WORK PART 2

Six months into my OT career I was hired at Mt. Pleasant Center which was the last state facility that was open for individuals with developmental disabilities with a duel diagnosis of mental illness. I worked full time and received benefits and physically I would be able to handle the job.

In late August of 2005 I walked into Human Resources and waited for my badge to be made. I had a negative feeling about that place and this job position from the very beginning. I was there 2 years and somehow I got used picking up soiled weighted blankets in resident's closets and very unmotivated staff.  While working there I wrote annual Person Centered Plans, eating/self care/money management programs to enhance the residents independence and sensory stimulation programs to improve the residents quality of life. I was also apart of a dysphagia committee. My role was very consultative and it was my job to educate the direct care staff on how to implement the programs I wrote.

My departure from the Center was less than desirable. It had been strongly suggested therapy staff

help transport residents to their day program each day. Some of these residents were physically aggressive and others were in wheelchairs. I chose to push residents in wheelchairs however very few of the therapy staff were offering to help transport any of the residents. The therapy staff who were not transporting residents were not reprimanded. There was also a lot of conflict between the union and administration at the time. It was suggested to me that I get a doctor's note saying that I was not able to lift anything beyond 5 pounds which would in turn meant I was unable to push residents in a wheelchair to and from their day programs. Very naively, I turned a poorly written doctors note which was one line that stated I couldn't lift 5 pounds or over into administration. A day later at the end of the day I received a call and was told to come to the HR office.

I received a letter stating I would be unable to return to work until my condition improved. I had to turn in my badge and the next day I could be escorted to my desk to gather my personal belongings. It felt more like I was being fired since my condition was not going to improve, ever.

The head of the union, my parents, family members, colleagues were all scrambling to find me a job and researching my rights. I was doing the same thing but also was in a complete of shock. I didn't sleep or eat for a week. Less then a week went by when I received a call from Eaton ISD for a part time OT position. I interviewed but still continued not to sleep or eat, since nothing was a guarantee. Especially with my track record of interviewing for school based jobs. As luck would have it, I was hired! I took a pay cut however I received benefits. My first day of work a colleague asked how I was able to leave my current job position so quickly. I was humiliated and did not tell the truth. I didn't want my knew place of employment to think I was a drama queen.

I contacted the EEOC and had a case against the Mt. Pleasant Center. I met with the director of human resources from the Center and a representative through Equal Employment Opportunity Comission (EEOC). The lady from EEOC was absolutely shocked this case occurred through the state and not a small facility. Since I did get a new job instantly the Center (State of Michigan) had to compensate me the amount I missed out on for going part time and taking a pay cut.

Quickly, I realized this had nothing to do with me or my disability. The administration at The Center had a duty to intimidate staff. If staff did not feel threatened or lesser than their administrators, the human resource did not feel like he was doing his job. Rule changes and drama were consistently occurring to cover up the majority of our administrators had low self esteems and the facility was about to close. This trickled down to staff and there were probably 4 or less colleagues out of 60 or so that I trusted not to get in a fight with or start a rumor about me. It was not a facility where team work flourished, actually just the opposite. As for a state facility advocating for individuals with disabilities, forget it. I felt like the challenges I faced there were never really about the residents. In many ways I learned a lesson not to always follow rules and procedures to do the right thing. My health, well being and attitude towards the population I'm servicing always need to be number one while working as an OT, regardless of uproars in administration and other staff members. I was caught up in bureaucratic drama, probably for no reason.

In the end it all turned out for the best. The facility closed in 2008, a year after I left. I was determined to learn more about my rights and learned the importance of a good doctor's note when it came to requesting reasonable accommodations. I also had several wonderful vacations and built a new home from the ground up.  Thanks, Ass Hat!