Monday, August 13, 2012

A Big Step

Today we have a placement meeting for Daughter.  She is going to begin going to a sheltered workshop one day a week.  As she adjusts, we will increase the number of days she goes.  She wants to earn money.  From my understanding, it is a large, noisy space, so we are somewhat concerned about her ability to handle it.  Because of her PTSD, she is sometimes overwhelmed in situations like that.  My hope is that she will be able to handle it, and that it will be the first step toward employment and more independence.  She is understandably anxious about the meeting.  She wants to sit between Case Manager and me, because then she says she'll feel safe and we will speak up for her.  My hope is that she will speak up for herself.

Daughter has mixed feelings about the whole thing.  Some days she wants to start going 5 days a week immediately.  Other days she doesn't want to go at all.  I've reminded her that she will have to show she can continue to work, even when she gets bored or doesn't feel good.  I've told her she has to be successful there to move on to community employment.  I hope she is ready for it.  She is doing a better job with cleaning jobs I give her around the house.  She is maturing.  I suspect it will be an interesting ride as she adjusts....

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Praying for your Daughter and for YOU as you both weather this latest challenge. Having patience and tolerance for one's own Mixed Feelings is part of maturing, I think. When asked, J often does not seem to know HOW she feels, and in fact gets angry that I am asking. We are in the middle of a Big Move and J's feelings are very mixed -- but mostly NOT happy, as she does NOT like change. I suppose moving feels like Abandonment to her ... the whole family abandoning our life in this city and state, and/or herself being abandoned by everything she knows. Lots of fun on a daily basis. R in SL

Miz Kizzle said...

What kind of work will she be doing?

Reverend Mom said...

R,
I've moved with Daughter twice now. We spent lots of time talking about all the things that wouldn't change. It helped a little. Prayers for your family as you complete this move.

MK,
Piece work. It varies according to what they have in. One possibility is stuffing cotton in what looks like a syringe. Whatever it is will be easy & boring. We've told her she has to prove she can stick with this work and do it well to move on to the next level....