Self Advocacy & Goal Setting
Self Advocacy Workshop
The goal of this workshop is to increase participants' self efficacy and enhance their ability to identify barriers they experience in their lives and set goals to overcome these barriers.
Objectives:
- Increase problem-solving ability
- Improve negotiation skills
- Understand the principles of assertiveness
- Learn strategies to identify and overcome barriers
I. Problem solving through self advocacy
Scenario 1: Broken Wheelchair
Actors:
Person with broken Wheelchair
Caseworker 1
Caseworker 2
Wheelchair Vendor
Your wheelchair is broken. You need to call your social security caseworker to get authorization for the repair. You have trouble reaching him or her. When you finally talk to him or her, the person is resistant to giving this authorization. Next you need to call the wheelchair vendor and get them to make the repair as quickly as possible. They are in no hurry, and you need to convince them to hurry up and complete the repairs quickly.
Scenario 2: Getting on RIDE/Accessing Public transportation
Actors:
Person who needs a ride
Doctor’s Office Receptionist
Accessible transportation program Receptionist
You want to get around using the RIDE program. You need to sign up for RIDE, make sure the paperwork is completed and signed by your doctor and sent to the RIDE program. Once you have been registered at RIDE you must schedule a RIDE for yourself. They claim that where you want to go is not on the bus route, even though you know that it is.
Scenario 3: Getting a Van
Actors:
Person wanting to drive
Voc. Rehab. Counselor 1
Voc Rehab Counselor 2
You want to get funding for driving lessons and van adaptations. The people at Voc. Rehab. are not very helpful. First you need to find out who is the correct person to contact. When you reach them, you need to convince them that you have a right to funding for driving lessons and van adaptations.
Scenario 4: Medicaid Error
Actors:
Person on Medicaid
Doctor’s office Receptionist
Medicaid Worker 1
Medicaid Worker 2
You go to your doctor’s office for a check-up and the receptionist tells you that your Medicaid card is invalid. You argue with them, but they insist that you need to correct the problem before you can see your doctor. You need to call Medicaid, find the correct person to contact. When you reach them, you need to convince them to fix the problem quickly.
Scenario 5: Getting Housing Vouchers
Actors:
Person seeking housing
PARI caseworker
Housing Authority 1
Housing Authority 2
You are ready to move out on your own and are looking for accessible subsidized housing. You need to find out where housing is available so you call your PARI caseworker who gives you a list of numbers to try. The first place you call says the list is full and won’t take your name, you need to convince them to take your name. The second place says it has housing available, but it turns out the housing is not accessible. You need to convince them that you need accessible housing and get them to give you priority on the waiting list.
II. PCA/caregiver negotiation skills training scenarios
Scenario 1:
You have a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) who normally works for you in the afternoon and early evening. You have some friends who you would like to invite over for dinner on one night and you ask the PCA if he/she would mind cooking dinner for you and your guests. Two days before this event is to take place, the PCA comes in and tells you that his/her brother from Texas who they haven’t seen many years is flying in to Boston the same night as the dinner and they would like to go to the airport to meet him. This could potentially ruin your plans. How would you handle this situation?
Scenario 2:
You are visiting your parents for a few days and sleeping in your old room. You don’t have your PCA with you, but Mom said that would be OK, she can help you with your sleep prep routine for the time you are staying there. Some of your friends heard you were in town and call you up and ask you to go out for the evening. Your mom overhears this and says she can only help you get to bed if you stay home and go to bed at 9:00. You really want to go out with your friends, but also need some help getting into bed. How will you solve this problem?
III. Healthy boundaries
Physical boundaries
- What do you do when a PCA insists on using a transfer technique that you don’t like?
- What do you do when someone starts pushing your wheelchair without permission?
- What do you do when someone pats you on the head or tries to touch you in other ways without your permission?
Emotional boundaries
- What do you do when someone refuses to talk to you directly? (example: You are in a restaurant and the waiter asks your friend, “what does she want to eat?”)
- What do you do when a child is staring at you?
- What do you do when the child asks you a question and the child’s parent says “hush” to the child and starts to take the child away?
- What do you do when your parent/spouse/friend is overprotective and tries to prevent you from doing something you want to do?
