Author: ablenotdisabled12

Working with South Jersey Legal Services, Inc., the Office on Aging and Disabilities provides the following legal talks. This is a series of presentations providing education and discussion about various legal issues.  Prior registration is encouraged but not required.
To register or obtain more information, contact the Salem County Office on Aging and Disabilities at 856-339-8622.

Topic:   Bankruptcy on Friday, February 14 from 10am-12pm
Location:  Kent Avenue Apartments, 11 Kent Avenue Pennsville, NJ

Topic:   Reverse Mortgages on Monday, February 24 from 10 am-12pm
Location: Mid-Atlantic States Career & Education Ctr. 391 S. Broadway, Pennsville

“Move Yourself!” this February at our indoor exercise activity.

The exercises will take place at 10:30 am every Tuesday and Thursday at the Mid-Atlantic States Training Center (formerly known as Queen of Apostles), 391 South Broadway, Pennsville. Exercises feature information on various health topics.

Transportation will be available through the Scoot buses operated through County Office of Aging and Disabilities. For Scoot transportation information and reservations, call (856) 339-8644. Reservations require 48 hours advance notice.

A special topic is presented during each exercise:

• Tuesday February 4th— Types of Cancer
• Thursday February 6th— Cancer (Signs & Symptoms)
• Tuesday February 11th— National Wear Red Day
• Thursday February 13th— Heart Disease
• Tuesday February 18th— Benefits of Owning a Pet
• Thursday February 20th— How to Stay Healthy Around Pets
• Tuesday February 25th— Tips for Living With Low Vision
• Thursday February 27th— Common Eye Myths

Free Box Lunch is available for registered participants 60+ who reside in Salem County On February 6 & February 20 Call 339-8622 to register.

Below is the list of dates for indoor exercise classes at Mid-Atlantic States Training Center, 391 South Broadway in Pennsville. All classes begin at 10:30 am.

• Thursday, February 4th – Core Fitness & Indoor Walk
• Tuesday, February 6th – Balance and Posture
• Thursday, February 11th – High Intensity Interval Training
• Tuesday, February 13th – Tai Chi & Stretch
• Thursday, February 18th – Strength (optional 2-5 |b hand weights)
• Tuesday, February 20th – Chair Yoga (optional yoga mat)
• Thursday, February 25th – Core Strength & Fitness
• Tuesday, February 27th – Stretch

In the event of severe weather please contact 856-339-8622.

Ground Hog Day has passed and three events have brought me back to a program that I ran for 16 years at Monongahela Middle School (MMS): Job Shadow Day. One was a Facebook post that I made that discussed the more than 150 8th grade students that shadowed employers, an additional 30 plus students that went to work with their parents, and the positive reports by employers, staff members, parents and the students that participated. The second event was a great commercial that featured Bill Murray, the ground hog and great looking Jeeps. The third was my volunteer work with students at Resources for Independent Living.

The commercial was funny, but it reminded me about how difficult it can be to get things right and the feelings that a person can have when they are trying to find a job. They try everything that they know, they try to get help from anyone that will help them, but they wake up the next day and they are no closer than the day before.

The Job Shadow Day program at MMS started with presentations to all 8th grade students as part of our career development program in the guidance department. We used NJCAN (a free career site that includes an interest inventory, research tools to search specific careers, high school and college courses that you need to prepare for that job, on line opportunities to search for jobs and a lot of discussions about their decisions and choices. I worked with employers throughout Gloucester county and established specific jobs available for our students to shadow. Students then had to complete an application and apply for their top three choices.

I stressed the importance of a clean appearance, explained that they had to list their grade averages for all of 7th grade and current grades, their attendance record for the same time frames and a statement about why they wanted to participate and why they chose specific jobs. Next, I interviewed every student and discussed their application, job choices and their long range plans. With more than 25 years in Human Resources, I was able to do a thorough interview.

As I “filled jobs”, I posted the names of the students selected for each job and the jobs that were still available. I made it clear that I was going to find a way to have everyone participate, but like the real world, it is a competitive process and we need a plan B or C. Some students did give up initially because they didn’t get what they wanted, but the draw of getting out of school for the day did draw almost every student back into the experience. Students were responsible for reporting back on their experience and I met again with each student to discuss that experience and their plans for high school and beyond.

It was the first time that some of these students realized that they didn’t get to just choose what they wanted and that they needed to re-evaluate what they have been doing. They also needed to decide what they were going to do next. During the next several months, these students applied to STEM programs, Academy programs, Vocational programs and private schools. The process proved to be very competitive, and again, there were disappointments when they weren’t selected for what they wanted. There was also elation when their plans worked out very well. I spent time with all of the students to discuss this latest round of experiences and we discussed the next round of choices that the need to make.

