Intro: 00:00 

Welcome to the Heard and Empowered podcast presented by National Industries for the Blind. We’re on a mission to empower people who are blind or low vision or visually impaired to build fulfilling careers, gain personal independence, and take the next step toward achieving their own American dream. Guests from all walks of life share their journeys and how they overcame challenges they faced along the way. Whatever your interests, experience, talents, or career goals, listen to, discover important connections and unlock the resources and inspiration you need to chart a new path. Ready to be heard and empowered?

Dean Thompson: 00:35  

Hi there and thanks again for tuning in to the Heard and Empowered podcast. I’m Dean Thompson, your host, and I’m here with Rebecca Martin, who’s coming from the great state of North Dakota, am I right, Rebecca?

Rebecca Martin: 00:43

You’re correct.

Dean Thompson: 00:44  

Okay, cool. And you are a rehab counselor, a vocational rehab counselor, a long title I choose not to memorize. Tell us all what you do, please.

Rebecca Martin: 00:53  

I help individuals with difficulties, functional limitations, and that are trying to become employed and I help them obtain and maintain employment.

Dean Thompson: 01:07

So this is mostly aimed at or completely aimed at partially sighted or blind people?

Rebecca Martin: 01:13 

That’s part of what we do. Actually in our department, we have a vision specialist who also works with our clients. And as a counselor, what I’m trying to do is also help them with counseling and guidance, support adaptations, assistive technology to help them so they are able to become successfully employed.

Dean Thompson: 01:39 

So you do help folks get jobs directly, am I correct?

Rebecca Martin: 01:42

Correct.

Dean Thompson: 01:43

Why’d you become a counselor like this? What brought you to this?

Rebecca Martin: 01:46  

Well, my journey started when I was young. My aunt has severe multiple sclerosis, and she was a counselor herself and received vocational rehabilitation services. And I watched her when I was young, watching her navigate her functional limitations, and it stuck with me and showed me how powerful the right support can be. And then, later in life, I was diagnosed with MS, too. One year I lost my vision in one eye, and then a couple years later I lost it in the other eye, and fortunately I regained them because multiple sclerosis is unpredictable.

And I was fortunate to regain my vision, but I wanted to help people that were going through struggles like my aunt and myself, and to let them know you can still become successfully employed. You can reach your goals.

Dean Thompson: 03:00

You’re kind of unique. Did you have a special insight because you did lose your sight for a period of time, did that give you a little bit better sense of what your clients were going through?

Rebecca Martin: 03:15 

Oh, definitely. I was terrified, and when I first lost it, I knew what to do. I was suspicious of multiple sclerosis because I actually have two aunts with multiple sclerosis. And when I had tingling sensations prior and then I had lost my vision, immediately got to the doctor and they were suspicious and did all the testing, MRIs and everything. And it was definitely multiple sclerosis.

Dean Thompson: 03:50  

How long did you go without your sight?

Rebecca Martin: 03:53  

Several, several months before I regained it. And the second time was even longer. Maybe nine months to possibly a year to get it back.

Dean Thompson: 04:06  

How scared were you that it would not come back?

Rebecca Martin: 04:09  

Terrified. It was – I couldn’t see in the one eye. I couldn’t see colors, I couldn’t – it was like a tunnel vision.

I could barely see anything. And I was fortunate to regain that.

Dean Thompson: 04:29 

Did you work during those periods?

Rebecca Martin: 04:31  

Yes I did. I was working for Sanford Hospital as at that time I was a recreational therapist. So I did a lot of, you know, group therapy and a lot of documentations, which made my job more difficult. And at that time, when I was just discovering I had it, I didn’t want anybody to know. So I tried to function without anybody knowing. It was difficult.

Dean Thompson: 05:11  

The great bluff.

Rebecca Martin: 05:12  

Yeah. I was a bluffer. So I, I guess having the diagnosis and my family having multiple sclerosis, and what I went through encouraged me to become a counselor in mental health and vocational rehabilitation services.

Dean Thompson: 05:30  

That is very cool. How did you come across NSITE?

Rebecca Martin: 05:36 

Well, I had a case where I had a client coming from another country and he had lost his vision, but oh, did he want to work! He had this strong desire to work. First of all, he was taking courses to learn his English and he was getting more proficient. And I was just researching all over the web and came across NSITE and they hooked me up. I was working with them. They were wonderful and were able to set up my client with a program.

It was the Customer-Centered Communications and was able to help teach him more basic skills that he needed to become employable. And then this client was continuing to move on and working on getting his GED also to become more employable. And possibly we’ll be looking at more NSITE training in the future.

Dean Thompson: 06:53  

How did you discover them in the very beginning? How did you know about NSITE?

Rebecca Martin: 06:56  

Researching, just Googling and just looking for training and I came across it.

Dean Thompson: 07:04 

So what attracted you to them at the outset?

