Job Opportunites after Traumatic Brain Injury

           There are many work programs offered here at Special Tree’s Day Treatment Services program for persons with a traumatic brain injury.  The DTS program began working with clients about two years ago to get them back to working in the community after acquiring a TBI. The name the work program was given is InPro, standing for Innovative and Productive.  Some of the work offered requires light lifting, janitorial, writing, painting, maintenance, and utilizing your creativity.  

            The work at DTS includes quality support services, laundry, housekeeping, and Chapp’s oil. Quality support services and housekeeping are very similar jobs focusing on light janitorial tasks. The only differences are where the work takes place.  Quality support services are located at the Wabash Center, where housekeeping is located at the NeuroCare Center. There job tasks include sweeping, mopping, dusting, and disinfecting the buildings.  A laundry job is located at the NeuroCare Center. Clients are now working a morning and afternoon shift along side a natural support for guidance in this department. The tasks delegated to someone working in laundry would be to collect soiled linens, sort linens from clothing, wash, dry, and fold all garments, deliver clean linens to appropriate place, and hang client clothing in correct room.  The employee is able to ask for assistance from the natural support when necessary, providing a place for growth of employability skills in a controlled environment.  Chapp’s oil is a seasonal job that provides grounds keeping work for clients.  In the warmer months, clients are able to paint parking lines, parking blocks, light fixtures, and keep the gas station/truck stop looking immaculate. Seeing the great work that they have done, employees are able to get a sense of satisfaction out of their jobs.

            InPro offers a few jobs that work on fine motor skills, detail orientation, and following directions.  These jobs include labeling medical supplies, working at Goodwill Industries, or working at Lumicon.  Each job has there differences but the main similarity is that the employee is counting, sorting, and packaging goods for future use. They are also able to work with a job coach or natural support for guidance, instruction, and answers to their questions.

            Some more positions that InPro offers to its employees are the opportunity to work in the Ceramic Studio or in the Furniture Restoration/Woodshop garage.  The woodshop job builds some strength in the upper body from stripping paint from old wooden objects and sanding them smooth. The pieces are then stained or varnished and topped with a layer of polyurethane before being taken to the store to be sold.  The Ceramic Studio makes various decorative pieces. They mold each piece from wet slip and let it dry then sand the hard edges before placing it in the kiln for firing.  After the first fire, each piece is painted either to order or random and fired again. The pieces are then sold throughout the company and at local festivals and events. Right now, they are working on an alternate location for a store front, but pieces are still available for purchase through the Wabash Center.

            There are a few more work opportunities that InPro offers to its employees. They are working on the DTS Blog, the job I’m doing right now, working in the Maintenance department, and traveling to a local elementary school to assist the students.  Working on this blog, is very interesting. I am able to come up with subjects to write about, research them, and compose a short storyline for you all to read.  I enjoy working on this and feeling that I am some how helping others that are in the same condition as myself. The maintenance department employees service the NeuroCare center and the surrounding buildings and offices.  They perform any tasks needed to maintain the integrity of the building.  Employees that attend the elementary school are given the chance to tutor students that present difficulty in class. They also assist in the art room to keep the children focused on their tasks.  Employees that are part of the school, find their job both rewarding and sometimes difficult, depending on the students that day.

            These jobs are all offered by Special Tree’s Day Treatment Service program through InPro.  If you have a brain injury and can do these things, which almost everyone can, I suggest you give it a try.  They will always attempt to work within your means, disability and insurance will most likely not be affected.  We are always looking for ways to improve these services and more people to assist in getting back to work. Please let me know what you think of this by leaving a comment here on this story or any of my other stories.

College after a Traumatic Brain Injury

         Returning to college after a traumatic brain injury can be overwhelming and difficult.  You have to start out slow with an easy class.  At first try taking just one class. After a semester or two you can add more classes to your schedule.  For example, after my accident when I was ready to return to school I took a composition class for the first semester. After I completed the class successfully with an “A”, I took a pre-algebra class. When I finished this class with an “A” as well, I decided to kick it up a notch.

          I am currently taking English 1. This class is a lot more challenging because it is not an introductory class.  I have to study harder and harder and I have to write a paper almost every other week.  I am also tested regularly on the reading material assigned to the class.

          The class I am currently taking meets only once a week and is three hours long.  Luckily, I do not have difficulty with staying focused for this length of time.  If you happen to have difficulty staying focused for this length of time, many colleges offer sessions that meet twice a week for only an hour and a half instead of three hours.  I would recommend this type of class if you have attention span difficulties or are just returning to classes after a traumatic brain injury.

          Despite any difficulties in returning to school after a traumatic brain injury, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel.  Many good things can come from a class.  You get the opportunity to meet new people and obviously learn new things. Confidence is a good quality that can be gained from attending classes.

          By attending a class I was able to defeat many odds that were stacked against me. I am currently planning to continue my education and get a degree, even with my injury.

How Do You Get Around?

            After you experience a life altering event, you might find yourself getting around in different ways.  For example, you could find yourself getting around in a wheelchair or using assistance like a cane, walker, or a person to help you walk.  As in anything, there are pros and cons to each of these.

            One way you might be getting around is in a wheelchair. This could be a manual or power wheelchair. There are positives and negatives to both of these.  If using a manual wheelchair, you are given the chance to build muscle tone in the legs and/or arms while self propelling about. You may be able to transfer to a vehicle and ride in a passenger seat without any concerns because your chair can fold up or break down for storage. However, persons who find themselves in a chair that cannot fold down may encounter difficulties with getting into vehicles. They may require a mechanical lift or ramp to get from one place to another.  Wheelchairs, power or manual, could be too wide to fit through narrow doorways. The great thing about power chairs is that they can provide a way to get around even when a person cannot move themselves in any way. There are specialized chairs that operate by suction. The person can either blow or suck and the chair will propel forward, backward, or turn. 

            Another way to get around would be with the assistance of a cane, walker, or person.  A person may be needed for assistance in walking to reassure balance or pace for you. They could direct you if a step was coming or if the ground becomes uneven in any way. You could also be using a walker for assistance to get around.

There are many types of walkers; we will talk about a few of them. There is the standard walker that may not have any wheels at all, a walker with two wheels in the front, or one with a wheel on each leg.  The standard walker may pose a difficulty if you put a lot of weight onto your arms while walking.  Most can be folded up for easy storage; however, there are some types that cannot be folded.  Most people who use a walker or cane need a railing to help them walk up the stairs. Some people who require standby assistance will need a rail to grab onto for balance as well. A person using a cane or walker would have minimal difficulty when boarding a train, plane, automobile, or most other types of transportation, although they may need some assistance from a helper.

            These are some ways that you may find yourself getting around if you have experienced a life changing event.  It might take you a while to build up the strength to “graduate” from a wheelchair to a walker, or maybe you won’t even need a walker.  It will be hard work and you need to be determined to accomplish your goals.  Don’t ever give up; good things come to those that are willing to work their butt off!