Podcasts about ssdi

Have a comment or question? Click this sentence to send us a message, and we might answer it in a future episode.Welcome to Season 5, Episode 15 of Winning Isn't Easy. In this episode, we'll dive into the complicated topic of "Allsup, and Filing Concurrent Social Security Disability and Long-Term Disability Claims."Join attorney Nancy L. Cavey, a leading expert in disability claims, for an eye-opening discussion on the intersection of ERISA Disability insurance and Social Security Disability benefits. If your Long-Term Disability carrier has suggested using a third-party service like Allsup to handle your SSDI application, you're not alone - but is that really in your best interest? In today's episode, we're pulling back the curtain on what Allsup promises versus what you may actually experience. From the fine print in your ERISA policy to the strategic timing of your SSDI application, we'll explore why many claimants are required to apply for Social Security Disability - often before their Long-Term Disability claim is even approved. Whether you're just starting the claims process or re-evaluating your options, this episode is packed with essential guidance to help you make informed decisions, avoid common pitfalls, and protect your financial future. So, let's get into it.In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:One - Did Your ERISA Disability Carrier Suggest That You Use Allsup to File a Claim for Social Security Disability Insurance? Why the Four Claims That Allsup Makes About Why You Should Use Them to Handle Your Social Security Disability Don't Make SenseTwo - Is Allsup Really Interested in Helping Me or the Disability Insurance Carrier When the Carrier Recommends I Use Allsup to Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits?Whether you're a claimant, or simply seeking valuable insights into the disability claims landscape, this episode provides essential guidance to help you succeed in your journey. Don't miss it.Listen to Our Sister Podcast:We have a sister podcast - Winning Isn't Easy: Navigating Your Social Security Disability Claim. Give it a listen: https://wiessdpodcast.buzzsprout.com/Resources Mentioned in This Episode:LINK TO ROBBED OF YOUR PEACE OF MIND: https://mailchi.mp/caveylaw/ltd-robbed-of-your-piece-of-mindLINK TO THE DISABILITY INSURANCE CLAIM SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS: https://mailchi.mp/caveylaw/professionals-guide-to-ltd-benefitsFREE CONSULT LINK: https://caveylaw.com/contact-us/Need Help Today?:Need help with your Long-Term Disability or ERISA claim? Have questions? Please feel welcome to reach out to use for a FREE consultation. Just mention you listened to our podcast.Review, like, and give us a thumbs up wherever you are listening to Winning Isn't Easy. We love to see your feedback about our podcast, and it helps us grow and improve.Please remember that the content shared is for informational purposes only, and should not replace personalized legal advice or guidance from qualified professionals. 

 Ken opens up about life after a devastating neck injury, sharing raw stories of pain, recovery, and resilience. From battles with workers' comp and SSDI to finding humor in goats replacing lawnmowers, he reflects on the emotional weight of chronic pain, lost passions, and adapting to new realities. Blending grit with humor, Ken also dives into the trucking world—old gear, DOT inspections, e-logs, and the mental toll of the road—always reminding us that healing is more than just physical.   Donate to help our Coworker's son during his battle with Cancer! Click HERE to donate! Support The Show KEEP US FUELED: buymeacoffee.com/hammerlane Gear: https://www.hammerlanelegends.com/gear Share Your Stories EMAIL US YOUR STORIES: hammerlanelegends@gmail.com Website: www.hammerlanelegends.com Follow The Show YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC5TWlB5Yqx8JlQr3p3bkkMg Facebook: www.facebook.com/hammerlanelegends Facebook Fan Group: www.facebook.com/groups/hll Instagram Desktop: www.instagram.com/hammerlanelegends Instagram Mobile: @hammerlanelegends Twitter Desktop: www.twitter.com/HLLPodcast Twitter Mobile: @HLLpodcast Follow The Team Brian Merkel Facebook: www.facebook.com/brian.merkel.94 Instagram Desktop: www.instagram.com/brianmerkeloffical/ Instagram Mobile: @brianmerkelofficial Produced by: Jason York Follow Jason on Instagram @jyorkofficial Share 

The Social Security system is set to run out of money by 2033. The number of people receiving SSDI is skyrocketing and there is fraud within the system. Lets look at what is going on and what DOGE and others are finding.

Chris tackles the ‘Nilf' epidemic. 7 million prime-age men (24-54) not in the labor force, neither working nor looking, a tenth of their demographic, blaming decades of Great Society handouts turned narcotic, as he argued in his old Drug Pusher piece citing Cato Institute data. With three Nilfs for every unemployed job-seeker, he scoffs at Trump's factory revival dreams, noting these ‘long-termers, won't budge, fueled by a dysfunctional $7 trillion disability archipelago (SSDI, SSI, VA benefits, and more) that's spiked sevenfold since 1965. Markowski warns cutting benefits is political suicide; the fix starts with eighth-grade prep and grandfathering current Nilfs. www.watchdogonwallstreet.com

March 10, 2025 Episode 28Should You Apply for Disability After a Stroke? Steps to Take With Sam Schad In this episode of “Stronger After Stroke,” we tackle a crucial question for stroke survivors: Should you apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits? Navigating the SSDI application process can be overwhelming, but knowing when and how to apply can make all the difference. Our expert guest, Sam Schad from Schad Law, has spent his career advocating for individuals with disabilities, managing all aspects of SSDI claims. As one of the first non-attorney representatives eligible for direct payment from the Social Security Administration, Sam has decades of experience helping people present their cases effectively. He also works closely with medical professionals to ensure that patient impairments are well-documented for the claims process. In this episode, we discuss: Key factors to determine if you qualify for SSDI after a stroke The timeline for applying and what to expect during the process The most common reasons claims get denied and how to avoid them How to work with your doctors to strengthen your application What to do if your claim is denied and how to appeal If you or a loved one is struggling with the decision to apply for disability, this episode will provide essential guidance to help you move forward with confidence.

Minisode 007 | Lance highlights how traditional corporate work culture fails to account for the gray area of vision loss. He explains how blind individuals are often forced to choose between capped SSDI payments or employment that expects them to perform the same duties as their sighted peers for the same pay, despite the unique challenges they face. SEE-THROUGH is hosted by Lance Johnson. Based in New York City, Lance is a video editor living with the eye disease - retinitis pigmentosa or RP for short. In most cases, RP causes legal-blindness by the age of 40. Now 34, Lance uses SEE-THROUGH as a platform to explore his future of blindness through transparent conversations with his guests. ------------------------- MERCH: Visit: https://seethroughpod.com/merch ------------------------- SOCIAL LINKS: YouTube: https://bit.ly/3JRSPEO Instagram: https://instagram.com/seethroughpod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@seethroughpod Twitter: https://twitter.com/seethroughpod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seethroughpod Website: https://www.seethroughpod.com/  

With financial fraud on the rise, protecting your personal and banking information has never been more important. A recent JD Power study found that nearly 29% of bank account holders experienced fraud in some form over a 12-month period.To help us navigate the best security practices, Aaron Caid shares expert advice on how to safeguard your accounts from cybercriminals.Aaron Caid is the Chief Marketing Officer at Christian Community Credit Union, an underwriter of Faith & Finance. 1. Strengthen Your Password SecurityA strong, unique password is your first line of defense against fraud. Here's how to create one that's tough to crack:Use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.Avoid using common words or easily guessed phrases (e.g., "password123" or your birthdate).Consider using a password manager to generate and securely store complex passwords.In addition to a strong password, enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for your financial apps. This extra layer of security requires a one-time passcode (usually sent via text or an authentication app) to verify your identity when logging in or completing transactions.Pro Tip: Turn off text message previews on your phone. If a scammer steals your phone, they could see your passcode on your lock screen and gain access to your accounts.2. Monitor Your Accounts & Stay Alert for FraudVigilance is key when it comes to detecting fraudulent activity early.Regularly check your bank accounts for unauthorized transactions.Review your credit reports through the three major bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com.Sign up for transaction alerts from your bank or credit union to get notified of suspicious activity.Fraudsters also use phishing scams—fake emails, texts, or calls—to trick people into giving away personal information. These scams often create a sense of urgency to pressure you into acting quickly.Never share your:Username or passwordOne-time passcodesAccount or personal information over the phone, email, chat, or textHackers can spoof phone numbers and email addresses to make messages appear legitimate, even impersonating banks and credit unions. If you're ever unsure, call your financial institution directly to verify any suspicious messages.3. Use Secure Wi-Fi & Protect Your Personal InformationWe all love a good coffee shop work session, but public Wi-Fi networks are a big security risk when accessing sensitive financial accounts. Hackers can intercept your data and steal your login credentials.Always use a secure, password-protected Wi-Fi network when banking online.Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for added encryption and security.Also, ensure you don't let identity thieves find your personal information in the trash!Shred documents containing sensitive details like account numbers, social security numbers, or other financial information. Shredders cost as little as $35—a small price to pay for big security.Stay Secure & Bank with PurposeAs fraud prevention becomes increasingly important, many Christians are seeking banking solutions that align with their values. Christian Community Credit Union (CCCU) offers a Harvest Bundle—a unique checking and savings account designed to help members grow their savings while supporting missions worldwide.4% APY on the first $5,000 in Harvest Checking5% APY on the first $5,000 in Harvest Savings1.5% cash back on purchases with the Cash Rewards Visa CardA portion of proceeds supports missions, including gospel outreach, protecting vulnerable children, and fighting human trafficking. For those looking to align their banking with their faith, the Harvest Bundle from CCCU offers competitive rates and kingdom impact—a win-win for wise financial stewardship.If you're looking for a banking partner that reflects your faith and values, consider joining Christian Community Credit Union (CCCU).Ready to bank with purpose? Visit JoinChristianCommunity.com today!On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:Can you provide a list of the faith-based investments that I can invest in? I'm trying to invest differently with my 401(k) funds.  I have an old work comp claim that was incorrectly billed, causing Medicare to deny payment. What happened, and how can I prevent this in the future? Also, if I submit a claim to the work comp company and they only pay a portion, am I responsible for the remaining balance? I own a free-and-clear home in Davenport. There is no mortgage anymore, and I would like to transfer 50% of ownership to a family member. Would I have to pay any taxes, or would my family members have to pay them because of this transfer? I'm retired, receiving $70,000 annually from disability and SSDI. I have $50,000 in a TSP account and $9,000 in debt that I'm paying off. I'm currently renting for $1,500 per month. Should I use my VA loan to purchase a home or just continue renting? I have a Roth IRA that I formed from a 403(b) annuity a couple of years ago. I'm 73 and will be 74 in a couple of months. At what point does the RMD apply to my Roth? Also, I'm retired and have Social Security and a retirement pension. I occasionally make profits from a book I publish and workshops I do. Can I make contributions to my Roth from those profits?Resources Mentioned:Faithful Steward: FaithFi's New Quarterly MagazineList of Faith-Based Investing FundsCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS.gov)AnnualCreditReport.comLook At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and AnxietyRich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich FoolFind a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) or Certified Christian Financial Counselor (CertCFC)FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.com where you can join the FaithFi Community and give as we expand our outreach.

Staying informed about Social Security changes is crucial for maximizing your benefits, and recent legislation will change benefits for a significant number of Americans. Today we're going to bring you up to speed on the Social Security Fairness Act and explain how this legislation will be retroactive to 2024, potentially offering a financial windfall for affected retirees. Here's some of what we discuss in this episode: 0:00 – Intro 0:48 – The Social Security Fairness Act 5:42 – Claiming strategies 10:22 – Strategies for dual-income households 14:03 – Previous marriages 18:31 – SSDI and SSI   For more, visit us online: http://philstaxhacks.com Watch the video podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3WdDG96

Today's witnesses are from Matthew West's website called popwe.org. If you don't know who Matthew West is, he is a singer, songwriter, and storyteller. This website is for the non-profit that he has with his father, a pastor. Matthew and his father encourage people to share their stories. They have various categories of stories. Today, I chose two testimonies from the God Stories Category. Often, we can hear our own story in someone else's story. When we listen to others tell their story, it helps us see that we are not alone. When we hear how God worked in their situation, it gives us hope that He will work in ours, too! I pray when you hear these testimonies, you get the faith and hope to believe that miracles can happen in your situation, also. I pray you know that God is there with you, and if you invite Him into your situation, He can help. I hope you enjoy these testimonies.Brande: I have been dealing with back problems for a while and couldn't figure out what was going on. I was overweight so I thought that maybe that was the problem. But the more weight I lost the worse my pain became.In April of this year, I had an MRI done and found out I have Degenerative Disc Disease, Arthritis and Spinal Stenosis. I also have a tear in one of my discs and my L5 is pushing on my S1.So, in July I had an injection, and it didn't work. I went back to the doctor in August, and he had set up another injection for Sept 20th. But a week before, the doctor office called and said that my insurance would not approve another injection until I see the nurse practitioner. After I hung up the phone that day, I was upset. We were busy at work, and I was in a lot of pain. After work, I sat in my car and cried, feeling defeated. I wanted to give up.Then, as I was driving home from work, “Don't Stop Praying” come on and I started bawling. I knew that was God telling me not to stop praying.I shared this at church, and someone there works for SSDI. She called me and helped me start the process of filling for that assistance.I know this is all an answer to my prayers. That song means more to me than anyone could ever imagine not just for this situation but others as well.My name is Suzie, and this is my testimony of God's strength.Three months ago, I was faced with a dark season. This is a season I never asked for and never thought in a million years I would ever have to go through. I was lied to, and almost broken. My heart was shattered, and I felt numb to everything. I had no clue how this could happen. How could someone who is supposed to be my life partner do something like this?Being a recovering alcoholic, I could have easily fallen back to drinking to forget everything that was happening. But instead, I choose to turn to God, my Bible, and my pastor. You could say I choose the high road instead of the lonely, dead-end road. I thought I was doing well, and I was trying my hardest to keep my head up and be as strong as I could. Yet, it hurt, and I was emotionally tired. In reality, I was spiraling and not doing well at all. I felt like I was in tunnel vision and couldn't get out. I then took the first step in healing by admitting to myself I needed help and reached out to talk with a counselor. Admitting out loud that I needed help emotionally and mentally and that I was not ok, was a huge step in getting through this. In all thisI was getting signs that I needed to let go of everything I was holding onto. Which I really thought I had done. But in truth I was not listening to what God was saying to me. Until one Saturday morning.  I got a message from a friend checking in on me to see how I was doing. After talking with her I felt God telling me I need to let go of everything I am holding on to so I could start to really heal. So, I said a simple prayer that morning before getting ready for the day. After saying the prayer, God started working in my heart. During different times throughout the day, I wanted to leave where I was. But God said “No, you need to stay put. You need to be with others around you.” I soon realized I was right where I need to be, and I am stronger than I realized.   I also realized that I was truly holding onto some parts, and I needed to let go and let God work through me to heal.I am blessed beyond words that I have an awesome support system that knows when I am having a rough time or trying to fake it. I realize that I don't have to be strong all the time. It's ok for me to show my emotions and show that I am human. And it's “ok” to not be “ok” and most importantly it's “ok” to have bad days.I am thankful to God and His guidance and the love He has shown me. He has put people in my path through all of this storm for one reason or another. I am grateful for the little reminders He is showing me to keep my head up. I know my path of healing is going to be a long journey and it is not going to be easy. There are going to be tough days and easy days. If it was meant to be easy, then it wouldn't be called a storm. I am ready to see what God has in store for me no matter how long it takes.Psalm 27:14 “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”Thank you all for sharing your stories. I know it can be hard to be vulnerable and share what you have gone through. Yet, when we do, it helps others who are in a similar circumstance know there is hope that the same can happen for them. Please continue sharing your story. www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Join Erika Hanson's show to learn about  discussion on depression, anxiety and other disabilitiesThis show is titled‘'SSDI Approval”Radio.NewHeightsEducation.orgInfo@NewHeightsEducation.orgBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/new-heights-show-on-education--4114185/support.

Don't be ashamed to ask for help! Many people with disabilities, caregivers, and families rely on disability programs due to the added challenges in their lives that others do not face. These programs can include financial assistance, daily living supports, healthcare, and much more.   These programs go beyond being a safety net; they are often a lifeline! Without this support, many people could not live healthy, independent lives in their communities.   Dive into Disability Programs that Transform Lives to learn about the programs that could change your life of the life of a loved one! This 4-part documentary series presents the lived experiences and professional advice to motivate and help you get started.

Can the IRS Take Your SSDI Back Pay? There are many factors to the answer to this question, so listen to this episode to understand the answer! Do you have tax debt? Call us at 866-8000-TAX or fill out the form at https://choicetaxrelief.com/Mentioned Video Link:-Can the IRS Garnish Social Security?:    • Can the IRS Garnish Social Security?  -Trust Fund Recovery Penalty [For Payroll Tax Debt] Explained by a CPA:    • Trust Fund Recovery Penalty [For Payr... 

Join Erika Hanson's show to learn about  discussion on depression, anxiety and other disabilitiesThis show is titled‘'Applying for Social Security Disability ”Radio.NewHeightsEducation.orgInfo@NewHeightsEducation.orgBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/new-heights-show-on-education--4114185/support.

Episode 92: Calloway County social security disability attorney Jeff Roberts has handled disability claims for over 30 years throughout Western Kentucky.  In this episode, he provides an overview of the social security disability programs (SSDI and SSI), as well as related topics. The Difference Between the Two Social Security Disability Programs While there are two different disability programs available from the Social Security Administration (SSA), the determinations are the same.  If you're disabled for one program, you're considered disabled for the other.  However, the non-disability requirements are different. What Do Other Clients Think About Jeff? We always encourage listeners to read the Google Reviews Jeff Roberts has received from many of his clients.  A 5-Star rating and the comments are earned recognition and demonstrate Jeff's commitment to his clients.  As a solo attorney, he has more Google Reviews than some firms with multiple attorneys.  Jeff shares the credit with his staff at the Roberts Law Office.  Successfully representing injured clients is a team effort.  It's why Jeff likes to say his firm offers small town service with big city results. Jeff Roberts Represents Injured Clients Throughout Kentucky With offices located in Calloway County (Murray) and in Christian County (Hopkinsville), Jeff has a history of representing personal injury clients, workers' compensation clients and social security disability clients across the state.  He's represented clients from Paducah, Bowling Green, Louisville, Covington, Whitesville and many other Kentucky locations.  He's not just a Western Kentucky injury attorney.  We hope you found this episode insightful and helpful.  Thank you for listening!                                                                                                  Is It Time to Speak with an Attorney about Your Social Security Disability Claim? The office phone number is (270) 753-0053 or toll free at 800-844-5108.  For more information, visit www.JeffRobertsLaw.com. This podcast is meant to provide information and is not legal advice.  Jeff's principal office is located at 509 Main Street, Murray, Kentucky.  Co-host Jim Ray is a non-attorney spokesperson.  This is an advertisement.

What are ABLE accounts and how can they help disabled folks save money?On episode 548 of the Queer Money Podcast, hosts John and David welcome back Brynn Conroy, founder of Femme Frugality and Disability Finance. They discuss the challenges Americans face in qualifying for social security disability benefits and how the system often forces poverty. Conroy delves into the details of ABLE accounts, designed to help those with disabilities achieve a better quality of life by offering tax advantages and allowing savings without jeopardizing benefits like SSI and SSDI. The conversation also touches on the impact of ableism in the workplace, systemic issues, and how the pandemic has strained systems for people with disabilities. Conroy provides insights from her lived experience and emphasizes the importance of financial education and legislative advocacy for improving disability finance.Topics Discussed00:00 Introduction to Social Security Disability Benefits 00:46 Welcome to Queer Money Podcast01:45 Introducing Brynn Conroy and Disability Finance04:47 Challenges Faced by Disabled Individuals06:56 Understanding Disability Definitions and Models19:15 Income and Asset Restrictions for Disabled Individuals23:30 Political and Social Issues Surrounding Disability26:37 The Impact of ADAPT on Disability Laws27:13 Understanding ABLE Accounts29:04 ABLE Accounts and Inheritance29:58 Medicaid Payback and Trusts31:20 Housing Benefits of ABLE Accounts31:58 Challenges and Resources for Disability Finance35:51 Expanding Eligibility for ABLE Accounts37:49 Disability in the Queer Community42:23 Real-Life Benefits of ABLE Accounts45:26 How to Open an ABLE Account47:42 Global Perspectives on Disability49:33 Final Thoughts and ResourcesFor the resources and to connect with our guests, get the show notes at: https://queermoneypodcast.com/subscribe Follow us:Queer Money InstagramQueer Money YouTubeQueer Money on TiktokConnect with John on LinkedInConnect with David on LinkedInDownload your FREE Queer Money Kickstarter a 9-step Guide to Kickstart Your Journey to Financial Independence

Send us a textDiscover the critical financial strategies that can transform the lives of families with autism in our latest episode of "Why Not Me." Join us as we sit down with Andrew Smith, an experienced financial planner who specializes in guiding families with special needs. With a personal connection to the cause, Andrew delves into the complex world of government benefits like SSI, SSDI, and Medicaid, shedding light on how families can navigate these programs while addressing unique financial needs such as medical and travel expenses. His insights emphasize the importance of personalized planning and utilizing specialized tools to create secure financial futures.Ever wondered how to manage the financial complexities that come with an autism diagnosis? Andrew walks us through the essential first step of securing case management and introduces the ABLE plan—a game-changing financial tool for individuals with disabilities. Similar to a 529 college savings plan, the ABLE plan allows for savings beyond the typical asset limits without jeopardizing benefits. Andrew explains how understanding state-specific rules and investment options can provide a hopeful and clear path forward for families, easing the emotional and financial burdens that come with such diagnoses.Protecting assets for children with autism is a crucial task for any parent, and Andrew lays out the importance of third-party special needs trusts in this episode. Learn how these trusts can ensure that assets are managed according to the parents' wishes without disqualifying the child from necessary aid. We also cover the role of professional trustees and the vital need for educating both clients and advisors to improve service quality. Through Andrew's expertise, we aim to inspire and reassure families, showing them that they are not alone on this challenging, yet hopeful, journey towards a secure financial future.https://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 29 of Winning Isn't Easy. In this episode, we'll dive into the complicated topic of "The Intersection of SSDI and ERISA, P2 - Vocational Evaluation." Host Nancy L. Cavey, a seasoned attorney with extensive experience in disability claims, discusses the intersection of SSDI and ERISA claims. While SSDI and ERISA are completely different things, they do share some similarities in process, and are often intertwined in the course of applying for disability. Often, when you're applying for one, you are required to apply for the other. That is why it is vital to be knowledgeable regarding both. In the second part of this multi-part series, your host Nancy L. Cavey will be diving into the specifics of the vocational evaluations applicants will undergo. In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:1 -  The Vocational Denial Toolbox2 - The Game Played at the Any Occupation Stage3 - How to Attack the Common Mistakes Made at the Own Occupation Stage of an ERISA CaseWhether you're a claimant, or simply seeking valuable insights into the disability claims landscape, this episode provides essential guidance to help you succeed in your journey. Don't miss it.Resources Mentioned In This Episode:LINK TO ROBBED OF YOUR PEACE OF MIND: https://caveylaw.com/get-free-reports/get-disability-book/LINK TO THE DISABILITY INSURANCE CLAIM SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS: https://caveylaw.com/get-free-reports/disability-insurance-claim-survival-guide-professionals/FREE CONSULT LINK: https://caveylaw.com/contact-us/Need Help Today?:Need help with your Long-Term Disability or ERISA claim? Have questions? Please feel welcome to reach out to use for a FREE consultation. Just mention you listened to our podcast.Review, like, and give us a thumbs up wherever you are listening to Winning Isn't Easy. We love to see your feedback about our podcast, and it helps us grow and improve.Please remember that the content shared is for informational purposes only, and should not replace personalized legal advice or guidance from qualified professionals.

Navigating the transition to adulthood with your neurodivergent child can be overwhelming and fraught with uncertainties. In this episode of Beautifully Complex, my guest, Shannon Urquiola and I explore the critical aspects of preparing kids on the spectrum for adulthood, addressing common pain points like guardianship, financial planning, SSI, and vocational rehabilitation. You'll gain insights into crucial legal processes and the importance of starting early, as well as practical tips for ensuring your child's needs are met.From understanding the guardianship process and navigating Social Security benefits to involving vocational rehab in IEP meetings, this episode covers the essential elements you need to consider. Shannon shares strategies to prepare your child for independence, highlights from her own experiences, and the importance of detailed documentation and early planning.By focusing on these key elements, you can better understand the steps needed to support your child's journey into adulthood. Tune in to learn how to manage the emotional and logistical challenges and discover resources that can make this transition smoother for both you and your child. Don't miss this information-packed episode that provides valuable tools and encouragement for parents and guardians.Subscribe, share, and gain peace of mind knowing you're not alone in this journey.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.

They think the problem involving prior authorizations can be fixed with legislation. So the evil MA trolls won't find another way to use their enslaved members to extract more cash from the US Treasury? On the Wikipedia page about Medicare, we learn about out-of-pocket costs: deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance and IRMAA. Correspondence with clients and prospects, such as Patricia who may have been tricked into a MA plan without her knowledge or consent. Thomas fell 30 feet off a roof and has been in SSDI. MLM was able to enroll him in Plan A in his home state of Virginia. Howard was hoping that we post our MA articles on a bulletin board somewhere. Finally, Frank is not so sure he wants to enroll in an HDG plan in spite of the very low premium. I think Frank is overlooking the long-term HDG advantages!   Contact me at: DBJ@MLMMailbag.com (Most severe critic: A+)   Inspired by: "MEDICARE FOR THE LAZY MAN 2024; Simplest & Easiest Guide Ever!" on Amazon.com. Return to leave a short customer review & help future readers. Official website: https://www.MedicareForTheLazyMan.com.

