An experience to remember

By Tina Kroul
Special to the Saipan Tribune

To say that my internship has been fun and educational would not do justice to what has happened in the last six weeks. I went into this internship happy to have found a summer job, knowing nothing about the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and not in the least bit expecting to be as profoundly inspired as I am now. Of all the internships and jobs I have held, there has not been one I can honestly say I’m truly sad to be leaving. I really had no idea how amazing working with OVR would be, and let me tell you why.

In this day and age I am sad to admit a job is a job and finding staff that truly care about their job and give a 110 percent because they believe in what they’re doing, is almost always a fantasy. Like any new position, we started the slow and somewhat boring orientation process, familiarizing ourselves with the purpose and functions of OVR, the collaborative efforts between OVR and other departments like CHC, CGC and NMPASI, and what OVR can do for its consumers. The first thing I found repetitively emphasized is exactly what OVR can do for its eligible clients and I did not truly understand why this was so repetitively mentioned until halfway through the internship.

As a separate entity, OVR is there to provide vocational rehabilitation services to those who are significantly disabled, both mentally and physically. A common misperception is that OVR performs duties similar to WIA and Medicaid – something the office battles to correct. OVR does not provide vocational rehabilitation services until the applicant has gone through a process to determine the level of his/her disability and need; OVR does not provide services to a consumer for their entire lives, rather, OVR only starts them off and aids them in becoming independent.

As the internship progressed, we began to recognize the true extent of the public misperception of not only what OVR can do for qualified people with disabilities, but what qualifies someone as disabled. A common misnomer is that physical disability is the only significant disability, when, in fact, mental disability can be just as crippling. So, in addition to trying to educate the public and employers on how best to accommodate persons with disabilities, OVR also tries to help the community understand the different types of disability. During our job shadowing, I was able to really grasp what road blocks exist with not only the public, but other government agencies giving inaccurate information on the services OVR may provide for prospective consumers.

Fortunately, OVR has such a dedicated and amiable staff who works tirelessly and passionately to correct and help consumers with misguided notions. The true and main purpose of OVR is to assist disabled clients into becoming independent in all sense of the word, to be able to advocate for themselves and transition into living on their own and becoming self-sustaining. As part of the internship, we took a trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to attend a national conference on higher education for disabled students. It was apparent that OVR’s problems as well as successes are similar with that of other vocational rehabilitation programs throughout the nation. One thing that really stood out for me, however, is the level of dedication amongst all the staff working with individuals with all types of disabilities, people who truly believe in their cause and work tirelessly to achieve it.

Overall, the internship was quite an adventure, the workplace became a second home, and the experience is unmatchable. I was so delighted to work with everyone and to understand how OVR really interacts with the island community. I think the career field in Vocational Rehabilitation is widely underestimated and underexposed, and I hope that more people will be attracted to OVR as a career choice. I cannot express just how much this internship has given me, but I hope to spread the word amongst my peers. Thank you for making this experience educational and inspiring.