Venting Government agencies that are supposed to help people back on their feet suck

[TAW122]

The government agencies that are supposed to help people find jobs and get back on their feet are utterly garbage. This was when I was still working towards bettering myself. Don't make the mistake that I am on the path of recovery, I'm not, but I thought I'd share my two cents on my experiences with them and their services.

Anyways, here is a bit of my story. So before I moved last month (very end of December 2019), they were rather "unhelpful" and gave inane advice with a mixture of some banal platitudes. No, I never mentioned anything about CTB or harm or mental health stuff (as I know how things would end up and given that they are mandatory reporters, I am not taking that risk or chancing it). They aren't really counselors per se, but basically people who work with me to help me find employment and placement. Given my living arrangements and situation they suggested things that aren't really helpful, such as "Oh but there is income based housing (well no shit sherlock - I knew as much and plus it isn't helpful for my situation...)", or "Yes there are apartments that rent month to month leases", etc. My counselor in charge and case worker just isn't very helpful at all... Of course I know these things exist, but how do I access them and whether I will be able to reliably access them is another issue altogether. It's akin to telling someone in a desert, dehydrated that there is an oasis with water, but not telling the person how to reach the oasis or giving any aid to said person in a meaningful, constructive way.

Anyways, continuing on with the story, it took them over a month (and a bit more) to transfer my case from City A to City B (City B is where I am currently at). Upon arriving at City B and after all the hoops it took to get a case transferred (at last!), there is even more bureaucratic bullshit going about before the next step comes. So just a few weeks ago, I made an appointment with the person who is handling my case and they seem like they are eager to help and looks like all is well. But not so fast yet! During the appointment, things seem promising and looks like there may be some leads to the next steps and getting some progress done into towards finding employment, but that (so far) didn't pan out. The case worker told me to send the appropriate documents she requested, which I did, and that I would hear back from someone else (the person she would refer me to), but that never happened. I sent the appropriate documents she requested (resume, cover letter, and all that stuff), but no response. Also, the person she told me who would contact me never did either. After a week of waiting, I called and emailed again, but no response.

In conclusion, the people who are supposed to help me find stability and also get back on my feet are basically of no help, which means I have little elsewhere to turn to.. This is really pathetic imho because the people who seek these services are usually the ones who need help the most yet they aren't given the appropriate help to better their living conditions. As of now, I sort of don't really care much because I plan to CTB later this year (just fyi, no they aren't the reason for my wanting to CTB either), but I thought that I'd share my experiences so that others are more informed of what really happens.

 

[Final Escape]

Yea I had the same experience when I used one of those career center places lol! I'm like this is a joke. The people working there probably get paid through taxation. They just pretend to help and look like they are actually doing something. Those places really aren't there to help, even though they claim that's what they do. You might be better off walking in to a business and asking if they need anyone. That's how much more likely u are to get a job. Sending out online resumes and filling out applications would take a lot longer to get a job. I know it's hard to just walk into places and talk to strangers but your odds really are better when a potential employer can meet u in person first. Or a manager or whatever. I've never gotten a job by filling out online applications. Maybe once but it ended up being too far and too early in the morning and I missed the first day lol! I don't know why I thought I would do mornings that's just setting myself up for failure, not a morning person. I can't be anywhere on time if I have to be there before like 9 am.

 

[TAW122]

Yeah, I'm not a morning person either, I prefer late mornings/afternoons/night time but sadly most positions especially full time positions are usually 1st shift (in offices and stuff), so they are 8am-5pm (or 9am-6pm) etc. The jobs I did receive were through career services and state run government agencies, so personally, I am not going to knock on them too hard, but I only wanted to vent a bit when I made this thread. It took me over half a year before I landed something and without them, I think I'd have a hard time trying to get hired (even approaching a hiring manager or place in person) due to my Aspergers and social awkwardness. With the government agencies like career centers and vocational rehab, they at least act as a liaison between me and a potential employer, which helps me at least get my foot in the door and such. Not fully defending them though, because I do still believe they could use for some improvement in how they handle things imho.