Rebecca Martin: 07:10  

Well, because my individual was visually, well, he’s almost completely blind. And I, there’s – I haven’t found much out there that has this type of trainings and offer them. And it seemed really hopeful for as a counselor, I was kind of like, almost like at a loss. I was like, this person wants to work in the worst way, and I need to find something to help him reach those goals.

Dean Thompson: 07:46  

Did it leave you with a feeling of frustration at the outset? You couldn’t find work for him?

Rebecca Martin: 07:50  

Yes, yes. It was very frustrating. It’s really hard. It’s not; it doesn’t settle well with you when someone is so motivated and wants to do anything to work.

But you know, with today’s employment market out there, that I really needed to get my client the skills to be employable in our area.

Dean Thompson: 08:15 

Rebecca, you’ve got somebody right now going through a fairly new course with NSITE, which is Better Professional Behaviors, am I correct?

Rebecca Martin: 08:22  

Correct.

Dean Thompson: 08:23  

How’s it going?

Rebecca Martin: 08:25 

Good. I have an individual that has a recent TBI and has lost some of those behaviors that we need, that are needed for the workforce, such as time management, good communication, your professional etiquette, those things that weren’t normally taught to you at school or other trainings, and I believe this person is gaining more confidence in these type of skills that he’s lost due to a TBI. It it also helps people that haven’t had the work experience or skills in this course to help them develop confidence and build appropriate behaviors that will help them be successful.

Dean Thompson: 09:26 

And please explain what TBI means in this context?

Rebecca Martin: 09:29

Oh, I’m sorry! Traumatic brain injury, which can lead to problems that they may be having, such as time management and their communication, or the vision loss or other difficulties that makes it hard to be employed.

Dean Thompson: 09:51 

Gotcha. Of course. What’s the feedback you get from your client directly about that, or can you share that with us?

Rebecca Martin: 09:58 

Well, at first my client was very resistive, not – didn’t have the insight to realize these are some basic skills that he had lost and needed again. And now he has more understanding of realizing those skills that he has lost. And NSITE is helping him regain those skills and learning them appropriately.

Dean Thompson: 10:30  

I’m assuming getting the client to understand the fact that they need training is almost as important as the training, isn’t it?

Rebecca Martin: 10:35  

Yeah. Yeah. Yep. It took some convincing, and Troy was very helpful with that. And so were his coaches that he has working with his team.

Dean Thompson: 10:52 

So the NSITE people actually got involved in almost the recruiting process with you?

Rebecca Martin: 10:57 

Yeah. Yeah. Because I knew that my particular client could learn a lot from this.

Dean Thompson: 11:09  

Is there a cost for this training for the individual? Who picks up the bill?

Rebecca Martin: 11:13  

It’s free. We’re a state and federally funded program, and the services are free to individuals. Some of it, of how much we can pay for like equipment or whatever, may vary on their income. But if they’re not employed or don’t have an income, it’s a basically a free service for the people that we serve.

Dean Thompson: 11:45

Are the NSITE  programs themselves free to you and your clients, or are there other costs there?

Rebecca Martin: 11:51 

Yeah, I mean, there is a fee for all the trainings.

Dean Thompson: 11:54

And your agency picks up those costs on behalf of the client?

Rebecca Martin: 11:57  

Yes.

Dean Thompson: 11:59  

Very cool.

Rebecca Martin: 11:59  

Yeah. As long as their common goal is motivated to become employed.

Dean Thompson: 12:06  

Sure. When did you know that NSITE was going to be what some of your clients were looking for? When did you gain confidence in them and their programs?

Rebecca Martin: 12:15  

Well, one thing that’s nice is they actually send us progress reports so we know how the client is doing. They’ll, they’re, if I send them an email, they’re back to me in like a day or two and letting me know how my client is doing, if they’re successful, or if there’s additional assistive technology that is needed to make them successful or software or whatever the case may be. Seeing that and getting progress reports has built my confidence in what NSITE is doing with my clients as they are on this career path that they have chosen to do.

Dean Thompson: 13:03  

Nice. You talked about Troy and Marianne at NSITE. How were they to deal with? How are they to work with? Truthfully, just between you and me, of course.

Rebecca Martin: 13:14  

They’re awesome. They are fun to work with. They always got a smile, always brainstorming ideas and thinking of different ways or different approaches we can use to help the clients that I serve here in North Dakota.

Dean Thompson: 13:33  

So let’s, let’s go, let’s talk about the inclusion aspect of this. When you talk to someone about training and eventually they probably say, I can’t drive, I can’t go any place, I can’t do this. And you say, look, this is all virtual. Does that help them? What’s the impact of being able to do the training at your own speed from home?

