Daniel’s Career Plan

By Karen Matovich
Parent, Snowy Mountain Industries
A Montana Consumer Controlled Career Demonstration Site

IN MAY, 1998, MY 17-YEAR-OLD SON DANIEL’S case manager told me that she had made an appointment to see if Daniel would qualify for a PASS plan (Social Security Work Incentive: Plan for Achieving Self Support). At the time, I didn’t have a clue what a PASS plan was, but decided to find out about this wonderful opportunity for Daniel.

Daniel was born in Billings and lived there until he was eight years old, when our family then moved to a ranch near the small town of Grass Range. He will graduate from high school in 1999 and has been getting anxious about his future. His father and I were also wondering what would become of Daniel. Keeping him on the ranch was tempting, but with his impulsive nature, it makes it too dangerous for him. He is diagnosed with a cognitive delay with ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Medication and maturity have helped him with his short attention span and mood swings, but he still has his “bad” days.

Moving to Grass Range has been one of the best things we could have done for Daniel. Just getting him into a smaller, supportive community has helped him grow into a special person with a wonderful sense of humor. He has blossomed under the care and teaching of a fantastic resource teacher, Mark Beck. Daniel has been helping in the school kitchen doing various tasks. This has helped increase his “staying on task” time tremendously. However, Grass Range is so small and has limited training opportunities, or so we thought. Enter the planning team for Daniel’s future.

We met at the end of May. Daniel and I; Mark Beck, the resource teacher; Barb Sanford, the case manager; Anna Lankutis, the Vocational Support/Job Coach; and Dave Hammis, the Organizational Consultant from the Rural Institute.

I left that meeting feeling confused, scared, overwhelmed, and excited all at the same time. Dave showed me how the PASS plan worked and why they felt that Daniel needed extra support for his future job training. I kept wondering if we were reaching for an impossible goal, training Daniel for a possible job in his future–one that he would like. I wondered where could the training take place and how would we finance the job coaches. My fears made me want to turn back time and leave Daniel in school forever.

Our second meeting took place in June. Dave told me how PASS plans helped other people with various disabilities who were now earning a decent wage and doing something they like to do. The team helped me realize that Daniel could get job training in Grass Range.

Having someone like Dave lead us through the confusing mess of paperwork, guide and give suggestions, and empathize with my fears has made this “stepping stone” so much easier. I’ve learned that we shouldn’t put Daniel in a “slot” that seems easier for us, but help him figure what he wants in life. After all, isn’t that what we all want for ourselves?

Thanks for listening.