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 27 of Winning Isn't Easy. In this episode, we'll dive into the complicated topic of "The Intersection of SSDI and ERISA P1 - The Vocational Games That Are Played in an ERISA Case." Host Nancy L. Cavey, a seasoned attorney with extensive experience in disability claims, discusses the intersection of SSDI and ERISA claims. While SSDI and ERISA are completely different things, they do share some similarities in process, and are often intertwined in the course of applying for disability. Often, when you're applying for one, you are required to apply for the other. That is why it is vital to be knowledgeable regarding both. In the first part of this multi-part series, your host Nancy L. Cavey will be diving into the specifics of the vocational games that carriers will play in ERISA claims, and how that correlates with the process of SSDI.In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:1 -  The ERISA Golden Rule2 - Step 4 Overview3 - Step 5 OverviewWhether you're a claimant, or simply seeking valuable insights into the disability claims landscape, this episode provides essential guidance to help you succeed in your journey. Don't miss it.Resources Mentioned In This Episode:LINK TO ROBBED OF YOUR PEACE OF MIND: https://caveylaw.com/get-free-reports/get-disability-book/LINK TO THE DISABILITY INSURANCE CLAIM SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS: https://caveylaw.com/get-free-reports/disability-insurance-claim-survival-guide-professionals/FREE CONSULT LINK: https://caveylaw.com/contact-us/Need Help Today?:Need help with your Long-Term Disability or ERISA claim? Have questions? Please feel welcome to reach out to use for a FREE consultation. Just mention you listened to our podcast.Review, like, and give us a thumbs up wherever you are listening to Winning Isn't Easy. We love to see your feedback about our podcast, and it helps us grow and improve.Please remember that the content shared is for informational purposes only, and should not replace personalized legal advice or guidance from qualified professionals.

Parents naturally want to make sure their child with disabilities is well taken care of, both now and in the future. It's not just about meeting the day-to-day needs but also thinking ahead to their long-term financial security. There's a lot to juggle—from managing medical expenses to planning for their financial future. It can feel pretty overwhelming and complicated. In this episode, host Annette Hines welcomes financial planning expert, James Lange, to discuss the crucial need for specialized financial planning for parents of children with disabilities. James emphasizes the importance of working with advisors who understand the unique financial needs of these families and securing government benefits like SSI or SSDI to ensure long-term support. The conversation covers essential legal documents such as wills and trusts, and James offers a free copy of his book, “Retire Secure for Parents of a Child with a Disability,” packed with strategies for financial planning. Annette and James delve into the practical and emotional aspects of financial security, reflecting on how proactive planning can provide peace of mind and a brighter future for children with disabilities.   In this episode, you will hear: The importance of collaborating with specialized financial planners and tax advisors for families with children with disabilities Key government benefits essential for the financial support of children with disabilities The necessity of creating appropriate wills, trusts, and powers of attorney tailored for children with disabilities How proper financial planning can alleviate anxiety for parents raising children with disabilities Why it is important to involve the child in the financial planning process Resources from this Episode: Free digital copy of Retire Secure for Parents of a Child with a Disability Website: https://DisabledChildPlanning.com Facebook:  @RothRevolution Twitter/X: @rothguy  LinkedIn:@jameslangecpa Other Sites:https://PayTaxesLater.com Engage with us: Join our community: Circle of Care Visit:  https://annettehines.com Read Butterflies and Second Chances LinkedIn: @annette-hines-snc  Instagram: @parentingimpossible Facebook: @SpecialNeedsCompanies Twitter: @SpecialNeedsCo   Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

We're happy to bring you some of our listener favorites during the next few weeks. These episodes are sure to pique your interest by featuring topics important to each of us Enjoy!We are pivoting from our normal education-centric topics today to take a broader view of the financial side of raising a child with a disability. We want to make sure that families, and people working with these families, have all the resources and tools for a well-rounded toolkit for supporting their kids. We welcome James Lange to the podcast to share his practical insights and expertise.James Lange is a CPA, a state attorney in Pennsylvania, and the author of nine best-selling financial books. He is a nationally recognized IRA, 401(k), and retirement plan distribution expert. As a result of his daughter's disability, James developed a passion for helping parents who need to provide sufficient care for a disabled child even beyond their own lifetime. He explains how he and his wife are providing for their daughter's future and what parents of a disabled child should do right now to ensure the financial future of their child. Show Highlights:James' plan to provide for his daughter for the rest of her lifeJames' mission to help parents of children with disabilities optimize their financial assetsThree steps to take right now for your disabled child: Get your child qualified for government benefits in the SSI or SSDI. (James explains the #1 mistake most parents make in applying for these benefits.)Get your estate planning done appropriately with the proper trust or conservatorship option. (Don't rely on “Joe Schmo Attorney” for this!)Get the Roth IRA conversion strategy done right by a financial professional. (The difference in doing this correctly and incorrectly can amount to a huge difference in available funds for your child.) Best resources for parents to use in their education and planning:Get James' FREE book, Retire Secure for Parents of a Child with a Disability. Click here!Sign up for Expert Advice for Parents of Children with Disabilities: A Virtual Summit, June 18-20, 2024. Click here for more information about this FREE event!Links/Resources:Connect with James Lange: Disabled Child Planning, Pay Taxes Later, and LInkedInContact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org Thank you for listening! Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.Be...

We explore essential planning for parents of children with disabilities with CPA and estate attorney James Lange! Note and disclaimer - this episode deviates from our previous episodes in that it is about financial planning and how to provide for our kids after us. Please use your usual due diligence and research before implementing these strategies. Also please note that this episode is very US-centric. James shares his personal experience and provides valuable insights, emphasizing three critical steps: getting the child approved for SSI or SSDI, creating a special needs trust for estate planning, and optimizing taxes through Roth IRA conversions. James offers a free book, 'Retire Secure for Parents of a Child with a Disability,' and a virtual summit for further resources and support. Connect with James Lange at www.paytaxeslater.com and explore his book, “Retire Secure for Parents of a Child with a Disability,” for more detailed guidance.

Tom Foley began 2021 as the new Executive Director of National Disability Institute (NDI).Trained as a tax lawyer and financial planner, Tom has more than 30 years of experience in the disability community. As a person who is blind, he has been an advocate and dedicated his career to partnering with other thought leaders to address the complex drivers of economic inequality and create pathways to employment and financial security for the most vulnerable communities. In addition, Tom has been instrumental in developing and influencing federal and state legislation to encourage employment and increase participation of people with disabilities in employment and wealth-building programs. He most recently held the position of Managing Director at the World Institute on Disability.Tom says: I think financial institutions, educators and banks each have to recognize the disability community as a specific market segment of the population that have been traditionally underserved and have a demonstrated need for access to financial tools and services. Once they make the decision to work with the disability community, they need to partner with organizations who are particularly well-positioned to provide industry technical assistance to reach the disability community and further the financial industry's inclusion goals – like National Disability Institute. For example, NDI reaches two million people per year and has been doing this for 15 years. We are particularly well situated, through our research, policy and practice, to reach this community.In addition, it's important for banks and financial institutions to target people with disabilities through their CRA activities. NDI's Center for Disability-Inclusive Community Development (CDICD) works to improve the usage of the opportunities and resources available under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). This is really important as millions of dollars, that could help people with disabilities in LMI communities, goes unspent every year. Through NDI's research, we've identified that Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities with disability are the most underserved. How do we change this? Financial institutions, in particular, need to make a concerted effort to work with and support this segment of the community. In addition, we, the disability community, need to be intentional in our own efforts to better address these issues.© 2024 All Rights Reserved© 2024 Building Abundant Success!!Join Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy:  https://tinyurl.com/BASAud

