Okay, here is my situation. I have been out of work for three years due to my bipolar disorder. I am on SSI and I want to get off of it. I am being harrassed by the student loan people. I want to pay my student loans off. I do not like being a deadbeat. I was doing a search on the web for practically anything so that I can get a job. I ran across a great oppurtunity. It is called "Teach Greater New Orleans." It is an alternative means of becoming a teacher. I have the academic qualifications for the program. I have much better than the minimum GPA of 2.5. My undergraduate GPA is 3.43

However, I am 36 years old and do not have much of a work history. The main reason for that is that I had my severe psychotic episodes that took me away from substitute teaching and my other part time job. I have been on SSI ever since. I do not know what to tell these people about my lack of work experience. If I tell the truth they may decide to keep me out of the program because I have a mental illness --- you know they might say that we can't allow someone who is mentally ill around children. I could lie and make up a work history and I could even get someone to lie for me and say I worked for them, but that will look bad once the lie catches up to me.

I don't know what to do. Are mentally ill people protected from discrimination in situations like this? Is this even worth the effort to apply? I am lost and need help.