Skip to main content

I'm not trash, I have a job

New week guys!!! Happy Monday :) So remember those people I talked about earlier in the blog, specifically (S), yeeeeeaaahhhh, her husband text me one night telling me I am trash because I don't have a job and I didn't get an education and that I am what is wrong with America HAHAHAHA.....I am what is wrong with America?  Wait until I tell you all about my job, I am the farthest thing from trash.  In 2011, I graduated with a Bachelor's in Psychology.  I first used that degree to help people with mental health issues and that was TOUGH and SCARY so later in 2011, I began my career as a Service Coordinator for people who have  developmental disabilities.  I have done that same job for 7 years and am still going strong.

Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions that are due to mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, especially in "language, mobility, learning, self-help, and independent living. Some of the most common are:

 -Intellectual disability
-Traumatic Brain Injury
-Cerebral Palsy
-Down Syndrome
-Autism
-Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
-Spina Bifida
-Paraplegia
-Genetic disorders
-Chromosome abnormalities 

 I work with people from birth to death.  I work with people who can and can't talk and who can and can't walk.  I work with people who live in their natural homes, nursing homes, and group homes.  I even sometimes attend IEP meetings at schools.  My job includes:
  • Ensuring quality of life is good
  • Helping them set goals anywhere from going on a vacation to just maintaining their level of functioning
  • Advocating for their rights, their wants, and their needs
  • Monitoring their health, safety, environment, money, staff, rights, medication, and documentation
  • Securing funding
  • Linking to resources
Unfortunately, people of this population are targets of abuse, neglect, and mismanagement of funds.  Many of them don't have family and some don't even have friends.  In a nut shell, it is my responsibility to make sure they are all ok, being treated right, and that all of their needs are met.  I have cried a lot with families, I have heard a lot of stories that I never thought I would hear, I have been mad, and I get to laugh A LOT.  If you know anybody with a developmental disability, you will understand when I say THEY ARE THE BEST PEOPLE YOU WILL EVER MEET; most of them just love you because you are there to see them.  Every once in a while there is a mental diagnosis mixed in with the developmental diagnosis which gets rough but all in all, they are great.  I have a purpose every day.  I get to give my all, helping others.  Some of the best times of my life have been going to holiday or annual parties put on for them and dancing and singing my heart out hand in hand with them.

Educate yourself on people first language-
People first language emphasizes the person, not the disability.  By placing the person FIRST, the disability is no longer the primary, defining characteristic of an individual, but one of several aspects of the whole person.

Don't say: the autistic girl
Say: Sharon, who has autism

Don't say: retard
Say: intellectual disability


A great thing about my job is that I get to make my own schedule and usually on Thursday and Friday I get to work from home.  I am sure that because I could be seen around town at random times on random days people just ASSUMED I didn't have a job but I guess that is what you get for assuming.

Be proud of your job and if you are in a field where you help others, HOLLA!! :)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thursday

Hello all :) I was at a training this week with work and when deciding where we should eat somebody mentioned Olive Garden and I immediately dropped by head.  I know Olive Garden as PASTA, PASTA, PASTA so I wasn't looking forward to the temptation.  I don't know why I don't give myself credit for how strong I am.  My entire life, people couldn't pressure me to do ANYTHING I didn't want to.  I am SO STRONG and I make my own decisions; I am a lion, not a sheep :) (I want a shirt so bad that says "Be a lion")  Anyways, when we got there, I looked at the menu and right there on the lunch section were meals that were 300-400 calories and as soon as I saw zucchini I was in.  Its a half piece of chicken with a piece and a half of zucchini with mozzarella cheese and some lemon butter with tomatoes to top it off (I didn't eat those).  I left behind some zucchini and you know, I never once thought about pasta as I was sitting there.  On my way home I thoug...
2 comments
Read more

2 week liquid diet

Today is the day!  All liquids!  Well, except for the popsicles, jell-o, pickles, and celery.  I have to get in 4 premier proteins and then at least 48-64 oz of other liquids each day.  Other liquids include: Water Diet V-8 Splash Sugar free jello Sugar free popsicles (less than 25 calories per popsicle) Fruit 2-0 Crystal light Diet Snapple up to 2 cups of broth decaf tea and coffee Propel water Powerade zero I don't really know what some of those are and yesterday when I went to look for Diet V-8 Splash to try it out, I couldn't find it so who knows.  This morning I am having 2 vanilla premier protein shakes in a thermos with my decaf coffee.  I also have a 20oz thing of water sitting here and a 32oz grape Powerade zero.  Last night I made strawberry, lemon, and blue raspberry jello, I bought 3 different sizes of dill pickles, and then I have boxes of popsicles, all different kind of broths, all different flavors of Powerade, grape Pro...
Post a Comment
Read more

FMLA....more like FML

So I decided it was time to tell my work place that I would be off for about 3 weeks at the end of the year and some of January so that we could all be prepared.  The hospital had talked to me about FMLA and when I asked my supervisor who to talk to about it, she stated Human Resources.  In my entire work life, I have never had to use FMLA, I know it stands for Family Medical Leave Act, and I know it protects your job, but thats about it.  I requested a meeting with the HR lady, she accepted, and then a week later I was standing in her office.  She stares at me like why the hell are you here, I remind her we have a meeting about FMLA, and she says "I thought there would be a lot more people here"  I am going to type the conversation in an easier read format below HR: I thought there would be a lot more people Me: Nope, just me and you HR: WHO IS HAVING THE MEETING? Me: Me and you HR: blank stare Me: I scheduled with you last week to meet about requesting ...
Post a Comment
Read more