In the US, there is something often called a 'marriage penalty' for people with disabilities. We dig into the very complicated and often heartbreaking details of what this is, and why the system was designed this way.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dwayne Keys grew up in Wilmington Delaware in what he describes as a very low income home with a single mother and two younger sisters. Dwayne constantly talks about how his mom instilled in him high values of ethics and self sufficiency. At the age of 16 his mother told Dwayn that he needed to get a job and begin earning an income to help support the household as well as to be able to buy things he wanted as a growing boy.   As Dwayne tells it, he moved from the 2nd smallest state in the country to the smallest one when he moved to Providence Rhode Island at the age of 18 to attend college. By the end of his college career he had obtained a Master's degree in marketing. He worked at several financial institutions, but in 2017 he decided it was time for a change in his life. He switched careers from working in the profit-making world to working for a nonprofit, Compass Working Capital as a financial coach to educate and assist low income people through a HUD program called Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS). He has risen through the ranks at Compass as you will hear.   Dwayne is quite passionate about his work. Over the next five years he hopes to continue to grow at Compass. Also, he plans to run for political office in Providence in 2026. He will tell us all about his plans. I bet he succeeds.   About the Guest:   Born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, I grew up in a single-parent household with my mother and 2 younger sisters on my maternal side. As the oldest child and only boy, my mother was determined to instill responsibility and accountability in me from a very young age.   As a student, I was very interested in my marketing classes and participated in DECA, which led to me applying to Johnson & Wales University. In moving to Providence, Rhode Island to pursue higher education. While studying to earn my Associate's degree in Retailing, my Bachelor's degree in Marketing, and my M.B.A. in International Trade at Johnson & Wales.   After deciding to make Providence my permanent home during my first year of graduate school, I made it a point to expand my friends and networks to people outside of my college life by getting involved in many community organizations and activities in line with my passion for economic justice and prosperity. By participating in the Urban League and their Young Professionals, I was able to experience being a community organizer and activist while also being involved in politics at the state and local levels.   Over time, my focus has transitioned to that of ending systemic oppression and structural exclusion while also being a proponent of an�-racism and economic opportunity for all. While I remain a community organizer at heart, I've participated in decision making bodies with the City of Providence – Equal Pay Task Force, Special Commission to Study a Progressive Tiered Property Tax, Providence Municipal Reparations Commission – as an additional way of achieving equity and inclusion along economic means for Black and Brown residents in the city. This hasn't been easy working in the for-profit financial services industry, yet under my current employer I've found the perfect balance between my vocation and my commitment to community advancement.   Ways to connect with Dwayne: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwaynekeys/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/dwayne.keys3/ Twitter/X - DKeys_PVD Instagram – dkeyspvd   About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.     Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Hi, I am your host, Michael Hingson. And you are listening to unstoppable mindset today, we get to chat with Dwayne Keys. And Dwayne has an interesting story. One thing that really attracted me to Dwayne when we first started talking is he pointed out that he moved from the second smallest state in the union to the smallest state in the union. And I want to know more about that. So we'll have to deal with that and who knows what else. Dwayne, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're here.   Dwayne Keys ** 01:52 I am so glad to be here with you as well, Michael, and I'm just looking forward to, you know, speaking and you know, for your listeners to hear more about my experiences story.   Michael Hingson ** 02:04 Well, let's start then. We do have to get to how come you went from bigger to smaller, but tell us tell us a little bit more about you growing up sort of the early Dwayne, if you will. Yeah,   Dwayne Keys ** 02:17 the early to Dwayne. I was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware. I am, you know, some of the facts that people don't know until they really get to know me, I am the younger of fraternal twins that was born. So I had a twin brother to White who had passed away when I was a year, we were both a year old. So you know, I, you know, I my family expanded with my mother had two other children, my younger sister lover, who was two years younger than me. And then 11 years later, my mother had another addition with my other sister, Vivian. So in terms of growing up, that was my family unit in terms of what I knew, in terms of my father, I always say, I can count the number of memories on one hand of my father, although he did live in the same city. And he also had children as well. Siblings that I really didn't even today don't really know. But knew of and we're aware of.   Michael Hingson ** 03:23 So they were in Wilmington. Yeah,   Dwayne Keys ** 03:27 we were all in Wilmington. My first few years were obviously live, we're living with my grandparents. And, you know, my mother was a young single mother. You know, in hindsight now, it's very easy to say and speak of that. I grew up in a low income household because my mother always was working full time. Also, part time, she was always supporting us, the family, and there are moments where I can reflect on it, we were financially challenged, but yet, I didn't know it growing up, you wouldn't ever known that just how my mother was determined that we would have a comfortable living environment and that we had we need but it's now knowing when I know it's like, oh, we definitely were poor.   Michael Hingson ** 04:16 Yeah. Isn't it interesting how parents keep that from children. And I can appreciate that and understand it because she didn't want you to worry about those kinds of things right. Yeah,   Dwayne Keys ** 04:29 I mean, it's you know, it kind of thinking about it like you didn't you can remember there's moments where the electrical turned off or something that disconnected or there was a notice of something. But as I you know, I she was very supportive of me really, she was very direct on getting good grades, anything with less than a C was unacceptable in the house, and then even if you got to see that was still she always emphasized you can always do better But she definitely had a very high expectation of me not only of, you know, doing well in school, staying out of trouble, but also just being more then the lived experience. So, you know, you know, just, you know, questions about going to college she was very big on, I see you going to college, I see you doing these things, I see you doing more than what we knew in terms of Wilmington, Delaware, more than what the life and she would always emphasize that I don't want you to have to work two jobs, I don't want you to have to struggle like this, I want you to be able to have a you know, have an excellent life have a way of life where you can do work, but get compensated for it. So it was always my you go to school to get the good grades to get the degree so that you can get paid well and not have to struggle financially.   Michael Hingson ** 05:54 Like she did. Did she say those things to you?   Dwayne Keys ** 05:58 Yes, she did. She was as I gotten older, and particularly as I became a teenager. And then as I got to the point where I was able to work, she did emphasize that. So when I turned 16, a month after my 16th birthday, she got me a job working at one of the supermarket that she had worked at as well at that time, that was her second job. And her statement to me was that you are going to now start paying bills in this house, you're going to contribute financially because you're good. And what I didn't realize at that time, but what she was doing was instilling that sense of responsibility. And so she didn't tell him it to me at that time. But years later, she instilled that she was happy that she had made me go to work, because then the concept of me going out earning a living being able to support myself that was instilled early on   Michael Hingson ** 06:52 about what's your sister's? Did she do the same thing with him.   Dwayne Keys ** 06:57 She actually this, my youngest sister lover, started actually working with she was what 15 1415 years old, because, you know, I there was extra money, I was able to have spending money, do some stuff I was you know, I was able to drive my mother's car because I have my license. And so I think my younger sister saw that and wanted some of that for herself, you know? And so it was, well, if you want to have those things like Dwayne does, well, you should consider getting the job, you know, you have to shoot my mother's wedding, you're like, alright, well, Dwayne's works, that's why he's able to get those things and have those things. And so the idea was, well, I should get a full time get a part time job. And so she started working part time, during summers, and also in school, you know, you know, time restricted, but she was able to find her own part time job to work. And that has been the same thing. Also my younger sister Vivian, with, you know, getting employment where all I would say where we all when we want to accomplish a goal and we want to do something, we find a way to do it. We just do I, we may not have everything planned out or or organized at that moment. But we are very determined people when it comes to accomplishing our goals and getting when we want. And so that sense of determination is in all of us. It just shows in different ways at times.   Michael Hingson ** 08:20 Yeah. Well, I appreciate what you're saying. I can't save that growing up, we had such a low income, that we had electricity or anything turned off. But I know we weren't really rich by any standard. And we we had an income that allowed us to sometimes drive to visit relatives and things like that. But we we didn't have a lot of money. And when my parents finally passed, we certainly didn't have a lot of money. They didn't have a lot of money to, to give to my brother and me. But still, I think the same kind of ethic was in what they instilled in us, which was you got to work you got to learn to make your own way. And I think although they didn't say it, probably a little bit more for me than my brother. My parents were told when I was born four months later, it was discovered I was blind that I was gonna that I should be sent to a home for handicapped children because no blind child could ever grow up to a mountain anything and my parents said to the doctors, you're wrong. He can grow up to do whatever he wants. And they really made sure that I grew up with that kind of an attitude. And I certainly have absolutely no regrets with him doing that.   Dwayne Keys ** 09:35 Yeah, yeah, absolutely. It's amazing how parents have their plan. They don't always tell you or communicate their plans to you. It's only until even more recently, I'm like okay, now what she said made sense. Now what she did make sense. I didn't understand that at times. And at times. It was frustrating because it did feel like oh gosh, she's controlling Oh, got it. It's never good enough. But then in hindsight, I'm like, everything. She had had a purpose that it's now being fulfilled now, but I can see. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 10:08 the other side of that is she may not have had such a well spelled out plan that she really understood all those things. It was just kind of the ethic that was in her.   Dwayne Keys ** 10:19 Exact exactly. I agreed. So   Michael Hingson ** 10:21 you went off to school and you got a diploma and all that, then did you go to college and what did you do there? Yes,   Dwayne Keys ** 10:29 so um, I you know, after completing Brandywine high school, during my senior year of high school, I had been involved in some activities. One was deca, that was the marketing club. And I had participated in the DECA State Conference in Delaware in February, and had won second prize in one of these categories. And lo and behold, Johnson Wales University was there at the conference, and they were handing out brochures, they were, you know, talking about the university and how they offered their, you know, programs in terms of marketing, and then how they had progressed that specialize in advertising, promotion and Fashion and Retail. Sounds exciting? Well, I mean, look at it, you know, it's not gonna hurt to apply. I was debating about what I stay in Delaware, when I go apply to University of Delaware Delaware State, do I stay Do I go? What I found was appealing that Johnson was his curriculum was just, it was not the traditional school. And so it stood out to me that there was more focus, they called themselves back there America's career in a university. So it was appealing to me because it wasn't like, I'm just going to be stuck in where I've been hearing this, this nightmare about people in terms of just going to college, and I have no life, it was more of like, wait a minute, we're going to prepare for you to get that job that you that so desire. So that was very appealing to me in terms of the university. It was also appealing to get out of Delaware. It just it just, you know, I loved my hometown, but I felt that I was stifled there. And I didn't feel so that I could be myself in terms of my ambition, my attitude, the things I aspire to. I saw Wilmington, Delaware. I mean, my mother was saying it's like, it's kind of like a retirement state at times. And, you know, if you want to have an active social life, we will go to Philly Philadelphia, which is like half an hour, 45 minutes away. And it just, he was like, Okay, here's your chance, an opportunity to get away. So I did apply to the school. I did get accepted. what my mother did not know at the time, and I have since revealed I took a secret trip to Providence. High school time join, swim break. during spring break, my mother would took a trip down to Atlanta. And so she was during that year, you know, seeing visited Atlanta, my aunt, her sister had moved, got married and moved down there. And my mother was being told you got to come down to this city, you need to see this, you need to, you know, experience like down here. My mother was falling in love with that city. And during the week when my sister state when my grandparents, I had made a day trip by train to Providence, Rhode Island form, it's in Delaware. When I came here, the mall had just opened up, they were having WaterFire it just felt good. I liked the look and feel of Providence. I liked how it just sounds like yeah, I could be down with this spot. So I was comfortable with coming here, although I never told anyone about that. So most of my family had thought I was just coming to this place not knowing what it was I was coming into when in fact that I had an idea of what I was going to be experiencing. And, you know, I had worked for most of that summer in between graduating from high school and getting ready for college. And then in August, the beginning of August, right before I was due to come to Providence, my mother made a decision. She was moving out to Atlanta, so she and my sisters moved down there first I stayed with my grandparents temporarily. And then my grandparents took me to Providence Rhode Island School instead of dorms.   Michael Hingson ** 14:21 So what did mom say when you finally told her about your secret trip? Ah.   Dwayne Keys ** 14:28 She did not really get mad. I mean, now when she sees all the stuff that I've been doing, and I've been involved in, I think she accepts it that it was it was divine intervention. It was you know, it was only revealed like I said within the last year or so, so well not much that can be done. But I think she now accepts that. It was meant to be meant to be for me to be in Providence. Hey, mom taught   Michael Hingson ** 14:55 you some of the skills you Oh, gosh, yeah. So that's that's still is a great story, though, you, you did what you needed to do, which is certainly a good thing. So you went there. And I gather that you decided to study marketing.   Dwayne Keys ** 15:18 Yes, I mean, my associates was in retail because I was looking at the different areas, the different pathways that Johnson was offered. And so the one that caught my eye, which is the one that I was very familiar with was retail retail. And, you know, the initial idea was okay, you can learn about the aspects of running a retail store or retail management. And then at the end of your two years, when you complete your associate's degree, you can decide if you want to continue on with retail for your bachelor's, if you want to change it up. And so I, you know, just created that pathway. When I complete my associate's degree, I decided to move on to get into bachelor's degree in marketing. I was like, I loved I loved at least at that time, I loved retail, but I was like, I didn't want to limit myself to just retail as my education. And that's generally marketing, because then I can transition to any other aspects of marketing, FYI, so decided in the future.   Michael Hingson ** 16:19 And so you went off and you got your, your Bachelor's in marketing? Correct? Correct. Correct. So when did you graduate with that?   Dwayne Keys ** 16:27 I graduated my bachelor's degree in 2003, and 2001.   Michael Hingson ** 16:33 All right. So they offered an associate's degree at Johnson wells. Correct.   Dwayne Keys ** 16:37 They believe they still do again, it's been 20 something years. So I'm not sure what has changed the curriculum. But that was the pathway at the time. Well, cool.   Michael Hingson ** 16:45 So you, you did that? And did you go get any kind of advanced degree after the bachelors? Or did you just stop there? No, I   Dwayne Keys ** 16:55 had decided to continue on with Johnson law. So my graduate degree, at that time there was this debate, do you get your master's degree get an MBA male, I had took along with myself, and I was saying, I don't want to have to come back to school later on. I did not. I, like many other people thought, okay, college is done, I'm never gonna have to do a study. And again, obviously, I've seen that not to be the case, I can see you to study even in my career. But at that time, I was like, you know, what would make sense. And that was like, I rather get that degree now. Get it out of the way you'll have it and your educational levels, and they you will focus on your professional experience so that when the time comes, and that is a preferred or required education level, I would have already had that in my possession. I didn't have to worry about going back study and be in a position where I'm working full time ever in a career having kids with doing that. So my aspect was, you're still in study mode, you can still take the test easily, you still can do all those things. Go ahead and do it right now.   Michael Hingson ** 18:03 Yeah, I hear you. I decided, when I got my bachelor's to continue on as well. I just thought that it was probably better to to, to get most of the schooling done. The formal schooling at least done all at once. I never had the attitude that I wouldn't go off and continue to learn and do other things. But as far as formal college, I just did it all at once. And I enjoyed it and have no regrets about doing that. Yes, yeah. So when did you graduate with your bachelor's or your masters?   Dwayne Keys ** 18:38 I completed and graduated in 2005. Okay,   Michael Hingson ** 18:42 and then what did you go do?   Dwayne Keys ** 18:45 So, um, one of the things that's also amazing and interesting is that I had always been working full time. For most of my college life. I think the first year in my freshman year I lived on campus, I did work study, I may have taken a job here and there. But the second year, I lived off campus and I hadn't lived off campus ever since. And the second year, you know, my mother had a very honest conversation with me when she was very clear, I can only pay your rents have you been paying rent just for this this year, your sophomore year? And are you on your own? You're gonna have to find a way to pay for your bills. I did have some support from my grandparents. But living with my grandparents in between my school breaks was definitely a challenge. My grandparents were Pentecostal who would you describe is conservative, traditional in terms of their outlook on life? And, and then in terms of, you know, how you should be living in life. But then also, one of the things I I really had a challenge for, for them is the distance a country All. And so anyone who knows me, I'm one of which I definitely am for making my own decisions supporting you in what you want to do, regardless of how I may think about it. But I, I had came up against this experience that because I was being supported financially, that also meant that I needed to do what they said. And that was everything from if I even read a book, I remember reading this book on Islam. And it wasn't that I was thinking about converting, I just wanted to learn more about the religion, the culture, the people. And I can remember her seeing that book, looking at it with the stain, and wondering why we're looking at that. And I didn't need to bother myself with such things. And so it's that type of limitation that I have a problem with. And I was really determined that no one's not going to do that. But at that time, you know, you're 1819 years old, you're trying to figure out this word, they are your grandparents be as respectful as you can. But to kind of sum it up, there were mountain building conflicts that happen. And Christmas Break in 2000. I came down for a few days, and I was like, Okay, I need to get back to Providence, I need to get my life in order, I need to get the shop, I need to get things settled. And my grandfather wanted me to stay longer. And I originally thought we were going to take a trip down to Atlanta to see my mother and my sisters. That was the reason for me coming down. And when that didn't happen, I said, well, I need to get back up to Providence and get this all sorted out. And my grandfather being an upset about that. I had asked my grandmother for some money as I as she had promised. And she wrote a check to me, I want to say was like 250 $300. And he said to me that last Yvette Shepherd their chairs, because that's the last money you get in? Don't you ask for anything else ever again. And I said, Okay. And he took me to the bus station. And I got on my bus back to Providence, Rhode Island, and had to just really work on what were my next steps. So between January and March, I struggled to find a job. And there were days where I didn't eat, there were days where I was behind the bills, there were days I almost, if he was was threatened with eviction, but I eventually got a full time job working for one of the department stores Nordstrom. And that was the pathway on working full time. So really ever since before right around, I turned to age 20, I've always worked full time in my field. And so after doing these different jobs, working in retail working for the school, working in the PR office, I decided that I needed to do something that was different, I needed to do a sales job. And long Behold, I got my job as a financial advisor trainee with Morgan Stanley, and that began my pathway into financial services.   Michael Hingson ** 22:52 So were you doing Morgan Stanley while you were still in school?   Dwayne Keys ** 22:55 Yes, I had gotten that job in April. Yeah, April of 2004, at the end of my first year of grad school. And so in order to keep that job, you have to pass your series seven license. So my first three months, were just studying for that exam, which I, you know, had passed incredibly fast and was grateful, and then had to get additional licenses. But yes, while I was completing my grad school studies, I was doing those license studying for those licenses. And again, working full time and also taking classes in the evening. Series   Michael Hingson ** 23:30 seven is not a trivial thing to get a license for. Um,   Dwayne Keys ** 23:35 and, you know, I can say that now, but we get jobs on the line, because I was like,   Michael Hingson ** 23:39 Oh, sure. The incident was there.   Dwayne Keys ** 23:42 We want to do so. Now. I was like, Okay, I knew what I did with the practice exams and retaining information. Absolutely. But at the time, that was that was really a major mental hurdle. Oh,   Michael Hingson ** 23:55 yeah. So McCobb that's my point. It isn't. It isn't trivial to do. Yeah. So. So anyway, you did that? And when you got your masters and what did you do? Were you working for Morgan Stanley then or what? I   Dwayne Keys ** 24:10 was still working for Morgan Stanley. You gotta remember, this is 2004 2005. So the mindset was, even if you're 20 something years old, or, uh, you know, you, you need to meet sales goals, you need to bring in business, the culture wishes. Now, we will call toxic. You know, again, this is language and words you didn't know about it. But this is a very, at that time, very cutthroat industry. And one in which I just it's like, you know what, I'm not going to be able to thrive here. I'm not going to be to meet the sales goals. So I went to another advisory firm called strategic point that was local nearby. I was there as an advisory associate for about a year. And then I was able to get a job in a call center with Bank of America. Bank of America had just bought fleet. And they were converting all of fleet banks, departments into Bank of America and so fleet on Quicken, Riley and Quicken Riley was becoming Bank of America investment services. That's B, A and C. And so I had gotten that job as an investor. As a investment specialist. That's what they call this. And I was with them for almost five years. So I worked during the 2008, you know, the 2006, market crash and 2007 2008. Financial crisis and in that following Great Recession, which I say for Rhode Island, that recession actually never went away, which is still here in some shape or form. So   Michael Hingson ** 25:43 you say you were a BFA? What about a year? Oh,   Dwayne Keys ** 25:48 actually, almost five years, I suppose. Yeah, I will stay as a investment specialist. I had been moved to the sales gates, I was, you know, opening up accounts online, I did you know, what they call priority service associate or trading gate. So I did every type of securities trade for self employment accounts that you could think about stocks, bonds, mutual funds, options. I was on our Platinum worker services, which was the high net worth trading gates. And then I was promoted to senior vessel specialist or a team leader. So I was one step below being a team manager. And then I also had to get the Series Nine and the 10, which was the supervisors licenses. So I did do that for at least about, you know, I guess, almost five years, how, when Bank of America bought Merrill Lynch, there was the conversion of the companies and Merrill Lynch was coming in with its own, you know, ways of how he ran business. And I think by that time, I had gotten to a point where I was in the call center. And I was like, Yeah, I think it's time to get back into being client facing but not necessarily leaving the financial services world. But I also wasn't desiring becoming a financial advisor, again, like I had been before. And so I came across this role of what they call a licensed banker. So someone who works at a bank, who just happens to have the investment licenses that they can be a connection between the financial planners and financial consultants, but also still being a banker and retail branch and sovereign bank, we now know what a Santander but back then was still called Sovereign was hiring for this license banker role, and Pathak kid, and I had applied for that job and got accepted. And I was with them for almost like two and a half years, aspire to be an assistant manager. And Sunday air when they took over for sovereign, they took away the assistant manager role. So you just there was no way to build up to become an assistant manager or to become a branch manager, it was this, you need to meet your sales goals. Just keep doing what you're doing, but no type of development, no type of mentoring. And, again, that just wasn't gonna do it for me. So another local bank, Baker, I was hired from the system manager I interviewed applied for him interviewed for that role got accepted, and was an assistant manager for two of their branches and was there for almost three years. And then I got cursed back to coming back to South Sudan when they created the premier client manager group, which was a new department that was supposed to be a new way of remote banking, supporting clients remotely, instead of run a branch. And that department was in place for two years. And in May of 2017, they announced that they were going to close that department. And as they did, I had evaluated what should I do? What's my next move? I was applying to other different roles at the bank and other different financial institutions and wasn't getting anywhere back. And I just something said, why don't you check out some nonprofit jobs. I had always served on different nonprofit boards and was part of different, you know, community events when it came to economic justice. And I was like, let me check those out. And I came across the job posting in Brown University Square center for our financial coach. And I'm just learning more about this nonprofit organization called compass and their focus on families with low incomes and subsidized housing.   Michael Hingson ** 29:31 So what exactly does compass do? So   Dwayne Keys ** 29:34 compass was basically providing financial coaching to families who were in what's called the Family self sufficiency program, or FSS for short. And so that is a program that is a HUD program, which your housing provider either like public housing authorities or private multifamily owners can offer to residents To have a section eight voucher. And so compass provides program management to those programs while also the financial coaching in that time, compass was moving forward with one of their one of the fall partners, power preservation affordable housing on launching FSS in the name, you know, FSS at six different locations in New England. So this is the first time that FSS is being offered to multifamily properties. And it only been public housing authorities that could offer FSS and just for people to know what this program allows us that in the family self sufficiency program, participant is able to save rent increases, that happened as a result of increases in earned income. So when your income earned income goes up, your rent goes up. But what happens is the difference between what your rent was when you first started the program versus where it is when you have increases in your earned income, that rent increase is put away in a savings account for you about the housing authority. And there's a five year plus program that a participant can be enrolled in.   Michael Hingson ** 31:10 So what do you do in your day to day job than what compass? So you went to compass in 2017? And you're still there? Right? I am still there. Six years? Yeah.   Dwayne Keys ** 31:21 I mean, so you can say, well, the wall has evolved. Again, I joined as a financial coach, and I've been a senior financial coach. So as a financial coach, I was working with one on one with clients and my portfolio. Meeting with them, we have minimum required times that we're supposed to work with, but it's really supporting them in achieving their financial goals. And I described how I look at financial coaching is, we're in a car, the client is the driver, I'm in the passenger seat. I'm helping with navigation, I'm giving information on what could happen to where, where, what are you going to experience, if you turn left, if you go right, if you go backwards or forwards with the mindset that we're supporting the client, and they'll be making their own decision as to where they want to go on this financial journey. And the emphasis is on asset building my client, you know, people take to move from being asset poor, to asset secure and a public benefit system, you always hear about an emphasis on income and income is important. Yet we do know that having assets having savings for emergencies to be able to buy, you know jumping around the hall to be able to have an asset such as owning your own business, you know, owning your own home having money for retirement, just emergency savings, we know that this is key to families and to people's, you know, success. And so I had started off again, working directly with families one on one. And as a senior coach, I worked on other special projects and supporting compasses of mission. The last three years I was a coaching manager, I was leading a team for up to four financial coaches. We're making sure that we're providing that high quality financial coaching that I did as a coach, and which I was still doing and then more recently, I was promoted to director of programs for our multifamily partnerships. So I mail overseeing the team of coaching managers, program managers who are overseeing coaches and outreach specialists, Sunday making sure they're having effective program management, getting high quality financial coaching, and I'm working with six different multifamily partners on strategies for expanding FSS scaling the FSS program.   Michael Hingson ** 33:35 So how does compass make money? I mean, are they do they get it from funding? Do they get it from the investments that you help people acquire or what? Okay,   Dwayne Keys ** 33:45 so essentially, I combination is, obviously philanthropy. We do do a number of fundraising, but you know, foundations definitely do help. We do get paid for running these programs for the housing partner. So that's the additional source of income as well. Really funded program. So the federal funding it Yes, it is. So, more recently, it used to be the only public housing authorities could get HUD funding to fund these positions to fund the work of FSS now, multifamily owners can do so depending upon if you receive an award from HUD so there is some federal funding involved you also make it the housing provider that we work with this their own sources of funding that they used to pay compass with and then I'll put the bulk of our money that we do is philanthropic   Michael Hingson ** 34:35 Okay. It seems to me and I have to go look I know we've had a somebody else from campus elsewhere on unstoppable mindset, but it's been a long time so I'm gonna have to go back and look, but I know it was it was fascinating to hear what what compass did and and what all you guys are doing. So for you, though, having heard about your upbringing, and so on, and heard about how your life has evolved over time? What would you say your passion and areas of focus in your life is or are? So   Dwayne Keys ** 35:12 the role is where I'm really fulfilling is how do we help families rise up out of poverty, you know how to set one a panel discussion a few weeks ago, which was the witness that world with no poverty where people are not having to rely on this mindset of just pull yourself up from your bootstraps. But wait a minute, we're really giving people the financial education that they need. And I say that financial education, not financial literacy, because I can't stand someone thinking, you know, that we're the financial literacy, people are illiterate, they just may not have the education that you have in terms of this area of personal finance. But also having the assets, the cash, the capital to do what it is that you need to do, is very significant. I appreciate what I've seen some of my client experiences. In the last, particularly at the beginning of the pandemic, like that first year of the pandemic, I had two clients who were able to buy that house. So even in the issue of this, the scary situation of COVID have this uncertainty with the economics of what's happening with our country and all that was going on, I still have clients who are able to persevere who are able to move forward and achieve their goals of homeownership, or, you know, other goals, or just having the money to be able to survive and emergency. And it was also a unique time, because many some of my clients had to then pivot when they had lost their jobs temporarily. They use that time to think about should I go back to school? Should I you know, focus on being self employed? What does that look like in terms of starting my own business? So it definitely opened up opportunities for people to be creative, how do we still thrive and be able to accomplish our next steps in our goals, in spite of all the uncertainty that we're still facing that we still face today? But for me, too, as I said, it's who better to help you support you in this and navigating through these financial systems and the experiences that someone who grew up with it and also experienced it themselves? You know, I kind of joke, you know, joke here and there. But I was like, Who better to help people to death collection that someone who had a debt collection who had to endure that experience and go through it? Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 37:25 you are very fortunate that you had a mother who helped you through it by requiring you to do the things that you did. And so and you also have obviously had to discover some things on your own as well. But you did that, which gives you the skills now to do what you're doing, which is teaching others? Yes,   Dwayne Keys ** 37:47 yes, absolutely. Absolutely.   Michael Hingson ** 37:51 Go ahead. Yep. So all right, go ahead. Go ahead. I   Dwayne Keys ** 37:55 was gonna say, you know, even at Compass, you know, there's been a lot more that I've had to learn, because even though that's what we do, you know, my current role, I've had to learn project management, program management B, what does it mean to run a nonprofit? You know, so there's been quite a number, quite an education I've continued to receive even there in terms of that arena, while at the same time, you know, following up with just making sure that we're providing the high quality financial coaching.   Michael Hingson ** 38:22 So you, you work with people who are probably coming to you with a lot of fear and uncertainty in their lives, right? Correct. Correct? How do you help them overcome fear? What do you do to help them overcome fear and not be so daunted if you will, or blinded by having all this fear in their lives? Because of all the things that have happened to them? Yeah,   Dwayne Keys ** 38:47 I mean, one of the the initial steps with all of our training is you have to build trust with the clients. And it's very hard, because you have to remember, they've experienced systems and organizations and peoples in the past, who may not have treated them well, or they may have not had a best experience. So really, establishing building that trust is key. The next step is understanding their journey, their story, what they what have they done, and also celebrating successes that they've achieved on their own, because we never want to disconnect or distort this, dismiss what someone has achieved. But it's also then having to get back to what is it that you want to accomplish, and when you want to do and, again, we're going to go at your pace. So I've had some clients that they come in, I know they want to buy their house, they know what they need to do they know what they need to work on. Great. We're gonna go with you on that. And then I've had some clients who will say, You know what, I actually don't know what I want to do. I want to start I further say, you know, I want to start my own business. I don't know what that is, okay, well, then we're going to go on this pathway, and then on at this pace, so that we can focus on that. And again, we're going to be flexible and adaptable. So if right now, there's a goal that you'd be focusing on but then something that's happened to you you got to prioritize The other thing that we prioritize that other thing I will say is that this is your journey, this is your financial coach. And this is not my journey, you know, my appointment, and I'm gonna tell you what you need to do, you set the tone of where we're going to focus on. And I'm here to make sure you have the information, the resources, and the support that you that you need to receive in this program. And I think one of the main key things I have been able to do is help people recognize their own successes, people may be just doing things because they needed to do it. Or they may experience a situation where they think it's a failure, when actuality is success, and what are the things which makes him so minor, but I think it's majors, clients work on building up an emergency fund, then they put away their savings, they reach that goal, and then next, an emergency happens. And then they have to use that money. And they're saying, I'm so depressed, because yeah, this happened with the car, this happened with this thing. And I had to use it. And I'm like, great, because that's what an emergency fund is for. That was exactly, so think about it. By using having that money, you didn't have to worry about using credit cards using credit using any type of predatory lending, you didn't have to borrow, you didn't have to do any of the things that would have gave you additional stress, you had the money right there. That's excellent. That's the goal that was accomplished, you accomplished your goal. So just thinking about those things about stuff, which people may feel as though that's not really a major accomplishment. And actually is when you think about how you're trying to achieve financial security and success in your life,   Michael Hingson ** 41:32 trying to bring some perspective back to people because they, they really don't necessarily see what really happened. I mean, you, you guided them, they did stuff. But until something happens that causes them, for example, to use that emergency fund. And then you have to remind them of what that means, then and only then do they really internalize what happened. Yeah, if you had to really give us one story, that was just a great success story, what would it be?   Dwayne Keys ** 42:04 One story was one of my clients who ended up she had saved I'm gonna say up to $30,000 in the program. But even up to that moment where she was completing the program, she still had doubts about if she was going to get that money. And we were she, she had been, you know, increasing our income had been saving. But her budget was becoming very challenged with affording both the rent increase, and the other bills because she also had a car payment. And she had gotten this car loan in order to be able to get to work. But it was causing this this great challenge in her budget. And so we just asked the question, it was like, you know, you're struggling with this payment, you're struggling with being able to meet other obligations, when it makes sense to take some of that money that you've already saved, pay off that car loan. And then by doing that, that helps you get, you know, you'd be able to meet all the obligations and get budget you're able to save on your own, you won't have to worry about that. That item being on your credit, you know, being an obligation, the more you own it outright, you can even maybe adjust your insurance rates, you have to worry about full coverage and save some money that way. What about that, and she was like, You know what, let's do that. And we have put the request in the check arrived two weeks later. And even when she's coming there, she's looking with the tears and running up her eyes because she's like, this is really she's I can't believe this is really happening. You know, because you hear about it, you talk about it, you say this is going to happen for her to actually see that that's happening, we're going to do that right now. And that's why it wasn't just it was one less thing she had to worry about. It was like, think about all the stuff she's not going to be able to do now that that goal, you know, being able to pay down that debt, pay off that debt entirely, not have to worry about that and have a car and her own right that she owns was the phenomenal. So just I always talk about like, even to that moment to see that, oh, this is this is really I'm really going to accomplish this goal, this is really going to happen, I'm really going to be able to say that I did this, that memory still stays in my mind, just but the reaction of you know, the opposite that very moment of the cheque being placed in your hand there was this disbelief that this is really a true real true program to actually exist and helps people. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 44:26 And they wouldn't have had access to those resources in any other way if you weren't there to advise them.   Dwayne Keys ** 44:32 Correct. Exactly. Exactly.   Michael Hingson ** 44:36 Well, you've been doing this now for quite a while. What do you see yourself doing in five years?   Dwayne Keys ** 44:43 So that you're singing about you know, as we've been talking about, what is the next pathway and I have put that out there? So I do see myself as an executive at Compass we have different levels. You have all staff obviously individual contributor manager level director level Which I'm at now. And I just says, I can see myself as an executive, you know, and I look at my own pathway. I'm like, you know, things could change. Compass has expanded. When I first started, the organization was 25 people. We're now at above 70. So you know, this growth money in the company, where I also see myself is that, as I said to you, you know, I've always done this volunteer work in terms of advocacy, special events, work, doing things with different nonprofits, and I've come to be a specialist when it came to like community engagement strategies when it comes to people of color, particularly in this part of Providence, just being a special advisor, facilitating meetings. And what I've done is I've been able to wrap up all those of the special projects and what I've done in terms of workshops and teaching, and things outside of campus, and to my own sole proprietorship, Deacy solution, which I've had in place since 2015. But really, this past year was really one in which I've done a number of projects. So just being like a business coach and a workshop instructor to participants who are looking to design, you know, set up their own design business and supporting them in terms of business developments, and how did you set up a business bank account and have you set up your own business to be able to, you know, launch as a business entity. That's been fulfilling, but a number of other projects have been doing. And then obviously, I aspire to hold elected office, I did run for state rep in 2018. And I will be pursuing running for our local city council races in 2026.   Michael Hingson ** 46:45 Oh, not till 2026. Every four   Dwayne Keys ** 46:49 years. So my counsel first and just read in one her third, third term in 2022. But she's term limited, the more currently I've been supporting her ever since she first ran in 2014. Definitely have been a, you know, great admirer of the work that she's done with our area. And in a way I want to be able to continue which he had started in our terms. So you know, it's been something we're we've been openly discussing, but I've been very firm to it. Yes, I am running in 2026. I do have my campaign account open, I do have things are in place. And as we get closer to that date, more TOCOM?   Michael Hingson ** 47:29 Well, I would only say the other side of that is that at least her term limits are causing her not to be able to run, then you won't be able to run against her, which is a good thing.   Dwayne Keys ** 47:38 Correct. You know,   Michael Hingson ** 47:41 good to have friends, you know? Yeah,   Dwayne Keys ** 47:43 yeah. I mean, people have asked that question, why don't you run? And I said, No, no, no, I made it very clear that I do support our incumbent, I definitely do admire her work and what she's done. And so no, I was not going to challenge her. But I said the moment she said that she was done, I'm running.   Michael Hingson ** 47:58 Well, that's fair. In a lot of ways. So what what issues are there in your surrounding community? And I guess I would say overall, for all of us, that we need to be a little bit more aware of things that you want listeners to know about that they ought to deal with.   Dwayne Keys ** 48:17 Yeah, I mean, this is also reflecting that up, you know, the last seven and a half years, I was the chairperson of the South Providence neighborhood association. So that was a nonprofit that was launched in 2015, when, you know, the council person had just gotten office. And there was the desire for us to have a group a body a place to come, where we can get information and talk as a community neighbors, you know, neighbors, what was going on the neighborhood, what's impacting us, and how do we move forward? In this experience, I will say there's a number of things that are going on. One has to deal with zoning and urban planning issues. You know, with Providence, we have huge issues when it comes to housing design. We have a situation where I like it, you know, I have to say this, I use just words. You still have segregation and redlining practices embedded in how we have housing development housing projects that are being done. We definitely have this issue of housing affordability, which is across the nation, but you know, it here in Providence, we have displacement that's happening where a lot of residents, you know, low to moderate income, primarily, black and brown residents have had to move out or move elsewhere. And because they haven't been able to afford the high cost of prices, you know, they're not able to the wages aren't keeping up with the prices of inflation and the housing costs of class in Providence, unlike some other cities, where they require housing developments to include units include price points for low to moderate income Up. in Providence, we're okay with people who want high luxury housing development just behind luxury development, know what the subsidies. So it's also creating these divisions in my view where we're not. We're not providing opportunity for families, individuals, those from different walks of life to be living in all parts of Providence, it's almost as if, oh, this price point, you only have this type of housing and this one part of the city or that part of the city, and it's perpetuating that. Another thing has to also deal with the issue of taxation, you know, Providence, we are a college town, but literally half of our properties or either owned by colleges and universities or by governments, because we are the capital city, or we're an island. So we've definitely had financial issues, when it comes to our pensions. When it comes to our viability, there was this huge major issue between what we call the pilot program payment and low taxes with the universities, colleges, universities, many residents and think that the universities are paying more than they should. And we do have a big hospital community in my part of the neighborhood in which there's been debates about that community not paying their share, and also fears that that hospital community will take more land in the neighborhood for their, their buildings, their parking lots. So there's a history of how do urban renewal eminent domain homes were take, you know, were bought, and people had to move out of the neighborhood for the expansion of the hospital community. And you have many residents will still talk about that today,   Michael Hingson ** 51:37 without any kinds of issues that you might be seeing or encountering regarding persons with disabilities, which is, you know, usually a large minority that people don't talk about.   Dwayne Keys ** 51:49 So one of the things that has already come up in terms of the city where I already said, I'm like, we are not ABA compliant, when it comes to our sidewalks, when it comes to people with wheelchairs, a major issue that happens and this is where we're talking about, you talk, think about something as simple as shoveling the sidewalks during the wintertime. And what I've seen, you've had people but in particularly those people who have mobility issues having to walk in the street, because that person or that company or organization did not shovel the sidewalk. So we have a public safety issue, which is every one that I find with people with disability disabilities, for those who have a mobility issue, that is a major crisis that is going on. And then the main thing also with Rhode Island, and particularly Providence, we have old housing stock. So there's a number of people who may again, because of mobility issues, they can't get to the third, second or third floor. So they are limited, but housing. So we have a number of people and actually one of my good friends, colleagues Titi Podesta, and she was like She's someone who has mobility issues, she was speaking about this, you know, there's housing, there's units, there's places that she can't go, because it's not accessible. So that is one thing that I definitely see here that you don't think about until it's time to have the activity or until it's time to do something and that person candidate get in and she made a good point. She was like, I bet you the majority of the folks if I was if you were to have an event or something that your house will not be able to come to your house? And I'm like, no, because I'm on the third floor, no elevator, no other way for you to get off to the third gift to me.   Michael Hingson ** 53:25 So yeah. How do you deal with that?   Dwayne Keys ** 53:27 So I mean, one of the things we have to do is we talk about infrastructure, we have to invest and we upgrade or design the housing a way that is accessible for people to be able to get into the dwellings. And then you also have to deal with this practice of preservation and look and feel and care, because we are an old historic New England town. Absolutely. And we to have nice gorgeous Victorian houses and everything else. And at the same time, we have this housing crisis, people need to use that space. How do you balance look and feel and character and uniqueness with this need of mobility of access?   Michael Hingson ** 54:12 Well, to go another direction, though, which in some senses ought to be a whole lot easier to address. So what about things like? Are the city websites accessible? What are you What is the city doing to make information readily available? website accessibility across the board and so on? Michael,   Dwayne Keys ** 54:29 the website accessibility, it's not even accessible to those who can say so we have a we have a whole issue,   Michael Hingson ** 54:37 good political answer, no information really works.   Dwayne Keys ** 54:42 So you have people who struggle to just get information in general from the city at times. And so we're, you know, so you bring up a very good point. It's not even at the forefront, not because it's not, it's not important. It's more of like we're just struggling to get the basics of everyone just know what's going on. Er yet.   Michael Hingson ** 55:01 One of the things that I talk about from time to time in speeches that I give as well, as I've mentioned a few times on this podcast is, when people talk about diversity, they never really talk about disabilities, because we're not part of the conversation, we're not part of the discussion. And that's what really needs to change until people recognize that diversity. If it's going to truly be diversity needs to include everyone, then that's not going to change. And so I oftentimes have discussions with people about inclusion as opposed to diversity because they say, Well, we're, we're working on being inclusive, but you're not inclusive, well, but we're partially inclusive, Nope, doesn't work. You either are inclusive, or you're not. And if you're inclusive, it's a mindset. And if you are inclusive, then you're going to be dealing with disabilities and so on. It's unfortunate that we're not there yet. As I said, we don't really make disabilities part of the conversation. But I know what you're saying about housing and so on, you know, my, my wife used to watch when she was alive, a lot of the shows on house building and all the people who come and renovate homes and all that sort of stuff, they would not invariably do anything, to think far enough ahead that if somebody had a house, and they were renovating it, that they might make it accessible for the next person who might buy that house. And so none of the people that really deal with all the house stuff on TV, deal with it, either. The only time it ever comes up is if you happen to have somebody in a wheelchair or whatever it is, it is unfortunate, we're not part of the conversation. Yeah,   Dwayne Keys ** 56:42 and I think that goes into this other piece, too, is equity when it comes to design and decision making. So when we're making the decision of what gets done, or how it gets done, or do we have everybody who needs to be included, not just in that conversation, but agreeing that this is the way that this is going to go. And that is very, that is lacking in many particular cases, I see it both not just in terms of like accessibility, but even with those who have a disability, who are also receiving public benefits, SSDI or SSI. In some cases, I have seen that where there's limitations when it's time to transition for them being able to go back to work and be able to earn a living, you see that limitation there in terms of you're limited to how many hours that notching it, how many hours how much you can earn in that particular time period. Yeah, if you can lose this benefit, you lose that benefit. And so that was one of the things to your point, when I first came to Compass, we had always up to that point at work with more public housing authority clients, who see almost all of them very rare that you came across someone who had a disability who was receiving one of those benefits. And when I came into, you know, compass, I encountered a number of people who enrolled, who had SSI SSDI benefits, particular SSI, who wanted to go back to work, but he had all these limitations and how he could save how they can earn. And lo and behold, even at Compass, I'm like, what do we do, and we had nothing in place. So I had to use my first two years are really just like researching developing content and information for us to put in place to support those clients. So even to your point, it wasn't intentional. But that never been considered a compass until it presented itself.   Michael Hingson ** 58:33 We still do not recognize it. Inclusion should be part of the cost of doing business and part of the cost of life, which is really the issue. But yeah, you're right, there are so many limitations on people who are receiving benefits, like SSI and SSDI. There's only so much that can be done. And Congress isn't really willing to change that. So it is unfortunate that it did it continues to happen. Yeah,   Dwayne Keys ** 59:01 I mean, even one of the blessings was the ABLE account, which was That was great. But you have to be aced what your disability had to have occurred on or before get 26 birth that right? I'm like, okay, so what happens if I'm 30 something years old? And it's something Oh, I can't use that. So still is excluding a segment of population who could benefit from that program? So   Michael Hingson ** 59:23 there's a lot of that, oh, it's an very unfortunate situation. And we're not. We're not anywhere near dealing with any of that yet. You also have your own little enterprise outside of campus, right?   Dwayne Keys ** 59:33 Yeah. So the key solution that you know, as I said, I've been doing a number of practical projects. I don't have any like formal business model. But what I in the past I've been asked to facilitate a meeting or lead a workshop or do this one on one, you know, business coaching. So there's a number of areas that I have outside of, of compass that I've worked on, like I said a lot of stuff in terms of just my expertise with planning A zoning committee engagement just thinks, you know, supporting Black and Brown business owners in terms of moving forward. And it was like, Well, why don't you start, you know, maybe doing that as a business. So long Behold, this past year, like I said, there's always every once in awhile, I will have a project where I was asked to do something, pieces, you know, you know, you know, some money, but nothing significant. This year, I had been sign up for a number of activities, as I said, like being a workshop, instructor, business coach, doing consistent, you know, activities, and I was like, Oh, this is gonna be different. And so I said, it's hypothetical, this is this is not going to be something I should file like, I should not, I should treat this as a business income that it is. And I had had the key solution already set up. And I was like, Okay, why don't you make this a regular thing? Why don't you put this out there that you do these activities at a price. And so that has been a whirlwind. But I've completed a catalyst Fellowship Program, which is a paid fellowship program to learn how to be a nonprofit consultant. There has been other particular things that I've done in terms of CES, like, there's one pro

Peter joins Drew as a cohost this week as they answer questions regarding RMD's, paying off a mortgage with an IRA, SSDI, beneficiaries, and more! Download & enjoy! 

