There are a lot of aspects to this, including but not necessarily limited to:
* Expectations. Most mainstream professionals set up the idea that appointments should always be at a specific time. But that's not the only way to do it, doesn't work for everyone, and people it doesn't work for get shut out.
If you set up different expectations, however, that's fine as long as everyone's on the same page.
Would I put up with a significant absence rate in a caregiver who was exactly what I needed? Hell, yes. I would even if he was just substantially better than other options. I have put up with aggravations like having to drive 1-2 hours just to get tolerable care. I'd rather not, but it's preferable to the alternatives. Would I put up with that rate to talk with someone who had the same problem I was having, or a similar one? Yes, if it was the kind of problem that talking could fix.
* Context. Pastoral counseling is different than secular counseling. It's not always a set schedule of meetings over medium-to-long term except for certain categories like prenuptual or end-of-life counseling. Much of it is spontaneous. They're also serving a large group of people on an occasional basis rather than a smaller group all booked into a tight schedule. So pastoral counselors often have open office hours when anyone can drop by. Another approach is connecting whenever both people are available, which can require a bit of phone-tag but usually works. Some of our friends have limited availability and we tell them to call us when they're free, to see if we are. In this regard, a pastoral counselor can post on a sign-in board or email when he's available.
* Coverage. What matters most is that needs get met, rather than one person does the exact thing at the exact time. A small church might only have one pastoral counselor, but a larger one often has multiple folks including a pastor and experienced volunteers. We know this is a large one because he has several people helping him with personal needs. This makes it possible to have multiple counselors available, such that someone walking in can take whoever's free at the time. Some support groups have two or more facilitators, precisely so they don't have to skip a day if someone gets sick.
Really, it comes down to value, fault tolerance, and communication. How much do people care that disabled folks have jobs and participate in community as much as they are able? T-America cares more about that than people here typically do.
What happens if one person isn't available some of the time? A large church has plenty of folks to pick up the slack; a small one might not. Some people might absolutely need a reliable counselor while others aren't comfortable in a rigid schedule. T-America also has more counseling of all types much more accessible than here, which means if the issue is urgent then backup is available.
How do people know about current availability? Even here, computers and cellphones make it easy to stay in touch with quick updates. T-America adds the option of scheduling things online or with a live secretary; they haven't automated everything. They also have vidwatches, which are a little harder to lose than cellphones.
All of which adds up to meaning that if a pastoral counselor with a disability misses some time, it's frustrating, but it's not a disaster nor is it likely to make people dump him. Some folks actively look for relationships that entail accommodating each other's weaknesses.
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dancing_serpent
Well ...
Date: 2018-10-15 02:44 am (UTC)* Expectations. Most mainstream professionals set up the idea that appointments should always be at a specific time. But that's not the only way to do it, doesn't work for everyone, and people it doesn't work for get shut out.
If you set up different expectations, however, that's fine as long as everyone's on the same page.
Would I put up with a significant absence rate in a caregiver who was exactly what I needed? Hell, yes. I would even if he was just substantially better than other options. I have put up with aggravations like having to drive 1-2 hours just to get tolerable care. I'd rather not, but it's preferable to the alternatives. Would I put up with that rate to talk with someone who had the same problem I was having, or a similar one? Yes, if it was the kind of problem that talking could fix.
* Context. Pastoral counseling is different than secular counseling. It's not always a set schedule of meetings over medium-to-long term except for certain categories like prenuptual or end-of-life counseling. Much of it is spontaneous. They're also serving a large group of people on an occasional basis rather than a smaller group all booked into a tight schedule. So pastoral counselors often have open office hours when anyone can drop by. Another approach is connecting whenever both people are available, which can require a bit of phone-tag but usually works. Some of our friends have limited availability and we tell them to call us when they're free, to see if we are. In this regard, a pastoral counselor can post on a sign-in board or email when he's available.
* Coverage. What matters most is that needs get met, rather than one person does the exact thing at the exact time. A small church might only have one pastoral counselor, but a larger one often has multiple folks including a pastor and experienced volunteers. We know this is a large one because he has several people helping him with personal needs. This makes it possible to have multiple counselors available, such that someone walking in can take whoever's free at the time. Some support groups have two or more facilitators, precisely so they don't have to skip a day if someone gets sick.
Really, it comes down to value, fault tolerance, and communication. How much do people care that disabled folks have jobs and participate in community as much as they are able? T-America cares more about that than people here typically do.
What happens if one person isn't available some of the time? A large church has plenty of folks to pick up the slack; a small one might not. Some people might absolutely need a reliable counselor while others aren't comfortable in a rigid schedule. T-America also has more counseling of all types much more accessible than here, which means if the issue is urgent then backup is available.
How do people know about current availability? Even here, computers and cellphones make it easy to stay in touch with quick updates. T-America adds the option of scheduling things online or with a live secretary; they haven't automated everything. They also have vidwatches, which are a little harder to lose than cellphones.
All of which adds up to meaning that if a pastoral counselor with a disability misses some time, it's frustrating, but it's not a disaster nor is it likely to make people dump him. Some folks actively look for relationships that entail accommodating each other's weaknesses.