Moments of Truth in VR Services

VR POLICIES AND CREATING CULTURAL SPACE FOR CHANGE

ROBERT JAHNERTACE REGION 8

The VR Process and Policy as a Change Process

Two kinds of VR Program discussed today:1. The federal/state program administered by the state2. AIVRS program is authorized by Title I, Part B, section 110(c) and Part C, section 121

of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (the Act).

What the Rehabilitation Act says Regarding AIVRS: assurances that the rehabilitation services . . . shall be, to the maximum

extent feasible, comparable to rehabilitation services provided under this title to other individuals with disabilities residing in the State and that, where appropriate, may include services traditionally used by Indian tribes; and

contains assurances that the application was developed in consultation with the designated State unit of the State.

Doing two things at once

1. to the maximum extent feasible, comparable to rehabilitation services provided under this title . . .

And2. where appropriate, . . . include services traditionally used by

Indian tribes

Yet another ChallengeCreating space for the culture around the rules without violating either the rules or the culture

Three words shared across the programs

Decision: sometimes we all must say yes or no Change: When we decide, something always changes Commitment: When we invest ourselves in an uncertain course;

the depth of commitment to the uncertain goal determines the depth of change.

Decision, Change, and Commitment

All human beings go through changes ; intended or not How we decide and carry out our changes is colored by our

community and culture At some level we all must make internal decisions to undergo

change Entering the VR process both for the state program and the AIVR

programs implies an acknowledgment by the individual entering services that a change is desired and necessary.

Commitment is the energy that drives change and the form of that commitment is very determined by the nature of culture.

How We Decide The Decision: What is it?

The Decision is a: 1. Tipping point of consideration: Moment of Truth2. Yes/no3. Commitment*

*A commitment is not a rigid, irrevocable, path never to be amended. Commitment is a conscious investment of time, personal energy, and resources to a goal and strategy given the information at hand.

The Decisions of the VR Process1. Eligibility: May I come into your ‘House of VR’?2. Direction and Goal: east, west, north; or south; what direction is my vocation

calling me and which direction shall I choose?3. Need and Strategy: Now that I know where I am going, what do I truly need

to get there?4. IPE Commitment and Campaign: In the face of uncertainty I choose this goal

and make these performance commitments? 5. Outcome: I have changed my life but am I satisfied (at peace) with this

change?

My decisions and growth

Share with your neighbor a decision you made that impacted the quality of your life Who participated with you in your decision? Does your cultural/community background enter into how you make

decisions? What kind of support would you need to make the VR decisions?

VR Process: focused to five Moments of TruthA Cycle of Critical Decision Points

2. Direction & Goal

4. Commitment & IPE

1. Eligibility: Intake hospitality

3. Need & Strategy

5. Outcome The Community

Hospitality and Cultural SpaceIn forming our VR process we must become a multicultural host

Hospitality involves “showing respect for ones guests, providing for their needs and treating them as equals.” Wikipedia

VR is built around the moments in which we decide to change The moment of decision is a moment of vulnerability where one must temporarily

suspend judgment in order to ‘take into consideration’. In order to make the VR process, (both state and AIVRS) hospitable to any culture

the first step should be to design a culturally respectful hospitality around the process points in which our clients make their important life decisions.

Your policies somehow should serve the values of hospitality as well as the values of the funding source.

Culture’s First Claim: the relationship

Counselor: need to encounter the client and the client the counselor in mutually respectful, dignified roles Culture and community set the conditions for the experience of

respect and dignity Program Administrators: In a position to intentionally claim

cultural space and arrange the rules of the process to the maximum extent possible to respect that space.

Creating space for the Five Decisions

Moment of Truth building sequence:1. Instructional, precept, wisdom, or spirit language

Describe to yourself and/or staff the values and cultural considerations that must be taken into account for each of the Moments of Truth or decision points.

2. The conditions of the ResourceList here the rules and conditions that you and the people who fund the resource expect to be met in this Moment of Truth.

3. The Conflict Address the places where the resource conditions cross grain or contradict the requirements of culture

4. The RecordRecord the story and the history of the use of resource as agreed with the funder and as required by your community

Creating Cultural Space: Eligibility

Moment of Truth1. Instructional, precept, wisdom, or spirit language

Describe to yourself and/or staff the values and cultural considerations that must be taken into account for each of the Moments of Truth or decision points.