How do Social Security benefits and VA Disability Benefits impact each other? In this video, we discuss VA disability and Social Security benefits, how they work together, and whether any offsets apply. There are two different types of Social Security disability benefits: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). One benefit includes limits whereas the other does not. Tune in to learn more! Follow us on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/CCKYTL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/CCKFBL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/CCKINL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/CCKTL

Will building a new home delay Janelle's early retirement? Can Mike and his wife retire early at ages 50 and 55, and how much should they convert to Roth? Maria and her partner keep their finances separate - can Maria cover her own expenses in early retirement? That's today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 482 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, the fellas explain the difference between FDIC insurance and SIPC insurance for Edward, who wonders if he should spread his assets between banks for protection. Fajita Willy needs a spitball on his MYGA retirement strategy, that is, multi-year guaranteed annuities. Nancy wants to know if mandatory seismic retrofit expenses are tax-deductible. And how should Lee manage Roth contributions and IRMAA now that his Social Security disability has finally been approved and he's received 5 years of back pay? Free financial resources and transcript: https://bit.ly/ymyw-482 Retirement Readiness Guide - free download EASIretirement.com - free retirement calculator Financial Planning at Every Age: Retirement Planning for Millennials, Gen-X, and Baby Boomers - YMYW TV Ask Joe & Big Al On Air for your Retirement Spitball Analysis Schedule a free financial assessment Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:02 - Will Building a New Home Delay My Early Retirement? (Janelle, CO - voice) 07:35 - Should I Spread Assets Between Banks for FDIC Insurance? (Edward, IL) 13:16 - Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuity (MYGA) Retirement Spitball (Fajita Willy, TX) 21:09 - Is the Mandatory Seismic Retrofit Expense Tax-Deductible? (Nancy, Tarzana, CA) 22:47 - My SSDI Was Approved and I've Received 5 Years of Back Pay. How to Manage Roth IRA Contributions and Medicare IRMAA? (Lee, Jacksonville, FL) 28:33 - Can We Retire Early Next Year at Ages 55 and 50? How Much Should We Convert to Roth? (Mike, NY) 34:57 - My Partner and I Maintain Separate Finances. Can I Cover My Own Expenses in Early Retirement? (Maria, Chicago suburbs, IL) 42:06 - The Derails

We are pivoting from our normal education-centric topics today to take a broader view of the financial side of raising a child with a disability. We want to make sure that families, and people working with these families, have all the resources and tools for a well-rounded toolkit for supporting their kids. We welcome James Lange to the podcast to share his practical insights and expertise.James Lange is a CPA, a state attorney in Pennsylvania, and the author of nine best-selling financial books. He is a nationally recognized IRA, 401(k), and retirement plan distribution expert. As a result of his daughter's disability, James developed a passion for helping parents who need to provide sufficient care for a disabled child even beyond their own lifetime. He explains how he and his wife are providing for their daughter's future and what parents of a disabled child should do right now to ensure the financial future of their child. Show Highlights:James' plan to provide for his daughter for the rest of her lifeJames' mission to help parents of children with disabilities optimize their financial assetsThree steps to take right now for your disabled child: Get your child qualified for government benefits in the SSI or SSDI. (James explains the #1 mistake most parents make in applying for these benefits.)Get your estate planning done appropriately with the proper trust or conservatorship option. (Don't rely on “Joe Schmo Attorney” for this!)Get the Roth IRA conversion strategy done right by a financial professional. (The difference in doing this correctly and incorrectly can amount to a huge difference in available funds for your child.) Best resources for parents to use in their education and planning:Get James' FREE book, Retire Secure for Parents of a Child with a Disability. Click here!Sign up for Expert Advice for Parents of Children with Disabilities: A Virtual Summit, June 18-20, 2024. Click here for more information about this FREE event!Links/Resources:Connect with James Lange: Disabled Child Planning, Pay Taxes Later, and LInkedInContact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org Thank you for listening! Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:Facebook

The importance of creating a financial plan, in which care for a loved one is paramount, is critical for many investors. In some cases, these plans include creating a Special Needs Trust ("SNT") as well as maximizing government assistance from Social Security and Medicaid. On this episode we dive deep into this important topic with Ashley Velategui, a Director in Bernstein's Wealth Strategies Group. We explain how Special Needs Trusts work, their special features, and how to most effectively create them. Ashley demystifies the complexity behind many of the government assistance programs and highlights strategies to maximize benefits. We also explain ABLE Accounts and how they can be a part of the overall plan. With any questions or comments, or to discuss your own financial situation, I can be reached at marc.penziner@bernstein.com or 212-969-6655.The information presented and opinions expressed are solely the views of the podcast host commentator and their guest speaker(s).  AllianceBernstein L.P. or its affiliates makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy of any data. There is no guarantee that any projection, forecast or opinion in this material will be realized. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The views expressed here may change at any time after the date of this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. AllianceBernstein L.P. does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. It does not take an investor's personal investment objectives or financial situation into account; investors should discuss their individual circumstances with appropriate professionals before making any decisions. This information should not be construed as sales or marketing material or an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, product or service sponsored by AllianceBernstein or its affiliates.

Social Security (SS), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Social Security Disability Benefits (SSDI) are three federal benefit programs that can provide income to Americans who aren't able to work. SS, SSI, and SDI are all are managed by the Social Security Administration.Each of these programs, however, have different purposes and eligibility requirements. However, when it comes to taxes and financial aid, it can be confusing to understand how each work. For example, do you need to include SSDI benefits received on the FAFSA?But how exactly do these programs work? And how do they play into your tax bill? In this article, we'll look at each one and their impact on your paycheck, taxes, and FAFSA.

Treatment for schizophrenia is a tough journey for people with the illness but also for caregivers and loved ones. Due to cognitive symptoms, hallucinations, and delusions, a person with schizophrenia may not be able to make decisions on treatment or take care of themselves. When should caregivers step in to legally take control over a person with schizophrenia? What are the types of involuntary treatment? What are the other options available to people with schizophrenia and caregivers? Host Rachel Star Withers, a person with schizophrenia, and co-host Gabe Howard discuss involuntary treatment options in schizophrenia and the moral issues around forcing treatment on a person.  Guest Nicole Drapeau Gillen joins the discussion. Nicole was an IT executive and chief marketing officer turned caregiver and the author of “Schizophrenia & Related Disorders: A Handbook for Caregivers.” Nicole recognized that caregivers like herself often find themselves thrust into this challenging, complex, and stressful situation with little guidance on how to help a loved one with a serious mental illness. In this episode, Rachel speaks about psychiatric advance directives. You can find more information at the National Resource Center on Psychiatric Advance Directives at www.NRC-PAD.org. To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page. Our guest, Nicole Drapeau Gillen, is a caregiver and the author of “Schizophrenia & Related Disorders: A Handbook for Caregivers.” Nicole began her journey as a caregiver in this world of schizophrenia in 2020 when her daughter became sick. After thrashing about for a few years, finding herself frustrated and desperate for information, she wrote the book on caregiving for someone with a serious mental illness. In her book, “Schizophrenia & Related Disorders: A Handbook for Caregivers,” Nicole addresses a myriad of issues caregivers face, including: • From the Beginning of the Journey: Treatment — medication primer, treatment primer, etc.; hospitals, case managers, and more; and doctors (working with, talking to, finding) • Ongoing: Communication, definitions, family and friends; support groups — for yourself and your loved one; and creating your ongoing paper trail • Could Happen Anytime: Housing/homelessness; navigating jail and police; and crisis — suicidal ideation, arrests, run away, etc. • Getting The Right Support Setup: Legal — advanced directives; legal — power of attorney, conservatorship, guardianship; and financial — SSI, SSDI, other government services • Long-term issues: Budgeting — estate planning, trusts and letter of intent; and transition to self support for your loved one • And so much more! As a caregiver, our journey is ever-evolving and fluid. No sooner do we get our loved one on a good path, then things take another twist and turn. This book aims to give you the fundamentals on how to help your loved one no matter where they are on their road to recovery. With clear steps and compassionate insights, you'll find a lifeline in your caregiving journey. https://schizophrenia-caregiver.com/ Schizophrenia & Related Disorders: A Handbook for Caregivers Rachel Star Withers creates videos documenting her schizophrenia, ways to manage and let others like her know they are not alone and can still live an amazing life. She has written Lil Broken Star: Understanding Schizophrenia for Kids and a tool for schizophrenics, To See in the Dark: Hallucination and Delusion Journal. Fun Fact: She has wrestled alligators. To learn more about Rachel, please visit her website, RachelStarLive.comm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are the key differences between traditional estate planning and elder law planning, and why is it important to consider elder law planning at a younger age? In this episode of Financially Ever After, host Stacy Francis delves into the intricate world of special needs planning and elder law with guest Britt Berner. Together, they navigate the complexities of legal and financial considerations for people with disabilities and those facing terminal illnesses. Planning for a disabled child's future requires careful consideration of government benefits and asset protection strategies. Understanding the nuances of Medicaid, SSI, and SSDI is crucial in ensuring the child's financial security and well-being. Spousal refusal and other legal strategies can help protect assets and qualify for Medicaid in the face of terminal illness or disability. Knowing the options available and seeking personalized advice from an elder law attorney can make a significant difference in navigating these challenging circumstances. Establishing a Supplemental Needs Trust can safeguard assets for a disabled child without jeopardizing their eligibility for government benefits. By setting up this trust, parents can ensure that their child's financial future is secure and that they continue to receive the necessary support and care. Personalized advice from an elder law attorney is essential in creating a comprehensive plan for long-term care and asset protection. By consulting with a legal expert specializing in elder law, individuals can develop a tailored strategy that addresses their specific needs and goals, providing peace of mind for the future. Early engagement in elder law planning, including powers of attorney and healthcare proxies, can provide peace of mind and security for the future. By proactively addressing legal and financial matters, individuals can ensure that their wishes are respected and their affairs are managed according to their preferences and values. Resources Britt Burner on LinkedIn Email: bburner@burnerlaw.com Burner Prudenti Law on Website | Facebook | X | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys  Stacy Francis on LinkedIn | X(Twitter) Email: stacy@francisfinancial.com

20240301 In Perspective Originally Broadcasted March 1, 2024, on ACB Media 5   This episode featured a discussion about SSI, SSDI,and related topics.   Sponsored by Branco Events.

In 2023, 148 members of GSK's Legal and Compliance Department global pro bono program served 160 clients,providing over 1200 hours of service. Since 2015, GSK has partnered with Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP), an organization that provides free legal services to individuals and families who experience or face homelessness in Philadelphia. GSK lawyers and legal professionals assist with securing birth certificates for clients which addresses homelessness and enables them to apply for housing. GSK also participates in HAP's SOAR (SSI, Outreach, Access, and Recovery) project to obtain expedited rulings on Supplemental Security Income and SSDI cases to help provide income to individuals who are unable to work due to a disability. We spoke with GSK Assistant General Counsel, Andy Boczkowski, for this special edition of the Pro Bono Happy Hour Podcast. Listen to how GSK got involved with HAP.

When people living with MS find themselves unable to continue working due to disability, they turn to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). And when they do, many are surprised to find the long, winding, sometimes confusing road that lies ahead.  This week, disability law expert Jamie Hall joins me to demystify the process of applying for SSDI benefits. Jamie specializes in social security and long-term disability law. And he, literally, wrote the book for the National MS Society on applying for SSDI benefits. We'll also tell you about the amazing work this year's recipient of the Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research is involved in. We're reporting on the progress that scientists are making in penetrating the blood brain barrier (And we'll remind you about why that makes a real difference for everyone living with MS!) We're sharing the details about KYV-101, the experimental CAR-T cell therapy that's been given a Fast Track designation by the FDA. We'll tell you about study results that show people with a university education are more likely to be on a disease-modifying therapy. And we're sharing study results that identify the inequity in geographic proximity to MS care in the United States. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: How to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits  :22 This year's recipient of the Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS research  1:58 Real progress reported in efforts to penetrate the blood brain barrier  7:17 FDA gives Fast-Track designation to CAR-T cell therapy for MS  10:03 STUDY: Having a university education makes it more likely that someone with MS will be on a DMT  13:04 STUDY: Geographic proximity to MS care in the U.S. is far from equal   15:04 Disability law expert Jamie Hall discusses how to apply for SSDI benefits   19:29 Share this episode  38:01 Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  38:21 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/336 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits: A Guidebook for People with MS and their Healthcare Providers https://nationalmssociety.org/NationalMSSociety/media/MSNationalFiles/Brochures/Guidebook-Social-Security-Disability-for-People-with-MS.pdf Predictive High-Throughput Platform for Dual Screening of mRNA Lipid Nanoparticle Blood Brain Barrier Transfection and Crossing https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c03509 STUDY: University Education Facilitates Uptake of Disease-Modifying Therapies for Multiple Sclerosis: A Community-Based Study Using the UK MS Register https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13524585231221411 STUDY: Geographic Proximity in Access to Neurologists and Multiple Sclerosis Care in the United States https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000207916 Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 336 Guest: Jamie Hall, Esq. Privacy Policy

In this episode, Professor Tiffany Lee is interviewed about service dogs and disability rights and accommodations. They discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act, the definition of disability, and disability benefits. They also explore reasonable accommodations in the workplace and education settings, as well as the challenges and advocacy involved. The conversation covers topics such as disclosing disabilities to employers and universities, getting a service dog, dealing with unresponsive disability lawyers, appealing denied disability benefits, and correcting inaccuracies in medical records. The episode provides valuable insights and guidance for individuals with disabilities navigating legal and practical aspects of their rights and accommodations. Professor Lee wanted to clarify the following points from the discussion of Social Security disability. SSI places limits on assets ($2000 for an individual) and income. SSDI does not have an asset limit but requires the recipient not be able to engage in “substantial gainful activity,” which generally acts as an income limit. There is a “Ticket to Work” program called “Choose Work” available that provides some options similar to those in the earlier “Ticket to Work” program mentioned in this episode.YOUR host, as always, is Dr. Linda Bluestein, the Hypermobility MD.Key points discussed: **Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):** The conversation explores the ADA, a crucial piece of legislation that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and mandates reasonable accommodations.**Disability Benefits:** The episode delves into disability benefits, including the process of applying, appealing denied benefits, and addressing inaccuracies in medical records.**Workplace and Education Accommodations:** Reasonable accommodations in both workplace and education settings are explored, shedding light on the challenges and advocacy involved.**Disclosure to Employers and Universities:** Professor Tiffany Lee provides insights into the considerations and potential challenges of disclosing disabilities to employers and universities.**Service Dogs:** The episode discusses obtaining a service dog and the associated considerations.**Dealing with Disability Lawyers:** Challenges related to unresponsive disability lawyers are addressed, offering guidance on how to navigate such situations.**Financial Impact of Disability:** The limitations and financial impact of applying for disability, including asset limits and restrictions on work and income, are discussed.**Flaws in the Disability System:** Issues within the disability system, such as the poverty threshold and its impact on marriage, are highlighted.**Emergency Response Accessibility:** Making disaster and emergency response accessible to people with disabilities is discussed.Overall, the episode provides an exploration of the legal, practical, and personal aspects of disability rights and accommodations, offering valuable insights and guidance for individuals with disabilities.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Overview01:14 Americans with Disabilities Act03:28 Reasonable Accommodations in the Workplace04:38 Determining Reasonable Accommodations09:07 Accommodations in High School and College11:22 Challenges with Disability Services in Education13:59 Advocating for Accommodations in Education16:36 Disclosing Disabilities to Employers and Universities19:03 Determining Job Compatibility with Accommodations21:03 Getting a Service Dog23:37 Regulations and Considerations for Service Dog Training36:33 Dealing with Unresponsive Disability Lawyers38:07 Appealing Denied Disability Benefits40:03 Legal Recourse for Undertreatment of Pain43:07 Accommodations for Productivity Standards43:45 Correcting Inaccuracies in Medical Records47:46 Knowing When to Get an Accommodation or Apply for Disability48:36 Considerations for Applying for Disability50:23 Assets and Poverty Threshold for Disability58:58 Making Disaster and Emergency Response Accessible01:02:44 Hypermobility Hack: Walking DeskConnect with YOUR Bendy Specialist, Dr. Linda Bluestein, MD at https://www.hypermobilitymd.com/.   Thank YOU so much for tuning in. We hope you found this episode informative, inspiring, useful, validating, and enjoyable. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to level up your knowledge about hypermobility disorders and the people who have them.Join YOUR Bendy Bodies community at https://www.bendybodiespodcast.com/.      YOUR bendy body is our highest priority!

In this episode, Professor Tiffany Lee is interviewed about service dogs and disability rights and accommodations. They discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act, the definition of disability, and disability benefits. They also explore reasonable accommodations in the workplace and education settings, as well as the challenges and advocacy involved. The conversation covers topics such as disclosing disabilities to employers and universities, getting a service dog, dealing with unresponsive disability lawyers, appealing denied disability benefits, and correcting inaccuracies in medical records. The episode provides valuable insights and guidance for individuals with disabilities navigating legal and practical aspects of their rights and accommodations. Professor Lee wanted to clarify the following points from the discussion of Social Security disability. SSI places limits on assets ($2000 for an individual) and income. SSDI does not have an asset limit but requires the recipient not be able to engage in “substantial gainful activity,” which generally acts as an income limit. There is a “Ticket to Work” program called “Choose Work” available that provides some options similar to those in the earlier “Ticket to Work” program mentioned in this episode.YOUR host, as always, is Dr. Linda Bluestein, the Hypermobility MD.Key points discussed: **Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):** The conversation explores the ADA, a crucial piece of legislation that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and mandates reasonable accommodations.**Disability Benefits:** The episode delves into disability benefits, including the process of applying, appealing denied benefits, and addressing inaccuracies in medical records.**Workplace and Education Accommodations:** Reasonable accommodations in both workplace and education settings are explored, shedding light on the challenges and advocacy involved.**Disclosure to Employers and Universities:** Professor Tiffany Lee provides insights into the considerations and potential challenges of disclosing disabilities to employers and universities.**Service Dogs:** The episode discusses obtaining a service dog and the associated considerations.**Dealing with Disability Lawyers:** Challenges related to unresponsive disability lawyers are addressed, offering guidance on how to navigate such situations.**Financial Impact of Disability:** The limitations and financial impact of applying for disability, including asset limits and restrictions on work and income, are discussed.**Flaws in the Disability System:** Issues within the disability system, such as the poverty threshold and its impact on marriage, are highlighted.**Emergency Response Accessibility:** Making disaster and emergency response accessible to people with disabilities is discussed.Overall, the episode provides an exploration of the legal, practical, and personal aspects of disability rights and accommodations, offering valuable insights and guidance for individuals with disabilities.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Overview01:14 Americans with Disabilities Act03:28 Reasonable Accommodations in the Workplace04:38 Determining Reasonable Accommodations09:07 Accommodations in High School and College11:22 Challenges with Disability Services in Education13:59 Advocating for Accommodations in Education16:36 Disclosing Disabilities to Employers and Universities19:03 Determining Job Compatibility with Accommodations21:03 Getting a Service Dog23:37 Regulations and Considerations for Service Dog Training36:33 Dealing with Unresponsive Disability Lawyers38:07 Appealing Denied Disability Benefits40:03 Legal Recourse for Undertreatment of Pain43:07 Accommodations for Productivity Standards43:45 Correcting Inaccuracies in Medical Records47:46 Knowing When to Get an Accommodation or Apply for Disability48:36 Considerations for Applying for Disability50:23 Assets and Poverty Threshold for Disability58:58 Making Disaster and Emergency Response Accessible01:02:44 Hypermobility Hack: Walking DeskConnect with YOUR Bendy Specialist, Dr. Linda Bluestein, MD at https://www.hypermobilitymd.com/.   Thank YOU so much for tuning in. We hope you found this episode informative, inspiring, useful, validating, and enjoyable. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to level up your knowledge about hypermobility disorders and the people who have them.Join YOUR Bendy Bodies community at https://www.bendybodiespodcast.com/.      YOUR bendy body is our highest priority!

It's an EmMajority Report Thursday! She speaks with Timothy M. Gill, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to discuss his recent book Encountering US Empire in Socialist Venezuela: The Legacy of Race, Neo-Colonialism, and Democracy Promotion. Then, she is joined by David Adler, Co-General Coordinator of the Progressive International, to discuss what has transpired since Argentinian President Milei's took power. First, Emma runs through updates on the UN's unlikely ceasefire vote, continuing reports on Israeli war crimes, US-Venezuela relations, protests in Argentina, a mass shooting in Prague, GOP primary polling, growing challenges to union-busting in the US, and the incredible use of the MTA's funding, before parsing through a recent CNN report on the unsurprising role Israeli Settlers play in the West Bank. Timothy Gill then joins, diving right into the developments in US-Venezuela relations, including a drawback of US sanctions and a prisoner swap, and what that means moving forward. Next, Gill steps back to walk Emma through the history of the US' neocolonial approach to Venezuela, occurring at the beginning of a shift away from blunt displays of US power towards more subtle attempts at “Democracy Building,” like the funding and bolstering sympathetic actors and political parties. Expanding on this, Gill and Emma tackle the role of NGOs and political organizations in laundering US dollars to train long-term efforts to manipulate Venezuelan elections, and how that's reflected by the executive branch with the eager backing of un-elected leaders, first in the wake of the coup of Hugo Chávez and more recently with their uplifting of Juan Guaidó, before parsing through the particular role of the Chávez Administration – and their opposition to the US' global war on terror – in shifting the US stance toward Venezuela. Wrapping up, Gill explores the role of anti-imperialism as a patriotic force within Venezuela, and touches on the lingering tentacles of US neo-colonialism. David Adler then jumps right into the early action of Javier Milei's administration in Argentina as a direct representation of his extreme anarcho-capitalist ideology and his coalition with the “Law and Order” right, including an unprecedented crackdown on peaceful protests with direct attacks on their rights and welfare as they speak out against his attacks on their rights and welfare. Adler also parses through Milei's most recent display of hyper-neoliberalism – via a sweeping 600-article piece of legislation – before exploring the strong majority with which Milei won office, and what that means for the staunch backlash to his early actions. After expanding on the important context of massive foreign debt left by Mauricio Marcri's Administration, David and Emma wrap up with an assessment of yesterday's mass protests of the free-speech crackdown by Milei, and what that suggests for the future of the administration. And in the Fun Half: Emma is joined by Brandon Sutton and Matt Binder as they reflect on the politics of Late Night TV and the coverage of women in 2000s media, listen to Tim Pool's newest song courtesy of DJ Danarchy, and watch Tulsi Gabbard unite islamophobia and antisemitism at TPUSA's America Fest. The MR Crew also parses through John Fetterman's apparent right-wing turn as he goes all in on the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and brutal US immigration policies, and Sargent Flux from the MR Chat calls in to talk SSDI reform, plus, your calls and IMs! Check out Timothy's book here: https://upittpress.org/books/9780822947448/#:~:text=A%20very%20interesting%20and%20relevant,literature%20on%20US%20foreign%20policy Check out the Progressive International here: https://progressive.international/ Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: http://majority.fm/app Check out today's sponsors: Henson Shaving: Henson Shaving is giving my audience a 2-year supply of blades for FREE. Just go to https://hensonshaving.com/MAJORITY. That's https://hensonshaving.com/MAJORITY. Add a razor and 100-pack of blades to your cart, then enter code MAJORITY to get the blades for free. Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech @BradKAlsop Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder - https://majorityreportradio.com/

It can be difficult to navigate the procedures and interactions that come with a hospital visit. However, knowing what to expect going in can help improve your experience. This week, we talk with hospitalist and author, Dr. Monique S. Nugent about how to physically and mentally prepare for hospital visits. Her new book, “Prescription for Admission: A Doctor's Guide for Navigating the Hospital, Advocating for Yourself, and Having a Better Hospitalization,” serves as a guide for patients who need help navigating the hospital. Also, we touch on a bill introduced in Congress that would help terminally ill patients get immediate access to benefits of the SSDI program. Hear from Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger from Tennessee who helped introduce the bill in an episode of the Healthcare Policy Pop.    Need help? The successful patient is one who can get what they need when they need it. We all know insurance slows us down, so why not take matters into your own hands? Our Navigator is an online tool that allows you to search a massive network of health-related resources using your zip code so you get local results. Get proactive and become a more successful patient right now at the Patients Rising Helpline. Have a question or comment about the show, or want to suggest a show topic or share your story as a patient correspondent? Drop us a line: podcast@patientsrising.org The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the guest(s)/ author(s) and do not reflect the official policy or position of Patients Rising, nor do the views and opinions stated on this show reflect the opinions of a guest's current or previous employers.  

