Living in unprecedented times part I

Hello folks:

We are living in unprecedented times. We are at the beginning of the end I hope of a global pandemic. It's life has been exhausting the past 12 months, Personally and professionally.For those of you that are new to thisBlog my name is Richard Chapman and I am a licensed mental health counselor. I also live in Lawrence Kansas.

Wait a minute, did he just say that he lives in Lawrence Kansas. He lived in Florida. Why is he talking in the 3rd person? What is he doing in Lawrence Kansas? These are all really good questions. In August of2020I received a extraordinary opportunityTo begin a research fellowship at the University of Kansas. The focus on this research is In self-determination intervention and assessment for individuals with disabilities. This has been a tremendous opportunity that I have received and I am excited that I have This opportunity to grow as a professional andTo grow my own line of research.

I am going to see if I can try to keep up a blog of some type. As always my blog will be about mental health counseling, self-determination, my research, and life in general.As I write this, I hope to spend the next couple of blogs reflecting on the unprecedented times that we are living in.

Reflections on the writing process

For those of you that have followed my blog, you may have noticed that I have not blogged in quite some time. Then all of the sudden I have decided to resume a active  schedule. I have published three blogs in the past week. Even though my schedule has been extremely busy, I realize that writing is a very important task and I probably need to be writing every day.

I am over the next 12 to 18 months going to being engaging in a series of very extensive writing projects in preparation for completion of my PhD. This is something that I am extremely excited about, however I have decided that I need to be getting in to the habit of writing every day. Writing is a discipline that I want to be able to cultivate.

The direction of this blog is always been on the counseling profession. This blog will continue to be on counseling, however I am going to be including some additional topics in this blog. This blog will be discussing issues related to counseling education and supervision. This blog will also be discussing disability issues. I am a counseling education and supervision scholar. I am in the third year of my PhD program. I also see myself as a disability studies scholar. In a different blog, I will define what each of those terms mean. This blog will also provide a venue in which I can provide a updates on myself as I complete my PhD program.

Thank you Dana

 I am going to probably get a lot of heat for this blog, from the subject of this particular blog but I do not care. Because it is a important topic that I want to spend a few minutes talking about. I recently had a conversation with a good friend of mine and colleague who is the Executive Director of the organization known as disability rights Florida. Before I continue I should disclose that I am on the Board of Directors of disability rights and this blog does not express the views of disability rights Florida staff, volunteer or board of directors. However I am sure many individuals will agree with what I am about to say. Okay back to the story, we have been discussing the recent retirement of a long time friend and colleague Dana F, from disability rights Florida. She has been employed disability rights Florida for the past 26 years. I am sure that everyone that knows Dana knows that she is a wealth of knowledge, a non-nonsense kind of individual and a wonderful advocate for individuals with disabilities. She has been involved in public policy for the past couple of decades, advocating for the lives of individuals with disabilities. She had decided to pursue other opportunities in the disability advocacy community.

I have learned a lot on how to be a effective advocate for individuals with disabilities and legislative communication from Dana. I am not a musician, otherwise I would compose a song. I am not a photographer, otherwise I would take a picture. I am a writer so I have decided to write this blog is a way of saying thank you to Dana for everything that she has done to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities. I know that I will probably be getting a phone call or email from Dana about this blog. I just wanted to say thank you for everything you have done.

Dana and myself traveling a few years ago to Panama city Florida to conduct voting training for individuals with disabilities. I remember how passionate she was about the subject. I remember how she treated each and every individual. We have high a lot of fun on the trip and it was some of the best training I have done on the lives of individuals with disabilities. It was a privilege.

Dana, thank you for your advocacy for individuals with disabilities. Thank you for everything that you have taught me about the advocacy community and individuals with disabilities. Thank you for everything that you have done to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities. Just think you think you think you.

Okay I understand now: transportation

Hey folks, it has been a while since I posted to my blog. However I feel like I have a article that I want to discuss with you guys. Among many of my professional titles, I consider myself a disability advocate. Most of this advocacy has been around in the area of community living and employment of individuals with disabilities. I remember having a conversation with Nancy Chapman, about my disability advocacy activities. Actually this was a series of conversations. One thing that Nancy always said to me, was think about transportation for individuals with disabilities. Okay so I have not always thought about the issue of transportation for individuals with disabilities like Nancy suggested. I have not always thought about this in my own advocacy, until now.