Now, I am volunteering at Resources for Independent Living and have a much smaller group of students that I can work with. They have been through the education process and are trying to get a High School Equivalency and find a job. There are programs and individuals in your location that are doing the same thing. If you can create or identify a job that would benefit these non traditional students, try to make a connection in your community. The Director of the Federal Reserve reported that we are basically at full employment and that there are still jobs that are available, Please help identify these jobs because there are workers out there that need a start.

As a retiree I am fortunate to have the time to be a volunteer for The Office for the Disabled Advisory Board. My term as Chairperson has ended and Ray Leight has now been elected. Ray and I volunteer on Tuesday mornings with Mid Atlantic States Career and Training Center’s food bank and have a lot of conversations about its potential to provide a restaurant style service similar to Jon Bon Jovi’s Soul Kitchen in Red Bank. We are only volunteers, not on their board, so we can only try to influence this. Ideas are easy, developing the concept and raising the funds and resources is more difficult. If this is an idea that can be developed, it will expand career opportunities.

I am on the board of Resources for Independent Living and I want to expand my volunteering with them to expand career opportunities for their clients. I am meeting with Jamie Cole, supervisor of programs today to determine how I can use my experience and skills to assist them. I think it is important for volunteers to realize that we need to fit into their programs and look for opportunities to add value. As I was working on my certifications to become a special education teacher and a school guidance counselor, I was in a supervised learning experience that had specific goals and experiences that I was expected to learn and staff members volunteered to help me develop those skills. It is great to pay it forward.

Looking forward, I am trying to become a volunteer with the Salem County Special Services School District. I have the certifications and experience to be of value, but once again, I need to find a way to discuss opportunities that allow me to fit in and add value. I have a strong interest in improving career opportunities for students and individuals that have a “disability” by focusing on abilities. I am looking forward to learning from those that I meet and have them learn from me.

If anyone has any thoughts on improving opportunities that lead to competitive employment, please feel free to make suggestions. If you are in a position to volunteer and add value in expanding employment opportunities and helping others develop their career capabilities, please give it a go.

I have worked with a lot of volunteers in my careers as a teacher, guidance counselor, coach, business executive and as a volunteer. As a retiree for a little over a year, I continue to volunteer for Salem County’s Disability Advisory Board, the Resources for Independent Living Board and the Garden State Film Festival in Asbury Park, NJ. I learned about the value of being a volunteer from members of my family. Service to others was part of living a full life and was expected. As I watch my son Jonathan volunteer, I see the possibility that my grandson Jackson will do the same.

Unfortunately, with everyone’s busy and complicated lives, volunteerism is down and this affects the lives and opportunities of people (children through the aged) in our communities. I am encouraged by the news reports of volunteers that participated in Monday’s Martin Luther King’ s day of service programs, but I want to encourage volunteerism throughout the year. Sometimes people think that they don’t have the ability to volunteer. Everyone has the ability to volunteer if they look for opportunities. Contact a local food bank, a social services agency, a recreation program, a school and the list goes on. Help change someone’s life, and your own, be a volunteer.

I am sharing this post from a Facebook post that I saw. As a former special education teacher and a guidance counselor that has attended over one thousand IEP meetings, this is a great list of reasons why special needs parents rock:

1. Because they never thought that “doing it all” would mean doing this much. But they do it all, and then some.

2. Because they’ve discovered patience they never knew they had.

3. Because they are willing to do something 10 times, 1,000 times if that’s what it takes for their kids to learn something new.

4. Because they have heard doctors tell them the worst, and they’ve refused to believe them.

5. Because they have bad days and breakdowns and bawl fests, then they pick ourselves up and keep right on going.

6. Because they manage to get themselves together and out the door looking pretty damn good. Heck, they even make sweatpants look attractive.

7. Because they are strong. Who knew they could be this strong?

8. Because they aren’t just parents, wives, husbands, cleaners, chauffeurs, cooks or men and women who work. They are also physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, teachers, nurses, researchers, coaches and cheerleaders.

9. Because they understand their kids better than anyone else does – even if they can’t talk or gesture or look them in the eye. They know. They just know.

10. Because just when it seems like things are going OK, they’re suddenly not, but they deal. They deal even when it seems like their heads or hearts might explode.

11. Because when they look at their kids they just see great kids. Not kids with cerebral palsy/autism/Down syndrome/ADHD/developmental delay/whatever label.

Start your year out by taking advantage of programs available to seniors and the disabled in Salem County:

Thursday, January 16, 2020: “Behind the Smoke Screen” What all parents and care givers Need to know about vapes, E-Cigs, Cloud Pens and Juuls at the Salem County Vo-Tech Gymnasium(88 Frankie Callaghan at 856 935 7510 X 105

Scoot Trips: 1/14 &21/20 Acme & Save A Lot; 1/28/2020: Shop Rite; 1/31/2020: New Castle Farmers Market. Call 856 339 8644 to register.

Tai Chi: Classes will be scheduled every Thursday (March 12^th – May 28th) at two locations. 11 – noon @ Friends Village and 1 – 2:00 pm @ Mid Atlantic States Career & Education Center.