In the studio today are Joan Phillips, Assistant Commissioner at the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, and Michelle Banks, DIF Strategic Director for MRC.   Find out how MRC is turning VR on its head. What would they do differently in the first year, and what results would they see after year 2? Learn about the success of the job certification program, and how they are meeting the "NextGen-ers" where they are at.   Hear how  Joan and Michelle encourage others to take on a DIF Grant to help bring more innovation and creative ideas to VR.   Learn more about the NextGen Initiative.   Listen Here   Full Transcript:   {Music}   Joan: If you are committed to this field, please apply for a DIF grant. Bring your ideas forward so we can infuse the future of VR with new energy and achieve more outcomes for individuals with disabilities who come to us, really depending on us, to help them make life changing decisions.   Michelle: We're moving more and more young adults into trainings. We've developed training partnerships in technology, in health care. We're trying to forge our way into biotech.   Joan: I'm always challenging staff. What else? How else?   Intro Voice: Manager Minute brought to you by the VRTAC for Quality Management, Conversations powered by VR, one manager at a time, one minute at a time. Here is your host Carol Pankow.   Carol: Well, welcome to the Manager Minute. Joining me in the studio today are Joan Phillips, assistant commissioner at the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, and Michelle Banks, DIF strategic director for MRC. So, Joan, how are things going at MRC?   Joan: Things are going really well. We are extremely busy working hard to ensure that the individuals who come to us seeking employment have every opportunity to get the training and to be upskilled and to gain employment. We are very, very busy but very happy.   Carol: Well, and of course, under Tony, she keeps you very busy because Tony's got a lot of great ideas. I love that.   Joan: She's got a lot of energy, more than all of us, that's for sure.   Carol: How about you, Michelle? How are things going for you?   Michelle: Good, busy is the word. Our project is well underway. Got a lot of participants. We've got a lot of interested folks and a lot of optimism for what we're about to achieve here. So it's going well.   Carol: I'm super excited to dig into this because I know our listeners have been really excited. And so this is the third podcast in a series focused on the Disability Innovation Fund career advancement projects. And I want to just do a little quick recap for our listeners about this particular round of the Disability Innovation Fund grants. So grant activities are geared to support innovative activities aimed at improving the outcomes of individuals with disabilities. And the Career Advancement Initiative model demonstrations funded back in 2021 were intended to identify and demonstrate practices that are supported by evidence to assist VR eligible individuals with disabilities, including previously served VR participants in employment who reenter the program to do the following. And it was to advance in high demand, high quality careers like science, technology, engineering, and math or those STEM careers, to enter career pathways in industry driven sectors through pre apprenticeships, registered apprenticeships and industry recognized apprenticeship programs to improve and maximize the competitive integrated outcomes, economic self-sufficiency, independence and inclusion in society and reduce reliance on public benefits like SSI, SSDI and or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and any state or local benefits. Also, when we think back, Congress made career pathways a necessary, if not foundational, part of WIOA's workforce reforms and states, for example, are required to include career pathways and workforce development systems. They're required to have them in their local plans that they have. So it's been really fun because each of the other agencies that we featured to date has taken a really uniquely Different approach, and I'm excited to unpack what's happening with you all. So, Joan, I'm going to start with you. Tell our listeners a little bit about yourself and how you got into VR.   Joan: I actually have a master's degree in rehabilitation, but spent a significant amount of my career working in the private sector. I feel that those experiences really informed my positions that I've held at MRC. I came in as a director of one of our local offices, and four years later I was promoted to Assistant Commissioner. So that's a little glimpse into my journey. I have significant experience in Workforce Development, disability determination to determine eligibility for disability benefits, working with young adults with disabilities, individuals with severe physical disabilities. And I'm very fortunate to be in this career.   Carol: Well, it's always fun to see how people make their way to VR. We all get here some way. It can be a long and winding road sometimes, or a very direct path in. So Michelle, how about you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself?   Michelle: Sure, mine might reflect a long, winding part when it comes to Vocational Rehabilitation, but I've spent my career working with young adults. I started in the health care sector and then moved to juvenile justice. And then spent about 20 years in public child welfare, and I was the director of Adolescent and Young Adult Services for the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, where I was helping the agency pursue transition related outcomes, one of them being employment with a group of young adults who were going to leave the public child welfare system without returning home or being adopted. So they had their lives, were calling for an enormous amount of independence, saw a lot of inequity when it came to economic stability, and could see a lot of pathways in things that could be done differently. I had worked with MRC a bit in that role and saw what they were doing, and when I realized that they got this funding to help young adults in particular, really try to have gratifying career pathways that were going to help them achieve economic stability in ways that many of their peers have the opportunity to do. I jumped right on it. So that's how I landed with MRC and have been excited to be working in this role ever since.   Carol: Very cool. So you're well positioned for the role you're in now. That is great. So, Joan, can you paint us a picture of MRC? Like how many staff do you have? How many people do you serve? A little bit more about what it's like in Massachusetts.   Joan: Yeah. So the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission provides services that break down barriers and empower people with disabilities to live life on their own terms. Our programs focus on career services, home and community life, and disability determination for federal benefit programs. We like to say that we're change agents and community builders, and we put the people we serve at the heart of everything we do. I'm the Assistant Commissioner of the Vocational Rehabilitation Division. That division serves over 15,000 individuals annually. We have over 300 staff, which includes directors of our local offices, regional managers, statewide managers, vocational rehabilitation counselors, placement and employment specialists, counselors for the deaf and hard of hearing, various clerical positions, supervisors. And hopefully I haven't missed anyone. The NextGen initiative, which you'll hear about, has some broad and some interesting staffing positions that we hope will inform VR moving forward in the future, and you'll hear more about that later.   Carol: So just a side note, I wondered, how are you guys faring kind of coming out of the pandemic? Are you seeing an upswing in the number of people that you're serving?   Joan: Absolutely. The numbers are increasing in terms of the numbers being served and also the numbers of individuals who are getting employment. We had a downswing during the pandemic, but now it's moving in the right direction and we're really excited to see that.   Carol: Good, that's good to hear. Been kind of hearing that trend across the country and I'm super happy about that. Well, I know your commissioner, Tony Wolf. I think she's amazing. She's done a lot of very cool things. She comes with a whole interesting background as well. And I know she's been super supportive and I feel like is always on the cutting edge of improving services. Talk about the support you've received from Tony and kind of throughout your agency for this project.   Joan: Her vision is really to modernize our organization, to modernize the Voc rehab divisions, to be relevant to this generation and future generations of individuals with disabilities. So we're all aligning ourselves. I said earlier, she's got much more energy than all of us combined. So we're trying to keep up with her and her ideas and moving forward.   Carol: Very cool. So, Michelle, big picture. Let's break down the grant. What do you propose to do with this grant? And what are you hoping to accomplish?   Michelle: So in this grant cycle we are looking to get 1000 NextGen-ers. So young adults 18 to 30 years old with disabilities into career pathways that are STEM related. We're going to do that in a few different ways, but our goal is to really open their minds to see how they can be successful in STEM careers, help them develop the tools that they're going to need to make the right career decision for them, understand how they can be successful and happy, and really achieve that economic stability that you were talking about and I was talking about earlier. It's an Innovation grant. So we're doing things differently than they've been done in the past. One of the things that we're doing is we have a learning experience that we provide to all of our NextGen-ers, and it's called Self CARES. Self CARES is an acronym, stands for Self-capacity self-advocacy, self-realization and Self Sufficiency. So it's really understanding. Ending who you are as a worker, what you want out of that, what your strengths and limitations are, what you're going to need to advocate for yourself once you become someone's employee and how you can work independently. And in NextGen, we don't see independence as being alone. We see it as accessing, first of all, having access to services, being able to access them, and harnessing the things that are available in your life to help you be successful at work. So that's our learning experience, Self CARES. And we also have these really creatively built teams looking at success in other sectors and within vocational rehabilitation itself that we've developed these roles within these teams. They include a peer mentor for every NextGener. The moment that they walk into our doors, we actually walk through their doors because we're community based, which is another innovative component. We have family partners, so the families of all of our NextGen-ers have a partner available to them on our team to ensure that their voice is NextGen-ers life and how they can contribute to a successful career. We also have employment success specialists, we have career counselors. We have specialty counselors for our NextGen-ers with sensory disabilities. We have a specialty counselor for blind low vision, NextGen-ers, and deaf hard of hearing NextGen-ers. And we have regional supervisors because we are based in these communities. We have three communities in the Commonwealth that we're serving right now as part of the grant. What's really different is these teams hold the NextGen-ers together, so it's not a 1 to 1 relationship. For example, with a counselor we're testing out, what is it like when you have these multi disciplines in they're all available to you. And we know that young adults like choice. So they choose who in this team is their team lead who they want to talk to, who they're going to return the text from. You know, who can get them where they want to be. But the rest of the team doesn't go away. They stay right there at the table to bring what they're disciplined forward and help move the young adult into work. Those are the main components of our program. I always look to Joan for a moment because she can fill in what I may have forgotten.   Joan: So NextGen is about quick wins. You know, we really want to help the young adults focus on those certificate programs and apprenticeships that are short term. They're not. We're not talking about putting people into a degree program, but a certificate program where there is a demand in the market sector for those skills and that they have a high probability of obtaining employment, making higher wages.   Carol: I love that you're doing that, that focus on, you know, everybody always was thinking, you have to have this four year degree or you got to get your master's, you got to get your doctorate. You know, all that. That is not for everyone. And there are so many good careers out there where you just need this little bit, like this certificate or you do the apprenticeship. Lots of people learn better, hands on. I remember my son, one of his friends in high school is an apprentice to be a plumber. I'm like, Chase, he's going to make more money than everybody because everybody needs plumbers. And that was his thing. He doesn't want to go to school and do the book learning. He learns so much better via hands on. So I like that approach because everybody doesn't want to go to college.   Joan: Yeah, you know what's really interesting is that right now, because of employers being unable to fill so many positions, everybody is looking at their entrance requirements to say, do we really need somebody with a degree? Is this something that somebody could learn on the job? Is this something if they got a certificate in this particular area, would that be sufficient? So I think we're on the cutting edge. We're on the cutting edge of preparing young adults to meet the demands of the labor market. And we're really excited about this. The good news is that if somebody completes a certificate program, gets a job and decides they want a degree, many employers are paying for those degrees. So the young person doesn't have these huge debts that they need to pay back. So that's one of the exciting things about NextGen. And that's one of the things that we inform the participants about that you can get a degree later if you decide that that's a path that you want to take.   Carol: Well, your timing couldn't be more perfect. I mean, I really feel like the pandemic sort of set all this up where people kind of flipped employment on its ear, and people are starting to see that not everybody needs to go to college, and there's lots of different ways to achieve that kind of ultimate career goal that you want to get to. There's a lot of ways to get there. So I think your timing is spot on. So let's talk about the first year. What kind of struggles did you guys encounter? Because I've heard it from the other DIF grantees. They're like, you know, that first year we had some problems, but what kind of struggles did you encounter in year one and what would you have done differently?   Michelle: I think that we used the analogy building the plane as you're flying it a lot. We are very optimistic about reaching our goals. Five years is a very short time to pursue some of these things. So Joan was the crafter of the implementation strategy really, and implementing, you know, building the program, opening the program, staffing the program, delivering the service at the same time is a very rapid pace. So I think that the biggest challenge would be the pace. At the same time, we're asking our NextGen-ers to work really hard in a short period of time to get a big outcome. So we've got to be doing the same thing.   Joan: You know, it's really funny when you write something on paper. It looks so beautiful and. And somewhat easy you know. But then reality hits that you have to, you know, this is a program that's serving people and you need to be strategic around implementation. And how are you going to deliver what it is that you've promised your funders that you're going to deliver? You know, if there was one thing that I could, we spent a lot of time drafting job descriptions, hiring staff, training staff, setting up infrastructure. If there was one thing that I could change as we rolled into year two and began to do outreach and recruitment, I looked back and said, I wish we had done outreach and recruitment in the first year, with a timeline set as to when the program would start. You know, took us a while to get the momentum going for recruitment. We're actually exceeding recruitment goals right now, but it was very stressful in the beginning thinking we weren't going to meet that number.   Carol: So that's a really good tip because I know folks have said the first year is sort of a drag because of the government processes. You have to write your position description and get it approved, and then you've got to post and then you're going to hire. And so you're waiting, waiting, waiting to kind of get going with the program. And then year two, It's like, holy cow, pedal to the metal really quickly, where I love that idea of ramping up and making people aware of what's going on as you're getting these things done. So it isn't quite that just huge forcefulness that needs to happen right away in year two. That makes really good sense. So since you're saying your outreach is going really well, I was going to ask you, I know you guys have a really I call it a groovy way of talking, so I may date myself, but I love how you guys talk about this program because it's exciting. You know, I love your NextGen-ers. I like when you were talking about employee success specialists. Like, I want to be one of those, you know, that kind of cool stuff that you're doing. So how are you connecting with your potential customers? And I'm going to shoot that to you, Michelle.   Michelle: Yeah, we have had a really dynamic and exciting outreach and marketing campaign. I have to talk first about our digital and print collateral, because when we were at CSAVR last year, it just flew off the shelf. They were so impressed with it. They wanted it to take it back to their state and see how they could replicate it. Marketing to young adults. Young adults get marketed to a lot, right? They are exposed to things that new ideas and people that want their presence, their money, their time. So you have a lot of competition out there, and you have to think about what's going to get their attention. So we had a digital and print media campaign in multiple languages. We want to ensure that we are serving young adults that have been under engaged in the past, and that includes specific racial and ethnic demographics. So we needed to make sure that the imagery on this collateral looked like them, look like the people we wanted to come into our program with. So diverse representation, they're young adults. Some had visual disabilities in the print collateral. They were living their lives, you know, so that folks could see that and really see themselves represented. And then also in their languages as well. We have multiple languages, and then everything from like the colors that we use to the background we used. We lifted that from other media campaigns that were for young adults specifically that we knew were successful. So real intentionality in a lot of time was put into that and a great partnership with our coms team. They were there before I got to the table and were so excited to do this work, and it really came through and what they were able to produce. We also went to social media. We launched social media campaigns. On Tik Tok reached close to 1500 views on that. We went to Facebook and Instagram, but we knew our demographic was really on Instagram and TikTok, so that was our area of focus. We did dynamic reels for them, and then we also just did what you would call like a flat still photograph, you know, using our digital media. So we're able to reach a lot of people that way. Then we went out every time we hired somebody and they were trained on the program, we put them out into the community to go find young adults, families and the systems that serve them. So we established partnerships with health and human service sister agencies serving our demographic as well as high schools were a great partner for us. We used some contracted services so that we could harness other relationships that were in the community. Cultural brokers, any type of neighborhood event, community event we were out at trying to we knew that the power wasn't speaking directly to young adults and directly to families, so that was always our focus. And multilingual capacity is really important there as well.   Carol: Yeah, I remember your materials flying off the table. People were like, holy cow, it is, it's like you've brought this whole fresh perspective into VR.   Michelle: Just one more thing. If anybody's listening that was of a huge assistance to us was a QR code on our print material. I just wanted to share that our potential NextGen-ers or their families could scan the QR code came directly to our landing page in a one page inquiry sheet.   Carol: You would now be proud of me because I saw that I was like, so we now have QR codes we're using on everything. So we do if we're doing evaluations, we go anywhere. We use a QR code instead of like, we're sending you this paper evaluation. We're just like we do the QR code. In fact, at our table coming up at the conference, I have QR codes that folks can just scan to get to our resources instead of like, dragging a bunch of paper along. So you're starting a revolution, you guys. It's awesome, I love it. So what kind of results are you seeing now that year two is completed? I think Michelle go to you first.   Michelle: We're moving more and more young adults into trainings. We've developed training partnerships in technology, in health care. We're trying to forge our way into biotech. So our NextGen-ers are coming in at the younger side around 22. So a lot of them do not have significant work history and have never heard of these fields before. They didn't get a lot of exposure to that in their high school experience. So we're doing a lot of career exploration and helping them into these trainings. We're doing some cohort trainings with some partners. So these are just NextGen-ers that we're able to hold together, serve as a group, give them peer support, give them support outside of the training or academics that are happening for them. And we're getting a lot of feedback on how to do that effectively with them. They don't like to meet in the morning. They don't want to meet after dinner. You've lost them permanently. But and they like individualized support. So as they're in these trainings, it's great and very helpful to them to meet as groups and peers. But they also want to be able to privately ask a question if they're struggling with any material, or maybe not quite sure this is a good fit for them. So needing to be really available to really understand what these trainings are, what is being asked of them, and then being able to provide that support. And if we can't provide it, connecting with the training provider to help them understand what the student experience is as well. And we've got some young adults moving into work as well. We again needed to open their minds to STEM careers. And sometimes when you've had no career or no job, you need to start somewhere. So we are looking a lot at some folks that are heading to work in. Our work is nowhere near done, right? They're getting their first job and they're learning what they like and what they don't like there. But the idea is to move more towards a career focused pathway.   Carol: Yeah. Very cool. That's the thing about demonstration projects you learn along the way, which I love, like you're learning little nuances, especially when you're working with that age group. Like, yeah, like after dinner you can and not too early in the morning. You're like all those different pieces, the ways you think you have it set up, and then you go, well, that didn't work so well. We're going to pivot. Joan, did you have some thoughts on that too?   Joan: Yeah, I was just going to say one exciting thing for me is employers engaging with us differently. For example, we have Red River who really stepped up and said we would love to offer an IT training for some of your participants who are interested in that field and their staff delivering the training for these young adults. And the hope is that, you know, many of them will get employment with Red River and other organizations. They brought Cisco and others to the table. And, you know, the opportunities. You know, if these individuals succeed in this area, it's wide. It's wide, wide open. Employer engagement. Also involves coming to talk to the young adults about different jobs in STEM, what it's like to work for their organizations, and etcetera. So it's beautiful to see the employers engaging at that level and who else to give relevant information but the employers.   Carol: Yeah, that's brilliant.   Joan: I walked into one of our conference rooms the other day, and there were 20 young people just focused on taking computers apart, and they didn't even notice me walking in the room. They were so engaged in the process. It was just, just beautiful. Just beautiful.   Carol: I think that's super smart, you know, because we can do it. You sit there and you go, well, you've got your counselors and they're talking about different jobs, but nothing better than people in that field. That particular company. And those companies are smart for hooking up with you guys too, because they have such a need for staff. And so that partnership, like the partnerships you're developing all the way through this, that's amazing. It's very cool. Joan, now I know you talk to me too, about your philosophy when it comes to VR. Can you share that with our listeners? You have some very cool perspective, and I know I can't, I can't say it like you say it.   Joan: Yeah, I've been in the field for a really, really long time, and my greatest desire is to see individuals with disabilities in high level, higher paying jobs. It's time for us to move out of retail flowers and filth. And I can't remember the other half, but, you know,   Carole: Food.   Joan:  and food services. Yes. It's time for us to move there. And I'm extremely excited to see where these NextGen-ers end up as we focus them on potentially jobs and careers that they've never heard of. You know, it's about exposing them to that. I'm always challenging staff. What else? How else? When I came to Mass Rehab, I was very surprised that our organization had been around for about 50 years and that the business community didn't know about us. I'm saying to myself, how are we getting people to work? And the types of jobs that people were getting really demonstrated that we were not connected to the business community. So it was my vision to drive that connection, to hire staff specifically focused on building relationships with the business community, nurturing those relationships, bringing information back to the counselors who are giving the advice around careers, and really developing a feeder system by having individuals who are managing business accounts, who speak their language, you know, who understand their culture and can help us to become much more innovative in preparing the individuals we serve and building the talent pipeline for the employers.   Carol: Good on you. I love that you speak to my heart. I know back when I was at State Services for the Blind in Minnesota and we were trying to expose our Pre-ETS students, that's why we started podcasts. Back then. We wanted to expose students to other kinds of work out there, because a lot of times our young folks who were blind or visually impaired, they just thought, I'm going to be a Walmart greeter. I can't do anything else. And it's like they had no idea I would cry, literally when we would do these student interviews and when people would kind of sell themselves short. It really hit my heart. And so the world is wide open. There's so many awesome opportunities that our folks can fill, you know, and you champion that I think is just brilliant.   Joan: Yeah, I mean, young adults with disabilities need to know that individuals with disabilities are CEOs. They are CFOs. They are IT professionals. You know, they're in the medical field. They're doctors, nurses, firemen. I mean, they're in every business sector. And I really believe that it is our job as VR professionals to expose those individuals to those careers and to really help them to think about their abilities. And, you know, what they have to bring to the table and how can we help them? Our job is to help them make informed decisions. Right? So we need to be informed about the labor market so that the information that we're transferring to these young adults is relevant to the current labor market. I think the NextGeneration of individuals with disabilities are not going to put up with working in a supermarket, bagging groceries. They want to be doing things that give them a great salary and offer them career ladder opportunities. And we're starting with NextGen.   Carol: They're going to be running that grocery store. They're not just bagging the groceries.   Joan: There you go.   Carol: They're going to own it. They're going to own that store. I love that. So, Joan, I know you also talked about the support you've had from RSA. Can you describe that for the listeners with this grant that there's been just really great support?   Joan: Doug Ziou has been an incredible supporter and a great cheerleader of MRC. I mean, everything we bring to the table, he's just. Yes. Do it. Yes. Do it. Very, very supportive, asking great questions, challenging us in ways that we need to be challenged but extremely, extremely supportive. And we're truly grateful that we have Doug on our side.   Carol: Yeah, I've heard that with all the project officers, I mean, like, they are super excited and really invested in these grants. It's almost like it's their babies or something. And they just love this so much. I'm really glad to hear that. Michelle, did you have anything you wanted to add to that?   Michelle: No, I was nodding. I realized this is a podcast, but I was just nodding furiously as Joan was talking. Working with Doug has just been such a pleasure, and you never get off a call with him without just feeling completely pumped about what you're about to go do and see all the possibility in it, because, you know, he does.   Carol: Yeah, I like that. They really cheerlead for that. So for those listeners that would like to apply for a DIF grant but have been afraid to do so, what advice would you give to others? Michelle. I'm going to hit you up with that first.   Michelle: I think that engaging potential employer partners, stakeholders, families are critical in not just the design and implementation phase, but hanging on to those partners, remembering what they told you in the beginning, revisiting that to give them a feedback loop on how you're incorporating their ideas to keep their partnership going, even when it's like, hey, remember you said that maybe you thought you could take on a few NextGen-ers in your organization? We're there now, keeping in contact, revisiting conversations. You know, I think that in a lot of grants, we bring our stakeholders to the table when we're applying for the funding and maybe even right when we first get it. And then we let them go away a little bit. So keep them there, keep them in the conversation. Update them on how things are progressing. Continue to ask questions. The world is different than it was two years ago, so our questions should be different as well. So that we're staying current in that partnership is staying current. And I can't stress family engagement enough and how powerful it is with young adults. Most family engagement models were born to serve children, and our young adults continue to have the bulk of their support come from their family members. I think everybody through the life course has the bulk of their support come through their family members. So why would you not have their voice at the table? Why would you not have their ideas? Why would you not consult with them on the course that you're setting with the NextGener, or because they have a lot of insight to share, they have a lot of resources to offer. So continuing that conversation in as well with that very unique set of stakeholders I would recommend.   Carol: Yeah, well said. Joan, any advice you have for our listeners?   Joan: Yeah. I mean, if you are nervous about applying for a grant, this is what I say. Are you an innovative thinker? Are you tired of VR the way it is and you would like to see change? Then I say go for it. VR needs some inspiration, some new strategies to move to the next level. If you are committed to this field, please apply for a DIF grant. Bring your ideas forward so we can infuse the future of VR with new energy and achieve more outcomes for individuals with disabilities who come to us, really depending on us, to help them make life changing decisions. I just want to share a story of a young adult who worked with MRC. He came to us, he was working in a pizza establishment, and he heard about our job driven training in cybersecurity. He applied even though he wasn't sure that that's an area that he could succeed in, graduated the top of the class, and is now earning over $80,000 a year. We want to replicate that 1000 times over with NextGen, and I would love for VR nationally to replicate that story. We want people to make wages that they can live on, that they can support a family on, that they can purchase a home or a car or, you know, live in a nice apartment. We want people to get off of Social Security disability benefits. That is buying into a lifetime of poverty. So we're depending on people with innovative and creative ideas to make that change. Don't be afraid of a DIF, grant. Jump in with both feet and let's make change happen for voc rehab.   Carol: Hear hear, you guys are going to turn VR on its head for sure, I love it. So Michelle, what would be the best way for our listeners to contact you if they wanted to follow up with any questions or like to see any information?   Michelle: Absolutely, we have a landing page. It's very impressive. I think it has this component where you can see videos of all of our NextGen staff. We did that for young adults to be able to check us out in the way that they like to check people out before they engage with them. It's https://www.mass.gov/nextgen-careers and anybody could email me any time MichelleBanks2, the number two, @mass.gov.   Carol: Excellent. You guys have been awesome. I'm so excited and I'm really hoping to check back in with you in a couple of years. As you get further along in the journey, maybe we can do a little repeat podcast and go like, hey, everybody is making they're not making 80,000 Joan. People are making 100 grand and these guys are living their best life. It is happening, I love it. Thank you both so much for participating in this podcast today. Appreciate it.   Joan: Thank you so much.   Michelle: Thank you.   {Music} Outro Voice: Conversations powered by VR, one manager at a time, one minute at a time, brought to you by the VR TAC for Quality Management. Catch all of our podcast episodes by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening!

Attorney Brian Glass shares outstanding advice on work life balance for lawyers. Personal Injury Marketing Minute #58 will cover why is it important to disengage and create work-life balance, how can a lawyer structure their time to create a more balanced lifestyle, what happens to this structure when things catch on fire at the office, and how lawyers can they break the cycle. Brian Glass on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fairfaxpersonalinjury/ His Bio: https://benglasslaw.com/bio/brian-glass/ Time Freedom for Lawyers Podcast: https://www.timefreedompod.com/ Great Legal Marketing, LLC's GLM Tribe: https://www.theglmtribe.com/ See all episodes or subscribe to the Personal Injury Marketing Minute here: https://optimizemyfirm.com/podcasts/. Transcript: Lindsey: Welcome to the Personal Injury Marketing Minute where we quickly cover the hot topics in the legal marketing world. I'm your host, Lindsey Busfield. Over the past 10 years, there has been a major shift in the mentality of work where society used to glorify the 100-hour work week. We are now embracing having some semblance of work-life balance. While there are some industries where employees can fairly easily put in natural work-life boundaries, lawyers often struggle with this concept. When your clients are in crisis mode, there are deadlines to meet and big money is on the line, it might feel as though everything is going to fail if you don't just power through and burn the midnight oil. Well, you don't have to. Brian Glass joins us today to discuss how you can be a great lawyer and still have a life. Thank you so much for joining us today. Brian: That's such an introduction, and I really hope that I can live up to the stage that you just set for all the listeners. Lindsey: Well, I know that you will. You have a lot of experience putting together a great law firm, but also putting in some of those natural boundaries, and I can't wait to get your thoughts on how you make it work. So tell us a little bit about your background and about your practice. Brian's Background: Brian: So I'm a personal injury lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia. I've been practicing for 15 years, and so hearing you talk, Lindsey, about the shift over the last 10 years away from 100-hour work weeks is like, "Wow, I predate the shift." But more importantly, I've got three boys and a wife who I want to make it home to for dinner and for soccer practices and baseball practices. And so we structured all of our practice around that first, and I'd love to talk to you about that today. But so our practice, we have five lawyers in the firm, three of them are in an auto accident practice with me. The other two are in a nationwide long-term disability appeals practice, which is different than SSDI. We've got about 15 staff members now and we've grown 4x in the last five years. Why Lawyers Don't Trust Anyone: Lindsey: That's phenomenal. That is some great growth and clearly you're putting in the infrastructure to support that. And we see lawyers struggling all the time to pull away from the office and they get glued into that. Why do you think that's going on? Brian: Largely because lawyers don't trust anybody else to do the work, right? Lawyers, we got to where we are because we were the smartest people in high school, so we went to the best colleges. We were the smartest people at those colleges, so we went to the best law schools. We were the smartest people in law school, and that's how we got the job. And then we don't trust our team to do any of the work for us. And so the practice that we designed, Lindsey, really has the staff doing the 80% of the work that gets all the results. Our job as lawyers is to create the framework where your team can operate knowing what the vision of the firm is, knowing what the goals for the clients are, and knowing where those guardrails where you're not allowed to touch that because that's actually legal advice.