Rebecca Martin: 13:51  

Yes, that is very intriguing to a lot of our individuals and how patient they are with helping you learn online platforms, because a lot of our individuals, they’re just maybe discovering this new, say, for example, vision loss, and they don’t even know how to figure out transportation at this time, or even how to get around in their own apartment or home where they’re living. And it’s really nice to have this online training that they can figure out what trainings they they do want from NSITE, and how they offer that technology support and make our individuals feel confident and comfortable using skills and almost setting up a support network for them to talk to others that know what they’re going through and they’re learning just as they are, at the same time.

Dean Thompson: 15:05  

You make a good point about learning from others. I understand some of these classes, some of these programs involve people from all over the country. Does it help someone who is there in North Dakota to know there’s someone just like them in Texas or New York or California, and they actually spend time talking to. Has that been helpful?

Rebecca Martin: 15:20  

Yeah, I believe it helps my clients feel comfortable and know they’re not alone in this world, that there’s other people going through it, and they also gain other resources from other people and connections that they may need to find, to make fulfillment in their life.

Dean Thompson: 15:45  

That’s nice. I know I’ve worked on a program with them, and I touched base with someone I was in a class 2 or 3 years ago. And how are things going? Fine. In fact, I just talked to thus and so who’s also in the class? We chat all the time. I was very moved with the fact that they’re like the whole country apart if they talk all the time because they met through an NSITE class was very cool.

Rebecca Martin: 16:02  

Right. And they stay connected and give each other advice and connection, other connections throughout, wherever it may be.

Dean Thompson: 16:14  

What’s the best result you think will can come out of either this or additional courses within? So what do you see happening to folks who run through this program?

Rebecca Martin: 16:22  

Through the NSITE program? Well, I know that there’s people that want to do like the IT support and stuff. And the client that I am referring to, I know NSITE training can help him build his skills to get where he wants to go in employment with your training, which otherwise I’m – I would be more at a loss. But you guys are not only providing good training, but the people that my individual worked with were amazing. They were kind and supportive and go at this person’s pace, and it was a great experience.

Dean Thompson: 17:12  

Talk now to any other rehab counselors or vocational counselors who might be listening or watching. How has NSITE made your life easier? Has it, and how would you tell them to go about treating NSITE if they want to get involved or have some of their clients, how would that happen?

Rebecca Martin: 17:30  

Well, I know for myself, you know, when I would get a referral for some individuals, I’d be kind of nervous. It’s like, how am I going to help this individual be successful? And now I know I can always reach out to Troy and Marianne and consult with them and get ideas, and possibly set them up in the direction for some additional training or soft skills to help them achieve their employment goals.

Dean Thompson: 18:07  

So you’ve been a counselor in some form for over 30 years, am I right?

Rebecca Martin: 18:12  

Yes.

Dean Thompson: 18:13  

It’s not an easy job. I think it’s plain to see. But hey, what keeps you at it all this period of time? Why?

Rebecca Martin: 18:23  

What keeps me going at it is I, I feel like I’ve been there. I know what my clients are going through. I get encouraged by watching them succeed and how training, such as NSITE, can help them reach their goals and them appreciating what we did for them. They did it all. We just pointed them in the right direction and maybe provided things, such as the assistive technology or a computer or or offering them transportation, helping them pay for transportation. What keeps me going is the success stories I’ve had, and whether it’s ten or if it’s one, just watching one succeed really kind of warms the heart.

Dean Thompson: 19:28  

What’s the most satisfying outcome you can imagine for any of your clients? What’s the best thing that could happen when somebody walks in your office, walks away a year later employed?

Rebecca Martin: 19:38  

It’s an amazing feeling. Taking somebody from didn’t think they’d ever be able to work again with their new disability functional limitations and seeing them walk away with the job they’ve always wanted to do. It’s an amazing feeling and it keeps me motivated to be still being a counselor.

Dean Thompson: 20:05  

Now, Rebecca, this has been wonderful. Thank you so much for your time and not just the last half hour or so, but for the last 30 some years. It’s remarkable to run into people like you who are committed to helping folks like this. I think it’s wonderful. Thank you.

Rebecca Martin: 20:18  

Yes.

Dean Thompson: 20:20  

All right, Rebecca, how do we reach you? Okay. If someone is in the great state of North Dakota, how do they reach you or your or your department?

Rebecca Martin: 20:27  

How they reach us is we are online. You can find us online looking up state where whatever your state is, like North Dakota State Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and whatever region that you live in, the state you would call are bigger cities than they would get. You referred to where you need to go and get you set up and referred to a counselor in your region.

Dean Thompson: 21:01  

And for anybody out there, you can find out more about NSITE at nsite.org. That’s nsite.org. Go there, find out more, and I understand you can find out more about Rebecca and how to reach her, and a little bit about this podcast in the same place.

So again Rebecca, thank you so much and have a great summer.

Rebecca Martin: 21:20  

Thank you. You too.

Outro: 21:22  

Thank you for listening to the Heard and Empowered podcast. Please make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information, visit heardandempowered.org. That’s heardandempowered.org. Join us again next time.