Exercise for seniors are scheduled every Tuesday and Thursday from 10:30 – 11:30 am at Mid Atlantic States Career & Education Center.

Contact 856 339 8622 if you have any additional questions.

Now that the Christmas / Winter break is coming to an end, it is a good time to talk to teachers and possibly the case manager who is in charge of your child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). Most public schools should be near the end of the second marking period and IEP meetings for the next school year should be in the planning stage for the spring. The problem is that everyone is still in holiday mentality and there hasn’t been a conversation about school for an extended time.

It is important for parents and students to review their goals and plans and remind themselves of their current levels of success / need for improvement. Even if your child doesn’t have an IEP, it is a good time to review where you are and update your goals. Most schools have an on-line gradebook so that you can access grades and assignments, but if you have trouble accessing that information, contact your school’s guidance counselor or main office.

If things are going really well, the conversation may be about adding a class next year that is at a higher level than the current class. If there are current problems, the conversation will be about identifying specific performance issues and developing a plan for improvement. Sometimes the problem isn’t the level of the work, but rather the fact that work is not being completed. A review of assignments will determine if work is completed or not completed and the grade for assignments, quizzes and tests. Tests are worth more than quizzes and homework and participation is worth less than quizzes.

If work is not completed, you need to look at attendance and punctuality. If you aren’t in school, it is difficult to get everything completed and you don’t have a chance to get help in class or at another time during the school day. If attendance isn’t an issue, and the work isn’t completed because of a lack of understanding, then a plan for improvement needs to be completed. If there is an IEP in place, that plan can be reviewed and appropriate changes can be made. Making improvements requires a hands on approach that is consistent and timely.

Good luck and leave me a comment if you need additional help.

I have listed information that is posted on the Salem County Office on Aging and Disabilities and hope people will take advantage of these programs. Mid-Atlantic States Career and Education Center (MASCEC) offers on-going programs that provide exercise for the body (such as Tai Chi and Stretch on Thursday, December 12 and Strength Development on Tuesday 12/17); talk topics to improve your health ( such as Why You Need a Flu Shot on Thursday, December 12 and Be Ready for Winter Weather on Tuesday 12/17); and nourishment assistance on Tuesday 12/17 as their food bank program provides food for our residents. My friend Ray Leight, and fellow Salem County Office on Disabilities Advisory board member, volunteers his time to serve at (MASCEC) on Tuesdays. It’s a great program and can help extent your food budget.

Ray Leight and I had a great meeting at Mid-Atlantic States Career and Education Center (MASCEC) with their President & CEO, H Glen Donelson, Jeff Truax (VP of Projects and Media), Walter Donelson (Training Specialist and Supported Employment) and Tracy Wiggins (Communications Manager). As members of Salem County’s Disability Awareness Board, Ray and I have been looking at ways to improve awareness of career services for individuals with special needs and we fully recommend this program.

The mission of MASCEC focuses on building effective community partnerships, improving the health and well being of the individuals and families that they serve, provide career and job skill development for the disadvantaged and disabled workers and create a sustainable stable community. Some specifics are as follows:

• Provide basic job skill training to youth and adults seeking to enter or re-enter the workforce in a variety of industry sectors
• Provide career development and exploration activities to youth K-12
• Offer schools and other education institutions cutting edge programs, curricula, and teacher training
• Support youth struggling in school with mentoring, tutoring, and job skill development
• Offer job certification programs for individuals in the food and energy sectors
• Provide job training and placement to adults and youth who have dropped out of school and the workforce, been incarcerated or have had other difficulties which prevent them from obtaining and retaining employment

Their main office is located at 111 S. Broadway, Pennsville, NJ 08070. You can call their office at 856 514 2200, go on their website www.wegrowpeople.org or contact Glenn by e-mail gdonelson@mascec.org.

I have known Glenn for a long time as a member of the Salem County ARC board, and as a guidance counselor who received the assistance I needed to create a solid Job Shadow program at Monongahela Middle School. He and his organization have a passion for helping people grow and develop.    

Our country is operating at an unemployment rate of less than 4%, but that does not mean that everyone will get a job. As “baby boomers” continue to retire, many of our leaders are citing the need to rely on immigration to fill the eventual open positions. Our educational system continues to promote a system that wants to prepare almost everyone for a college education. The construction trades need additional trained candidates. With all of the above, where are we in preparing students with an IEP and lower performing students without and IEP for our workforce?

I have been trying to find employment / unemployment statistics for students that had an IEP in high school, but this isn’t an easy process. What I have found seems to indicate that the unemployment rate for this group could be over 50%. With overall unemployment under 4%, it would seem that we have an underutilized group of potential employees. The questions I am asking myself will need additional research which I will be starting next week.

Specifically, I will be asking for appointments with our county vocational technical high school, Mid-Atlantic States Career and Education Center, Resources for Independent Living, The Office on Aging and Disabilities and the County Superintendent of Schools. More to report after my meetings.