. Especially when a client is working a limited amount of hours and or salary which goes up to 423,000 a year. Anything earned over $23,000 is exempt from Ala-WIN and or any disability income program. Shortly after our meeting about the client's benefits we will be starting her first work week on May 9th, 2010 with 12 hours of work a week to start.

Job coaching with client

After about a month and a half of working with a client for preparation of a job and for volunteering at the Tuscaloosa Association for Retarded Citizens I am now going to start job coaching on May 9th, 2010. The client is also learning to read as well and I am the one who is teaching her to read from her People First of Alabama hand book and also with an animal picture book that she brings in with her from her appartment to learn new words. I am patient with the client as I help her to pronounce and enunciate words by how the letters sound. It has been a success so far working with this client on the job preparation process and I have gotten to know of her interests and been able to see her skills at cleaning at bathrooms, vacuuming, and dusting desks at the Palk Enterprises and Supported Employment office in Tuscaloosa. She has done well and I have gotten along well with her as well as we have worked from sample job duties hand books over the last month and a half to get her used to what she needs to do when she works at the office of the Ability Alliance of West Alabama. The job hand book has pictures of sweeping, mopping, dusting, taking out the garbage, and shredding paper so that the client can associate the pictures with her job tasks. Yet I am taking it one step further and that is teaching her how to read what I have wrote under the pictures over the time she is working with us so that she can have basic reading skills for the benefit of this job that she will with AAWA and any other jobs she will have in the future. Reading skills are important to have and it is never to late for someone to learn how to read as many would say it is hard for people to start learning to read at an older age but to me that is a defeatist attitude to have about the wisdom of learning and the wisdom of getting older. The job coaching that I will be doing will be around the tasks of sweeping, mopping, dusting, cleaning bathrooms, taking out garbages, and shredding papers amongst the offices at the Ability Alliance of West Alabama. I hope that as others from the Tuscaloosa ARC see that Amanda has a good job that they will want my help in getting jobs for them and or in job preparation for them when they need the help. Therefore the success of this particular client on her job can be a good example for other clients of the Ability Alliance of West Alabama that they too can have a job and be able to work.

Personal Centered Planning Meeting

Last week the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama had a meeting on personal centered planning for the Ability Alliance of West Alabama that I had attended on Wednesday of last week. Personal Centered Planning is a different approach to working with people with intellectual disabilities in regards to care taking and helping them to plan for their futures. Personal Centered Planning is geared around the individual that a case management employee works with regularly and determines the dreams, goals, and aspirations of the client that the client chooses and not the case management employee for the client. The goal of it is to create more interpendence for clients and for them to have the capability of making their own decisions and choices of what kind of job that they want to have, how they choose to spend their money, what kinds of daily activities that they want to participate in, what kinds of foods that they want to eat, and also what friends they want to have. It is all about the client making the choices on a personal level first and then if they request help from their case manager and or staff that works with them then they can indeed have the help that they need.
During this particular meeting on personal centered planning a presenter from Region II Community Services went over what personal centered planning is and how to incorporate within your agency. Another presenter from the Ability Alliance of West Alabama presented on case management changes that are occurring in the state of Alabama and how the AAWA will use the changes to its benefit. Overall the purpose of case management support and personal centered planning is for assistance for clients and also to help clients become active participants in society and even if possible become employed in the workplace and be able to make choices of what kind of work that best suits them.

Al-DAN Conference

Last week I went to the annual Alabama Disability Advocacy Network conference in which speakers talked about what Al-DAN is and what it intends to do. AL-DAN is an advocacy network of individuals with both physical and developmental disabilities who represent themselves before the government in an effort to try to change policies around people with disabilities in the work place and in regards to their activities of daily living. The AL-DAN advocacy network is provided through a grant from the Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities and is maintained by disability organizations such as the Alabama Centers for Independent Living.
Some of the main objectives that AL-DAN has for the year of 2010 that were discussed at the annual conference that I attended last week were: 1. having regional meetings/trainings 2. statewide summit 3. gubernatorial forum 4. provide information on voting rights, voting registration deadlines and legislative updates concerning people with disabilities 5. to have at least 500 AL-DAN members, at least 10 grassroots disability advocacy organizations with vested interest in disability issues. One of the major issues and an example of effective advocacy presented was a bill about placing $50 fines on vehicles for parking in handicap places and an advocacy group by the name of Disabilities Unlimited was handing out stickers about this advocacy effort that they are working on currently. Disabilities Unlimited is representing this issue with their advocacy group from Walker County Alabama. The Ability Alliance of West Alabama also had an employee Eloise Woods speak at the conference for the election of board advisors in which three people are selected from each county of Alabama to provide assistance to the Board of Directors for AL-DAN on disability issues and for attaining more memberships within AL-DAN as well.

