[grumble]
So, we've allowed ourselves to become used to the changes. We've actually become so used to the inevitability of not whether it would happen, but when it was going to manifest itself, that we only ever really lay bets down on the "why" of it all.
In all honesty, I think if there weren't the actual last minute changes, player swaps, and all the rest of the garbage we (Karl) has put up with over the years, it wouldn't feel right. It's become our 'normal.'
For the last six years, Karl has worked with a collective string of CLS and MRS support people, assigned to help him improve his quality of living, his social skills, his chances for employment, yadda yadda yadda. It's all just been a load of bunk!
These people have no vested interest in helping their "clients", but in simply padding their resumes, so that they can become more attractive to future employers themselves. They have all been here today and gone tomorrow.
The people at the top of the local MRS office pile have no concern for the "clients" either, and are simply in their chairs to collect a nice fat, government-funded salary - and benefits - all the while dispensing lip service to anyone bold enough to run the gauntlet of switchboard rubes and disturb their quiet day.
One will leave quite a few messages before ever receiving a reply, and the responses are usually full of air and promises, and are followed through with little to no action.
I've even called the office of the person responsible for governing the local office 'do-nothing,' and the response to that action was to ultimately receive a call from the person I complained about.
Time to don my hipwaders and scale that officious mountain a little further to go over that head as well.
Where do I have to sign up to find a job with that sort of job-security and such low expectations and so little responsibilty?
Karl's newest MRS rep is on a sort of summer vacation , after only just starting to work on Karl's case. He's new to the office, don't ya know. He explained that once the school year ends the funding for office work is reduced; consequently reducing the paid man hours for the reps; therefore, he wouldn't (most likely) be in touch with Karl until fall, when the hours and pay are back to normal, and he can once again pick up where we left off in June to help provide support for Karl in his quest to find work as a person with special needs.
Tick tock, tick tock. [crickets chirp idley in the background]
On another front, but same topic and subject (assistance for Karl): the newest CLS support person was hired and got to work, scheduling with Karl a more weekly sort of visitation/activity day, thereby almost assuring that Karl wouldn't have lost (AKA "wasted") hours from his allocation of funded support.
This was a good thing. Granted, it was another change, but a forward sort of change - so we let ourselves get excited.
Back to the jist of this post/rant:
Yet, here we are, and already the last minute phone call....sheesh! And the kid was all set to walk out the door!
I know life happens (for everybody, and some things can't be avoided), but seriously?! Every time?
If I were Karl, I would see no reason to ever desire to leave my room, either. I mean, except for a trip to the bathroom (or to the kitchen) - what's the point?
[grumble, grumble]
So, the new school year is upon us, and......
Honestly, if I had to choose one of the following as the worst case scenario (from Karl's point of view), I would have a really tough decision to make. Now that we are looking forward to hearing from the new MRS dude (because now he'll have more paid hours to work with), the question is - will Karl have a harder time gathering himself together to head out of the house for yet another meeting (with hopefully something to show for it), or will he be more dejected by having this new person meet with him for a portion of the new school/fiscal year before moving on, at which point we'll be back to a new square one?
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