ACA Blog

I am glad to be back as a blog writer for ACA. I am writing about my work as a volunteer advocate for a grassroots group I belong to in my neck of the woods. The name of my group is REDD (Rights, Equality for the Dignity of the Disabled). REDD’s mission is to promote the civil rights for persons with disabilities. Members can be individuals with/out disabilities who want to get involved. For the past year, REDD is working with several members called Self-Advocates who belong to an organization for individuals with developmental disabilities. I invited a few of them to a REDD meeting in December 2012 to talk about their issues with the local transportation system.

Since the submission of my last blog post about deaf individuals and some of their negative experiences in counseling, I have been seriously touched and somewhat humbled by the outpouring of communication I have received not only from counselors and counseling students; but also from deaf and hard of hearing individuals themselves.

I have spent my entire career counseling people struggling with medical issues including cancer, cardiac disease, neurological disorders and chronic pain. Thus, I am very familiar with the challenges of life-threatening and chronic illness on the mind, the body and the spirit. I was quite inspired this week by Good Morning America's Robin Roberts, whom on the eve of undergoing a Bone Marrow Transplant uttered these words:

[caption id="attachment_4859" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Jennifer Bingaman"][/caption] I started out at my internship counseling a batch of men who had little experience with detox, rehab, or counseling. At first, that revelation was scary. I was going to be the first counselor they’ve ever had. I would be their first experience with a real attempt at sobriety. It turned from a fear into a feeling of purpose. As my clients’ first counselor, I had the ability to influence how the client sees therapy for themselves now and in the future. I found I really enjoyed treating this population.

It’s almost May – the month well known for great weather and flowers, graduations, and family barbeques. It’s also a month known as National Mobility Awareness Month. Did you know that? I didn’t for the longest time acknowledge or even know such a thing existed – which is odd considering the years spent working as a rehabilitation counselor for a state rehab agency. Looking back, even though we all spent countless hours of the day working with individuals with mobility challenges in their efforts to return to work or become job ready, I honestly think we likely acknowledged Administrative Professional’s Day…and maybe even Earth Day…as an office, bypassing such an incredible month that acknowledges and celebrates our clients and others.

I’ve been counseling deaf and hard of hearing individuals for more than 10 years. The majority of that counseling was done in a state rehabilitation agency and the rest as an individual counselor in private practice. I’ve heard my fair share of horror stories of what deaf clients sometimes face when seeking counseling – some so remarkable I had to shake my head and wonder if the client wasn’t pulling my leg as I do have an exaggerated shock affect. Unfortunately, these are true and ripe for your reading and (hopefully) learning.

Standing with some colleagues in a crowded restaurant one night, a group of shirt & ties inquired our occupation. 'We're Rehab Counselors,' we shouted over the cheers of the Phillies’s game. Confused, they glanced at each other, 'But...you're drinking!?' as we responded, "Umm, yeah, and...?" Did we put down our Miller Lites and make a dash for it? Nope. We explained what it was that made us unique and awesome - that 'rehab' in our title didn't necessarily mean we worked with (or were) alcoholics.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The official 2011 theme for NDEAM, announced earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, is “Profit by Investing in Workers with Disabilities.”

In a previous entry “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Client,” I discussed methods of providing individual psychotherapy with adults diagnosed with mental retardation. It’s not a surprise that we must also modify our traditional therapeutic techniques with this population when facilitating groups. Each week I run a group comprised of adults with mental retardation and co-morbid psychiatric diagnosis, and have been trained in the “Integrative-Behavioral Model” for group psychotherapy, as developed by Dr. Dan Tomasulo. Working with this population can be difficult. Not only are we faced with the MR and co-morbid psychiatric disorders, but also we are challenged by the numerous cognitive and social skill deficits these clients face.

This past week, I found out that a long-term client whom I will call LG passed away at the age of 44 years old, when I read her obituary in an online newspaper. I saw this client for ten years when I worked for two different agencies, and then, terminated with her in November when I got a new job. I was so saddened to hear of her sudden passing. LG died from muscular atrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy that resulted in her being vent dependent and relying on round the clock personal care attendants to take care of her physical needs. LG used a power chair where she was able to use only two fingers to steer the joystick to move around freely. LG educated me about the true meaning of life. She was not an inspiration to me as some people would call her in the general media, but a person who mentored me in understanding the true nature of having a chronic disability.