Quarterly meeting of Americorps VISTAs for Ability Alliance

Recently I was in attendance of our quarterly meeting for progress for the new Americorps VISTA program that started for the Ability Alliance of West Alabama back in September of 2009. The success factors are as follows for Americorps VISTA members and they are: on-site orientation, community outreach, community volunteer/recruitment, effective volunteer engagement, resource mapping, resource development/fundraising, grant writing, organizational development, performance measures(number of VISTAs), tracking systems, information technology, development on-site orientations and training plans, and orientation to developmental disability services.
The quarterly meeting was held on April 13th, 2010 and went over the progress of the Americorps VISTA members as of current times. There has been success in the recruitment of two new Americorps VISTA members in which one of the two new members has already begun orientation and the second member will start in mid May. This goes along with our performance measures amongst our quarterly progress reporting and training plans. Also during the first quarter of 2010 we have identified 36 clients that are seeking and ready to become employed in the job sector in both Bibb and Pickens County with our new supported employment case manager. I have been working on resource mapping with the new supported employment case manager as of February of 2010 and we are actively seeking employment for the 36 clients that we have identified as needing employment.
Employment was a major focus of the Ability Alliance's of the past quarter because of our new grant from Vocational Rehabilitation Services for the purpose of supported employment in Bibb, Tuscaloosa, and Pickens Counties. The focus being on Bibb and Pickens Counties. One of the main purposes for Americorps VISTA members for the Ability Alliance of West Alabama was to help build resources and partnerships for employment with businesses in Bibb and Pickens Counties. Also to develop volunteering opportunities amongst these counties as well to foster community and relationships for our clients in these counties. Volunteerism and job development will help uplift our clients and bring to them a higher quality of life as opposed to if they did not have employment and did not participate in volunteering activities.
Employment and volunteerism efforts are of strong importance yet the Ability Alliance of West Alabama has also benefited from 9 new partnerships since the inception of the Americorps VISTA program for the AAWA. The 9 new parterships are: 1. The Children's Policy Council and Juvenile Court Judges 2. Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services 3. Alabama Department of Mental Health 4. Tuscaloosa Mental Health Task Force 5. Self Advocates Becoming Empowered 6. Tuscaloosa Emergency Services 7. Indian Rivers Mental Health Center 8. People First of Alabama and 9. Tuscaloosa One Place. The outcomes and or benefits of these partnerships for this quarter have been an employment supports grant, coordination support for the Children's Policy Council by the VISTA Volunteer, contributions to the cost sharing VISTA volunteers from Indian Rivers, Alabama Department of of Rehabilitation Services, Arc of Tuscaloosa, and People First of Alabama. Also an application for technical assistance grant from the Governor's Office on Faith Based Community Services. Also our employment grant as previously mentioned above will help us to sustain and maintain our strong commitment to our clients to increase job opportunity along with the support of job training from the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. Overall the Americorps VISTA program has been a success thus far and will continue hopefully for its three year grant duration.

Sunrise Community is putting on its 27th Annual Balloon Race

A local organization by the name of Resources For Independence out of Tuscaloosa Alabama will be hosting the 27th annual Balloon Race which benefits people with intellectual disabilities in the Tuscaloosa region. Sunrise Community is an organization that has been around for over 40 years helping people with developmental disabilities.
Sunrise Community is a private, non-profit organization which provides the services of personal care, supported employment, respite care, residential habilitation, and day habilitation. The mission of Sunrise Community is to provide value to people with disabilities and support to individuals ages 12 and older. The programs provided by Sunrise Community are licensed through the State of Alabama Department of Mental Health, Division of Intellectual Disability Services.

Offense taken-Film about the "R" word

People with intellectual disabilities have taken offense to the word "retarded" when referring to their disability. They would much rather have their abilities understood first before their disabilities and be accepted in society. I have been working with people with intellectual disabilities and I have had to set aside any old views I have had about people with intellectual disabilities from before and see opportunities with regards to working with the clients we serve. It can be difficult but it is what I need to do to make my experience as an Americorps VISTA worthwhile and meaningful not just for me but for many other people that I work with too. This being said it is unfortunate that society still uses statements like "celebretards" and also in a recent movie called Tropic Thunder starring Ben Stiller he was acting developmentally challenged. Prejudices in our World should be a thing of the past but they still persist due to ignorance of others and of misundertandings of varying ethnic groups, arrogance, and downright meanness. This video below goes over these issues and is 26 minutes long and is called "Offense Taken." Please watch it to become more informed on what has made organizations such as People First and Self Advocates Becoming Empowered into what they have become today.

Talkshoe for internet radio shows for Ability Alliance

Talkshoe is a great website for teleconferencing directly online and a website in which a broadcaster can interact with his or her callers and record each broadcast for later listening. I will be using Talkshoe for the Ability Alliance in which to have hosting capability of my shows on topics dealing with issues pertinent to work for people with intellectual disabilities, benefits, alternative economics, etc. Some of the Talkshoe benefits are: free and unlimited multi-person talking internationally, conversations, discussions, and community calls, and an easy connection. Calls can be by either phone or by a pin number to participate but to just simply listen to a call all you need is a web address for the call itself. Below is a video about how to use Talkshoe for your own online internet channel for broadcasting your own topics.

