[nabs] Letting go :-(

Fri Dec 3 23:34:56 GMT 2010

BlankShelly, you are right which is why I am thinking this thing through now. A 26-Closure is an great thing for the counselor and gets her brownie points which is not great for the client at least. Most of the problem is on the counselors and not the clients...looking great for them and not for us! Which is why I called up to the head office to inquire about this. I am really afraid that because this was done over the phone I am f-bombed up!!! No paperwork has been signed and this may give her the ability to do what she wants...which in itself may be a problem. The one great thing is that I make it an priority to build an relationship with others myself instead of having a go-between. This past Nov at our state convention, I made my buz to sit next to and talk intensively to her boss, ensuring that he knew who I was (which he did because of the head of the technology department-who had nothing but great things to say about me and because of my husband), give them SCCB props for helping me when I accepted the state scholarship and let him know that I still needed other software to assist me in completion of my degree. I also sent him a email and hopefully I won't have a problem with this. I will probably start the process to reopen my case during the summer since it cannot be open until the next FY which is in October. If I start the process during the summer, my paperwork should be in by October and I will start school at the 4-year level in Janurary. 
Netta 
"Just because you are blind, does not mean you lack vision"-Stevie Wonder
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Shelley Richards 
  To: Discussion list for NABS,National Alliance of Blind Students. 
  Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 5:20 PM
  Subject: Re: [nabs] Letting go :-(


  I do not understand what you mean when you say that you understand all counselors want a 26 closure.  Why would your counselor, who is supposed to be there to help you, want to close your case while you are still in school.  In New Jersey you are a client until you graduate at the least, and you can stay or not stay by your choice until you have a job which they will help you get started with.  This whole idea of a commission for the blind trying to close clients cases as soon as posible sounds like your commission is just not very caring in general.  If you do decide to close you account though and potencial reopen it later you should carefully look into what is involved in reopening your account, and how long it usually takes.  I had closed my account after college, and when I reopened it 3 years later for the beginning of law school it was a real pain in the but.  It took like 6 months at least to get the paper work done, and I am still waiting for the services I need to be provided, and it is now  almost 9 months sense I started the process.  Just be careful that you will not be putting yourself into a situation where you need something which you can not access because you are no longer a client.  Good Luck.
  Shelley Richards
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Dornetta 
    To: National Alliance of Blind Students 
    Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2010 12:29 PM
    Subject: [nabs] Letting go :-(


    Hello all my peeps: 
    I apologize for the length of this email right-off-the-top. I just got off the phone with my VR counselor here at the SC Commission of the Blind and she recommended that we close my case *sigh-tear*. I know that this is probably best since they are not really providing a service to me for school. After the initial assessment in 2007 and me starting school fall of that year, the only service that was provided has been technology assisstance. So, I know that this is probably the right thing but I can't help but feel like I am swimming among the sharks now and no one here to "save" me should troble arrive. To be perfectly honest, they were my "safety net", you know, someone to fall back on I.C.E. My original disability counselor from the school has left and right now, they haven't hired another in her position which means as far as school, I am alone or at least this is how I feel. I don't really go to them for anything particular unless it is major. Mrs. Mihal, my first and only counselor from the school, always made it a habit to introduce me to the people that she was working with at the school, like the people in IT and so on so that should any problems arise I could go to them directly if she wasn't available. This arrangement made it easier and allowed me to develop a working relationship with them instead of having Mrs. Mihal setting up meeting, training, and such. So now that Mrs. Mihal has left and I am in limbo and now with Deebie closing my case what do I do? I understand that all counselors want an 26-closure and she has said that she can and will reopen my case either when I graduate or should problems arise but I am still feeling "some kindof way" about this. Are any of you all in the same situation or have felt the same way? Any words or encouragement or help that you can offer me will be great...thanks fam, 
    Dornetta 
    "Just because you are blind, does not mean you lack vision"-Stevie Wonder


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