As a traumatic brain injury survivor who wants to get back to work, I have been dealing w/a public vocational rehabilitation agency that claims assisting people w/disabilities in returning to work is its goal. As I am finding that not to be the case, I refer to the agency/program in question as Joke Rehab. (Vocational rehabititation is often referred to as voc rehab.) In practice, it is nothing but a joke!
funding has been cut to the point that the so-called employment services are virtually useless. (Never mind the fact that the economy is going to hell!)
Like many people with disabilities, I have been through the joke rehab system more than once. (This is my second go-round.)
The first time, I received limited financial assistance when I was attending graduate school. I would like to point out that joke rehab did not pay for my tuition–I won a fellowship and a grant. Also, I was working full-time and attended school full-time in an attempt to earn an M. Ed.
Don’t ask me how I did it, I can’t tell you. All I know is that I was always exhuasted, having difficutly w/headaches and “floaters” (white specks that would appear in my field of vision). In addition, I was having some very serious problems concentrating on work–the office was too damn noisy!!! Actually got fired because I had to keep my office door closed in order to concentrate. Couldn’t afford to continue in grad school, so I dropped out.
Then my father died and my sister was diagnosed with cancer. After my father’s death, I bummed around the UP (MI’s Upper Peninsula)and Canada for a summer. Came back and lived with my mom when the stress got to me.
To make a long story short, applied for SSD/I, got a Section 8, Food Stamps, Medicaid, and, eventually Medicare and moved around a bit until I settled down where I currently live.
And now the social programs that I and so many others are dependent on are severely threatened by the asshole in chief and his cronies. So, I decided to give joke rehab another shot, even though I had previously found it useless.(My original case was closed early due to previous budget cuts.)
What is gets me is that, as I was unable to return to my former occupation due to work restrictions and other limitations, joke rehab has done absolutely nothing.
Examples:
- I had to have a neuropsychological evalution, when I have already had three for the sole purpose of determining if I was “eligible” for joke rehab. But, the results of the first three were “not adequate to determine eligibility”, as they were considered “too old.”
- The agency originally denied a such an evaluation and I had to file an appeal to get one.
- The director of the agency stated that, “in cases of traumatic brain injury, a neuropsychological evaluation was standard practice.
- The results of the evaluation have been ignored by joke rehab and there is another appeal filed w/an informal hearing scheduled on Monday at 1:00 so I can actually receive joke rehab services that I am legally entitled to!
- The results of the evaluation also specifcally mention retraining, specifically computer training.
- The training that has been offered is on Windows ’95! (I keep hearing that bullshit that is all the state can afford. Does anyone honestly believe that, considering that the state of MI is using newer software?)
- Also, the agency was supposed to get things going for me w/in 60 days of when I originally filled out the application. And that was in APRIL!
Beginning to think that I need a lawyer! I’m pissed!
Also, if this is any indication of how people w/disabilities are treated, God help those who will be returning from Iraq!
And, the gov of MI is supposedly a democrat!
Anyone want to buy the Mackinac Bridge?
It is a joke. I have been through it with three family members. Thank you Ronnie Raygun and Repub. party. Ronnie is the one that told SSI that everyone must be refused and refused again, regardless of the merits. . .most people will get discouraged and won’t get legal or other help and just give up.
Before you call a lawyer, you might want to check with these guys. Binder and Binder They are disability specialists and they have a high sucess rate. A lot cheaper than a lawyer.
Oh, my family members. The one who got a lawyer finally won after nearly two years battling. The other two were constantly denied. (Dr’s have also been warned that they must not recommend or give statements of disability or they will lose their priveleges with the drug companies, up to and including the inability to write prescriptions).
Sorry to sound so negative, but those are the experiences I have had. On the other hand, if you can get a shrink to say you have a debilitating mental problem, it seems much easier. But just being honestly where you are and with the problems you have is very tricky. give Binder and Binder a call. They will tell you if they can help you.
Thanks! Tried to submit form online–unsure if it went thru–got error message. Will call tomorrow.
hard to comment here as everything you say is so true. The whole process for getting disability for those who deserve and need it is utterly broken(as is so many of our systems now).
When I finally got disability in 1994 or so it actually wasn’t for what is really my medical problem-the hereditary neuro-muscular disease…due to the fact that doctors kept saying most of my problems had to be in my head. Even though I couldn’t work, drive or at times cut my own food, stand in lines to do any shopping for myself, etc so I was so worn down from some 20 years or more of trying to work and collapsing constantly that I was a basket case(as I lost everything I had also and had to rely on a relative taking me in at that time)…so I was actually given disability as someone who either had mental problems or supposed chronic fatigue syndrome..and then told I might wake up one day and be miraculously cured and be able to go back to work.
Even after being diagnosed with the hereditary neuro disease(which explained my lifelong problems) most doctors can’t get past original records and half think I’m still some crazy hysterical woman who either doesn’t want to work or is lazy.
I know my post doesn’t help you any specifically but just points up how screwed up the disability system is and that includes the doctors who don’t want to won’t recommend disability either cause they don’t care or they’re incompetent or both.
Posting results of hearing tomorrow nite!