On this Tuesday topical show, Crystal chats with ChrisTiana ObeySumner about their campaign for Seattle City Council District 5. Listen and learn more about ChrisTiana and their thoughts on: [01:06] - Why they are running [04:49] - Lightning round! [12:20] - What is an accomplishment of theirs that impacts District 5 [16:09] - City budget shortfall: Raise revenue or cut services? [21:48] - Public Safety: Alternative response [26:58] - Victim support [35:53] - Housing and homelessness: Frontline worker wages [39:25] - Climate change [43:28] - Transit reliability [46:58] - Small business support [52:48] - Childcare: Affordability and accessibility [56:33] - Difference between them and opponent As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find ChrisTiana ObeySumner at @votechristiana.   ChrisTiana ObeySumner ChrisTiana ObeySumner is a Black, queer, non-binary, and multiply disabled person, community organizer and activist. They are CEO and principal consultant of Epiphanies of Equity LLC -- A social equity consulting firm that particularly specializes in social change, intersectionality, antiracism, and disability justice. For two decades, they've dedicated their life and career to amplifying the importance of social equity – defined as the lifelong work of deconstructing inequitable sociological impacts and products such as policies, institutions, cultures, biases, and constructs; and facilitating strategic and embodied pathways towards the construction of equitable processes, accountability structures, and outcomes.    Resources Campaign Website - ChrisTiana ObeySumner   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review show and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. Today, I am excited to be welcoming to the program candidate for Seattle City Council District 5, ChrisTiana ObeySumner. Welcome! [00:01:02] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Thank you so much for having me - I'm so excited. [00:01:04] Crystal Fincher: Well, I'm excited to have you. And just starting off, I'm wondering what made you decide to run? [00:01:11] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: I get asked this question a lot - you know, it's, the best way I can put it is this. I have been engaged in some sort of civic, politics, social equity since I was a small child. My grandmom was a Black Panther, my family was always very opened and talked a lot about what it meant to be - you know, if not you, who, if not now, when - sort of things. And especially growing up in a family who was chronically unhoused or homeless - a lot of folks who were disabled, a lot of folks who under-resourced - most of my family is in Camden, New Jersey, in Philadelphia area. And so, and for me being autistic as an 80s child, so the ADA did not really help as much. There was always sort of a need and a early exposure to what it meant to advocate, to speak up for yourself, to speak up for others, to really call out inequity when you see it, to get into good trouble. And that has really been the through line of my life and my life's work - I have done that as a youth leader, I've done that for Mad Pride - especially in Louisville, Kentucky. I've done that in terms of homeless and housing unstable youth, especially in colleges - I came here to Seattle in 2010 to go to Seattle University, where I became Commuter Student rep and Non-Traditional Student representative for those reasons. I've worked in direct social services at DESC, Compass Housing Alliance. I did my AmeriCorps at Full Life Care for Harborview. My first work-study job here was in the Office of City Clerk where I learned how to read policy. I started my business, Epiphanies of Equity, in 2018, right after the running for the transparency seat in 2017, where I came second to Kirsten Harris-Talley. And since then has worked with over 250 businesses, governments and organizations across the country - obviously concentrated here - where we have specifically been working for social equity, for policy advocacy, for disability justice. Essentially when humans are human-ing with other humans, we know that certain human things happen - how can we work towards a society where humans are working towards equity? And through all of this work - additional to the co-chair Disability Commission and Renters' Commission - I'm putting all of this resume out here to say, I have approached a lot of the work, especially since being here in Seattle, from a lot of different angles. And especially in the last few years, has really heightened where I've worked with a lot of folks in the city and beyond - this is the next natural step towards that work. And so when the incumbent or the previous councilmember, Councilmember Debora Juarez, announced that she was not going to run, I must've gotten - between Gluttonous Eating Holiday and the 1st of the year - got somewhere between a dozen and a half calls from folks who were just like - So, you heard, right? Open seat, you gonna run? And I really thought about it for a while 'cause I'm a wonk - of the Hacks & Wonks, I'm the wonk part of that - and I just really wanted to go to the policy piece and I decided, you know what, let's give it a shot. So here I am. [00:04:47] Crystal Fincher: And here you are. Well, at this point, we're gonna switch up this interview a little bit and add an additional element that we haven't added before - a lightning round. Just quick answer, yes or no, or quick answer questions to level set a little bit. And then we'll get back to our regularly scheduled full-length answers where we can wonk out about everything. So starting off - This year, did you vote yes on the King County Crisis Care Centers levy? [00:05:17] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. [00:05:18] Crystal Fincher: This year, did you vote yes on the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services levy? [00:05:22] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. [00:05:23] Crystal Fincher: Did you vote in favor of Seattle's Social Housing Initiative 135? [00:05:28] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. And Epiphanies of Equity was one of the folks who also tried to endorse it, as well as the JumpStart Tax. [00:05:37] Crystal Fincher: Excellent. In 2021, did you vote for Bruce Harrell or Lorena González for Mayor? [00:05:44] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Lorena González. [00:05:45] Crystal Fincher: In 2021, did you vote for Nicole Thomas Kennedy or Ann Davison for Seattle City Attorney? [00:05:51] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: NTK. [00:05:53] Crystal Fincher: In 2022, did you vote for Leesa Manion or Jim Ferrell for King County Prosecutor? [00:06:03] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: I don't remember. I don't recall. [00:06:14] Crystal Fincher: Okay. [00:06:14] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Sorry. [00:06:15] Crystal Fincher: Did you, in 2022 - no, that's totally fine. In 2022, did you vote for Patty Murray or Tiffany Smiley for US Senate? [00:06:23] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Patty Murray. [00:06:25] Crystal Fincher: Do you rent or own your residence? [00:06:27] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: I rent. [00:06:29] Crystal Fincher: Are you a landlord? [00:06:30] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: No. [00:06:32] Crystal Fincher: Would you vote to require landlords to report metrics, including how much rent they're charging, to help better plan housing and development needs in the district? [00:06:41] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes, it's actually part of my platform. [00:06:44] Crystal Fincher: Are there any instances where you would support sweeps of homeless encampments? [00:06:49] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: No - not at all, in any form. [00:06:52] Crystal Fincher: Will you vote to provide additional funding for Seattle's Social Housing Public Development Authority? [00:06:57] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. [00:06:58] Crystal Fincher: Do you agree with King County Executive Constantine's statement that the King County Jail should be closed? [00:07:05] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: I do believe, yes - I'm abolitionist, so I think all the jails should be closed. [00:07:09] Crystal Fincher: Should parking enforcement be housed within SPD? [00:07:14] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: No. [00:07:15] Crystal Fincher: Would you vote to allow police in schools? [00:07:18] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: No. [00:07:19] Crystal Fincher: Do you support allocation in the City budget for a civilian-led mental health crisis response? [00:07:26] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes, if it's civilian-led and it's not further padding SPD budget. [00:07:31] Crystal Fincher: Do you support allocation in the City budget to increase the pay of human service workers? [00:07:36] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Absolutely. [00:07:37] Crystal Fincher: Do you support removing funds in the City budget for forced encampment removals and instead allocating funds towards a Housing First approach? [00:07:46] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. [00:07:47] Crystal Fincher: Do you support abrogating or removing the funds from unfilled SPD positions and putting them toward meaningful public safety measures? [00:07:57] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes, if they're unfilled. [00:07:59] Crystal Fincher: Do you support allocating money in the City budget for supervised consumption sites? [00:08:04] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. [00:08:05] Crystal Fincher: Do you support increasing funding in the City budget for violence intervention programs? [00:08:11] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. As a violence intervention program - I was, I think in my head I was getting, I have them mixed up the two different things - which, when you're talking about them, which one are you talking- [00:08:24] Crystal Fincher: Like community-led violence or organizational-led violence intervention programs. [00:08:28] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Oh! Yes, yes, yes. [00:08:30] Crystal Fincher: Gotcha. [00:08:31] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. [00:08:31] Crystal Fincher: Do you oppose a SPOG contract, a Seattle Police Officers Guild contract, that doesn't give the Office of Police Accountability and the Office of Inspector General subpoena power? [00:08:46] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. [00:08:46] Crystal Fincher: Do you oppose a SPOG contract that doesn't remove limitations as to how many of OPA's investigators must be sworn versus civilian, or police versus non-police? [00:09:04] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Can you ask the question one more time? [00:09:05] Crystal Fincher: Do you oppose a SPOG contract that doesn't remove limitations as to how many of OPA's investigators must be sworn versus civilian? Should there be a cap on civilians? [00:09:19] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: No. [00:09:21] Crystal Fincher: Do you oppose - yes. These are confusingly led - we're not - these are not intended to be gotcha questions, so I want to totally make sure you understand. And that one's a little kludgy. [00:09:34] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: There should not be a limit on civilians. So yes, I would oppose something that would have a limit. Yes, okay. [00:09:39] Crystal Fincher: Do you oppose a SPOG contract that impedes the ability of the City to move funding to police safety alternatives? [00:09:48] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. [00:09:49] Crystal Fincher: Do you support eliminating in-uniform off-duty work by SPD officers? [00:09:56] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Support eliminating in-uniform work by off-duty? [00:09:59] Crystal Fincher: In-uniform off-duty work, like if they were to work in a security capacity elsewhere. Would you support eliminating them doing that in-uniform? [00:10:08] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. [00:10:09] Crystal Fincher: Will you vote to ensure that trans and non-binary students are allowed to play on the sports teams that fit with their gender identities? [00:10:17] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. [00:10:17] Crystal Fincher: Will you vote to ensure that trans people can use bathrooms and public facilities that match their gender? [00:10:23] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. [00:10:24] Crystal Fincher: Do you agree with the Seattle City Council's decision to implement the JumpStart Tax? [00:10:29] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. [00:10:30] Crystal Fincher: Will you vote to reduce or divert the JumpStart Tax in any way? [00:10:35] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: No. [00:10:36] Crystal Fincher: Are you happy with Seattle's newly built waterfront? [00:10:41] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: It's all right. [00:10:42] Crystal Fincher: Do you believe return to work mandates, like the one issued by Amazon, are necessary to boost Seattle's economy? [00:10:49] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Absolutely not. [00:10:50] Crystal Fincher: Have you taken transit in the past week? [00:10:53] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. [00:10:54] Crystal Fincher: Have you ridden a bike in the past week? [00:10:58] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: I have a disability that doesn't allow me to ride a two-wheeled bike, but I do have a tricycle that I ride sometimes. [00:11:03] Crystal Fincher: Should Pike Place Market allow non-commercial car traffic? [00:11:09] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: No. [00:11:10] Crystal Fincher: Should significant investments be made to speed up the opening of scheduled Sound Transit light rail lines? [00:11:17] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. [00:11:18] Crystal Fincher: Should we accelerate the elimination of the ability to turn right on red lights to improve pedestrian safety? [00:11:26] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yeah. [00:11:27] Crystal Fincher: Have you ever been a member of a union? [00:11:29] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes, SEIU 1199 Northwest. [00:11:31] Crystal Fincher: Will you vote to increase funding and staffing for investigations into labor violations like wage theft and illegal union busting? [00:11:40] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes. [00:11:41] Crystal Fincher: Have you ever walked on a picket line? [00:11:43] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: I have. [00:11:44] Crystal Fincher: Have you ever crossed a picket line? [00:11:46] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Absolutely not. [00:11:48] Crystal Fincher: Unlike Drew Barrymore, evidently. Is your campaign unionized? Is your campaign staff unionized? [00:11:56] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: I have pushed for that because I use a organization that is in the process of unionizing. [00:12:04] Crystal Fincher: Okay, and so assuming they're unionizing, will you voluntarily recognize their efforts? [00:12:10] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yes, yeah, yes. And my business is a co-op as well. [00:12:16] Crystal Fincher: Awesome. Well, that concludes the lightning round - hopefully pretty painless. Now, back to regular questions. So lots of people look to work that you've done to get a feel for what you prioritize and how qualified you are to lead. Can you describe something you've accomplished or changed in your district, and what impact that has had on your district's residents? [00:12:40] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yeah, so I've lived in District 5 the entire 13 years that I've been here. One of the things that people don't understand about District 5 is it's a lot more diverse than folks believe it is. I think the people who are the loudest seem to be seen as the demographic here - as primarily white, wealthy, middle-class, upper-class, homeowner types, right? But there's a lot of folks here who are people of the global majority, people who are disabled, people who are renters, people who are students. And one of the things that was really great to be able to advocate for was when I was co-chair of the Renters' Commission - at the time with Jessica Westgren, who was my co-chair - the Renters' Commission really advocated and wrote a letter of advocacy to City Council and to other pertinent entities, put out a press release in the news about some different rent stabilization and renter protection pieces that we'd like to see. What was able to come out of that was Councilmember Sawant's office passed the six-month advance notice for any rent increases, which was really significant for me. When I moved here in 2010 as a student, one of our first apartments that me and my mom lived in did have a pretty significant rent increase. I remember it was around the holidays and we only had maybe 30 or 60 days to get out or pay. My mom was on SSDI, I was on SSDI going to school - we did not have that. We were lucky to find another place to live, which eventually did end up getting sold. But there had been several times, either living with my mom or after I got married living with my partner, where if we didn't have that six-month advance notice, that we wouldn't also have had the opportunity to either save money if we could, get assistance if we could. I don't think people understand how quickly and how swiftly being housing unstable or becoming unhoused can really be. It really just takes being in a situation where you are responsible for an extra $200 a month - which means food, which means co-pay, which means transportation. In these cases, I don't know if you call the universe, luck, the ancestors, Buddha, whatever you call it - that was able to help us to find another opportunity for housing, but especially working in direct social services, I knew firsthand that that's not the case all the time. And so, especially as there's increased renters in the city, I think that's really helpful for that. There's other things that come to mind, but I feel like that's one that folks have heard me talk a lot about. [00:16:07] Crystal Fincher: And that is helpful. I wanna talk about the City budget. The City of Seattle is projected to have a revenue shortfall of $224 million, beginning in 2025. Because the City is mandated by the state to pass a balanced budget, the options to address this coming deficit are either to raise revenue, or cut services, or some combination of both. How will you approach the issue of how the City collects and spends money on behalf of its residents? [00:16:35] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: One of the things people hear me say a lot on this campaign trail, which I think I can get into a little bit with this question, is - I say a lot, either getting to the taproot of the issue or finding upstream solutions for effective collective and downstream results, which sounds - I understand it sounds very schmaltzy but let me explain what I mean with this question. There's this both-and situation that's happening with the budget that is really a interconnected effect to some upstream issues. And so there are certain areas of the way that the City gets revenue that are longer-term solutions that we really need to address. For example, we have the most regressive tax structure in the state. Washington State has the most regressive tax structure in the country. When we talk about some of the suggestions from the task force that just put out - the opportunities for progressive revenue task force - there are really promising things in there, like say having an income tax - which I know in Seattle, I'm learning, is a dirty word. This is the seventh state I've lived in, this is the first state I've lived in that did not have an income tax. Now I will say living in Louisville, Kentucky, it went a little bit too far, to be honest - I mean, they had a state tax, a city tax, a borough tax, it felt like a tax tax, they had all kinds of taxes - I'm not saying that. But we don't have an income tax at all in the most regressive tax structure in the country that also has one of the widest income disparities - the top 20% of income earners in the city makes 22 times more than the bottom 20% of income earners - there's a difference between $400,000 and about $18,000. So if we have a state constitutional law that says we can only have equality-based taxes and not equity-based taxes, or flat tax, that's not really gonna help have a progressive tax structure now, is it? So there's long-term pieces that folks have asked me before - Well, what, are you just gonna go off to the state and try to advocate to change the constitution? Yes, I will, if it's causing these issues. Now, in the short-term - we can increase the JumpStart Tax to bring in more funding. We can look at, especially parts of the budget that is going towards criminalization and punishment. And I think to explain a little bit about when I talk about reallocation of funds, community and SPD have both said that there are certain things that they're doing that they feel is outside of their purview and what they actually feel is necessary for them to do. We're in agreement there. And a lot of those sort of lightning questions you had around domestic violence, around violence intervention, around social services, even around parking or events - District 5 has a 7-minute response time in SPD. And a lot of it is because they are going all over the place. I listen to the police scanner - I think it's something I got into after the 2020 protest comms, things I used to do - and there's so many, I would say like one in every four calls, that seemed like it was either like someone's in the elevator or someone's screaming down the street, something like that. If we were to take those services that the community feels like SPD is out of their purview, SPD feels like it's out of SPD's purview - and we reallocate those services to community-based services, not necessarily that they would also have SPD come along. First of all, that'd be against the point in a lot of ways. But we have them go to alternative community services - true alternative community services, preferably nonprofits and organizations that are already doing this work on the ground. You see the average cost that it took for SPD to do those services that we would be reallocating, and we reallocate that part of the budget to those new services, especially if there are upstream pieces that could help - like housing. It would be in our best interest - whether it's for our community, for the folks who are impacted, or for taxpayers - to have money that's going towards, say, sweeps, go towards permanent housing. And so I would really, if elected, love to continue to work on how do we implement those seven or nine suggestions from the Progressive Revenue Task Force, and also continue to look at innovative solutions towards balancing this budget in ways that we can take the burden off of just increasing taxes - on the real estate taxes - in a way that's regressive. I think that we want to do, say, like a capital gains tax - I definitely think we need to do that. We want to do vacancy tax, we want to do land value or land banking taxes - I think that's important. I also feel, I feel really strongly - again, I know this is state - but I feel really strongly that as a city councilperson, it's my - any city councilperson's responsibility to advocate for issues that are impacting their community. And having flat rate taxation and regressive taxation is having a devastating impact on the community. [00:21:48] Crystal Fincher: I also want to talk about public safety and particularly alternative response, because we do - as you said before - need a more comprehensive approach to public safety, and that goes beyond policing. While the council and mayor have definitely taken action to increase the police budget, give retention bonuses, and other incentives to retain and hire more police, we're lagging behind other jurisdictions around the country - and even in our own region and county - with alternative response programs to better support those having behavioral health crises and other issues. Seattle has stalled in implementing what is a very widely-supported idea. So where do you stand on non-police solutions to public safety issues? And what are your thoughts on civilian-led versus co-response models? [00:22:40] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Major part of my platform - I guess now, because folks ask about it a lot - is that I firmly, firmly believe that we need to transition from hyper-relying on the police and having alternative solutions that is 100% civilian-led. I mean, let's look at it this way, like with the example I gave, right? If SPD is saying they're working out of their purview, it's impacting their response times. It's impacting how much their workforce burden is. It is forcing them to redeploy folks out of places like investigations, causing these huge backlogs in the lab, to street patrol. Why then would we require them to be a co-lead with the alternative solutions? We are trying to remove that hyper-reliance and burden off of them completely - like if it's out of their purview, it's out of their purview, and that's all that on that. Now, like I said, a lot of my family lives in Camden, New Jersey, and they had a huge reduction in their crime right before 2020 George Floyd racial reckoning by completely overhauling to community interventions and alternatives. They have some situations where there is a co-lead model, but those are for situations where there's active threats of harm with weapons involved, right? But if it's more so things, like I said - like intimate partner violence, domestic violence, someone needs social services, mental health services - things that wouldn't require police to be there, which is gonna be very few things. It has led to such a significant change in a place where it used to be considered one of the more dangerous cities in the country. So I think what's really important here is I think when folks hear me talk about this, their first thought is like - Ah, this is a Defund the Police, BLM person. I think that that has definitely been something, looking the way that I do and sort of wanting to talk to what's really gonna get to the taproot of the issue, has been part of what folks have considered in terms of my viability, or like how am I going to be when I'm in office - one of those things, right? But the reason why I went through that whole resume in the beginning was not to toot my own horn, so to speak, it was because it shows that I have successfully and continue to successfully sit in spaces where folks are in conflict, folks are scared, folks are confused, folks do not have a lower risk tolerance that is needed for true transformative social change. And I am able to support and move along progress towards goals, especially goals at the organizational level and even the policy and governmental level. It's not as well known because I'm sort of - I am working with the folks who then go off and do the press conference, as opposed to one doing myself, right? But that is what I bring, that is the toolkit that I have built. And that toolkit has worked time and time and time and time again. In terms of SPD and public safety in a lot of ways, like I said - I look at it like if you go into an organization, you have a team or a department that is working outside of their scope, outside of their purview, they're overburdened, their work is suffering - you're sort of in a space of like, do we give them more money to give them more team to do all the things we're asking of them? Or do we do something else? And what I would always say in this case, if it was in the scenario is - you take all of the tasks that is not core and central and imperative to that team or department, and you reallocate it and create a new team or department. And you reallocate the budget that averages what that team and department does for those services - and then you continue to watch for progress. And I am very confident that if we actually diversify what we do to address all of the different multiple pathways towards this shared goal of community safety, we would be in a way better spot than continuing to throw money at a bunch of overworked, overburdened people working out of scope. [00:26:57] Crystal Fincher: Gotcha. I also wanna talk about victims. So many times we're talking about stats and responses and all that, and sometimes we don't focus on people who've been harmed or victimized. And a lot of people speak for victims, but we don't do a good job of listening to people who have been harmed themselves. And usually what they say is that - one, they wanna make sure that what happened to them doesn't happen to them or anyone else again. And they want better support. And that support - not just talking about within the system currently - they call police, there's a response. But even if police respond and come and take a report and do their thing, that person is still left - if it's a property crime, without property, with damage, without money, sometimes having to take off work - and it really does impact lives. How do you propose to better support victims or people who have been harmed? [00:27:55] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: I think one of the biggest upstream solutions we really have to address is - if we are to have services and supports that help folks help victims, we need to make sure that they are resourced to be able to do so, and right now they are not. And when we say resourced - not just a budget for the projects, right, or the services, or the interventions, housing, funding, whatever that is, but the people who would actually work in those positions. We know, like for example, in emergency services or shelter services, folks are so woefully underpaid it's a national crisis. But also the resources to be able to have folks in those positions who are being amplified in their voices and leadership because they are part of those most intersectionally impacted. One of the reasons why - I guess another reason why I'm running for office is, you know - if we want to talk about the knowledge of the policy process, how to put bills forward, things like that - I definitely have that. But there is an additional piece of that - the wisdom of lived experience - that can help to understand how these things happen in the actual reality on the ground, beyond a theoretical philosophical perspective. As a social service worker, as also someone who is not just a survivor - I guess we could say survivor of domestic violence - but continue to live it, especially running for office 'cause everything's public, right? There's a lot of different requirements, structures, pathways in place that it just leaves you to wonder that if there were folks who, whether it was directly making those decisions or through advisory councils, that was able to keep to-date the ways that our policies, our systems, and our structures are gummed up on the ground, in the lived experience, in the actual reality - if we could move some of those things so that they could be more helpful. That has been the biggest barrier I've seen for folks being able to get care, or to get resources, to get supports after they've been harmed - whether it's for their property, whether it's for their life, whether it's for their wellbeing, whether it's for their safety - the money isn't there. The staff is overworked and underpaid, and the attrition rate is so high that it's hard to move through the system at all. And then when you do go through the system, some of the requirements that you have to meet or some of the standards put in place in the framework doesn't get to the core root of what you need. A quick example - I guess I can say it for myself 'cause that's a safe thing, right - is when I first moved here to Seattle, there was a person who came here with me, who I had been involved with. When they came here, they were abusive in very many ways - emotionally, physically, psychologically. It was the physical abuse that finally was able to remove them, to get a no contact order - however, they violated it. They finally left the Seattle area around 2013. But especially running for office, we have found him on the website, on the socials, sort of finding me again after all this time. It's interesting because first of all, there really isn't protection order resources or domestic violence resources across state lines. There really aren't spaces to go where - you can't point to someone states away and say that this person is causing harm because it's on the internet. There was a event that the campaign was gonna go to where there was information that led us to believe that there was a credible threat to my safety. And so the campaign went, but I did not go. And I think when you do something like run for office, there are some folks who are like - Well, you signed up for that - but you don't really, right? And I guess I'm sharing my own story because it's the safest. However, I share this story because the dynamics of it is replicated every day, all day. Sometimes it's not because someone is in different state. Sometimes it's because folks have a different cultural background where they're not able to get like services - say, get emergency shelter, emergency motel, or income. You have to make a written statement that's signed that you are experiencing these things. And if it's family, if there's other sort of cultural pieces people may not feel comfortable doing that. So how do we have folks who have that experience be able to support having a framework in place that's going to be centered in intersectionality and inclusiveness? There's some folks who - this is impacting them financially in ways that are not documented because they're having to take more sick days, or because it is making them more sick, it's increasing their chronic health issues, or their productivity goes down at work. So how do we have supports in place where folks can understand those dynamics so folks are not getting verbal warnings from their boss, folks are not having less hours put on their schedule, folks are not having to then take time off of work to go to the hospital because they're having increased health issues. There are some folks who they do have property damage - when the physical altercation that led to this person finally being removed from my space at that time, they used my laptop in the event. And I was going to school - I didn't have money to buy another laptop. The only recourse would be to try to get this person to pay for it through a legal process - I didn't have money to go through that legal process, that person didn't have money to pay for a new laptop. There really wasn't any resources available to help me get another laptop, even though it was part of this event. A lot of that required other qualifications for me to have that I just didn't have at the time, and a lot of which - because this person wasn't physically living in my home, which definitely doesn't stop these sort of things from happening. So when you do have property damage or property loss, and the only option is to go through a legal process - and you may not have money for that, you may not be able to take time off for that, you might not be able to get child or dependent care for that - what do you do? And so these are the sort of pieces where running for city council, running for office, doing this work is coming at this not just because I want to be on the dais or - yes, there's a policy pieces that's really important - it's because there's this lived experience here, either individually or in my community or in the work that I've done, where I really would love to see a governance system where we are bringing in that actual reality, that grounded reality of how intersectionally we experience the outcomes or the bottlenecks or the gaps in our policy, in our investments, and in our understanding and framing of the issues. [00:35:53] Crystal Fincher: So you alluded to it a little bit before, but I wanna talk about housing and homelessness. And one thing called out by experts as a barrier to the homelessness response is frontline worker wages that don't cover the cost of living. Do you believe our local nonprofits have a responsibility to pay living wages for our area? And how can we make that more likely with how the City bids and contracts for services? [00:36:17] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: You know, I think the really sad thing is that our nonprofits - nonprofits are operating in large part through funding from a larger entity, whether it is the City, whether it's usually the federal government - nonprofits need to be able to pay their staff, not just a living wage or a thriving wage, but a Seattle wage, right? The average person working in emergency or directs housing and social services right now is making between $50,000 and $55,000 a year. But a median one-bedroom apartment - if you were gonna have it as be three times your rent, it's about $1,651 a month. And the National Alliance to End Homelessness just put out a report where they suggested that the staffing component of the Homeless Assistance Grant is increased. But they said that it's a national issue and that in order for across the country, even just direct social service workers and homeless emergency shelter workers to be brought up to being able to pay for the average one-bedroom apartment, it would take 4.8 billion, with the B, dollars to do so. And so by nature of being a nonprofit, where is that gonna come from for a nonprofit? I mean, definitely going back to the task force for progressive revenue, we can look at the wage and equity taxes and see where that is. But really for a nonprofit, that's not gonna be really the case. What we really need is to redistribute - when we talk about reallocating funds, we also need to reallocate the funds in a city with such a high wealth disparity. And so I believe that part of the progressive revenue - we really wanna address, say, ensuring that we have even housing and services for folks so that we can end the crisis of who we could physically see outside, we also have to address what's happening in housing instability, economic injustice, labor injustice of folks who are only one paycheck - if that - away from also physically being outside. And as someone who worked in direct social and housing services, I know that I worked with folks and also experienced situations where folks already were outside - they could not afford their rent and are receiving the same services. My quick story for that that I've been saying is that I remember having to get a conflict of interest waiver 'cause I had to take my client to DSHS. But when I looked at their letter, their DSHS caseworker was the same as mine. And so when we're looking at - oh, where's all the money going? If we only have these like, at minimum, 14,000 people outside, why are we using all this money? Well, because it's not just these 14,000 people who are needing these services, it's even the people who are providing the services that need the services. And so we really need to, as a city, actually not just talk about, but actually put to action economic and labor justice for this and other industries. But we also need to make sure that they are unionized and that they're able to collectively bargain for what they need for the future as well. [00:39:25] Crystal Fincher: Now on almost every measure, we're behind on our 2030 climate goals, while we're experiencing devastating impacts from extreme heat and cold, wildfires, smoke, floods, you name it - it's here. What are your highest priority plans to get us on track to meet those 2030 goals? [00:39:46] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: You know, when people ask this question, I always start off with saying - across living in seven states, that I believe I've experienced every type of natural disaster except for a tsunami, a sinkhole, and a typhoon. And yes, it does also include volcano eruptions, hurricanes, earthquakes, mudslides - all of those different sort of things - I have been through it. I always said I was just unlucky. As I got older, I realized it's because of climate disaster. We know that the climate disaster is human-made. It's based on consumption. We also know that the human-made climate disaster can be concentrated to a very select few people, who are in an owning class of organizations or businesses, or sort of other sort of production means that is contributing to this - whether it's shipping, whether it's fossil fuels, whether it's even folks who rely on that. The airline industry, I saw that Washington State did just pass a law to start to move towards green aviation fuel for planes, so we're not using all the gas, but even then - really in this Green New Deal, there's a couple of things. Number one, we need to really look at the building efficiency and energy performance pieces. We need to make sure that we are having Green buildings, that we're retrofitting for Green buildings - going back to those resources questions, we need to make sure we have the resources to help folks move towards having more Green buildings because we know that not everyone is going to be a multimillionaire or have a corporation where they can fund that on their own. The second piece is that we really do need to divest - in all ways, in all spaces - from fossil fuels. And not just the fossil fuel organizations themselves, but those who are hyper-reliant on fossil fuels. If there is an organization that is resistant to divesting from fossil fuels, then it is in our best interest to consider alternatives to using those services or patroning them. We also - I would really love to see how we address the deforestation of our urban forest, that is the city that we lived in. We have lost so much of our tree canopy that it is causing not only these sort of high heat zones that are really harming folks, but we also see them happening along the lines of segregation and redlining. There is increased impacts of environmental racism and injustices leading to folks, especially during the wildfire season, having to go to the hospital because of exacerbations of their asthma - that is leading to other chronic health issues, that is only going to lead to public health crises down the line. And there's so much more even from there, right - reducing our reliance on individual transit, which means that we have to really invest in our public transit infrastructure so it's reliable, so that the workers and operators are able to get everything they're asking for in their current collective bargaining and they're able to be paid a Seattle wage, and that we are able to make sure it's accessible to all people. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's a lot - we didn't just get to climate disaster in the last couple years, really - this has started since the industrialization period. We know it's really picked up since the 1970s, but that means that we're going to have to really work double time to make sure that we are able to have a sustainable future for life. And that's not being - I mean that literally - like so that we can actually continue to live as humans on the planet, 'cause that's where we're at. [00:43:26] Crystal Fincher: That is where we're at. Now you talked about transit - right now, we are in a world of hurt when it comes to transit, particularly reliability. Some of that is because of shortages of operators or mechanics, but people are having a harder time finding buses that arrive on time or sometimes arrive at all. Understanding that Sound Transit is a regional organization and King County Metro is a county organization, what can the City do? And in your role as a city councilmember, if you're elected, what can you do to stabilize transit reliability? [00:44:03] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Yeah, it goes back to what I was saying earlier - you know, if elected a city councilperson, it's not just my job to do what I can and legislate within my purview. It is also my job to advocate and amplify what is happening in my district and in my city. And so that is the biggest piece of how we can have the multiple pathways towards shared goals in this case. If it's outside of my purview, that doesn't mean like - Oh well, I guess I can't do anything - but no, I'm supposed to go and advocate and say - Yo, what's going on with the 40 bus because it is taking, is like 20 minutes behind, or what's going on with, you know, the light rail and being able to get there, or what's going on with the E line. And I would continue to do that. I mean, advocating to King County Metro in terms of its accessibility and its affordability and its reliability is something I've already done in multiple ways - and it's on record of what I've done. But I definitely think what's really important here is going a little bit back to the climate justice conversation is - if we really truly want to reduce our reliance on vehicles, especially vehicles that are using gas, and we want folks to use more public transit, that's gonna, first of all, require like Complete Streets and making sure we have a pedestrian focus, if not pedestrians and public transit centered streets. But we also have to make sure the public transit is going to be a competitive option to having a car. And as someone who can't have a car because of my disability, I can only have public transit unless my partner drives me - and he works four tens a week, so most of the time I'm taking transit. You know, there has been situations, especially going east to west in District 5, where if I were to be able to drive a car, get an Uber, I can get there in 15 minutes. If I was to take the bus, I have to take two different transfers and get there in 45 minutes - if that. And so if we're in a situation - it's multifaceted with the infrastructure, where it's going, the operators - how much they're getting paid, their labor standards, are they getting breaks? Are they - do they feel safe? Are they getting medical for sitting all day? And is it affordable? You know, I talk a lot about first mile, last mile as a disabled person - can I get to a bus stop within a mile from my house, if I can walk a mile? Can I get to my destination within a mile from my bus stop, if I can walk that mile? What is the multimodal transportation going to look like? We really need to look at all of these different factors and the city councilmember's job is to advocate and amplify that to whatever level is needed and work together to get those solutions for your community as much as possible. [00:46:58] Crystal Fincher: Now I want to talk about the economy. The City of Seattle has a vibrant business community - some of the largest corporations in the world are headquartered here and nearby, but also just a ton of small businesses - lots of entrepreneurs, micro businesses, especially in the district. What can you do to better support small business in District 5? [00:47:22] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Well, I can tell you as a small business owner, too - it's really hard out here, right? Because there's so many different factors looking at, even just from the perspective that I have, with having staff where I have to make sure I have payroll every month and everything like that, right? The first thing I'll say is we know from the state and the city that we have a significant equity issue with public procurement. I am a business that relies on public procurement in a lot of ways. We need to make sure that we are actually putting the actions in place for public procurement and other equity for business owners. We have the Washington Women and Minority Business Enterprise certification that continues to need funding - to provide the grant funding, the infrastructure and supports needed for those businesses and others - that we can advocate to work for at the city and at the state level. Another thing I think is really important for businesses that have brick and mortar is I absolutely 100% believe in density, increasing housing density, increasing the amount of affordable housing that we have - 'cause we don't wanna just be putting housing in for housing sake and then be charging like $3,000 a month and people can't live there. But making sure we have affordable, accessible housing. One of the things that I've seen and folks have been really concerned about is you have these sort of small businesses that their commercial lease is maybe in the $1,000 a month area. Then they say - Hey, we're gonna build a development, but don't worry, we're gonna have retail space for you once the development is done. And if they can survive however long it takes to build this building - because they have to continue to be in operation - but then when the commercial leases or the retail spaces come online, they're in the $3,000 or $4,000 a month - three to four times increase of how much they're able to pay. And so they can't pay that and so those businesses just go away forever. And this is why folks get upset when they go from having a small coffee shop or a small diner or a small bookstore or a small grocery store in their neighborhood, and then the building goes up and now they have a Trader Joe's or they have a non-unionized Starbucks or they have something like that that shows up - someone who can afford those $3,000 to $4,000 rents. And so we need to also have a right-to-return put in place. We need to make sure that businesses, especially the smaller businesses, are able to have the supports they need if they are displaced, similar to like with renters - if there's a displacement where they will not be able to operate their businesses anymore, that they will be able to help. And I wanna be very clear. When - I think a lot of times in the city, and what's really important about this question for me, is when we talk about businesses in Seattle, I think folks are thinking about the big businesses. They're thinking about the Amazons - heck, they're thinking about the restaurants that have multiple chains, right, and they sell different sort of things - that they're not gonna be as impacted, right? They're impacted, sure - 'cause the pandemic is pandemicking and that's impacting everyone. Especially when we're talking about JumpStart Taxes, right - we're talking about businesses that are making $8 million or more a year. And I'm talking about businesses like myself and other folks in District 5 - I'm talking about like $500,000 a year or less, right? Like I'm not talking about the same people. Even if you're thinking about - if you have staff, if you have a commercial lease, stuff like that - even a million dollars a year, which would be - I think I would just feel like I was sort of like, like the "In the Money" song would start playing if I ever hit a million dollars a year gross sales. But that's not common. When I talk about what is needed for small businesses in this district, I'm talking about those folks, right? I'm talking about the people who might be living in, around, above their business, who is - just like you can live paycheck to paycheck for your rent, living paycheck to paycheck for their business to make payroll, that have services or goods that they provide that the pandemic created this huge gap where they were not able to do that anymore, especially if they're a performer and needing stages to perform or something like that, or gallery space. Especially folks who are at the intersection of being, you know, what they call economically disadvantaged businesses, so they don't make a lot of money. Folks who are non-binary, trans, femme of center folks, folks who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, folks who are disabled, folks who are veterans - especially if they do not have the sort of veterans supports and services that you could get otherwise, especially if they, how service connected they are or what length of service they've had, 'cause that can vary. There's a lot of folks who really need help and that's where really understanding what's happening on the ground can come into play when we're making these investments in these policies to make sure that we are centering folks who are the most intersectionally impacted, and that we are not continuing to center folks who are, you know, in a completely different space and continuing that regressiveness in even the investments that we make. [00:52:48] Crystal Fincher: I also wanna talk about a related issue of childcare. It doesn't just affect parents - it affects businesses, it affects everyone in our community because it impacts people's ability to participate in the economy and just make their bills. We recently got reporting and research that shows that now childcare is more expensive than college on an annual basis. It's many people's number one or number two expense who have families. What can you do to lighten the burden of childcare costs and availability for residents in District 5? [00:53:24] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: What we've seen across the country is that when it's subsidized, either through local governance, state governance, federal governance, or through the employer - and really preferably a mixture of both - it can have an astounding effect on affordability. Really, it's one of those multifaceted issues, right - where we also need folks to be able to do, like to work the childcare. They're another industry that's woefully underpaid, as well as our teachers in our education systems. We need to make sure that we have childcare that's multilingual, multicultural, that is going to have disability justice and universal accessibility standards, that we have dependent care that can also support folks who have dependents who are not children - which is not always considered, whether it's elders or whether those are folks who are adults who may or may not be children, but they still require dependent care - that can make it really hard to go to work if you are unsure how they will be able to move throughout their day without some sort of support, without putting them in somewhere like a group home. Especially for adults, I would love to see what it would look like to have clubhouse-style day programs that are moving towards having that disability justice approach, if it's for disability. Or having it be something cool, like maybe free education and learning about trades, so that we can increase the pipeline of folks going into the trades or just certain things like that. But really when it comes down to affordability and second, it comes down to employer cooperation. We need to make sure that if, say, someone does get sick and you need to take care of your family - really, I know it's a federal law, but FMLA is just not very helpful. Again, one of those actual reality experiences, right - the policy, great intention, impact not so much. And so we can't really rely on things like FMLA or even the Paid Sick and Safe Time - which you can go through very, very quickly, depending on what's happening - to help if there's an emergency, if you can't get childcare that day. Childcare in the United States is going for anywhere between $700 if it's subsidized to about $2,500 a month. That's rent. People can barely afford their rent now, let alone a whole other rent. And so we really need to find ways to subsidize this down to as free as possible, so that is just one area that's not concerning for employees. But again, just like I said with housing, we don't just wanna be building housing for housing sake - we wanna make sure it's actually going towards the taproot of the issue. We don't wanna just be having childcare, independent care for the sake of it. We wanna make sure that the people who are in there is going to be able to have the economic and labor justice, and that's gonna actually meet the intersectional, multilingual, multi-ability, multicultural reality of our district and our neighborhoods. And that's what I would be fighting for. [00:56:33] Crystal Fincher: Now, as we close today with this final question, there are a lot of people trying to consider who they should vote for - between you and your opponent. When you talk to voters who are trying to make that decision, what do you tell them? [00:56:48] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: If you look at my opponent, Cathy - Cathy, again, has one of those resumes that's very out in front and I think it leads a lot of folks to wonder like - Why you? Right they're, you know, they're a former circuit court judge, been sort of in that space for a while. But there's also a piece of that where I ask folks to really consider the archetypes of things - you know, what is really the archetype of what makes a good candidate or a viable candidate? A lot of folks are like - Well, are you knocking the doors? You know, are you a homeowner? Do you have the money? Look, here's the point - I'm a renter, I've had to work 40 hours a week doing this because I don't have money to just take off of work. I come from what they call network impoverishment. Folks have been like - Can you ask your family for support? I'm like - I'm the person they come to that gives support, I don't have that. If I don't work, there is no one's house for me to go couch surf at. I'm a transit rider, I am a multiply disabled person, I understand what it means to have to fight for your Medicare, to have to have $200 copays. A lot of those both-and pieces - yes, I rent a single-family house in Greenwood, but the reason why it's affordable is because it's sinking into this ravine in the backyard - and as I look up in the ceilings, there's cracks in the foundation. You know, there's a lot of these different sort of pieces where if we want to talk policy, right - and I go back to helping, being a part of passing the six-months advance notice on rent increases, co-organizing and passing one of the nation's first bans on sub-minimum wage, working with legislators on fighting for lifting the cap on special education, fighting to make sure that youth continue to use the bus for free, finding out what's a taproot issues, fighting for making sure that we have disability justice implemented throughout our cities, that we are actually holding - not just saying a thing, but doing a thing if we really truly care about race and social justice. We want to talk about policy process, how to move that forward, how to work with people, how to make sure you find multiple pathways towards shared goals, the policy theory and the process - I got that. And me and Cathy can go - you know, we can really match that up. What I bring that's different is that wisdom of lived experience - not just for myself, but in all of the folks I've worked with as a consultant, as a commissioner, as a direct social service worker, as a youth leader across seven different states throughout the nearly 40 years of my life. And I truly believe and have seen success in the toolkits that I bring, that when you bring both the knowledge and the wisdom together - where you are both taking into account how the lived experiences of those most intersectionally impacted can be amplified in voices in leadership, into policy, into solutions, into leadership, into investments, to true equity - you will see progress. And if you focus on that, you don't get caught up by the minutiae, you can move forward. I have seen and worked with a lot of different folks, processes, organizations, piece - in this city - where we get caught up in the minutiae. I've been successful before in being able to move things forward in a smaller way, but you make the white paper and you give the recommendations and you look at it and they put it to the side. This being the next natural step of being able to have that voice, that conduit for my community on the dais is one that I really truly hope to bring to this community in a way I haven't before. And I'm always happy to chat with folks, get coffee, have a Zoom meeting and talk about some of the other things that I've done because as you can tell, there's so many stories and so little time. [01:00:27] Crystal Fincher: There are. Well, thank you so much, ChrisTiana ObeySumner, for taking the time to speak with us today about your candidacy for Seattle City Council District 5. Thank you so much. [01:00:39] ChrisTiana ObeySumner: Thank you. [01:00:40] Crystal Fincher: Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks, which is produced by Shannon Cheng. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on every podcast service and app - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review shows and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the podcast episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

