Moments of Truth in VR Services

1. Moments of Truth in VR Services VR Policies and Creating Cultural Space for Change Robert Jahner TACE Region 8

2. The VR Process and Policy as a Change Process • Two kinds of VR Program discussed today: • The federal/state program administered by the state • 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.

3. Doing two things at once • to the maximum extent feasible, comparable to rehabilitation services provided under this title . . . And • where appropriate, . . . include services traditionally used by Indian tribes Yet another Challenge Creating space for the culture around the rules without violating either the rules or the culture

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. How We Decide The Decision: What is it? The Decision is a: • Tipping point of consideration: Moment of Truth • Yes/no • Commitment* *A commitment is not a rigid, irrevocable, path never to be amended. Commitment isa conscious investment of time, personal energy, and resources to a goal and strategy given the information at hand.

7. The Decisions of the VR Process • Eligibility: May I come into your ‘House of VR’? • Direction and Goal: east, west, north; or south; what direction is my vocation calling me and which direction shall I choose? • Need and Strategy: Now that I know where I am going, what do I truly need to get there? • IPE Commitment and Campaign: In the face of uncertainty I choose this goal and make these performance commitments? • Outcome: I have changed my life but am I satisfied (at peace) with this change?

8. 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?

9. VR Process: focused to five Moments of TruthA Cycle of Critical Decision Points 4. Commitment & IPE 3. Need & Strategy The Community 5. Outcome 2. Direction & Goal 1. Eligibility: Intake hospitality

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. Creating space for the Five Decisions • Moment of Truth building sequence: • 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 conditions of the Resource List here the rules and conditions that you and the people who fund the resource expect to be met in this Moment of Truth. • The Conflict Address the places where the resource conditions cross grain or contradict the requirements of culture • The Record Record the story and the history of the use of resource as agreed with the funder and as required by your community

13. Creating Cultural Space: Eligibility • Moment of Truth • 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’ .

14. Creating Cultural Space: Direction and Goal • Moment of Truth • 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. 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?

15. Creating Cultural Space: Need and Strategy • Moment of Truth • 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?

16. Creating Cultural Space: Commitment and IPE • Moment of Truth • 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.

17. Creating Cultural Space: Outcome • Moment of Truth • 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. ‘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?

18. 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 Need The 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.”