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Understanding Your Role as Counselor

Learner’s Goal: To understand the counselor’s role in assessing, coaching, placing, and supporting older persons who want to work.

Learner Objective: At the end of this module, you will know specific strategies to use in interacting with, assessing and placing older persons.

A. Coaching Interactive Process

It is important for the counselor to establish a trusting, supportive relationship with their older clients. Counselors must get to know their clients so that they can help them overcome any negative feelings they may have about their age and visual impairment and discover their strengths. Older consumers may be affected by the negative views of others toward aging, blindness and other disabilities. Support and encouragement during the placement process comprise the two main ingredients for success.

Most older consumers possess a wealth of experience, but they may need help to recognize what they have to offer an employer. Uncertainty and fear are often the primary impediments to employment. The two most common questions asked by older visually impaired consumers are: “Who would hire me?” and “What can I possibly do?” Counselors must help their older clients recognize that they are still capable and able to perform to employers’ expectations.

The counselor may need to use projects or activities to enable the client to gain self-confidence. Work experiences, on-the-job training and even short-term volunteer work can be used as a prelude to permanent employment. Senior Community Service Employment Programs like Experience Works (formally Green Thumb) can provide an opportunity for the client to gain experience in a less threatening environment. Experience Works, Inc. is a national organization that focuses on the employment of people age 55 and over).

2. Overcoming Negative Feelings and Uncertainty

The counselor must help older clients:

overcome any negative feelings about themselves and their disabilities.

explore how they may be allowing the way others view them to limit their choices.

help them recognize their strengths and their capabilities.

Some older clients may have been out of the workforce for a long time and lack confidence. Some may be adjusting to recent vision loss, often compounded by other losses. The counselor should:

explore options with the client.

set realistic goals.

show clients that they can be productive.

build up their confidence and their skills.

remind them of their strengths.

encourage them along the way.

The counselor may need to give older clients a project or an activity to demonstrate their ability to perform effectively.

3. The Initial Interview

There is no format for a successful interview with an older visually impaired client. However, we have developed a formula for success. It is critical that the counselor believes in the ability of older individuals to perform in employment settings and has some enthusiasm for working with this population. It is important that the counselor does not mistake fear and uncertainty for lack of motivation to work. The counselor must be willing to take the time and have the patience that is sometimes required to work successfully with older adults.

Listen. The first rule is to listen to the clients. Start by getting to know them, what they like and dislike. Let them talk about their experiences and their interests. Help them to feel comfortable. Building a trusting relationship is the first critical step.

Establish rapport. Contact the client by phone first to begin to establish rapport with them. Making a home visit for the initial interview often helps to put the client at ease and gives the counselor a chance to get to know him or her better. Give the client the choice of a home or office visit. Explain the vocational rehabilitation program and ask the client about hobbies, activities and what is important to them. Let them talk.

Help the client identify strengths and capabilities. The counselor helps the client to recognize the skills they already possess and the strengths that lend themselves to employment options. This can be accomplished by letting the client talk about what they feel they can do, what they have done in the past, and what they want to do. Most older adults possess a wealth of experiences to draw on.

Explore options with the client. Help to set realistic goals. Often individuals with recent vision loss can be easily discouraged even when they express the desire to work. The counselor can explore how the client may be allowing how others view them to limit their choices or goals. The counselor can help the client overcome negative feelings and uncertainty by showing them that they can be productive and by helping to build up their confidence.

Identify any barriers. Help work these out. Discussing things like transportation, family members and medical problems will provide useful information. Sometimes, there are issues that need to be resolved before the client can even consider employment or training. Be patient and let the client gradually explore vocational goals and choices. Encourage the client to make decisions and let clients know that they will be supported in their choices.

Discuss the type of job the client may be interested in. The client may not be ready for this step. Do not push the client for an answer at this point.

Assess from the conversation what is needed to achieve an employment outcome. Often the client may not know what resources and services are available so it is important to explain these. The counselor concentrates on establishing a good relationship, helping the clients feel comfortable, encouraging them and letting them know that they are supported. If this is accomplished in the initial stages, gathering the necessary information to proceed comes about naturally.