Howard Dayton is the founder of Compass— Finances God's Way and the former host of this program.  0:55 - WHAT'S THE FIRST LOAN TYPE WE SHOULD AVOID?Finance Company loans: High interest rates, large fees, and closing costs.Important to differentiate between interest rate and the APR, as the latter includes additional costs. 1:24 - AND THE SECOND?Payday loans:Viewed as "legalized robbery."Typically have an APR of 390%.Creates a cycle of borrowing due to high interest rates, with borrowers often giving away their entire paycheck to cover the loan. 2:21 - WHAT'S THE THIRD LOAN TYPE?Pawnshop loans:Short-term loans based on an item's value which is lost if the loan isn't repaid on time.Interest rates range from 5-25% per month.Many borrowers never reclaim their pawned items. 3:21 - AND THE FOURTH?Auto title loans:30-day loans using car titles as collateral.Risk of car repossession if payments aren't made on time.Referred to as "legalized auto theft" since you lose both the car and its equity regardless of loan size. 3:57 - WHAT'S THE FINAL LOAN TYPE TO AVOID?Tax refund loans: People anticipate tax refunds in April but might take a loan if they're cash-strapped.Some tax preparers offer these loans without highlighting high interest rates that can be in the triple digits on an annual basis. 4:40 - DO YOU HAVE ANY TOOLS OR RESOURCES TO HELP PEOPLE NAVIGATE THEIR FINANCES BETTER?A six-week video titled "Navigating Your Finances God's Way."Covers topics like debt, saving, generosity, investment, work, honesty, etc.Suitable for various settings: Sunday school, small groups, workshops, or individual study. To learn more, go to navstudy.org. And you'll find all Compass training materials at Compass1.org.  On today's program, Rob also answers listener questions: Should I tithe before or after taxes?How can I invest for retirement while on SSDI and without earned income?Should I use my 401 K to pay off my variable rate home equity loan?Is the id.me login for IRS.gov legitimate, and should I switch from an I bond to a bank CD?How can I help a woman with recurrent ovarian cancer financially, especially when she's working in a low-paying job? RESOURCES MENTIONED:Christian Credit Counselors Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network as well as American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.comwhere you can join the FaithFi Community, and give as we expand our outreach.   Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.com where you can join the FaithFi Community and give as we expand our outreach.