Job readiness Easter Seals Class for Clients

Currently there are three clients of the Ability Alliance of West Alabama that are attending a three day job readiness class that goes over the basics of what you need to know about the workplace. I am attending the three day class with the clients and am helping them with their preparation at the Tuscaloosa ARC. There were many areas that the class covers such as: rules, timeliness, job etiquette, getting along with others at the workplace, job expectations, being on schedule, following tasks, and knowing roles at the job.
The first two days of the class are dedicated to learning about what to do on the job and how to act. Also how to dress was discussed and how much make up you need to wear to a job and how to behave in an interview. The clients were told to be polite and courteous to the job interviewer and also to be polite and courteous to others at the workplace. The role of a supervisor as a person of giving job tasks and managing workers was stated in the class and is reviewed on the second day of the class as well. On the third day of class the clients will be videotaped based on individual interviews that are conducted by the job readiness teacher. I will help one of the clients with work at the Ability Alliance of West Alabama's office shortly after the third day of the job readiness class. This class will help the client that I will be job coaching that is attending the class with knowing when to take breaks, how to follow instructions, what to wear to a job, and how to be respectful to others at the workplace. Shortly after the third day of the class I will start my job coaching of the client.
At first I will be showing the client around the Ability Alliance building and then teaching them how to clean the building. I will be doing with this with a picture book and reading job tasks to the client everyday that they will be working until they can get a full grasp on how to do their job and how to get to each room in the building. The client will be sweeping, mopping, taking out garbage and shredder paper, and also cleaning off tables five days a week.

Is employment working well for people with intellectual disabilities?

In our current economic time the state of employment opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities is not in a good state. According to the United States Department of Labor the statistic is 22% of the population of people with intellectual disabilities being employed in the United States. That is not good and employers, businesses, non-profits, and governments can do better. It is more a matter of better and strengthened colloboration between partnerships, agencies, governments, and businesses. Politicians and businesses can say all that they want to say to try and change the situation but it is our actions that will ultimately determine the course.
In a research article by Grant Revell of Richmond Virginia he stated that there needs to be 10 key indicators for employment to be measured by for people with intellectual disabilities. The 10 indicators are: 1. Meaningful competitive employment in integrated work settings 2. Informed choice and control 3. Level and nature of supports 4. Employment of individuals with truly significant disabilities 5. Amount of hours worked weekly 6. Number of individuals from the program working regularly 7. Well coordinated job retention system 8. Employment outcome monitoring and tracking system 9. Maximizing integration and community participation 10. Employer satisfaction. These are the 10 indicators that Revell has suggested that both supported employment and standard employment programs for people with intellectual disabilities should be measured by for ultimate successful outcomes.
Are we following these indicators as agencies, governments and businesses? Probably not as good as we should be following them because our success rate is only at a meager 22% which is in fact dismal compared to the 79% of individuals without disabilities or intellectual disabilities who are employed. In our current marketplace of services for people with intellectual disabilities we tend to be way too dependent of government grants to solve all of our problems. This is not the answer.
The answer is to become way more creative in our approach to dealing with the situation of employment for people with intellectual disabilities for grant money is finite and if grants run out there is no more money. Alternative approaches and systems need to be applied to our situation such as Michael Linton's LETS model which is the Local Exchange Trading System which uses hours of time as units of money. In a system like LETS money does not run out and is created on the spot and is made between people who need goods and services from each other. The system works by consent of the parties involved. This system is much more popular in Europe but can be adopted to the USA for employment opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities by using hours as units of money and trading them on a database. Clients should not have to be seen as not capable of working due to an illusion of finite money resources for money always exists no matter what the media tells you.

Hirevue for more effective job interviews

HireVue

Hirevue is an online video interviewing platform in which job candidates can sign up for an account for an affordable price and can interview candidates live. Hirevue is a good way for people to evaluate how they are answering questions and people of intellectual disability can see themselves on this yet their care takers can evaluate them on how they answered questions. Also the interviewees can show their skills on video to a respective job recruiter. Job recruiters can evaluate their performance live and show their support for the candidate and also tell them or show them visually with graphics and images on how to improve. The format is up to the care taker and interviewer and can be negotiated based upon learning style. The cost savings for a hiring manager are substantial as well. Video bridges the gap between the interviewee and the interviewer because you can see the expressions, emotions, and characteristics of who you are hiring without having them have to come to your office for the interview. Regarding the transportation issue with your clients with intellectual disabilities this advantage is a good one.
What is a Virtual Video Interview?
Live Interviews are video interviews that allow you to meet face-to-face with the hiring staff at your potential new employer via online video conference. You will be asked to meet with them one-on-one or with a panel of up to 3 interviewers. Like the virtual interview, your responses will be recorded along with the questions and conversation of the interviewers.
A virtual video interview is an interview where you will be responding to questions entered into the system by the requesting company. For example, imagine the first question being "Tell me about yourself". In a HireVue Recorded Video Interview, you will have 30 seconds to read the question and then up to three minutes to respond. Your response is being recorded, securely, onto HireVue servers. Once you have finished your interview, the hiring managers or recruiters at the requesting company can login to watch your interview. Below is an interview with Hirevue's CEO Ryan Money on a basic overview of the benefit of using his internet interviewing technology.
http://www.hirevue.com/content/for-candidates