Some information you will need to obtain during the interview or at a subsequent interview (in addition to the standard information normally required):

Explore tasks the client normally carries out at home or through volunteer work such as using a computer, sorting mail, preparing meals, doing household repairs. Have him describe any problems he may be having in doing these using functional terms. Differentiate between vision-related problems, functional problems due to other disabilities, or other factors (such as family concerns for safety, etc.).

Review previous work or volunteer history and discuss how these translate to needed skills in today’s employment market.

Discuss education and training and the possible need or interest in updating skills or learning new ones.

Determine what services or assistance is needed to attain the job goal. It may be too soon to explore this at the initial interview.

Determine if a formal vocational assessment is needed or if the client is even ready to discuss this option.

B. Evaluating the Older Consumer

Use common sense in working with older individuals. Some very comprehensive assessment tools have been developed for assessing persons with visual impairments such as the Comprehensive Vocational Evaluation System (CVES) by Dial, et al with support from the Texas Commission for the Blind. The CVES constitutes a “systematic approach to vocational, educational, and neuropsychological assessment of visually-impaired and blind.” (Dial, et al, cover page).

However, not every older person needs a complete assessment and may be “put off” by having such an evaluation imposed on them. Counselors need to do a thorough interview and listen closely to insure they capture the wealth of experience that older persons have to offer. Older individuals with very involved physical situations may benefit from the CVES or those with little work history.

Most older consumers come to the table with life experiences, “street smarts" about the ways of the world,” skills, work ethic, and motivation to work. They may only need to be “pointed in the right direction” and be given the appropriate assistance to do their work such as job modification, or skills training for specific job tasks. Their physical capabilities need to be kept in mind, not for the purpose of excluding them from work. Rather, physical limitations can present a challenge to the counselor and the rehabilitation team to assist older job candidates to succeed in the job search. The counselor and rehabilitation team must help the older worker to come up with new ways of carrying out job tasks, despite these limitations.

A thorough vocational assessment (Power, 1991) takes into consideration medical, social, educational, and vocational information, including:

* skills (work-related as well as problem solving and organizational), abilities, and aptitudes

Work readiness in older individuals who are blind or visually impaired consists of three major components:

· making sure the older consumer is ready to go to work, physically and mentally, and that he/she

has the appropriate independent living, travel, and communication skills (such as those outlined

· making sure the consumer has the skills needed to adapt to the environment because of vision

The challenge for the counselor is in bringing the three components together in each older job candidate.

The VR counselor working with older clients should have the following skills and abilities:

· a willingness to listen and to regard the older person as a “whole person” who has many

Unlike many consumers with whom counselors work, older persons bring extensive life experience and work histories with them. It is essential that counselors fully understand the work histories and life experiences of older clients.

With a lifetime of working and living, many older persons bring with them knowledge and skills associated with one or more jobs as well as the behaviors expected of any worker such as:

· adhering to work schedules and attendance policies

· following safety procedures

· working as part of a team

· using courtesy and respect in all interactions.

A major challenge for the counselor is to help older consumers realize their previous work and life experiences are of value regardless of vision loss. Since they do not come from a generation replete with older blind and visually impaired role models working successfully, they must be helped to believe in their own vocational potential.

At the same time the diagnostic interview process is being completed and counseling begins, the older client should be encouraged to take an independent living training program to learn needed skills and to build self-confidence.

To assist the consumer to make the final leap to work, the counselor may arrange one or more job shadowing experiences. Successful experiences will help in propelling the individual towards a job search and will build self-confidence.

If a counselor has a number of unanswered questions about the work-readiness of the individual and/or types of work the older consumer might be suited to, the counselor should recommend a vocational assessment as described above.

3. Assessment of Independent Living Needs

In many cases, after vision loss, the older person refrains from socializing or participating in community activities, especially those related to employment. This is due in large part to the obstacles they face in managing their personal needs. As a result, the older consumers develop feelings of low self-esteem and the lack of self-worth. They generally feel unsuitable to be in public, because older people often hold the view that "proper" appearance is critical to their feeling like a whole person.

Some older individuals may reject assistance for many reasons, including:

a. Fear of admitting that they have a vision problem and that they need assistance

b. Loss of self-esteem, self-confidence, and having feelings of worthlessness and uselessness

c. Feeling anger or depression.

