[birdcrazy]

Basically I went to vocational rehab and the lady wanted to know about my job history and how my disability has affected it. So I told her how my mental illness has caused me to loose a couple of jobs and caused me to miss work another time. The lady basically told me I needed to give up on trying to work and I need to just live on my SSI. She suggested me and my husband to find a cheaper place to live.

My husband is mad and is wondering if this is discrimination. He used to live in a group home himself and he says he has seen people with worse mental illness symptoms than me working. We need money badly because my husband lost his disability money after we were married and it would take a while to get his SSI. Anyway, we are going to have a serious situation this winter when our gas bill goes up and I think me getting a job is a good solution because my husband cannot work.

Is this discrimination for the voc. rehab lady to say this? She's going to talk to my mental health caseworker and I don't know what she's going to say to him.

Oh, and soon I am going to see if I can get an interview for a job that would be my dream job. It's out of state and I don't know how stuff would work out, but this makes me want to go for the job if it is offered to me just to show the lady I can work.

[Leed]

Why on earth did your husband lose his disability money when you got married? What kind of disability money was it? Was it Social Security? I don't see why he would lose ANY disability money when you married. I don't understand. if YOU are only on SSI, that's not enough to warrant ANYONE losing disability.

The woman who told you to "give up" is treading on thin ice by telliing you that. That seems pretty discriminatory to me. People with more severe disabilities than YOU have can find jobs! They place people with jobs who have SEVERE mental disabilities, so she'd better watch her step! I think you'd better talk to her again, and tell her that she might not want to mess around with this or the Feds might be after her!

Best of luck sweetie, and again, why did your hubby lose his disability? God bless. Hugs, Lee

[tigerlily84]

That's horrible that she would tell you just to give up like that. Good for you for going for your dream job. You deserve a chance, just like anyone else.

[ladytiger]

i never heard of someone losing their disability money because they got married, idk maybe go look that up on ssa's site. the lady needs to watch her mouth if she doesn't want to get sued or in trouble by her bosses. i was told not by someone in the state gov but by someone else to give up looking for a job cuz i lack experience and should be taken care of by myself wtf?!?!?

[birdcrazy]

Sorry it took so long to respond, my computer is broken. Anyway, my husband was getting state disability, and here in Michigan if you get over 423 dollars you loose it. When we got married, they counted my 698 and took it away, he was getting 269 a month, now all gone. Also we lost almost 40 in food stamps.

I talked to my mental health caseworker about it. He thought the lady should not have said that, and in fact I am really stable now and would be a good canidate to get a job, he is going to talk to her to see what is up.

[pachyderm]

Originally Posted by birdcrazy

Basically I went to vocational rehab and the lady wanted to know about my job history and how my disability has affected it. So I told her how my mental illness has caused me to loose a couple of jobs and caused me to miss work another time. The lady basically told me I needed to give up on trying to work and I need to just live on my SSI.

So it wasn't Voc. Rehab that told you that, but one lady...

[Hellion]

Well I feel like if you really want to work and are willing to do what you need to do, they should have been more willing to help you. It sounds just as frustrating as being unable to work, and having people tell you that you should just get a job.

Not sure if its really discrimination though...maybe based on the info you provided they assumed it would be in your best interest to just stick to the SSI. Or maybe they didn't have any services they felt would be of any help to you.

[0w6c379]

[quote=birdcrazy;2578369]

Why not just call the lady's supervisor and ask to be reassigned to another Voc. Rehab Specialist? I would not cite "discrimination" as the reason but just say that you had a difference of opinion. Whatever her reasons were for saying what she did, it sounds like it would be in your best interest to start fresh with someone else. Oh, and if you get the opportunity to work in your dream job, go for it! Jobs are scarce and somthing in your field is just the icing on the cake. Good luck to you.

[Oxidopamine]

In every group of people you encounter, there are going to be some that rub you the wrong way and some that are flat-out assholes. From the sounds of it, you met one. It doesn't represent what all or majority of vocational rehab would tell you to do, it was just one lady. It's a far cry to say it was discrimination since you have no evidence whatsoever to indicate she wasn't trying to encourage you by giving doubt, simply didn't care, intended her answer to be only temporary while you (and possibly your husband) get off your feet, etc... .