• Reduced one hiring manager's interview costs 77%.
• Improved a third-party recruiter's success rate by over 50%.
• Reduced one Internet company's time-to-hire by two weeks.
• Raised one financial services company's new hire retention by 25%

Ability Alliance of West Alabama's Strategic plan

Below is the Ability Alliance of West Alabama's Strategic plan. I am a part of the Americorps VISTA addition to the over all strategic plan in which there was a federal grant given to AAWA from Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. The Ability Alliance of West Alabama has been working to help people with intellectual disabilities integrate into communities in Bibb, Pickens, and Tuscaloosa Counties since 1994. Yet as of September 2009 the AAWA has received their federal grant for supported employment in which I concentrate my efforts in currently. Below you will see the original press release by the Executive Director Vicki Turnage and also our strategic plan for reference on what our main goals are for the next two years of operation. It is an exciting time yet currently according to the US Department of Labor that the employment rate for people with intellectual disabilities is only 22% as compared to 79% for typical Americans. My goal is to help the supported employment case manager Felicia Roberts at the Ability Alliance of West Alabama to gain 50 new jobs for our clients served with intellectual disabilities from Bibb, Pickens, and Tuscaloosa Counties of West Alabama. Although our efforts will largely be focused on Bibb and Tuscaloosa Counties and contacts will continue to be made within those counties as well.
Vista Project Release Stronger Together



Strategic Planning 2009-2011 for Services to Individuals With Intellectual Updated 91509

Examples of Job duties and work schedule for employment VISTA

This is just an example of how job duties are to be worked out for clients we represent. I make a simple Excel spread sheet duties list and then provide a building layout for them to follow and I train them on where to go in the building to do the work that they need to accomplish for the day. That is some basic job coaching and training on my part.
Copy of Book1
Copy of Building Layout2-3

Tuscaloosa One Place interviewing and resume classes VISTA

Another element of my volunteering for Americorps VISTA is with going to resume and interviewing classes with clients that the Ability Alliance of West Alabama represents. The classes are given by Tuscaloosa One place which is a family resource center that educates the community on resume writing, work ethics, interviewing skills, and barriers to successful employment. Also Tuscaloosa One Place has GED classes and offers reading, writing, social studies, science, and mathematics classes for the preparation of the GED diploma.
Yet with Americorps VISTA I will focus my efforts on the job classes portion of what Tuscaloosa One Place does. I will be going to Tuscaloosa One Place with clients that are getting work soon thereafter and need assistance with resume writing and interviewing skills. I am currently doing this in Tuscaloosa at the ARC of Tuscaloosa in the mornings and then will be going to interviewing and resume classes with two of our clients starting next Tuesday March 9th. It will take a good amount of patience and work but it will pay off once work is acquired for our clients. The time frame in which I will be working with the clients is six weeks and then by mid April the goal is to get them employed.

Supported Employment VISTA

Currently I am working on supported employment with a new case management worker Felicia Roberts of the Ability Alliance of West Alabama. We are focusing our efforts in the counties of Bibb and Pickens primarily and some of Tuscaloosa County as well.

What is supported employment?
Supported employment is employment in which there is:
Case managers that ensure consumer job stability through provision of continual support
-Job coach training will be administered
-Monthly tracking reports are conducted
-Employment is paid and competitive in wage
-On site job training
-No fee to any employer
This is the basic understanding of what supported employment is and the Ability Alliance has 25 job referrals for people who are ready to work from Bibb and Pickens County. The referrals that we have received needing employment are in need of supports such as job coaching, training, job task management, and also medicaid/medicare health coverage. Supports can from many areas such as family, co-workers, bosses, case managers, etc. I also can be a support for the clients of Ability Alliance as a VISTA member and will be a supported employment volunteer to assist people in their work schedules. I make up work tasks for people with pictures within the tasks so that people with intellectual disabilities that are working, but can't read will be able to understand what they need to do with proper job coaching and training. I am getting certified as a job coach this month and go for job coach training on March 24th along a couple other case managers from the Ability Alliance of West Alabama. I will learn about on the job training which is job training by co-workers directly working with employees with intellectual disabilities but not needing to give them job coaching. I also will learn about on the job employment which is when employers will directly train their employees with intellectual disabilities until they no longer need the support or for the duration of their employment. Below are a few videos on how supported employment works and information on the job coaching training seminar that I will be participating in for three days.

Choosing Supported Employment

Certificate Based Job Coach Training

This training is designed for Counselors, Social Workers, Job Coaches and other rehabilitation professionals working in supported employment and other disability related fields.

