Vocational Counseling
Vocational Counseling. Sandra Bercier, of Turtle Mountain Vocational Rehabilitation describes it this way,
"One of the most effective ways I’ve found to support the consumers I work for is to look at the
big picture. We talk about everything that affects their life, in both good and not so good ways.
Employment isn’t just about WORKING. It is about supporting families, feeling fulfilled, being
able to afford to do the things you want to do, etc. So when I sit down with John Deer or Jane
Doe, we talk about the things that they really want out of life and how Vocational Rehabilitation
can help them get there. "
The first step in services is writing an Individual Plan of Employment (more about that later). As part of this plan, a consumer of VR services will discuss goals, plans and dreams. They will have an assessment that identifies the extent of their disability that makes them eligible for VR and also highlights their strengths. Sometimes, as Irene Bear Runner discusses in her article you read from the link on the first page (you did read it, didn't you?), the goal a consumer has may not be achievable.
What do you do when the goal an individual has is just not very likely to occur, as in the case of the young woman with mental retardation who wanted to be a nurse? Irene's article gave two very good examples of effective vocational counseling. First, she did not tell the young woman, Maries, that she could not be a nurse, although she did suggest it was not a likely goal. She asked Marie to try some courses and gave her the opportunity to decide for herself that this was not a career that was going to work out. The second important tactic Irene used was to ask the individual why she wanted to go into this particular field. Based on Marie's answers, her counselor helped her find a job where she could succeed that still gave Marie the chance to work in a hospital.
Next page, vocational counseling tips and techniques