In the studio today is David Leon, Director of Workforce Programs at the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), and Kate Kaegi, Project Manager for the DIF. In recognition of Disability Awareness Month, the second podcast of our DIF series includes David and Kate explaining how Virginia's DIF grant was initiated, implemented, and adjusted to best reach their initiatives of placing 750 individuals with disabilities in STEM and healthcare careers, registered apprenticeships, and State, County, and City jobs. Learn about the challenges they navigated and what they recommend when applying for a DIF grant.   Listen Here   Full Transcript:   {Music} David: Don't be afraid to apply for a diff grant. It is an amazing opportunity to infuse energy and enthusiasm into your workforce. It is a chance to stretch, learn new skills, try new programs. You get to see staff flourish and more importantly, get some really cool outcomes for the clients we serve.   Kate: I was a little intimidated with the idea of RSA, but what I have found is this RSA is there to help us. They want us to succeed.   David: You can accomplish some great things.   Speaker1: Manager Minute brought to you by the VRTAC for Quality Management, Conversations powered by VR, one manager at a time, one minute at a time. Here is your host Carol Pankow.   Carol: Well, welcome to the Manager Minute. Joining me in the studio today is David Leon, director for workforce programs at the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, or DARS, and Kate Kaegi, project manager for the DEP. So David, how are things going at DARS?   David: They are great. We are plugging along, working on our grant. A colleague has a SWITZI grant, so it's been neat to really try a bunch of new things here in Virginia.   Carol: Very cool. So how are you Kate?   Kate: I am doing spectacular. Thank you for having me here today.   Carol: You bet. So, David, you and I had a chance to visit in a podcast on work incentives counseling in April of 22. And just so you know, you were one of my top five downloads. And when I think of Virginia, I always think of you and all the amazing things that have been cooking all the time. You guys always have something in the hopper and this is no different. So I started a series of podcasts focused on the diff grants and career advancement, and you are the second in my series and happened to fall in October with a nod to Disability Employment Awareness Month. So I want to just give our listeners a little snippet again about the diff grant. And so this particular round, the grant activities are geared to support innovative activities aimed at improving the outcomes of individuals with disabilities. And the Career Advancement Initiative model. Demonstrations were funded in federal fiscal year 2021. They were intended to identify and demonstrate practices supported by evidence to assist eligible individuals with disabilities, including previous served participants in employment who reenter the program to do the following. They were looking at advancing in high demand, high quality careers like science, technology, engineering and math, or those Stem careers to enter career pathways in industry driven sectors through pre apprenticeships, registered apprenticeships and industry recognized apprenticeship programs to improve and maximize competitive integrated employment outcomes, economic self-sufficiency, independence and inclusion in society, and to reduce reliance on public benefits like SSI, SSDI, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and State or local benefits. Now, I remember reading in the announcement some of that sort of I thought it was disturbing data that provided the base for why RSA picked this particular area and chose to fund it. And they based it on the program year 2019, RSA 911 data. And some of the things that they said were participants that were exiting the program in competitive integrated employment reported a median wage of 12 bucks an hour and working like 30 hours a week. And the top ten most common occupations were reported. They were like stock clerks and they were order fillers, customer service reps, janitors, cleaners. I call it the whole Food, Filth and Flowers. So I know through this initiative they were trying to do more. So let's dig into what you guys have cooking in Virginia. David, tell our listeners a little bit about yourself. How did you get to VR?   David: Thanks, Carol. Started as a job coach years ago. We won't say when. It'll make me feel old, and I worked for a private nonprofit. I then assisted in Virginia, working with individuals, exiting a training center and moving towards community living. From there, I came back to the Richmond area to work for a community service board and again was a job coach and then worked within a sheltered work and day services program before coming to DARS, where I started with the Ticket to Work program and now have that the work incentives and a few grants and the workforce programs.   Carol: You and I have very similar backgrounds. I too was a job coach. I did work in a sheltered workshop for a while as well and all of that. It's always interesting how people find their way to VR. Kate, how about you? Why don't you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself and how you got to VR?   Kate: I kind of fell into this. A lot of times, similar to other people. Unexpectedly, I found out about East Carolina's rehab program and that they had a scholarship for people who wanted to get their master's. And I'm like, Oh, free money. So I jumped into that. Absolutely loved it. I did my internship at the Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitative Center. It was called something or a different title when I started back in the day. As I tell my kids, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, I was there, started off there as an evaluator and then kind of moved across the state, became a rehab counselor in the field, have done transition counseling, substance abuse counseling, went back to Boca Vale for a little bit, even dipped my toes into the world of job coaching and worked with David for a period of time at the CSV, came back to DARS, worked with the Department for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and also, as an aside, also had joined the military during that timeframe on the reserve side. So I'm out of that at this point. So I have quite an eclectic background. As a supervisor once said that I couldn't make up my mind what I wanted to do, but it was all overall 24 years of work working with individuals with disabilities in a variety of areas. So it really kind of dovetailed well for me to work in the first dif grant that we received prior to this grant where I was a VMA or Virginia Manufacturing Association liaison for our grant. And when we were working on this Phase two grant, it was just pulling from what we've learned previously and growing from there. And so here I am.   Carol: I love it, it positions you really well for the work under this new grant. Very cool. Thanks for sharing that. So, David, why don't you paint us a picture of Virginia DARS How many staff do you have? About how many people are you all serving?   David: Okay, DARS comprises the Division of Rehabilitative Services, the Disability Determination Services, Aging Services. We have roughly 28 to 30 offices around the state and are currently serving just around 18,000 clients. If you include Pre-ETS in those totals.   Carol: that's a bunch., holy cow. I didn't realize you guys were that big.   David: Yeah, and that doesn't include however many cases DDS is handling or our aging or the other units. But that's a little bit about DARS, and I like to say we stretch from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to almost as far west as Detroit. If you go down to Bristol, Virginia, which is technically a little further than Detroit. So lots of types of environments and communities and very unique challenges in different areas.   Carol: Yeah, so you're definitely facing different geographical issues and I'm sure probably even economic differences. You know, if you're talking the coast versus maybe more of a rural area. So I'm sure there's probably some challenges there with even getting providers or how you're providing services.   David: It's interesting. One of the things we've been able to see in, for instance, Southwest Virginia, there is an economic center that's only 16 miles away from an office. But to get there, you go over three mountains and it could take two hours. So are those jobs really accessible to someone without a vehicle? On paper from Richmond, it might look like, why aren't we placing folks in this community out of that office? Well, it's a two hour drive each way, and that's the only way to do it. You mentioned at the beginning those top ten job areas. And one of the things we're really trying to challenge ourselves with now is giving people the information to make an informed decision about a career choice. But if they choose a career that might not look as great, what is the best potential version of that job? What is the job within that sector that actually could become a career? So at the beginning when we were starting to work on this, our agency had been in order of selection for years with categories closed and with the pandemic. That all changed. But the clients we were seeing didn't change and their goals didn't change. I think that's going to be a longer term conversation. But if we can do things to promote the best version of a position. And so I'll just give you one example. And our commissioner, other folks would probably say, why do we have so many folks who want jobs in food service or in this? Because typically they're low paying. Typically there's a lot of turnover. It's hard to become stable. One of the first projects we worked on in this grant was a partnership with a school nutrition program, and we've been able to help a few individuals enter into work in a kitchen at a school where they have the same hours. Monday through Friday. They have the opportunity for benefits. In one case, we couldn't find transportation. That school system was allowing the individual to take the school bus for that person. That's a really stable job and it's somewhere they can grow and thrive for years. So I do want to just say we have to think a little bit differently about what Kate or I or others might think of as a career. How do we find that best option for someone where there is room for growth, but equally important room for that time for stability to get to mastery, to then look at other skills and hopefully down the road they'd come back, not because they lost that job and need it again, but because they've learned so much that they want to go on to the next thing of their own accord.   Carol: Yeah, I like that you said that because I remember that when we visited before talking about that best version of that job. So not to mean that no one can work in kind of food, filth and flowers. I know I say that and it sounds sort of condescending and it's not meant to be. But we typically relied on kind of those occupations, really entry level. But I like that you're taking a spin on that and really looking deeper because we need folks to work in those occupations too. And there's people that love doing that work. But how like you say, can you do the best version of that? So you have benefits and you're looking at those long term like working in a school district, you can get retirement and all these different really awesome things that go with that. So, Kate, I'm going to switch to you. So big picture, break it down for us on your grant proposal and what you're hoping to accomplish with I know you had said you have three core components. Talk a little bit about that.   Kate: Sure. I do want to make a caveat that I love about this grant is it is a demonstration grant, meaning we have the opportunity to try out innovative products and projects across the state. I just want to put a caveat on that to keep that in your mind as I'm going forward here. So our main goal is to place 750 individuals with disabilities in federal, state, county, city jobs and or registered apprenticeships or also Stem and health careers. So we have those three main components on that. And when we looked at this grant and David worked on the development and the proposal for this, we really wanted to touch individuals that had been kind of missed in the first grant. And this I think, is something as we're doing a grant, you're learning all the time. And we wanted to make sure that we were hitting those unserved and underserved across the state. So individuals that aren't as plentiful in different areas. So say like Winchester has a large Hispanic population, does that reflect the number served in the actual DARS office? How do we get Spanish speaking individuals more involved in DARS? How do we get women who may only recognize those areas that you talked about that flower filth? And because that's what they're aware of, that's the work they've done in the past. So I just need another job in that area. How can we open up some possibilities? Have you thought about the IT field? Have you thought about advanced manufacturing and can you see yourself doing that? So providing those opportunities, it's a way for us to look at those unserved and underserved across the state. And we're defining that as we're going and we're looking at the census data, we're looking at who we're serving within each state. And then we're also looking at our plans, the plans that the rehab counselors are creating. What are those plans? What is the main goal? Overall we see a lot of customer service because it's kind of a catch all. What does that mean? Is that customer service as a helpdesk technician as opposed to just somebody as a receptionist? So we're really helping both the VRC, the counselor, and the candidate explore possibilities like that.   Carol: I like that. I just love what you guys are doing and really fundamentally getting down, digging in and really focusing on those folks that have been underserved or unserved and just taking that twist on the occupation because there's a wide range like within customer service, you have the job from here to here.   Kate: Exactly.   Carol: Yeah, that is very cool. Now, I know you all had some really weird hiccups in the beginning when you were starting out with this particular grant. So what were some of those kind of hiccups and how did you overcome that? And Kate, I'll probably shoot to you first on this.   Kate: So part of the thing that I didn't mention was is that the roles that our team players have. So we have a liaison with Department of Labor and Industry, specifically the registered apprenticeship side. So they have their foot in the DOLI world and the foot in the DARS world. We also have a team member who has their foot in the Department of Human Resource Management Liaison, and then also her toes are also dipping in the DARS. So we've had some different team members on that. We also have a quick response, counselor, somebody who can go in and respond to immediate needs of employers, of an individual that might be working with them, that has a disability, that might need some help, whether that's in a registered apprenticeship or on that particular job. During the first year we hired and we had everybody up and running and we had two team members, one had a medical emergency and had to move away from the position because there was some driving involved. And then unfortunately, we had Lisa Hanky, who passed away unexpectedly on us. So, you know, you get all getting that hiring going and then all of a sudden we lost two individuals, so we had to restart that process.   David: But Kate, if I can add to that, and I believe this is true for everyone in our round of this DIF funding, I believe we were told two days before the beginning of the project, it was about a day after that that, you know, many agencies coming out of the pandemic have had challenges with staffing and we had those challenges in our procurement division. So getting contracts signed, getting those staff replaced. But the other thing that has been a challenge and we're finally coming out of. We created three positions that this agency has never had, and it had meant that we had to learn how to provide quality support to two other state agencies in the context of working with DARS and similarly with our quick response counselors. So we created these positions that we had an idea of how they could work. But once someone got into those roles and was learning the other agency, we've had to be flexible in understanding how they can actually benefit our clients and our agency. And that has been a learning process.   Carol: You guys bring up a really good point because I think sometimes when folks are applying for the DIF grant, you're not recognizing off the get-go That first year can be a struggle because like you said, you found out two days before and then you get the money. And then as we know with any state government, it takes time to hire and like to get through all those processes. And so RSA may be on one hand going like spend the money and you're like, we're trying, but we've got to get through all our HR processes and all this crazy stuff. So it takes a little bit to get rolling in that first year. And I know we often on the TA world are talking with people as they're applying for grants going just know as you're going into it that first year, you're probably not going to spend the amount of funds you projected originally because there's just is a time factor and getting through all of that.   Kate: Absolutely. That was the one thought that David and I, if you know, we apply for another one down the road, maybe making that first year a little bit less intensive and spreading it out from year 2 to 5 because that's where the major work will be done.   Carol: Yeah, that's smart. Very smart. So I know you guys were talking about some challenges. What are some other particular challenges that you're experiencing right now?   Kate: Well, I'll get started on that piece. One of the things we have found similar to the staffing, the challenge that we had when we first started of hiring individuals, we're finding a turnover in staff in DARS. And so we are having a lot of younger counselors that have, in some cases don't have a rehab background. They might have a social work background. So we have a lot of training that we're doing and then redoing on that. We're having a training coming up in October for the VOC rehab counselors and we're getting kind of back to basics. What makes a good referral for our Pathways Grant, looking at those possibilities of not just that receptionist job, let's look at helpdesk. What are the opportunities that are out there? And so that has been kind of a challenge, is just retraining. And I think this is kind of normal across the board. But these rehab counselors are busy. They have a lot more documentation they have to put in Aware. There's a lot more individuals coming through their door because we have the rapid engagements, so they are overwhelmed. And how can we dovetail our services to best support them, how to make the referral process as easy as possible for them, what supports make the most sense for them? So that's been one of the interesting challenges.   Carol: So, Kate, have you guys done anything around just the way in which your staff or the support of those counselors, do you have like other staff that are kind of wrapped around them, whether you call them maybe a rehab tech or some sort of a case aide or whatever it might be that can help the counselors with sort of all the documentation requirements and that kind of thing. Have you done some work in that?   Kate: Actually, here in Virginia, we do have support. We have vocational evaluators, placement counselors and what they call employment service specialists that run the job club and things like that. And they can help support with some of the paperwork. But similar to other states that actually have like a rehab tech that would do some of the counseling or the that kind of thing, not as much. And each office is run a little bit different. That's part of the appeal. And what I mean by that is, is some of the offices might not have a vocational evaluator, some might have a placement counselor that might be covering more than one office so that there is enough differences on that piece. But yeah, that has been a struggle for keeping all of that work and getting it done for them.   Carol: Yeah, You're definitely joined by your colleagues across the country on that. I keep hearing that over and over. David did you have anything else you wanted to add to that about any of the particular challenges?   David: Yeah, I think we wrote this knowing we needed to do some things better and serve certain populations differently to get to where people had the same outcome regardless of gender, race, ethnicity. And that is still a challenge. We are learning that we have a long way to go to effectively serve those folks who have English as a second language. And when we started the project, we started with like a counselor advisory board to help not only create buy in, but inform us what the counselors needed. We have now shifted to an advisory board geared towards helping us do better with the Hispanic Latino population, and that English is a second language. So we're hoping over this next year, working with members of our state who are representative of those groups will actually help us figure out what services are going to be most likely to bring people in for help. What supports we will need to think about providing for those individuals to be successful. And again, it goes back to how do we help people see for themselves greater opportunities and careers than they might have.   Carol: So are you linked in then with your like your WIOA partners on your adult basic ed side? Like under that, you know, the English as a second language, Like they're more expert than us in working with that group?   Kate: Absolutely. One of our key partners is the Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center, who teach the adult ed, they help support them across the state when we get further along I'll talk about some of the projects that we're working with with them.   Carol: Yeah, that's excellent. I love that. So I know you guys are seeing some exciting results. What kind of exciting results are percolating up?   Kate: So one of the things that we found as we're moving forward is we actually had working with adult Ed, we had a program that we were doing Intro to IT, where we're starting a basic starting platform for accounting fundamentals, and we were ready to go. We had seven individuals in this first cohort, and one of the things we found was the individuals that we met, even though we just came through Covid with all of the tech training, we had individuals they knew enough to get on to Zoom and to do some items, but we really needed to step back and do some basic tech training. So, they had enough gaps in their knowledge that they couldn't move forward without some major help. So what happened on this is, is we stepped back and started to do some digital literacy training and they moved forward with that. And each of those individuals are now moving forward with the accounting fundamentals this summer. So stepping back, we're actually looking at what we're calling digital work skills training, which is really exciting opportunity for individuals to get started with North Star digital literacy. We're working on goal setting some soft skill development just to get them started on that end. So we have individuals that would typically not be able to go to a virtual training actually get started there. And what we're finding with that end is, is that we have some individuals, you know, those customer service people who just want to do clerical, they're getting introduced to IT. And so we've had a few individuals that have moved on to our next training, which we call the Max Career Lab. And Max Potential is an employer here in Virginia. And I think they go into other states as well, several other states. And what they are, they're a temp agency for IT employment. So they hire individuals to work with Dominion, to work with, you know, with all these employers doing various IT. But they have a unique hiring model. They actually have an opportunity where individuals come in and they go through a career lab five day, three hours a day, 15 hours of a career lab. Then they do an interview. During those five days, they do an overview of data analytics, networking, all these different career areas. So they'll do an hour and a half of overview of the career, and then they do an actual interactive activity that they break out in groups for. So it's a great way to explore the IT field. So we've hired them to actually run career labs for us. They do the 15 hours, then they get homework and then they have an interview assessment. So the interview is just like a typical interview that they run, but they follow up with what activities that they're interested in. So this has been a wonderful way for us to explore different IT areas and to help individuals determine what area of IT they want to do. Here in Virginia, we're blessed. We've got Nova, we've got a lot of IT careers, but counselors and vocal evaluators don't always know how to direct somebody into the right avenue because technology is always changing. You know, cybersecurity, cybersecurity, that's always a great one, right? Because we're right here in Nova. However, not everybody wants to do cyber. Have you thought of data analytics? Have you thought of the different networking positions? Have you thought of machine learning? You know what, all is out there? And so it's an opportunity for us to do a hands on career exploration and next steps with an actual employer running the sessions for us.   Carol: That's cool. Yeah, I hadn't heard about a career lab before like that. That is very intriguing because so many people learn much better, you know, by actually experiencing seeing what that's about because it can sound cool. You read about something like the cybersecurity was the big deal, but then you get into it and you're like, Oh, I don't really want to do that, you know? So giving them that opportunity, I think that's fabulous.   Kate: Yes, and we have had our first cohort. We had 25 people sign up. We had 22 complete the whole piece. That includes the interview.  Of that group we had six individuals. So they compare the group together, but they also compare them to the other public groups that they have across the board. So of those individuals, six are encouraged to look at direct work experience. The rest have been encouraged to do a few other activities, like maybe develop more professional skills or develop more tech training, possibly, you know, accounting fundamentals. We had one that decided they did not want to do IT training. And I'm thinking, what a great opportunity you now know what you don't want to do. And for us, that can be great, right? So we're looking at some other options for that young man. It has been a wonderful opportunity. We're now in our second cohort and our hope is, is to keep continuing this as we're going through this grant and to see how we can set this up once the grant is over.   Carol: Very cool. Have you had any surprises kind of as you've started this. I know you're in year two. Are there any surprises?   David: I think there are always surprises. This is right. Staff and surprises some of the opportunities that have come up. I don't think we anticipated. So we've shifted to take advantage. One of the big pieces of this grant is our focus on state hiring and the individual we hired for that aspect worked diligently during the first six months with them on an alternative hiring process through the legislation, had a go live date, whether we were ready or not. And what we didn't understand is during the first year, this process, it wasn't available to current state employees who may be disabled. That created a lot of issues for folks who were upset that they couldn't access this to move up within state government. We weren't able to change that ourselves, but it was changed in legislation. And starting in July of this year, we were allowed to offer a certificate of disability to someone who was currently employed and that has seen an increase. We've had roughly 1500 people request certificates of disabilities. I think part of what was surprising is what a great opportunity that has become as a referral source for DAR's. Roughly 300 individuals have chosen to get more information and receive VR services, and we are seeing that as a really nice piece of the process. Additionally, I think we finally had our first individual who went from what we call part time wage employment to full time classified, which was one of the intents of the process we developed. So it's nice to begin to see that work. But for Kate and I, we have to remind ourselves some of this might take two, three, four years before we really actually see these things that could be possible in action. And I think the other big surprise there is just how great of a partner our Department of Human Resource Management has been. They recently allowed us to present to 120 hiring managers and we will be a regular part of their monthly recruitment network action meetings. They've bought into our use of windmills training. They advertise it every month and we are co-sponsoring a job accommodation network training in October for them that they will heavily market to state hiring managers. So I think that's been really great. And then the other surprise, it turns out that our division of registered apprenticeship within the Department of Labor and Industry is moving to a new state agency. So we will see what that does. You know, you think things are pretty stable and static in certain ways, but they can change. That's been a surprise. But it's not a good or bad. It just, you know, might be a chance to actually work with more of our partners more directly.   Kate: And David, another surprise that we had was the use of data. We have been doing some trainings with the field and they you know, when you bring numbers involved, people get a little, oh, I don't know if I want to touch this, but what we found was the counselors, the evaluators, the placement, they enjoyed looking at this data. They ate it up. So the use of data as a tool to look at who we're serving, how are we serving them, has been an eye opener. At least it was a surprise for me. Now I'm a vocational evaluator, so I love data and I thought I was, you know, unique. But I'm not you know, everybody is, you know, surprisingly likes that data.   Carol: Yeah.. Well, and definitely how you present it to the field, you know, if you're just like blah, blah, blah, whatever, they really are interested because it's the culmination of their work, you know, so they see what's happening. It really helps to paint that picture and then they can react and respond and do things in a different way in response to that data. So I think that's smart that you guys are doing that. Now. I know you both had talked about shifting the conversation around employment and shifting that whole narrative on barriers to advancement and employment. Talk a little bit about that.   Kate: So one of the things that the counselors are really good at is, is when somebody comes in the door and they say, hey, you know, I need help finding work. But when we look at the definition of what we do, it's getting and but it's also keeping or advancing in your career. So what is that advancement look like? So if you have somebody coming in who I need a job right away, maybe this is where somebody is going to go for a stock clerk. But what about the idea of doing a quick training so that they can get a credential in the Certified logistics associate and then moving from there, maybe when they do that interview, now that they have that credential, maybe they can ask for a little bit of a raise. And what is the next step on that piece? So we've definitely looked at that. How do we make, as David said, the most of the career that you're looking at or the other areas that we've already talked about? Let's look at other areas.   David: One of the things that actually came from one of our offices that they wanted was we've heard more and more about attrition and attrition from application to plan, but also attrition from plan before employment or before successful closure. And we have created a group called Work Wise, which is designed for individuals who have just become employed to meet once a week in the evening, talk about their jobs, have an opportunity with a staff person to talk through issues, challenges. It's been really a powerful group, and I've been pleasantly surprised at how the individuals who choose to participate in a couple of cases did not want to stop going when their case was closed because of how valuable it was to in close to real time talk through things that were happening at work with someone with a VR counseling background. And that has been a really powerful group because it's also given folks to learn from each other and get to that stability and confidence to maybe also look for future opportunities. I know we're getting ready to also hold a salary negotiation training for folks. So again, let's help people think through and have those skills now that they may use now or they may use later when an opportunity to move up comes around. And similarly, we've started a group that we're calling money wise where we've partnered with a local credit union with that hope of how can we help make sure folks maximize their the benefits they choose to take advantage of from an employer. How do we help someone make sure that if there's a 401 match and it's X amount, that they do that much at the very least, Right. Those things that everyone is told, Well, if there's free money from an employer, you take it or if there's tuition assistance or some other thing, maybe there are things to plant some seeds. So someone would continue to move forward.   Carol: I can see how so much of this work that you are doing is so foundational and will be of benefit to, you know, your other colleagues across the country with the things you've uncovered and the things that you are working on, these different classes and groups and all of that. I'm sure other people are going, Gosh, I want to do that too. I think this will be amazing to help plant the seeds across the country. Now, David, I know you were concerned about implementing something that could withstand the test of time. And I know DIF grants are meant it's a demonstration grant. You're trying something out, but you want to also be able to carry forward these ideas into the future. So how are you guys structuring this to make that happen?   David: We really are thinking about sustainability and to Commissioner Hayfield's credit, that's been one of the things that she and Dale Batten have really stressed to us. It's great to do great work in a period of time, but how can we make sure that the things that have the potential to be value add or transformative continue and don't just end the day the funding stops? And we've really thought through many of the activities that we are creating, we are working on from at the beginning. What would this look like when there's no funding? How will we continue these? It's part of our partnership with Valray. We're working to get some of these pieces put into Canvas and set up through that learning management system. But within some of the positions, you know, one of our hopes is that the DHRM VR liaison could become its own full time non restricted position at the end. Similarly, we would hope that for the others, or at least those activities become a part of multiple staff strategically throughout the state. And that's one way we're looking at it.   Kate: And yeah, we're looking at the train, the trainers, also the tools that we're using. One of the pieces for vocational evaluators would be English language acquisition and knowledge. So there are assessments that are out there that can test somebody's English language, which is important for us to know if we're working with individuals and we're trying to place them on the job. So how do we get the tools necessary into the hands of the individuals and trained up for that so that that can be moving forward? So we're being proactive for these individuals that we hope to come into our doors a little bit more often.   Carol: That's excellent. So what do you guys see as your next steps? Where are you going from here? The point you're at right now, what are the next steps?   Kate: So a lot of our programming that we're doing right now is in partnership with adult ed. We see a great marriage between DARS and Adult Ed because Adult Ed works with a lot of individuals with disabilities already. They're adult educators. They can provide a little bit more support for our learners for credential training. They've got different things that are across the state. I'm working with our rehab center, Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation to really figure out how can we marry these? Right now I'm coordinating all these trainings. Is there a way that the center can provide this? And this gives the center an opportunity to look at a virtual environment? What does this look like? We're not sure what it looks like, but we're giving a try to see for that next piece so that max potential with the employer, can that be run through Wilson so that it is open and able to run after the grant is over.   Carol: So for our listeners that would want to apply for a grant, but they've been afraid to do so. What advice would you give to other people?   David: Don't be afraid to apply for a grant. It is an amazing opportunity to infuse energy and enthusiasm into your workforce. It is a chance to stretch, learn new skills, try new programs and get some great outcomes. If there are things you've wanted to try and you don't necessarily have the budget to do or don't seem to fit a demonstration grant is a phenomenal opportunity, and when I came into this agency under grants and special programs, usually we had to worry about things like a match component. And if you have the chance to apply for a grant where there isn't a match and you are willing to be patient with that work, you can accomplish some great things. You get to know your partners better. You get to see staff flourish and stretch and more importantly, get some really cool outcomes for the clients we serve.   Carol: Love that infuse that energy and enthusiasm. I wrote that down. That was a great. You're like giving a commercial for the RSA DIF Grants, that's awesome.   Kate: One thing I would add on this too is when I first came in eight years ago on the other grant, I was pretty much kind of a newbie in the grant world, and I was a little intimidated with the idea of RSA. But what I have found is, is RSA is there to help us. They want us to succeed. And if you have a solid grant application and know what you want to do, they will help you give you some ideas. They invited other states to meet with you to kind of talk about different things. So they have been very good about sharing knowledge and they want to see us succeed.   Carol: That sounds so great. Well, I am going to definitely tell our listeners like they should reach out to you too, if they've got some questions to reach out to David and Kate, because you all have a lot of very cool stuff cooking, and I'm sure you're willing to talk to others about what you've been doing as they're thinking about maybe applying some of this, even though they may not have a DIF grant, but applying some of the things that you're learning into their own work in their states?   Kate: Absolutely. We're here.   Carol: Excellent. Well, I appreciate you both. Thanks for spending time with us. And I look forward to circling back with you a little bit in a couple more years as time flies on this grant and see where you're coming in at and those good results. So have a great day.   David: Thank you very much.   Kate: Thank you.   {Music} Speaker1: Conversations powered by VR, one manager at a time, one minute at a time, brought to you by the VR TAC for Quality Management. Catch all of our podcast episodes by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening!  

The law of conservation of mass dates from Antoine Lavoisier's 1789 discovery that mass is neither created nor destroyed in chemical reactions. Evidence of the past three decades leads Marvin Olasky to suggest a parallel Law of Conservation of Welfare regarding political reactions. In 1995-1996 the first GOP-majority House of Representatives in four decades changed AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) into TANF (Temporary Aid to Needy Families) but left alone dozens of other programs. As work requirements and time limits reduced the number of AFDC/TANF recipients, programs such as SNAP, SSI, and SSDI expanded. The conservation of welfare is not good for many recipients who would be much better off with challenging, personal, and spiritual help, but changing the law requires a charge from outside current chemical configurations. 

This week we will discuss Social Security Disability Benefits with our guest David Dodge. ​David Dodge is the Case Manager at Community Action of Orleans and Genesee in Batavia, NY. Prior to this role, David was an Independent Living Specialist and Facilitated Enroller at Independent Living of the Genesee Region. At Independent Living, David earned his Work Incentive Practitioner credential from Cornell University. David serves as the Vice President of the Genesee County Interagency Council, a consortium of providers, Secretary of GLOW Out, a four-county LGBTQ+ advocacy group, member of the Domestic Violence Taskforce, and member of the Batavia Lions Club. David lives in Le Roy, NY with two extremely sassy cats.  ​ One point of contention I had in my mind as a bias was concerning the doctors that examine you in order to be considered medically un-employable.  David put my worries to rest when he details the process which you can also find here:   A consultative exam specifically evaluates your health to confirm it matches what you said in your SSD claim. The doctor who performs the exam will: Look for evidence that supports your SSD claim (or contradicts it). This may include running tests, having you answer some questions, ordering x-rays/MRI or CT scans, etc. Document whether your condition, illness, or injury might prevent you from working like you normally would. This includes listing reasons why you can't perform your normal job duties full-time or do other work. This is not an exam that your family doctor can likely perform. Why? Because the SSA must certify a doctor to perform that specific exam according to their rules and regulations. Every doctor who does consultative exams is independent of the SSA. Instead, this doctor works as a contractor with the SSA to perform these exams in addition to their own personal practice. ​I consider this to be a very important topic and I hope it assists those with Long COVID as they trudge through the system for monetary relief!  ​  

As Sean says: Government is HARD - especially when trying to navigate the Social Security Disability system.  That's why we talk to Spencer Bishins who worked in the Social Security Administration for years and shares his insights with us.  Spencer just scratches the surface with us-  but you can find all the details in his book: Social Security Disability Revealed - Why it's so hard to access benefits and what you can do about it. In this Episode: Sean explains how StorQuest made it so easy for him to never do business with them again. You Got This, Mental Health featuring Lara Bloom - There are many challenges living with a disability.  On top of the physical challenges, people with invisible disabilities often have a hard time getting strangers or even doctors to believe them - Lara shares her perspective and how the Ehler's Danlos Society is addressing the issue. Spencer Bishins gives us some insight into why it's so hard to access Social Security Disability Benefits. Thank you notes - Two nice people. Links and Resources: Bishins Publishing Ehlers-Danlos Society This episode brought to you in part by Reata Pharmaceuticals. Reata Pharmaceuticals is the company that makes SKYCLARYS™ (omaveloxolone) 50 mg capsules. Our mission is to develop innovative therapies that change patients' lives for the better. For more information about SKYCLARYS, visit: Skyclarys.com ©2023 Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All rights reserved. SKYCLARYS, REATA, and their logos aretrademarks of Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Sam and Emma host Gerald Horne, Professor of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston, to discuss his recent book The Counter-Revolution of 1836: Texas Slavery & Jim Crow and the Roots of U.S. Fascism. Then later in the show, they're joined by  Camille Gix, member of the Initiative I-135 steering committee at House Our Neighbors, the political committee for Real Change, to discuss  I-135, the housing initiative coming before Seattle voters until Tuesday February 14th. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on the climbing death toll from last week's earthquake in Syria and Turkey, Turkey's response to contracting failures, the DOJ's lawsuit to halt a Jet Blue-Spirit merger, the IRS' dramatic service approvement, Israel expanding their West Bank settlements, and Matt Schlapp's response to being outed as a sexual harasser, before parsing through updates on the disaster chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, and the environmental catastrophe cover-up that is beginning to trickle out. Professor Gerald Horne then joins as he dives right into his work taking on the pre-foundational, foundational, and developmental myths of the United States, focusing on his analysis of the Texas revolution as a “counter-revolution,” seeking to expand institutions that promote a dearth of progress (indigenous dispossession, the transatlantic slave trade) rather than reinventing their institutions in favor of progress. Continuing his analysis of the Texas revolution, Professor Horne walks through the Texan elite and their push against the “Mexican Tyranny” of emancipation, then capitalizing on the success of their revolution by launching a period of mass bloodshed as they violently dispossessed the Comanches to expand their territories and plantations. Shifting away from Texas, Horne, Sam, and Emma explore the role of America and Mexico in challenging and supporting, respectively, Texas' role in the transatlantic slave trade, with Andrew Jackson using the Trail of Tears to force indigenous people into Texas' surrounding areas while Texas attempted to ally with now French-Occupied Mexico to stay off pressure from the US, lasting through to the Juneteenth arrival of Black Soldiers in Galveston to not only implement Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation but to put an end to the France-Texas alliance. Continuing forward through the turn of the century, Gerald walks through the lasting impact of this era of Texas history in the rebirth of the Klu Klux Klan, before stepping back to analyze the importance of the greater historical context behind this revolution, and how to unite macro and micro lenses of history. Camille Gix then joins to walk through Seattle's I-135 initiative, what “Social Housing” implies, and why this model can bolster the reclamation of housing from the financial world to the public realm. And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma watch Republicans talk around cuts to Social Security, assess the importance of raising the cap, analyze the connection between Chinese Spy Balloons and the UFOs invading US airspace this weekend, and discuss the rise and fall of 21st Century renaissance-man James O'Keef. Nova from Minnesota dives into the importance of fighting for SSDI, Owen from San Marcus talks about the reach of Matt Walsh and the issues of the computer science workforce, and Rosanne takes a note from the Babylon Bee for her newest stand-up set. They also discuss the Super Bowl, and the immediate aggrievement that the right found in it (Race War anyone?), plus, your calls and IMs! Check out Gerald's book here: https://www.intpubnyc.com/browse/the-counter-revolution-of-1836-texas-slavery-jim-crow-and-the-roots-of-u-s-fascism/ Check out House Our Neighbors here: https://www.houseourneighbors.org/ Check out the House Our Neighbors YouTube channel for more voting information: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVBKjRuf0UoAlbuHuC-uidg Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: http://majority.fm/app Check out today's sponsors: Ritual: We deserve to know what we're putting in our bodies and why. 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