Question by Happy: Emergency Money/Student Loans?
I have been unemployed for over a year now. My unemployment has stopped. I have applied for every job you can think of from cleaning, waiting tables, etc. ( I have applied to over 300 jobs) My background is in Administration/Management so these companies are not interested in hiring me. I have recently tested HIV+ which is something that I am dealing with.

I have no money in my bank account it is currently over drafted. I have tried contacting my local HIV orgainzation that provides emergency assistance for rent and have not had any responses for 3 weeks to my voice mails, emails, etc. I have also been in contact with the Social Service Dept at the hospital who keeps telling me to “keep trying”. I am currently enrolled in College, however, I will not get a refund from my student loans until next month. I have tried to arrange something with my land loard in case I am unable to get the funds to pay June rent. My land lord will not budge, never been late on my rent and have been here for 3 years now.

I have no family here that I can turn to either. I have called every State/Local/County offices for the past 3+ weeks and haven’t received any luck. Do anyone know of a program that will give a loan aganist your student loans? Meaning someone who will give me the money to cover my rent today and next month I can pay it off with my refund check from my student loans?

I’m located in Ohio
* I have nothing to sell, I sold my car after 6 months of being out of work. I have no furniture in my house just clothes, tv and a bed. So I don’t have anything to sell.

Best answer:

Answer by monique
I am not sure the name of the local organization you contacted?

The state of Ohio through the Health Department has a Ryan White program.
“HIV Case Management Program / Ryan White Emergency Financial Assistance Program
HIV Case Management agencies are located throughout Ohio, providing coverage for every county in the state. Case managers who are trained to help people living with HIV or AIDS can help find the medical treatment and programs they need. A case manager can also determine eligibility for Ryan White Emergency Financial Assistance.

The purpose of the Ryan White Emergency Financial Assistance Program is to assist individuals who are HIV positive and have an emergency need that is HIV-related. The program is one of last resort. Services that may be covered include: medical services, limited dental services and limited mental health services .

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) administers the Ohio HIV Drug Assistance Program (OHDAP) program, providing medications to fight HIV and to treat HIV-related conditions. In addition to OHDAP, the Health Insurance Premium Payment (HIPP) Program is designed for those with health insurance coverage (including COBRA) and the Ohio Medicaid Spenddown Payment (OHMSDP) program is for those with HIV who are on Medicaid and have a spenddown that they must meet each month.”

http://www.odh.ohio.gov/odhprograms/hastpac/hivcare/aids1.aspx (Link to the above information, which includes contact information)

More details about the Case management program
“HIV Case Management Program

HIV case management agencies are located throughout Ohio, providing coverage for every county in the state. Case managers who are trained to help people living with HIV or AIDS can help find the medical treatment and programs they need. A case manager who is familiar with the community can help find doctors, housing, support groups or transportation for people who need these services. There is no fee for their help. A case manager can also determine eligibility for Ryan White Emergency Financial Assistance (RWEA). Case managers must be licensed social workers and adhere to the HIV Care Services’ Standards of Care.” http://www.odh.ohio.gov/odhprograms/hastpac/hivcare/casemgmt/casemgmt1.aspx

While the above program only provides financial assistance related to the HIV diagnosis, if you are able to get a case-manager he/she can help you find services out there you may not be aware of.

Loan companies would not give a loan based on an expected refund amount from a student loan. Loan companies, such as payday loans and those types of loan companies want to see pay stubs and your title loan companies of course want to see titles, because then they know they can go after the person for the money. A hypothetical student loan refund amount is not a guarantee.

I am honestly disappointed that the social services department at the hospital did not provide you with a list of resources and make referrals to agencies like through the Ohio state Department of Health. Typically when professionals call to agencies with situations like this, since verification of the diagnosis is part of the process all of that can get ironed out. All the patient has to do is sign a release of information saying it is okay to make referrals.

Since your rent situation appears to be the top of your priority list, if I were in this situation instead of calling, I would personally visit local churches to try to see if they would be willing to donate money to assist me with paying rent. Showing up in person shows you are who you say you are, and it puts a face behind the need. Let them know you are in school, and will receive your student loan refund next month, and have been unemployed after looking for employment, your unemployment ended and you are unable to pay your June rent at this time. Let them know you have no family that can assist you and that you have nowhere else to turn. I think for the churches that do provide you with money, it would also be a good thing just to give them something back in return…and they may be more willing to give monies that way. I don’t know how your health is or if you are physically capable……..but perhaps asking if you could mow their lawn, help clean the building, etc. Usually religious entities are used to the individuals who just ask for money, but it is rare to get the person who says he/she would be willing to give back….this may make them view your case more legitimately then just someone trying to use the system, so to speak.

Best wishes!

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Question by MamaKate: Abuse, Adoption and Lots of Questions?
http://taxdollars.freedomblogging.com/2010/03/08/adoption-gone-awry-launches-couple-onto-child-abuse-list/52663/

I came across this article this morning and it made me wonder about several things:

1. Do you feel that the actions of the AM (cutting the AD’s hair as punishment) should be considered abuse – why or why not?