Eligibility requires a discussion regarding disability, a request for help, sometimes coming to an office or a set location, and finally a decision of yes or no, you are eligible or you are not eligible.

Eligibility never easy in any cultural context, but how does the process of eligibility determination impact the people of your community and the sensitivities of your culture?What can you do to modify or soften any negative impact of what it appears you must do to administer your program given your community’s culture at this moment of truth? How do you design your ‘intake hospitality’ .

Creating Cultural Space: Direction and Goal Moment of Truth

1. Instructional, precept, wisdom, or spirit languageDescribe to yourself and/or staff the values and cultural considerations that must be taken into account for each of the Moments of Truth or decision points.

Many people come into your program with intense immediate needs and often no particular vocational direction or goal in mind. If your program has adopted many of the federal/state VR program, it is very difficult for the counselor make decisions with the client in this position. You need a reason to say yes or no to any particular service. VR is, sadly, not unconditional in its inclusion of community members or response to community need. How do you deal with this and how does your community respond to the conditionality of VR rules.

What can you do to modify or soften any negative impact of what it appears you must do to administer your program given your community’s culture at this moment of truth? How can you modify your process to counsel your way through ‘direction and goal’ in a sometimes challenging job economy?

Creating Cultural Space: Need and Strategy

Moment of Truth1. Instructional, precept, wisdom, or spirit language

Describe to yourself and/or staff the values and cultural considerations that must be taken into account for each of the Moments of Truth or decision points.

It is not a natural thing to divide the needs of your life into ‘need’ and ‘rehabilitation need’ but that is exactly what the Rehabilitation Act requires. The counselor must provide only for those needs allowed by the scope of services and are needed to achieve an employment goal. Does your culture and community make this already difficult distinction more difficult? How?

What can you do to modify or soften any negative impact of what it appears you must do to administer your program given your community’s culture at this moment of truth? Are there ways to convey the limited scope of VR that make this difficult distinction more natural for your counselors and the people you serve?

Creating Cultural Space: Commitment and IPE

Moment of Truth1. Instructional, precept, wisdom, or spirit language

Describe to yourself and/or staff the values and cultural considerations that must be taken into account for each of the Moments of Truth or decision points.

The IPE as defined in the Act is a mutual performance commitment between your program and the person you are serving. How have you translated the concepts of long term plan and goal, mutual commitment, and performance agreement with your clients? Are these concepts easier or harder to convey in your community.

What can you do to modify or soften any negative impact of what it appears you must do to administer your program given your community’s culture at this moment of truth? Mutual commitment is at the center of this moment of Truth; if this is an issue, how can you adapt the program to make it less of an issue.

Creating Cultural Space: Outcome Moment of Truth

1. Instructional, precept, wisdom, or spirit languageDescribe to yourself and/or staff the values and cultural considerations that must be taken into account for each of the Moments of Truth or decision points.

‘Outcome’ is a culturally biased word, linear in nature, and sometimes nonsensical to people who experience life in unbroken continuous cycles. And we must contend with this concept In order to administer any program derived from the Act. VR is goal oriented and time limited. Given the nature of your community how do you explain, measure or celebrate the outcome of your relationships with the persons you serve. Is this MOT more or less difficult that it might be for participants in the state VR program. How so?

What can you do to modify or soften any negative impact of what it appears you must do to administer your program given your community’s culture at this moment of truth? The word ‘Outcome’ probably can be bridged in most cultures; how close can you bridge this troublesome word in your community?

Annual Re-Creation Managers and Directors

Think about reviewing your Moments of Truth each year with your staff. How can you adapt your overall commitment of service to your community and

strengthen your relationship with your funding sponsors. Service is a cultural posture of dignity, respect and response: how are you doing

in this cycle of service?

The Ocean of Human NeedThe human need is an ocean and VR is but a stream of resource.

As you structure the rules for the Moments of Truth, consider how to protect yourself and your staff from the moral distress of not being able to meet an ocean of need with a cup of water.

“The contents of this PowerPoint were partially developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.  However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.”