On October 8 the bus system in the Tampa Bay area went under some significant changes. I knew that these changes were about to happen, but I didn't really think of the impact it would have on my community. My roommate Stephanie relies on public transportation to get around. I sometimes take public transportation to get around. However my roommate takes specialized transportation services sponsored by the public transportation system because she uses a wheelchair. She has that been employed at a local community mental health agency for a while. On October 8 the public bus system eliminated a stop at that agency. Luckily she was able to be grandfathered in, however if she wasn't she would have no way to get to the job that she has. I find this totally unacceptable. She provides a much needed services in the Tampa Bay area. She is one of the best mental health I know and she has every right to get will see need to go.

My roommate Stephanie is not the only one. More individuals with disabilities have been impacted by the recent changes. There has been a bus route that has been eliminated at a major disability services provider. There was now no services at the University of South Florida. Some of my clients have been impacted to, limiting their ability to get to their jobs. This madness has to stop. I feel like I have no choice but to give my voice to increased access in the bus.

If individuals with disabilities can't get to the job that they choose or can't get access to critical public transportation services then they can't live in the community that they choose. Over the next couple of weeks I will be finally doing what Nancy has told me to do, which is to advocate for public transportation. I am planning to speak at the next board of County commissioners meeting. I will be writing my elected representatives and I will be continuing to push for more accessible transportation for individuals with disabilities. I hope that you would join me in.

Reflections on a unique individual and why the show must go on

For the last couple of days I have been struggling how to write this blog. It does not happen to me often, but I really struggled finding what to say. However, I am going to it to write this memorial piece.

To a lot of us, Gary was more than just another person in our lives. He was a gifted teacher, someone that provide mentorship and guidance. He was a an extraordinary human being and probably one of the most sarcastic and insightful individuals you would ever meet. I had the privilege of knowing him as my major professor in graduate school. He was the one that interviewed me for my Masters program. He gave me a chance in the Department of rehabilitation and mental health counseling. He challenged me to become a better therapist and a better man. He challenged us all.

Up until the last two weeks of his life, he was still practicing. He knew that he was dying, however he knew he also had a obligation to his clients. A obligation to terminate successfully. For him, regardless of the wicked wit that he possessed the ethics of this profession and the obligation to his client was what was important to him. In the wards of Dr. D, the show must go on.

Thank you for what you have done for me both professionally and personally. Again, thank you for introducing me to this extraordinary profession as a mental health counselor. I still, channel you when I am working with clients and students alike.

Life as a PhD student

Hello everyone, I hope everybody is having a good day. This semester has been very busy for me in graduate school. I wanted to provide you a quick update about everything and let you know how I am doing.

For many of you know that I am in a PhD program at the University of South Florida in counseling education. I am loving every minute of this program, even though it is a lot of stuff that I have to get done. Right now I am sitting on a Saturday afternoon, writing various assignments that have to be due within the next couple of weeks. I am loving every minute of it.

I have finally articulated my primary research interests. My employment research lies in the area of mental health counseling and disability rights. I am interested in community support for individuals with developmental disabilities. I am also interested inSelf-Advocacy and self-determination for individuals with disabilities.

This semester I have had the tremendous experience of teaching a practicum class. I have six wonderful students and I am having the time of my life teaching this class.

I am involved in several research projects and I will be submitting a article for publication within the next couple of weeks. I have also been asked to be a co-writer for a book chapter. This is something that I find very exciting.

I will be working on additional projects over the summer. I will also be moving on the campus of the University of South Florida.

I will be using this blog to keep you up-to-date on my area of research and trends it in the mental health and disability field.

I hope everyone is doing great. My family is the very good. I will be trying to write a little bit frequently, because I have finally found some balance with life.

Begin again

Okay one, I have been told that I need to begin to blog again. He told me that I need to do this. Who exactly is he, he is Dr.Herbert Exum, my professor for my PhD program. Yes, I just got into a PhD program and I began this fall. It has already become a very busy couple months.

If you are new to this blog, my name is Richard Chapman. I am a licensed mental health counselor and a disability advocate that lives in Tampa Florida. My specialties include abuse, domestic violence and disability issues. I have a general mental health counseling practice.

I am also a PhD student in mental health counseling education and supervision. My areas of research right now include clinical supervision, the intersection between mental health counseling and self advocacy and self-determination for individuals with disabilities. I also have a interest in mental health professionals that have disabilities and members of the Academy with disabilities.

This blog is a way for me to give my opinion about issues affecting my profession. My goal, is to publish something on a weekly basis.