48 – Going Back to Work

Albert is attending vocational rehab with hopes of going back to work. The Assistive and Rehabilitative Services Department (DARS), from the state of Texas, is assisting him through this process. DARS offers a series of services that are designed to help Texans with disabilities find jobs through vocational rehabilitation, getting them back to work.

Albert and I went to the first appointment with DARS together and met with a counselor.   As we talked, the counselor asked Albert questions about his life before the stroke, his life now, and his goals for the future.  I answered all of the questions for Albert, confirming with him that I was giving the correct information. The counselor learned that Albert wants his old life back, to return to work, and he wants a purposeful life. 

During the interview, Albert communicated in his words that he wants to recover from the stroke and that he wants to go back to work in accounting. The counselor experienced how Albert communicates with others, how difficult it is for him to understand and answer the questions being asked, and how many times questions have to be repeated to him, sometimes with little to no understanding. I was pleased to see that as the counselor received this information, he continued to look for areas that Albert could work. 

The counselor started with lofty goals for Albert’s employment future. The first goal was for Albert to go back into the accounting field. He would work in an office completing taxes in an environment where he didn’t have to work with or communicate with others. The counselor suggested that Albert go back to work at his previous job or work with his previous clients.  Another suggestion was that Albert find a job in a place that hires people with disabilities like the IRS, Goodwill, or department stores.  Albert is interested in working for the IRS but has little interest in working in the other areas, and going back to his previous job isn’t an option.

During the following sessions, Albert was given different types of assessments to learn what his employment strengths and weaknesses are.  As we learned more about Albert, things that I already knew about him proved to be true.  He remembered numbers, was able to complete tax returns, remembered the tax codes, etc.  He remembered and was able to complete all of these tasks. During these visits, the counselor learned that it would be difficult for Albert to work in the public arena without the ability to communicate with others, but more importantly, without the ability to understand what was being asked of him.

The counselor didn’t give up, and the job hunt was on its way.  The counselor from DARS, Albert, and I continue looking for places that Albert can work.  The goal seems daunting, but Albert and I know that getting him back to work will be worth it in the long run.