TRAINERS: Howard Green, Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling
Vicki Brooke M.Ed., Special Education
March 24 – 26, 2010
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
TRAINING SITE: Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, Conference Room
1305 37th Street East, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35403
205-554-1300
This program is offered for 16.5 Continuing Education Credits (16.5 clock hours)
This program is co-sponsored by the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, by Alabama APSE(Associated Persons for Supported Employment), The Network on Employment and the Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities. The Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation is an approved provider of continuing education for Social Workers in the State of Alabama through the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners; is an NBCC Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and a co-sponsor of this event/program. The Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation may award NBCC approved clock hours for events or programs that meet NBCC requirements. The ACEP maintains responsibility for the content of this event.

People First of New Hampshire Places Importance on Jobs and community

People First of New Hampshire has gone out of its way to exemplify work experiences of its members and even has an online training segment called "The World of Work." Videos on this segment of their website include starting your own business, work experiences of various People First members, interviewing skills, and balancing work with other activities. Self assessment is also a key component of People First Of New Hampshire's online training, dressing, and so is using the computer for finding work opportunities. Below are videos and links of People First of New Hampshire advocating for community living, jobs, and protesting institutions. Also what does it mean to be a person actively living in their communities and the relationship group which is a self advocacy group. The website is as follows:
http://www.peoplefirstofnh.org/WorldOfWorkOnlineTraining.htm

ABC news Report on the "R" word

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel for President Barack H. Obama apologized for a word he uttered during a speech at a press conference. He uttered the word "retarded" about his political opponents and met with the head of the Special Olympics about his apology. Emmanuel was speaking about his political opponents and one ABC correspondent John A. Farrell stated that, "I think that calling a democrat stupid, idiot, and or retarded" is ok." A medical doctor named Dr. Skotko stated that, "many people with disabilities are profoundly impacted by that word. It stings them and I could say on a personal level that's true for me too. I am lucky enough to have two wonderful sisters. One of them has Down Syndrome." So who gets the privilege of deciding whether or not this word is offensive?
Well it is usually the offended group that gets to control whether or not the word is offensive and should be used in regards to describing their population. Terms such as: intellectually disabled, developmentally disabled, and or people with special needs are more appropriate and politically correct terms that substitute the word "retarded". This has been the case and was even determined in 2003 when the popular mainstream group Black Eyed Peas had their song "Let's get Retarded" removed from mainstream airwaves for its offensive term "retarded." As a result of this the Black Eyed Peas changed their song to the title, "Let's Get It Started" and re-released their song as a hit single on the mainstream airwaves. In recent times a Hollywood film Tropic Thunder starring Ben Stiller was known for its usage of the word retard as well. Yet when it was released on DVD it carried the message of "when you call me beautiful" and has tolerant messages within it in the extras on the DVD. This movie was boycotted by People First of Alabama for its use of the word "retard" and by calling Ben Stiller "retard man."
Those are some primary examples of the changing positions of tolerance for people with intellectual disabilities and another example is in "Roses Law," after an intellectually disabled girl named Rose. Roses Law is a law that states that the word "retardation" gets stripped from all federal language regarding Departments of Mental Health for the 50 states of America. Below is the ABC News Report on the "R" word.

New Hampshire Teacher gets Bacheolor's Degree a day before dying: Truly inspirational

Many will say that life is hard, difficult, miserable, and full of pain. Yet I beg to differ. It is about learning to embrace both the ugliness and the happiness in all that is and exists in our universe and our World. The ability to know that logic does not go with everything and that we should be easy on ourselves with failures and continue to be patient with others around us is very important. Many times spirituality is more important than money but money is a representation of energy in people and resources surrounding us. Many like to complain about getting older as if getting older meant that they were getting worse. Once again this is just a figment of our imaginations and our perspective weighing down on us. Getting older should mean getting wiser and we should also learn from those less fortunate as time goes on for they teach us very good lessons in life. We are more similar than we are different. As a World more than before each one of us should find our purpose and meaning in life and strive for what makes us feel fullfilled.
A woman who reached this sense of fullfillment before she died was a woman named Harriet Richardson Ames who was awarded a Bacheolor's degree at age 100 before she died. This exemplifies true ability and Mrs. Ames was located in Concord, New Hampshire and was respected by all of her colleagues for being loving and caring to them. Back in 1931 Ames was awarded a two year teaching certificate from Keene Normal School which is now known as Keene State College. She was a teacher for twenty years in a one room schoolhouse in Newbury, New Hampshire and in Pittsfield as well.
Ames went to the University of New Hampshire and Plymouth Teachers College, and also Keene State. Due to failing eyesight she stopped taking classes in 1971 and was not sure if she had enough credits in order to receive a college Bacheolor's degree. Ames had wished for a degree and this realization became true when a Keene State film professor interviewed her for a piece on the college's centennial which was celebrated in 2009. After research into whether or not Ames could receive her college diploma it was found out that she indeed could and did the day before she died on January 25th, 2010.
Norma Walker of the Golden Circle Society which is an Alumni group for classes that graduated fifty or more years ago said of Ames that, "She wanted to be the best that she could be." Ames when knowing that she could receive her college diploma said, "'If I die tomorrow, I'll know I'll die happy, because my degree's in the works.'" Ames died happy for teaching students how to read and for being caring, loving, and compassionate for others as well as receiving her college degree the day before she died. That to me is true ability and was done at the age of one hundred years old. The spirit is infinite and the body is limited. We should all know that age is only a number and like disability is not something that should define us.

