You Paid for this Program

By Richard Hanson

Some of the money you pay in taxes is going to support the program written about in this work. People complain about taxes, some more than others. When you read this book, you will become aware how some of the funds you paid have been of direct benefit to individuals who face very big challenges. I hope you will gain positive feelings from the material presented here. Some of the cases have very good outcomes, and some end in tragedy. It was important to me to include both types of cases to provide a balanced view of how the process unfolded. It was a great career from a spiritual point of view. It led to an enhancement of the appreciation I have for the blessings that flowed into my own life. The chapter concerning my private practice demonstrates how a person like me, even with some flaws, can be of help to other human beings. This is the central message of my writing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 16, 2023
• ISBN: 9781662480805

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You Paid for this Program

Richard Hanson

Copyright © 2022 Richard Hanson

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2022

ISBN 978-1-6624-8077-5 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-8080-5 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Foreword

To Invest Again with Dignity

Ann: Long-Term Follow-Up

Andy

Three Characters

Short Stories

Two Characters

Daniel

Al

A Woman Called Brenda

More Short Stories

Epilogue: A Very Interesting Person

Private Practice

About the Author

Foreword

I recall our working relationship starting around the year 1997. I was working for a nonprofit agency as a job coach at that time. The nonprofit was a county- and state-funded agency that provided services for persons with disabilities. Some of these services included finding jobs and job coaching for clients seeking these services. Funding for these services was provided through the state of Minnesota by a program known as Vocational Rehabilitation Services. I was providing job-coaching services for one of Richard Hanson's clients at the time that was having difficulties with keeping his job. A meeting was called with Richard, the client, my supervisor, and I. The meeting was to address the reason why this client was struggling and to ask for more funding so job-coaching services could continue.

We met and addressed why the client was not successful in his three months on the job. This client's job was packing and shipping products for a company located in Bloomington, Minnesota. The problem addressed the client not taking direction from his supervisor and doing the job as he saw best. The relationship between the supervisor and this client could best be described like oil and water. As much as I attempted to address this with the client and his supervisor, the problem between them did not improve. In fact, the supervisor wanted to fire this client but was willing to work with it if a solution could be found within a short time frame.

I expressed the idea that with more intense job coaching, such as weekly meetings with the supervisor and the client, he may be successful and maintain his job. As the meeting drew to a close, Richard thought that this particular job was not a good match for this client due to the poor working relationship with this supervisor. He also stressed that funding for his client could be better spent starting a new job search. The client was in favor of this decision and decided to give his two-week notice the next day at work. I assisted this client with writing up his two-week notice to give to his supervisor the next day at work. This client was placed into job placement services, and my job-coaching services ended.

I recall another job-coaching situation that Richard and I worked together on that involved a client who had a stroke that affected his short-term memory. The correct diagnosis was called a traumatic brain injury. This client had been working for one of the major airlines as a mechanic at the time. He could no longer recall all the intricate steps involved repairing airplanes. The airline company did not wish to terminate his employment and was searching for some kind of resolution. The resolution came down to attempting to find a job that he could do without doing the intricate repair on airplanes.

Once given the case, I set up a team meeting with the client, the client's supervisor, and the union representative. We discussed the new job this client was given and what kind of supports would be provided. The client's newly developed job was set up in a small office space turned into a shop with tools and a work space for working on small parts of the airplane that needed repair. Once repaired, a coworker would check the work to make sure it was done correctly.

My job was to set up weekly team meetings with the client, client's direct supervisor, union representative, and coworker who was doing the quality check of the client's work. I reported all communication from these meetings to Richard to keep him posted on his client's progress. I worked with this client for about ninety days providing weekly team meetings and other kinds of supports the client needed to make his new job a success.

With all supports in place and the client doing very well in his new position, I felt that his case could be closed and reopened if needed. I had kept Richard abreast of his client's progress, and he agreed with my thought of closing the case.

I recall a rather humorous statement that I made during one of my meetings with Richard regarding this particular case. We were discussing the client's supervisor, and I referred to him as Wally which was not his name. I was thinking of another case and mixed up the supervisor's name. Richard looked confused and asked me who this guy I called Wally was. I had to apologize for calling this supervisor Wally and explained that I was thinking of a different case at the time. We had many laughs over this blunder of mine over the years.

A final meeting was set up with the client, the supervisor, and the union representative to discuss the possibility of closing this client's case. We all agreed that the case could be closed as this client was doing a very good job and no longer needed my job-coaching support. We also agreed that if needed, the client's case could be reopened. I cannot recall how long after this client's case was closed Richard heard the sad news that he had passed away.

I provided job-coaching services for clients whom Richard referred to my agency for many years. Our working relationship continued to grow over those years with each referral. I respected Richard for his passion and intense interest he showed for the clients he served. Richard had a true passion for his job as a rehabilitation service counselor. If needed, he would actually go the client's job site and assist with job coaching, meet with the client's supervisor if necessary, and provide more funding for job-coaching services to continue for longer periods of time. I had worked with some counselors over the years who did not seem to show that interest in the outcomes of their clients.

We ended up being lifelong friends with a lot of respect for each other's work. When retirement happened, we continued to stay in touch. I joined Richards's book club. We continue to meet for lunches and phone calls to solve world problems. Life is short, and each of us has the chance to create our own legacy. If I may say, I believe that neither one of us have come to the end of that legacy and plan to make and do more.

Ray White

Chapter 1

To Invest Again with Dignity

The Smith-Fess Act of 1920 is generally considered the beginning of the public rehabilitation program for the disabled citizens of the United States. The catalyst for this law in large part was the return of the soldiers from World War I who had been wounded in battle. They had various issues, both physical and mental. Because of their service to the nation, it was widely accepted the government had a clear responsibility to provide services to them. Rehabilitation was provided to enable them to function as best they could in society.

Over time, these services were expanded to include all disabled people in our country. The funding has been provided mainly through the social security system.

In the following pages, you will meet individuals who participated in the programs designed to bring about changes in their lives so they could have a better quality of life. Some had considerable success, while others had very little improvement. Some stories ended in tragedy. I could have included only stories with a happy ending, but this would not have encompassed my true experience.

Rehabilitation is defined as to invest again with dignity. In the United States, our founding documents recognize the dignity of each person within our borders. These rights are inalienable meaning they cannot be transferred to another or be repudiated. These rights remain with the individual.

With disability comes a loss of dignity. People who cannot function without assistance are regarded as less important than others. In a nation where independence and self-sufficiency are very highly prized, to be dependent on others for help with the activities of daily living is viewed in a negative light. They are seen, especially by conservatives, as takers in our society who do not contribute anything of value. I strongly dispute this notion, and the stories told here will clearly demonstrate how disabled persons, with services provided through public, tax-supported programs, can become contributors in our society. Participants return to the workforce, contribute to the greater good, and regain dignity.

Funding for Rehabilitation Services has enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress for years. This has reflected a core value in our society: to provide opportunity for gainful employment to all our citizens. I am thankful for the chance to be a part of this process. The rewards in my career went far beyond the monetary ones. It was always interesting and challenging to be in this field. The colleagues who worked along side of me were supportive of our mission. Staff got along well for the most part although there were a few bumps in the road. Several of the people who were difficult to work with moved on to other positions outside of