(I also wish I knew how well the APs were educated about their AD’s history and issues, but on the other hand, the APs are relatively well educated in a general sense and work in the medical and law enforcement fields…)

2. Do you think the APs received “special treatment” due to their job statuses?

3. “We got off their list, but there are a lot of people out there who don’t have the resources we have,” Bette said. “ They don’t’ have a husband who’s an attorney, they don’t know what the law is. To me, it’s a really sad state of affairs when your liberties are taken away from you and you have no recourse. We want the public to know that this situation exists. Is there anyone else who’s been in this situation?”

Do you feel that this statement applies could apply to some biological parents also? What do you feel should be the recourse for people who have been “bullied by the system”?

4, The APs lawsuit against DSS states:
“This case amounts to an unconstitutional abuse of power by county social workers and county policies that both violate and demonstrate a deliberate indifference to the constitutional rights of Plaintiffs, parents and others who work with children. County social workers, acting as judge and jury, and without meeting any burden of proof, have the ability and authority to arbitrarily and falsely stigmatize individuals as ‘child abusers’ and without providing any pre-deprivation procedural due process, then blacklist their names by reporting them to a central registry maintained by the California Department of Justice without prior notice or an opportunity to be heard. In doing so, the (county and state) trample on the constitutional rights of parents to raise their children and maintain family integrity, do irreparable damage to the reputations of those stigmatized as child abusers, deny them procedural due process guaranteed under the 14th Amendment and ultimately harm the very children the defenders are supposed to protect.”

Do you agree or disagree with these statements and what kind of impact could this have on the way we handle abuse cases?

5. What would you change about the way the system works to prevent issues like this? How can we best balance protecting abused children and ensuring sure the system is not being heavy handed towards parents?

I will be ruminating on these questions today and I’d love to hear your opinions on any or all of these questions if you have the time. Thanks!
ETA: I guess I should add that I DO feel that cutting a child’s hair as punishment is indeed abusive.

Best answer:

Answer by smarmy
I don’t think its abuse but its still not very cool.

Yeah I think they got special treatment because of “his” position, not necessarily hers.

Part of me wants to say “too bad” but i have to agree that there are some seriously over zealous case workers. Their rights were trampled, they were put on a registry without being able to defend themselves, how does that feel? Similar things happen to parents and adoptee’s every day.

I’m glad the story was told, but I still don’t feel very sorry for them, they got this story told and will probably win their law suit because of their status. They talk about their rights but what about everybody elses.

Give your answer to this question below!

Question by Noa Bach: What is the difference between a mental health counselor, social worker, or psychologist?
I’m not sure what I want to do. But I know I want to provide counseling to all types of people (children, teens, adults, elderly) my main goal is to help heal them so this can end up healing the Planet 🙂
Don’t want to do any type of testing. I want to help children dealing with bullying, childhood trauma, etc. Adults that need healing from abuse, self-esteem, depression, family problems, sexuality issues etc.

Best answer:

Answer by Weird.
Mental health counselor (clinical psychologist) works with people who have schizophrenia and OCD
and much more

Social Worker works with kids, teens, and adults dealing with troubled living situations and such

Psychologists go in to depth with the patient and can work in a variety of environments, they also prescribe patients when needed.

You sound like you want to be a counseling psychologist which is different from a clinical psychologist. You should look into it more.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Question by asonlybettyknowz: How has your social development been effect from growing up, and aging out of an orphanage?
Hello,

I’m writing a short paper on social development in orphan children who aged out of the system. I’m asking you to share with me how that experience now as an adult effects your everyday life. If you would like to share your story privately please email me. This paper is for a college class and is strictly for education use.

Best answer:

Answer by D_21
I’m not sure what country you’re from, but most developed nations no longer have orphanages. Everything to with that has been switched over to social welfare programs like Child Protective Services and Foster Care Systems.
There are still institutional facilities but they aren’t intended for the same use as an orphanage. There are group homes, placement facilities, youth care centers, and “Residential Treatment Facilities” (a.k.a. RTCs | C= Center) There are also emancipation programs and independent living programs that help kids who have emancipated or who are aging out of the system to get on their feet.
The RTCs etc are usually for children with legal issues who have either broken the law or have been taken out of homes where their parental guardian(s) broke the law. Their parents are still alive they just are not allowed to have custody. The guardian or parents still have parental rights that enable them to approve or disapprove a living arrangement for their child unless a court decides otherwise.
???
Another branch similar to these include mental hospitals/facilities where kids with psychological issues may be placed. Some are locked facilities and some are not.
?????
There are orphanages that have changed their names or orphanage like places. They’re called Children’s Homes now or youth care centers. The names are deceptive and confusing. I went to a “youth care center” a couple of times and it definitely was not an orphanage. It was a juvenile detention hall/ correction center. Course if you called it that in front of the wrong staff member you’d get a very stern look & be promptly reminded that is was a “youth care center.” Allot of places that house kids try to escape old stigmas and bad publicity or avoid extra audits by redifining themselves with new titles.
_____________________________________________________________
I am not an expert, social worker, or professional of any kind . I lived in the system myself as a teenager for several years.

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Question by Mz Lopez: What do social workers actually do?
I wanna go to school for psychology but I wanna work more along troubled teenagers or people in need of help like a social worker I guess. not giving medicine.

Best answer:

Answer by Saadia
The investigate cases of child abuse and/or neglect.

Add your own answer in the comments!