[Raynaadi]

I'm soooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!!! I just got back from orientation with Vocational Rehabilitation. They have a ton of resources and experience with getting people back to work who've been medically retired for awhile. I'm so ready to get back to work, but have not gotten any response to my resumes. These people have connections with companies willing to work with people and also can guide me with when and what to disclose. Retraining is also an option. I'd love to go down that road, but I need to bring in money, so we'll see what my options are. I have an appointment with my case worker tomorrow at 2:30.

It is just SUCH a relief to not be doing this alone anymore. I feel like I have an advocate on my side and it is such a relief!! Someone to help me with footwork who has experience with all this!!!

I just had to share cuz I'm just so happy!!!!!!!!

[Prada]

Congratz and good luck Once I am stable on meds I plan on doing the same thing.

Hope it all works out well for you

[Raynaadi]

Thank you Prada!! Hopefully I'll have good news to report and then you'll have someone who's gotten good results to chat to about it all.

[DocClyde]

Congrats Raynaadi!!! I hope this works out for you!!! You deserve so much to be happy!!!!!!

[Raynaadi]

Thank you Clyde.

I am very happy with my life, but the lack of employment and ability to be self-supporting is the last obstacle to tackle. I really feel like once I am bringing in my own money, that my life will be so much more complete.

I have just about everything else I could ever want. I get to be a huge part of PC and that makes me happy daily. I have a wonderful man in my life who loves me for who I am, unconditionally. I have wonderful friends and a wonderful support system, a great relationship with my Grandma, and most importantly, an overall satisfaction with the adversity I have faced and come out on the other side successfully.

Now if I can add a paycheck.....all that will be left is a ring on my finger and a bun in the oven!!!

[kebsfroggy]

So glad to hear things are going your way.
Very interested in your experiences with voc rehab.

Good luck

[Raynaadi]

Thank you Keb. I'm excited so far. Had a ton of paperwork to fill out and have to bring stuff with me, but thats with any kind of government help.

[Soidhonia]

Congratulations (((RAYNA))). I hope everything goes well with you at the Voc Rehab appointment. Take care. Soidhonia

[Raynaadi]

Thanks Soid!!!!

[Cheri]

Congratulations! I may be going the Voc Rehab route, too, since there have been no responses to the resumés I've sent out. Are you using a service called COVA, by any chance? Please post how this works out for you. (Fingers x'd).

[Raynaadi]

Hmmm I don't know what COVA is. I see my case manager tomorrow, so maybe he'll shed some light on what programs I'll be using. I'll be posting updates for sure!

[inkblot]

My experience with them has never been good. At least it sounds like it will work for you. Congrats!

[jbug]

Congrats Ray!!

That is how I am going to school is voc rehab. They will then help me get a job when I'm done.

Jbug

[__zh]

it depends on city and state. some are awesome and supportive and helpful while others can be frustrating bureaucratic nightmares--which is the last thing someone arriving at voc rehab needs!

good luck Rayna. sorry you had negative experience inky.

[splitimage]

Wow - sounds great. Hope it works out really well.

--splitimage

[Raynaadi]

Jannie how does the school thing work? Are you able to support yourself while in school? I mean do they help with that? I'm seeing the case manager today so I'm sure I can ask him that, but I'm curious what your experience is with that? I would love to go to school but I need to have money coming in, so I don't know how that would work.....lol first things first right, I need to talk to the councelor about it lol.

While we were waiting for the orientation, this guy said that he's been trying to get voc rahab's help for a long time and finally threatened to go to his congressman. Then he said he got switched 'this guy" and "this guy" came and got him. Well I ended up getting assigned to "this guy" so I'm hoping that is a good sign.

My boyfriend deals a lot with voc rehab since he's in the social work field and he said it all depends on the councelor, they're either really awesome or really suck he said. I'm going to try and be proactive with the whole thing and do my part. My understanding of the whole thing is that they offer the help and then I have to follow through with it. So I'm kinda thinkin JFK here, "ask not what voc rehab can do for me, but what voc rehab can help me do for myself".

I just really hope I'm not getting my hopes up.

