Life lessons from fourth grade

Good evening and morning, I hope you are having a good day. Happy Labor Day. Tonight I want to talk to you about diversity and inclusion. So my nine-year-old nephew just started school in Florida this year. He has begun the fourth grade. Yesterday at a Labor Day cookout, he talked to me about someone that came to his class to give it a presentation about issues that affected individuals with disabilities. My nephew was amazed with the presentation. As someone that studies issues faced by individuals with disabilities, I was also amazed with what he was presented in class.

I feel that we don’t talk enough about the issues of diversity and inclusion. It wasn’t too long ago, when individuals with disabilities were isolated in the public school system. Regular education kids did not see individuals with disabilities. Fortunately, this is not the case now. I am very pleased that my nephew is learning about issues faced by individuals with disabilities. I think it is absolutely critical to engage in the dialogue with young children about the subject of disabilities. I believe that disability is a vibrant cultural, that must be taught at all levels in school. We need to embrace the fact that all individual’s with disabilities have the ability to be supported in the community. We need to look at this from the perspective that not all of us are the same. To my nephew Brandon, I hope that you continue to learn about issues that face individuals with disabilities. I am pleased that you were able to have this very valuable lesson about life.

Politics

I hope you are having a good day. Tonight I would like to talk about politics. No I am not asking you to change your political beliefs. Nor am I asking to believe what I believe. But something very important is happening right now, and I feel that it is very important to be discussed.This is a beginning of a series of blogs about the conventions. I will seek to bring you argument from both sides of the political landscape.

. Overall the next couple of weeks, the two major political parties will be hosting their respective conventions. This is a time for individuals of different beliefs can engage in debate about what is best for America. I had to be honest, I'm a little bit disappointed to with the state of political debate in this country. It seems like both the political parties are attacking one another, and not focusing on the real issues. The Democrats say that the Republicans have lost touch with reality. That the Republicans don't really care about America. That Barack Obama is the hope and change that we need. And now the Republicans saying that the Democrats have damaged America in some way..

I am embarrassed with what I see from the current state of politics. To be quite honest, I like some stuff that the Democrat bring to the table, and I like some stuff that the Republican bring to the table. For the record, I am not affiliated with any of the two major parties.

This is a important time for America. I believe that we need to stop attacking one another, and give solutions to solve America's problems. Attacking someone, without giving solutions is not an acceptable. We need a renewed solutions, not attacks.

The importance of communication

Let me say from the beginning that this blog is not meant to attack the media. This blog is also not meant to be a political blog. This blog is also not meant to discuss my beliefs about the employment for individuals with disabilities. This particular blog post is meant to discuss how we communicate about individuals with disabilities.

As many of you know, the Republican national convention will be coming to the Tampa Bay area. This is a very exciting time for some people in Tampa. For some people in Tampa, they will be outraged with the convention coming to town. Overall the next couple of weeks, we will be having 10,000 to 15,000 individuals coming into the Tampa Bay area. This will be a big boost for the area economy. One of newspapers in the Tampa Bay area, the Tampa Bay times has been providing fantastic coverage about the preparation for the convention. In the article published Friday, August 17 discussed the preparation of party bags for the convention. Now when I look at this article, I just passed it by without a second look. Like I often did you, I always come back and look at articles that I find this interesting. Assisting in the preparation of these party bags, is a organization called McDonald training center. This is a organization that provides support to individuals with disabilities. Now I am very strong feelings about this organization, which I will not get into on this blog. In the title of the article it stated that these individuals with developmental disabilities have little interest in politics.

Now I’m someone that has been involved in the disability rights movement, for a long period of time I find this very offensive on several fronts. The statement that individuals with developmental disabilities have no interest in politics, is simply not true. I should know. I have a developmental disability. Now many of you may be scratching your head right now. Cerebral palsy is classified as a developmental disability. Basically, a developmental disability is any delay in a individuals development. Specifically for me, my speech was delayed, and I was delayed in walking.

I believe that what the times was trying to apply it was that individuals with intellectual disabilities, which is also a developmental disability have no interest in being involved in the political process. This is also not true, and really offensive. I have friends that have been classified as having a intellectual disability. I don’t look at disability, including those with intellectual disabilities. I see them for who they are. They are as a person. Not a disabled person. But a person that has much to contribute to society, outside of a disability.

Now I recognize that this was not done intentionally. I just don’t like how it was communicated. Individuals with disabilities can participate in the political process, if we provide them with the right support. This election is very important. We have two candidates, with very different ideas of what is best for America. It is important for all citizens to participate in the political process, especially those with developmental disabilities.

Counseling, advocacy, research

Good evening everyone, I have everyone’s having a good day. I would like to say thank you for being followers of my blog. I have truly discovered my passion for blogging. I would like to take this opportunity to talk to you about some of changes in my blog. You could say that this is a follow-up to my previous blog.

This blog will be written from the perspective of a student. Even though I have graduated, I went to take the postural of being a student of the craft of counseling. I believe that we always have something to learn as we practice that’s chosen profession. This blog will be written from that perspective.

I also want to begin to integrate my thought about the disability rights movement. This is the movement that I have been very blessed to participate in. I recognize, that I am not the absolute exporter of this movement. I do want to be able to, have a form that will allow me to give my perspectives on this very important movement.

Also my job responsibilities will be changing. I still provide counseling to people. I am beginning a new type of counseling, with individual that have developmental disabilities. I will also be providing supportive employment, to this population. I will also be conducting evaluations for a different agency altogether. My professional life is about to get very busy. I hope to share with you my journey as I begin this new stage in my professional life.

