Monday, November 12, 2012

Unemployment Woes and Coping Skills

The elections are over. President Obama won his second term. Unemployment has increased in Massachusetts over the past few months despite modest gains. What is the real story in Massachusetts? As an observer, I am hearing that many older workers over the age of 45 years old are having a difficult time finding gainful employment. Why is this so? The answer is age discrimination. It is a fact that older workers cost employers more money to hire. For those who may not know, health insurance costs go up when an employer hires an older worker as well as having to pay most of them a competitive higher salary than a younger worker. When one attends workshops at the career centers at the unemployement offices, majority of the attendees are older workers who have been laid off after working for an employer for a long time. Ironically, when many of these workers go for interviews, they are being interviewed by employees twenty years younger than them.

The common responses some of them hear are that "they are not qualifed for the job" when in fact they worked in that field for a long time. Also, some of these older workers have been bullied out of their jobs so their employer can hire younger workers. Unfortunately, it is difficult to prove age discrimination since majority of these cases are not from a protected class.

Some of the jobs that older workers are finding are low paying retail jobs with some health benefits if they are able to afford it. Or finding fee for service jobs in healthcare or commission jobs that take awhile to build up for gainful employment. Furthermore, there is one program that only hires older workers who are income eligible. They work a part-time human service job for one year while collecting benefits. If they are lucky, the employer may hire them if funds are available. I would like to see the statistics on how many of these workers do get hired from this program.

What can be done to increase gainful employment among older workers? Here are some tips:
1) Contact your state or federal representatives to inform them of your difficulties in finding gain employment. Tell them that age discrimination is causing you to not be hired.

2) Attend local support groups and classes in your town such as the Shrewsbury Public Library that can provide you with resources in your job search.

3) Blog about your experiences so politicians can learn about your experiences being unemployed.

4) See a counselor if you need to vent about your frustrations and learn some coping skills to get you through these difficult times.

5) Exercise! Exercise! Exercise!!! The adrenaline rush can help you find creative ways to find work or ideas to network.

6) Network! Network! Network! Attend meetings at the local chamber of commerce in your area.

7)Continue to attend workshops at your local career centers at the unemployment offices. Work with your job counselor to find opportunities and unadvertised positions.

8) Social media outlets such as Linkedin can be helpful though I don't know the statistics on how many people find gainful employment.

9) Remember to take deep breaths when you need a break from your job search. If you can work a part-time job while looking for gainful employment, do so but remember to report your earnings to unemployment.

10) Support the Massachusetts Healthy Workplace Bill H.2310 to prevent and to give workers much added protections in the workplace. Steps have been put in to prevent unnecessary lawsuits

8) Social media outlets such as Linkedin can be helpful though I don't know the statistics on how many people find gainful employment.

9) Remember to take deep breaths when you need a break from your job search. If you can work a part-time job while looking for gainful employment, do so but remember to report your earnings to unemployment.

10) Support the Massachusetts Healthy Workplace Bill H.2310 to prevent and to give workers much added protections in the workplace. Steps have been put in to prevent unnecessary lawsuits

Sunday, November 4, 2012

The Rise in Teen Gambling

Did you know that 9.5% of youth are affected by problem gambling in Massachusetts? Did you also know that 2.8% of youth are identifed as having pathological/compulsive gambling problems in Massachusetts? What is the difference between problem gambling and pathological/compulsive gambling? Answer: The former is abuse and the latter is an addiction. Question: What is the main source of gambling for youths? Answer: Internet gaming. Question: What is one way youths pay to engage in gambling activities? Answer: They buy prepaid credit cards in the local stores. I could not believe how problem and pathological gambling is a growing problem for our youth. While it is no surprise that many use the internet to gamble, it is now a major public health issue for this population. People often ask what are the similarities between substance abuse and problem/pathological gambling. The common factors that cause these behaviors are emotional difficulties; impulsivity; and stress. Both also involve a loss of control. On brain scans, it shows that the same pathways and cells not only light up but also an increase in size for the neural pathways and an increase in the number of cells growing. The major differences between the above addictions are problem gambling involves getting instant rewards and bailouts from family members/friends who pay for their debts. Here two basic questions as a screening tool to ask your child/teen who may be having a problem with gambling: 1)Have you ever felt the need to bet more and more money? 2) Have you ever had to lie to people important to you about how much you gamble? If you answered "Yes" to one or both questions, please contact the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling at 1-800-426-1234. There is a website designed for and by teens on problem gambling at www.teensknowyourlimits.org. I found the above information to be very helpful in increasing my professional knowledge and awareness as a professional counselor in Shrewsbury. I thank the Massachusetts Compulsive Gambling for providing this training on this topic to providers

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

From the Office of Robbin Miller, LMHC

Educational Services Now Being Offered and Starting in June 2012.
“Acomplishing your Goals One at a Time.”

The following are educational services being offered for a fee. Please note that insurance companies do not pay for them as they are considered informational and not out of medical necessity.

Adoption Choices: How to Stay Sane and Balanced

Are you curious about the options involved in wanting to adopt a child? As a parent of an adopted child, I learned the ins and outs from various resources over the years. While it took my spouse and five years to adopt, we learned how agencies don’t tell you everything you need to know due to their hidden agendas.

Objectives:
1) Learn about the three options to adopt.
2) Learn about questions to ask adoption agencies
3) Preparing for the homestudy visit
Fee: $ 150.00 for an hour and half

The ABC’s of Advocacy:

Do you know how to advocate for yourself in the following areas:
Workplace
Healthcare
Where You Live

Objectives:
1) Learn how to organize your thoughts and issues on paper
2) Learn about different tools that can be used to advocate for yourself.

Please note that the workshop is for informational purposes only.

Fee: $ 60.00 an hour.

Career Coaching:

Are you starting a new job after college graduation?
Are you anxious about your career path?
Do you feel overwhelmed in managing your career with your personal life?

Objectives:
1) Learn how to sort through your thought patterns and feelings. What are the hidden meanings behind them?
2) Learn how to plan short and long term options
3) Learn about developing a wellness plan to create the healthy balance in your life.

Fee: $ 35.00 an hour for graduates of higher education.

Financial Education:

Do you know how to budget?
The decision to choose a consolidation companies: non-profit vs for profit
Objectives:
1) Learn about different ways to budget your money that works for you.
2) Learn about the ins/outs of consolidation companies
Fee: $ 40.00 for an hour.

For more information, please email at rmillerchat@aol.com or call me at 508-450-5593.