Community Exchange System for transportation and the aims of an economic complex with the system

The aims of a community economic complex are stated below as well as videos.

CESDISCUSSIONS
The Community Exchange System for transportation and the proposal for a possible pilot with the Ability Alliance of West Alabama and the Western Heights Cooperative District which is run by Robert Johnson of Adamsville, Alabama.
CESDISCUSSIONS2

Alliance For Full Participation Newsletter calls for employment opportunity

One of the partnerships that the Ability Alliance of West Alabama has is SABE(Self Advocates Becoming Empowerd) which is a national organization that represents the rights of people with intellectual disabilities to work and to actively participate in their communities. A partnership of SABE's is The Alliance For Full Participation which aims to create work opportunity for people with developmental disabilities,and it has launched a new campaign called "Real Jobs-It's Everybody's Business." The AFP goal is to double employment rate for people with disabilities by 2015. Employment is the prime focus for the organization which is a part of the Self Advocates Becoming Empowered national organization for rights of people with intellectual disabilities.
Real jobs mean that there are real paychecks involved and employment work shops will not be as useful anymore as done before. Preferable employment allows individuals to afford housing, food, clothing, and the supports necessary for them to live and to work in the communities that they choose to live in. This is a goal we can all identify with although the employment rate for people with intellectual disabilities is very unsatisfactory and is at approximately 22% compared to 79% for typical Americans. Therefore people who could live on their own are sometimes forced to depend on the support of others to make their choices for them.
Employment opportunity being a major problem for people with intellectual disabilities places burden on governments, community development, social services, and on Medicare/Medicaid. Discovery of more employment opportunity means not only do people with intellectual disabilities benefit but so does the communities surrounding the individuals finding employment contributing to economic growth. The Alliance for Full Participation's campaign begins at the state level that combines the efforts of businesses, governmental officials, family members, advocacy organizations, service providers, and other community members. Please visit their website for more information about their campaign.

www.allianceforfullparticipation.org

Americorps Stronger Together Ability Alliance of West Alabama: Partnered with VISTA

“Stronger Together” is an Americorp/VISTA program which is a volunteer based project designed to bridge community programs in an effort to empower the people in it, through the use of Grassroots Organizing techniques to built capacity and or resources in our community.
Project goals of the program are:
1.Employment Opportunities/Volunteerism
2.Self Advocacy
3.Self Determination
4.Organizational Collaborations
5.Community Involvement

What do VISTA(Volunteers In Service to America) members do?

Members commit to serve full-time for 1 to 3 years at a nonprofit organization or local government agency and work to fight illiteracy, improve health services,create businesses, and strengthen community groups. Members also create or expand programs designed to bring individuals and communities out of poverty. Americorps VISTA members gain the ability to solve problems and achieve objectives with their resource development and management of community relationships Aims to strengthen parties ability to work together for the benefit of every person involved. Skills and tools are provided to define problems and issues and formulate solutions.


What is a community?
A group of people who share a position in social and/or economic disadvantage
Disability or membership of a particular ethnic group
Geographical area.

Benefits
Increases in skills, competencies and self confidence
Effective, efficient and sustainable delivery of services to communities
Promotion of social cohesion or inclusion.

Grassroots fundraising
Raises money and contributions of goods and services
Requires face-to-face asking, rather than grant application
Publicizes the work of your organizations, build networks of relationship in the community, more people actively involved.

Volunteering
Volunteering is the practice of people working on the behalf of others without being motivated by financial or material gain. It is an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life. Volunteering also helps to build more cohesive communities, fostering greater solidarity and trust between citizens.

VISTA ADVISORY Committee
The VISTA Advisory Committee members are selected to support and oversee the ideals and recommendations of the “Stronger Together” project.
Advisory Committee Members are expected to participate in (2) planning meeting annually.
Advisory Committee Goals/Focus:
Develop positive inclusion/integration for individuals with intellectual disabilities
Establish/Strengthen self-advocacy groups
Support opportunities for leadership/leadership training
Create collaborations/partnerships with community organizations

Sponsoring Agencies:
1.Tuscaloosa’s One Place
2.Easter Seals of West Alabama
3.Arc of Tuscaloosa
4.Indian Rivers Mental Health Center
5.United Cerebral Palsy of West of West Alabama
People First of Alabama

Designated Collaborations/CO-OPS/SELF ADVOCACY:
1.Gettysburg College
2.Tuscaloosa Childrens’ Council
3.Self Advocacy Becoming Empowered (SABE)
4.University Of Alabama
5.Kentuck Art Festival

