TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF ASSISTIVE AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES

I WAS CERTIFIED AS DISABLED AND CHOSE TO ENROLL IN ONE OF THE BEST PROGRAMS IN THE USA! SINCE 1929, TEXAS HAS HAD THE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION PROGRAM WHICH PROVIDES MEDICAL CARE AND CAREER RETRAINING TO DISABLED PEOPLE WHO CAN NO LONGER REMAIN IN THEIR PREVIOUS FIELD OF EMPLOYMENT. IF YOU NEED GLASSES, WHEELCHAIR, ETC. IT WILL BE PROVIDED.TO THOSE WHO WANT TO WORK AND HAVE PRIDE, DIGNITY, SELF-RESPECT.AMAZING PROGRAM, REALLY.MY PROBLEM IS I CHOSE TO ENROLL IN A PROGRAM THAT TRAINED PEOPLE FOR A PROFESSION THAT DARS TOLD ME WOULD BE GREATLY IN DEMAND –BEFORE THE ECONOMY CRASHED. NOT THE FAULT OF THE PROGRAM. THE FINANCIAL AID PEOPLE AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE RIO GRANDE CAMPUS WOULD ALSO DELAY MY TUITION PAYMENT. I WOULD PRE-REGISTER FOR CLASSES AND THEN, BECAUSE THE MONEY HAD ALLEGEDLY NOT BEEN PAID ON TIME, I WOULD BE DROPPED FROM MY CLASSES AND SOMEONE ELSE WOULD GET MY SPACE. WHEN I WOULD FINALLY GET THE CLEARANCE THAT THE AID HAD COME THROUGH,I HAD LESS THAN 12 HOURS TO REGISTER AND THEN THE CLASS THAT I NEEDED WAS FULL. ALSO, YOU HAD TO TAKE 12 HOURS OR FOUR CLASSES TO BE CONSIDERED A FULL-TIME STUDENT WHICH THEY LATER DROPPED TO 9 HOURS OR THREE CLASSES.I DO NOT KNOW WHAT SORT OF SCAM THEY WERE PULLING ON ME BUT IT ULTIMATELY COST ME THE CHANCE TO GET MY ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE BECAUSE I COULD NOT TAKE THE CLASSES I NEEDED IN THE PROPER SEQUENCE.I FOUND OUT IF I CHANGED MY MAJOR, I COULD TAKE A LOT OF CLASSES THAT WOULD HELP ME IN VARIOUS AREAS OF LEGAL SPECIALIZATION BUT THE AID RAN OUT LEAVING ME WITH THREE HOURS SHORT OF AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND NINE HOURS SHORT OF AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE IN PARALEGAL STUDIES.WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET FINANCIAL GRANTS FOR LOWER INCOME STUDENTS, I DROPPED OUT OF THE DARS PROGRAM BECAUSE I WANTED PEOPLE WHO WERE UNABLE TO GET THE GRANTS I WAS TO HAVE THAT TUITION MONEY.SO NOW, I WANTED TO SEE IF THE DARS VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION PEOPLE COULD HELP ME FIND WORK.IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO BE CERTIFIED AS DISABLED FOR THIS PROGRAM. THEY SENT ME TO A MEDICAL DOCTOR WHO IS A SPECIALIST IN MY DISABILITY AND HE ORDERED MRI AND X-RAYS TO DOCUMENT IT. THEY ALSO SENT ME TO THE MHMR RESOURCE IN MY COUNTY AT NOT MUCH EXPENSE TO TAXPAYERS FOR A PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION TO SEE IF I WAS CAPABLE OF WORKING. IT ALL CHECKED OUT.THE LAST TIME I WENT TO THE EAST AUSTIN DARS OFFICE, MY CASE HAD BEEN DUMPED ONTO A OVERWORKED CASE WORKER WHO WAS A HAIRTRIGGER AWAY FROM BURNOUT AND I WAS THE LAST PERSON SHE WANTED TO SEE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SHE WROTE IN MY CASE FILE BUT WHATEVER IT WAS, NOBODY HAS A CIVIL THING TO SAY TO ME ONCE THEY READ IT. I GUESS I WILL HAVE TO ASK TO SEE IT UNDER THE TEXAS PUBLIC INFORMATION LAWS. WONDER HOW MUCH THEY WILL REDACT.I WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO CORRECT A LOT OF MISINFORMATION.I ONCE WENT TO THE NORTH AUSTIN DARS OFFICE BUT THOSE PEOPLE ACTED LIKE THEY COULDN’T TAKE ON ANOTHER CASE EITHER…I FIGURED IT WOULD ALL BE THE SAME NO MATTER WHICH DARS OFFICEI FIGURED IT IS ALL THE SAME SINCE MY FILE HAS PROBABLY BEEN COMPUTERIZED SO I MIGHT AS WELL GO BACK TO THE EAST AUSTIN OFFICE. I FIGURED THAT MS SUNSHINE, THE CASEWORKER WHO HAD CURSED AND MOANED ABOUT GETTING ANOTHER CASE WOULD BE GONE BY ATTRITION OR RETIREMENT.I HADN’T COUNTED ON MR. WONDERFUL THOUGH.WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS GUY, HE LOOKED LIKE AN AMERICAN INDIAN. I AM HALF NATIVE AMERICAN –CHOCTAW, LUMBEE AND CHEROKEE TO BE EXACT. FROM THE RECEPTION I GOT, I THINK OUR PEOPLE MUST HAVE BEEN AT WAR BACK IN THE DAY FROM THE LOOK ON HIS FACE. HE SEEMED TO BE “OUT THERE.”” HE HADN’T TALKED WITH ME MORE THAN A DEW MINUTES BEFORE HE TOLD ME THAT I HAD “”BIPOLAR DISORDER.”” I DID NOT SEE ANY DIPLOMAS AND CERTIFICATIONS ON THE WALL QUALIFYING THIS GUY AS A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST OR AN MD BEHIND HIS NAME THAT CERTIFIED HIM AS A PSYCHIATRIST–AND I ALWAYS LOOK ON THE WALLS OF ANY DEGREED PROFESSIONAL. AT MOST