As of many of you know, my long-term goal is to pursue a doctorate in counselor education and supervision. To do this, I will be pursuing research related to self determination, and self advocacy for individuals with disabilities. Also I want to focus on counseling professionals with disabilities as a area of research. I hope to use this as a vehicle to update you guys about what I am working on.

The true definition of a professional

In school, I was introduced to the concept of counseling been a craft. This is a concept that I have often told about on the blog. I feel like that I’ve never really explained what I meant about the concept of being a craft. I would like to take this opportunity to discuss how I understand this concept now as a very young profession.

How do I define my craft? My craft is counseling. It is the craft of establishing helping relationships with people. It is certain to craft a of listening, and withholding judgment. This is a profession that I have committed myself to practicing, and developing my skills as a professional. I recognize that this is going to be a lifelong process. I will be constantly developing as a counseling professional. I will be acquiring the skills necessary to cope with my clients achieve the potential that they already have.

I would say from the beginning that I believe I am a green professional. I have a lot of class to knowledge established. I have had the opportunity to provide counseling to a couple of individuals. I am, still learning what it means to be a counseling professional. I recognize over the next couple of euros, that if I’m going to improve my skills as a professional I must commit myself to grow both professionally and personally. I am planning to go into greater detail about personal growth in a future blog. All I am doing right now is honing my craft as a Professional.

One of my professors and mentors has emphasized that the true definition of a professional, is someone that will be willing to do anything if it would mean that they will be able to practice their craft. This is something that has resonated with me, even in my counseling theories course when I came across this for the first time. I am constantly amazed at this statement.

My sister in law, and my brother are very worried that I might burn myself because of the job that I do. I am not going to lie to you and say that the population that I am working with is a easy population to deal with. I often don’t talk to my family what I see on a day-to-day basis as a professional. One of the ways that I prevent this is I am constantly doing something different. I’m involved in So Many Different Activities to Practice My Craft. I Am Involved in Individual Counseling. I Conduct Assessments with a Very Good Private Practice. I Do Pro Bono Counseling for a Couple of Organizations. I Am Beginning to Provide Counseling to individuals with developmental disabilities. I provide supportive employment services. Outside of counseling, I conduct research. I also present at conferences. I am actively involved with the disability rights movement in the state of Florida.

You can say that I am involved with a lot of stuff. I do this for a couple reasons. The main reason is I want to be able to prevent burnout. The other reasons I am constantly looking for different ways to challenge my craft, and grow in how I practice this craft. I have been very blessed, with the opportunities that I have been afforded to me as I look to practice my craft.

I am alive good people

Hello everyone, I recognize that I have been a little bit off line for the past couple of months. Yes I am still alive. I have been working on trying to get my professional life on track. I would like to give you a update about where I am at in life. I am sure that many of you would like to know what I have been up to for the past couple of months. Let me try to bring you up to date. I am now a registered mental health counseling and a registered marriage and family inter with the state of Florida. To be quite honest, I am very excited about this. What this means is that I am still working with a supervisor who it discuss all my cases with. I am very excited again about this. I am now employed with a couple of organizations doing contact stuff. I am making these opportunities in the next couple of weeks. One of the organizations, I will be providing supportive employment services to its clients. I am also working with a different organization that provides counseling and other services to individuals involved with domestic violence and substance abuse issues.

I am also still at The Family Justice Center, providing pro bono counseling services to this population. I am in the process of building a private practice, so I can take on some private pay clients. This is going very slowly. You can say that I have been doing a lot for the past couple of months. I am very excited with the opportunity that has been given to me. I will try to publish my blog on a weekly basis. I am writing again.I am now working on a couple of projects on the side. I don't know what will become of these projects, but I am happy that I am doing them.I will keep you updated about all this.

what is it that we believe: a rehabilitation professional belief

I am happy to say that I am a graduate of the rehabilitation and mental health counseling program at the University of South Florida. I am a mental health counselor. I also believe that I am a rehabilitation counselor. Rehabilitation counseling as a discipline that focuses on working with individuals that have disabilities, mainly in issues dealing with employment and community involvement. Many of you know that I am actively involved in the disability rights movement in the state of Florida. One of the things that I like about rehabilitation counseling is the code of ethics that we ascribe to. The ethical aspects of this profession I take very seriously. One of the foundational ethical principles is that we as professionals must do what is in the best for the client at all times.

Recently I was at a meeting of professionals in the rehabilitation field, were I was giving a presentation. I had the opportunity to attend a legislative update that the executive director of the national rehabilitation Association was giving. She discussed briefly about the ending of sub minimum wage for individuals with disabilities. I wasn't really clear about what was the position of the national rehab Association on some minimum wage. For those of you that don't know, this is a technique utilized for rehabilitation desiring to get individuals with disabilities to get a job. Often sub minimum wage happens in segregated environments made up of individuals that just have disabilities. This is something as a disability rights advocate, that I have advocate for the elimination of these practices. This is not the best method to get individuals with disabilities employed. We knew that individuals with disabilities will have the greatest possibility of employment outcomes if they are supported on the job with individuals that do not have disabilities. Also, if there is a implementation of customized employment strategies, they can be supported in the community.

I was shocked with the response that I received from the executive director. The national rehab Association is in different about whether sub minimum wage should stop. Some people in the room, advocated for the belief that some minimum wage practices wore a good thing. This is a hypocrisy in the rehabilitation professional community. We as rehabilitation professionals have a ethical obligation to advocate for what is best for are client. We know from decades of research that segregate any employment does not work for individuals with disabilities, especially those that may have what society calls a more complex disability. Segregation does not work.

I am happy that I am a rehabilitation professional. I am disappointing at my professional organization, for not taking a more active stance on advocating for full employment for individuals with disabilities. If we cannot do this, and I believe that we as a profession have somehow lost are way. I am not asking you to agree with me, I'm just giving you something to think about