The Interaction Style Assessment Test

This is a quiz administered by a career blog I have been referred to by an online connection of mine called Careeralism.com. It is a website for career advice and interview advice, resume building, and also quizzes for job readiness and personality assessment. The Interaction Style Assessment Test is administered by a company called J.T. O'Donnell and determines what kind of an interactor you are in the workplace. Are you a empathizer? Are you a energizer? Are you a contemplator? or Are you a commander? Based on the 18 question quiz I am an empathizer.
An empathizer is known to create harmonious relationships, create conflict free environments, and to seek positivity amongst all. I believe that this is an accurate assessment of how I operate in a workplace. I intend to see the emotional aspects as being more important than logic most of the time because people tend to make decisions much more so on their emotions than on their logic based on my general observations of how people act in society as of lately. This may be me generalizing a bit but there is much evidence to back this up and also the advertising World is largely based on emotions. For clarity is all knowing and wise and is seen with our dollar bill being the all seeing eye of the sun. Below are my results and the link to the 18 question two part quiz.


http://www.jtodonnell.com/assessment/index.phtml


These are what the QUiz Results of the ISAT state and I am an empathizer. The results are categorized as such:

EMPATHIZER Comfortable, casual, and organized. Fun, friendly, kind, positive, team players. Warm, sympathetic, tactful, positive,but decisive to offset your emotion and avoidance. People first, profits second. Customer service, client and/or employee relations, office improvements. Excel at key support roles and team-based project work.

ENERGIZER Attractive, comfortable, and up-scale. Fun, outgoing, competitive, positive, quick-minded team players. Energetic, decisive, positive, supportive, but tactful to offset your passion and directness. People and profits achieved simultaneously. Sales, client and/or employee training, roll-out of new products or company initiatives. Anything that involves coaching ,training, motivation and engaging others.

CONTEMPLATOR Well-organized, private, casual. Respectful, pleasant, focused, fastidious, independent workers. Logical, articulate, honest, tactful, but decisive to offset your conservatism and avoidance. Profits with ethics. Accounting, quality assurance and service evaluations need your attention to detail. Computers, financial operations, engineering, processes and systems are great fits for your style.

COMMANDER Efficient and private, up-scale. Decisive, focused, quick-minded, competitive, independent workers. Logical, decisive, articulate, honest, but tactful to offset your seriousness and directness. Profits are not personal. Management, troubleshooting, reorganization, goal-setting. Any kind of project management, facilitation, or multi-tasking that is time-sensitive or requires critical thinking.

An introduction to Reiki healing

Reiki is a Japanese word and Rei means universal and ki means healing.Reiki is natural healing by touch, senses, breathing, affirmations, intentions, and visualizations, and can be learned by anyone interested in alternative medicine and healing. Reiki started in Japan and was discovered by Dr. Mikao Usui in 1922 and then spread throughout the World. Reiki healing promotes deep natural breathing and deep visualization techniques using objects such as crystals, gems, and other various symbols.

Disability can actually be ability

When I think of disability I think of what I am limited to and what I can't do in life. Disability is not what I would like to be known for or recognized for as much as anyone with an intellectual disability of any kind. Yet our society can be discriminatory towards those who have more difficulty doing every day tasks than people with "normal" mental capability. Is it normal mental capability? No. I don't think so. Humans aren't even done evolving yet for me to say that. When there are 22 main DNA chromosomes that are not male and sex chromosomes. Therefore when we haven't activated most of our DNA it makes me believe that we are not totally evolved yet and are still very much amongst the "physical" World and not the "Spiritual" World yet which is the next level beyond where humans are presently at which is also known as the third dimension of reality and the fourth dimension is time and space or the astral plane. If humans are lead to believe that approximately only 5% of the brain is used then what does the other 95% hold? What kind of power does it produce along with cellular growth? Along with DNA activation? Spiritual practices of Qi Gong, Yoga, meditation, Reiki, and other various forms of healing the Ability Alliance of West Alabama can consider for more effective treatment of the physche and mental illnesses. Unity has always been here on Earth yet we may have forgotten its true existence within each of us being intellectually disabled or not.
Healing practices such as the Ancient Chinese practice of Qi Gong pronounced (chee gong) can actually help clients of the Ability Alliance of West Alabama with stress management, the immune system, and over all health. Therefore creating more physical and spiritual well being for individuals experiencing intellectual disabilities and turning disability into more ability.
Another benefit of this is that Medicare and Medicaid can actually be applied to it as well because it is a healthy practice just like exercising is for the body and mind and can save money for health care providers. This is a good suggestion for mental healing and spiritual bliss as well. The video below is a 10 minute PBS special on Qi Gong by Francesco Garri Garripoli on what Qi Gong is and what the ancient Chinese healing practice can do for your health, and also displays some basic stances of practice.