[jbug]

Ray....I'm on disability so that is how I support myself. I also get a Pell Grant once a semester that is about $500 if I was a full-time student it would be closer to $1,000. If I was a traditional student that money would have to go to the school to pay for me to be here but since Rehab pays for me I get to use that money for living expenses. When I get it this semester I'm getting a different car. Mine is horrible and is close the trash heap so I need a different one before winter sets in. There are sometimes scholarships also you can get that help with living expenses. I know the local Mental Health agency has a scholarship for students that don't go through Rehab. If you want to go back to school ask the school's financial aid office what you can do.

Jbug

[Raynaadi]

Thank you for the info Disability denied me, so I have no money come in. My grandma does what she can to make sure my pills are paid, and she's starting to struggle. School would be awesome but I think its a luxery I won't be able to have. I just want a job lol. I just want to make enough money to cover ALL the bills WHEN they're due hahaha and be able to get a mocha now and again. Oh and keep food in my fridge. Thats all......ahhhhh time will tell.

[Raynaadi]

Ok WOW. I don't know if I will be able to express how impressed I am. My councelor has been doing his job for over 30 years and it shows. He basically got all my info, my limitations, my job history, my career that I left behind and want to get back to etc etc etc. I told him I've put out resumes, some disclosing my disability, some not and haven't heard anything.

He explained how school is an option but I told him I want the quickest way to make money. He said ok, they'll get me working and then in a year or 2 or 5 if I decide to go to school and can afford less income, THEY'LL STILL PAY FOR IT. Basically they'll be my advocates for life.

I told him I want to be a phlebotomist again and he said ok. I'll actually have a liaison between me and the companies I'll apply to. They'll help me revamp my resume, and they'll explain to the companies what my assets are, and also that I am not a liability.

He said many companies fear that hiring a person with a disability will make their insurance rates go up, and these people will explain to the companies that that simply isn't true. He told me they will even tell the company to hire me and voc rehab will pay half my wages, just to prove to the company that I am good worker.

He said I will be back to work in my field in a month to 2 at the most.

I am most satisfied.

[eskielover]

Rayna,

It is so wonderful reading your post about how everything is going so well in your life & how happy you are at this point. It is wonderful when you have almost everything you have always wanted & even that is posssibly on the horizon. I understand the feeling of not having an income....that is a most empty feeling.

I am glad your voc rehab is working out for you. I had such a bad experience with them here in California....it was very sad. I think the really sad part is that they aren't used to working with the highly educated.....(I was an aerospace engineer with a BS in Computer Science & Accounting). They did all the testing & everything was oriented toward putting people into assembly or secretary positions. They had absolutely nothing to offer for people who are qualified for higher level positions.

With the anxiety level I now have....can't imagine how completely crazy an assembly position would drive me to. I went through 2 weeks of the testing things to decide what they could do with me & in the end, they came up with absolutely nothing. The education options of going back to the community college & getting a certificate in something like Interior Design was smashed by them. I can understand....they wanted me to go out & research all the possibilities & positions that could be available once finished with the program because they had no information on that. That was an almost impossible job to do, so I just walked away from them with nothing. They didn't say whether or not I shouldn't be considered disabled from that point.....just said there was nothing they could do for an employment situation for me.

It was sad because they had never had anyone that tested so high on their tests....but could do absolutely nothing for me.

I am sure they will be able to find something for you,
Debbie

[PlanningtoLive]

Congrats Rayna.......I'm really happy for you. I know how important it is to be earning a paycheck and having money come in, it certainly boosts my self esteem.

[Raynaadi]

Oh Debbie that is just horrible!!! They really need to up the bar there. Its not fair that just because you're educated they couldn't help you. Wow....I wish you could see my case worker.

(((((( Debbie )))))))

[Raynaadi]

Not having a paycheck has definitely been a huge part of a depression that I finally was able to pull myself out of. I hope to be earning money again soon. Ahh...to have food in my apartment lol.

[kebsfroggy]

I so glad everything went so well for you. It sounds like they are really going to bat for you and that's a good thing. I'm so very happy that things worked out in our favorl.

Do keep us posted on how things progress

[Raynaadi]

Thank you Kebs =) I'm so grateful I have PC to come to to share everything with, good and bad.