To overcome any of these hurdles and any other stereotyped views they may hold about blindness and aging, they will need training in independent living skills, education about blindness and visual impairment, adjustment counseling, and training in self-advocacy.

Assessment of Independent Living Skills Generally Needed to Restore Self-Confidence

In general, older people will make an effort to learn techniques to maintain their independence at a level which is comfortable to them. Therefore, the counselor/teacher must have an understanding of the consumer's life style and his/her future goals and individualize vision-related rehabilitation services to meet the needs of each consumer. Independent living skills which are related to work and should be evaluated and addresses include (but are not limited to) the following:

Home and Personal Management Skills

· Coordinating clothing

· Applying make‑up and care for nails

· Shaving safely

· Combing and/or styling hair

· Identifying medication

· Preparing meals safely and efficiently

· Carrying out home management techniques

· Caring for clothes

· Maintaining good dental hygiene

Communication Skills

· Identifying money

· Telling time efficiently

· Dialing a telephone

· Use of readers, tape recorders, braille, large print, and low vision aids for accessing printed

materials

· Proper use of writing aids, such as writing guides

· Effective use of adaptive technology, such as screen magnifiers and screen readers

· Ability to budget and keep records

· Ability to use a calculator

· Ability to keep up with addresses/other correspondence

Independent Travel Skills

The counselor/teacher must insure that the older person develops independent travel skills including:

· Orienting oneself in familiar and unfamiliar environments

· Using a long white cane or other mobility device

· Traveling to and from work

· Shopping for groceries and other items

· Using public transportation or establish a support system for transportation if public

transportation not available.

· Getting around safely in the community and home

· Asking for assistance from others when appropriate

4. Assessment of Physical Capabilities–See Module 3

C. Approaching Placement

Older clients may need more interaction with the counselor during the placement process. The counselor may need to assist with the resume, help complete the application and prepare the client for the interview. Conducting mock interviews may be helpful in building confidence. The counselor should be willing to pave the way for the older client when necessary. It may be necessary for the counselor to:

* Help the client prepare a resume

* Contact the employer first

* Screen the job

* Sell the client to the employer

* Set up the interview

* Prepare the client for the interview

* Accompany the client to the interview, if necessary

* Coach the client and provide support at each step

Preparing A Functional Resume

In helping the client prepare a resume, it is important to select a resume format which reflects job history and skills. Unlike younger clients, older consumers have many positive life experiences and skills which can be presented to advantage in a good resume. A functional resume which includes a work objective, skills, and accomplishments will enable the older client to emphasize critical skills and knowledge obtained through paid or voluntary work.

For example, an older woman may have little paid work experience, but may have many attributes for an employer such as the ability to coordinate and juggle many responsibilities; ability to research, collect and evaluate bids, ability to organize and work as group leader or team member, ability to communicate and to make public presentations, and the ability to train (gained through church, scouting activities, etc.).

See Appendix H for example of a functional resume.

D. Interactive Placement

The counselor should contact the client to provide information, review the information with the client and offer support as needed. Co-active participation helps to overcome the client’s fears. However, care must be taken not to take away the older person’s autonomy and dignity.

A good example of how this interactive placement process can work is a case study from PROJECT VIEW (visually impaired experienced workers), a project run by the Florida Division of Blind Services to place older persons with visual impairments. See Appendix G.

E. Support Services on the Job

The counselor should be available when the client first starts the job. The client may want the counselor there to help orient him or her on the first day, and possibly, do some job coaching. The counselor may need to continue to build up the older person’s confidence and/or skills.

The counselor’s job does not end with placement. It is essential to keep in close contact with the older worker and the employer for several months through phone calls and even visits. Often job coaching may be needed for a few weeks, as required. Knowing that the counselor is available and supportive is critical to the success of the placement.

“Counseling must further the empowering process for the consumer.” (Radtke, 1999, p.44).

Some elements of this empowerment process include:

1. planning that is person-centered

It is important for counselors to get to know their clients and what they want to do. Counselors should explore how their clients feel about themselves, what they like and do not like to do, their life experiences and, most importantly, their activities and employment background.

Counselors should remember that:

C. Approaching Placement

E. Support Services on the Job