Grandmaster Doo Wai Healing QiGong Meditation

QiGong Chi Kung:Six Healing Sounds

Easter Seals Of West Alabama

Easter Seals Of West Alabama is an organization that provides transportation for those who need it and are employed with intellectual or physical disabilities with Tuscaloosa County Parking and Transit Authority. Easter Seals has a rural-urban network for employment transportation.
Easter Seals Of West Alabama
1110 Drive Edward Hillard
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
1-205-722-1004
*Only in Tuscaloosa County

Tuscaloosa One Place

Tuscaloosa One Place is a family resource center for parent counseling, teen and child support, and four week career development classes. The career development classes focus on resume writing, work ethics, interviewing skills, and barriers to successful employment.
Classes are from Monday through Friday from 8:30 A.M.-3:30 P.M.
Referrals for career development classes are made by Department Of Human Resources for Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Tuscaloosa One Place and Family Resource Center
1(205) 462-1000
867 Redmond Drive
P.O. Box 40764
Tuscaloosa, AL 35404

Indian Rivers Mental Health Center (IRMHC)

Indian Rivers is a mental health center that provides:
-Substance abuse assistance prevention services
-An ADRS counselor will tell you when you need to contact Indian Rivers
-Medical assistance, family and individual therapy
-Indian Rivers is in Bibb, Pickens, and Tuscaloosa
-Supported employment

3701 Loop Road East Building 39
Tuscaloosa, AL 35403
205-562-3700

Ala-WIN

Ala-WIN is a work services program for individuals with disabilities. Your questions can be answered about health insurance, work benefits, employment, and social security work incentives at Ala-WIN. Ala-WIN also coordinates the Social Security Administration's "Ticket to Work Program."
202 Skyland Boulevard
Tuscaloosa AL 35403
Phone Numbers:
888-803-0118
Bibb, Chambers, Chilton, Clay, Coosa, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Tallapoosa, Talledega

800-654-4483
Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Dekalb, Etowah, Jefferson, Marshall

866-259-1745
Blount, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Walker
866-739-4366
Colbert, Cullman, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Winston

Tuscaloosa Career Center

Tuscaloosa Career Center is an employment agency that provides career services, job help, and work placement. This is a place to go if you don’t wish to receive ADRS services. This career center is a place where you can get assistance with any job or career related services that you need or require. This office operates with the state of Alabama directly and with the Tuscaloosa county region as well.


202 Skyland Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL 35405
1-205-758-7591

Palk Enterprises and Supported Employment

Palk Enterprises Supported Employment is a place where you can go for help with jobs, job coaching, and supports for jobs. An ADRS counselor will tell you when you need to contact PESE for services.

PESE building
711 17th St.
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
205-758-1875

Alabama Department Of Rehabilitation Services

The Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services is a partnership of the AAWA and is also a place who you can contact if you need help for disability services for employment. You can still have your check if you are not on services for Medicaid/Medicare for up to 93 months after your disability benefits are finished. The ADRS service is for people with physical or intellectual disabilities who need services for employment.
VRS Tuscaloosa
1305 17th Street, East
Tuscaloosa, AL 35403

Phone number
1-334-293-7500

Americorps National Planning Grants

The purpose of the Americorps National Planning Grant is to support the development of Americorps programs and to build the infrastructure of Americorps in general. This grant opportunity has a deadline of January 26th, 2010 and the grants are awarded for 12 months. This grant opportunity is for organizational purpose only and does not support actual Americorps members but instead helps the sponsoring organization of an Americorps program plus a VISTA program such as that of the Ability Alliance Of West Alabama's. This grant is a multi-state grant and applicants must be interested in working with two or more states.
The organizations that are eligible for this grant opportunity is faith based organizations, non-profits, labor organizations, institutions of higher education, indian tribes, governmental entities, and other communtiy organizations. Also organizations whom currently are operating in more than one state are encouraged to apply.

The Social Security Administration:Ticket To Work Program

Social Security Administration issues tickets to individuals ages 18-64
Individuals must be eligible for receiving cash benefits under SSDI(Social Security Disability Insurance)
-Tickets obtain services for individuals
-Service providers are called Employment Networks
-Provides vocational rehabilitation
-Education
-Training
-Placement services
-Supports for employment
-SSI recipients receive benefits
-Is voluntary for recipients of SSDI
There is no cost for you to receive vocational services to obtain employment
Works towards maintaining independence and self sufficiency
Social Security Administration pays employment networks once you achieve milestones and outcomes. Also the Milestones and outcomes are associated with work and earnings.Does not conflict in medicare or medicaid coverage
You may remain eligible for up to 93 months after you stop receiving SSDI benefits and medicare coverage can continue. The Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security part of the Ticket to Work Program provides client assistance and state agency aid. MAXIMUS the program operations manager of the Ticket to Work Program reviews clients file’s every 12 months.Tickets can even be used for recipients who would like to start their own businesses as well but must be listed under their goals.

Portable Farms for farmer sustainability

Portable Farms is an Aquaponics farming system and Aquaponics is growing of vegetables and fish completely in water. Portable Farms Increases food security,
Offers dramatic reduction in water usage, and is Very cost effective.No chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, fertilizers, nutrients, antibiotics, or buffers need to be added. Portable Farms that users buy Only require routine maintenance and
self regulate in extreme environments. A portable farm takes 25 minutes to operate daily and runs on 60 to 260 watts of electricity. A portable farm produces its own food with proper lighting and can even operate in a basement with grow lights. You can take your portable farm with you if you move to another location unlike regular farming. The video below explains in detail how a portable farm works.