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Workshop speeds rehab Photo by Bob Pennell LeeAnn LaBar edits audiotape Thursday in a studio at public radio station KSOR on the Southern Oregon University campus. After arthritis left her unable to work at her old landscaping job, she took part in a innovative rehabilitation program developed in Medford and now has a job producing radio programs distributed over the Internet. Wide-ranging program helps put workers in jobs faster By SUSAN JAY LeeAnn LaBar had always depended on her physical strength to earn a living. As a landscaper for 20 years, she hauled heavy trees, moved loads of dirt and lifted heavy equipment. But that life came to a sudden halt last year, when degenerative arthritis brought a deep and unending pain in her back. At first she felt angry at her body for not holding up. Then she felt fear, not knowing what she would do next. Eighteen months later, La-Bar is well on her way to becoming a radio broadcaster after completing a new vocational rehabilitation program available only at the Medford office of the state Vocational Rehabilitation Division. "I'm big and strong and work really hard, but I would have never thought I could do this technical stuff," said the 40-year-old Ashland resident. She is already producing radio spots that are placed on the Internet for use by radio stations across the country. She produces the spots for an environmental organization sponsored by the Indigenous Women's Network and the Indigo Girls. The program instrumental in turning LaBar's life around is called Work Readiness Alternative Workshop, better known as WRAW. It was developed by Kelly Franklin, 35, of Medford, a vocational rehabilitation counselor with the state's Medford office. WRAW's innovative approach has captured the attention of state officials and the interest of vocational rehabilitation departments and commissions for the disabled in Washington and Alaska. Franklin's idea "reflects some of the most creative thinking of our staff," said Cecile Bentley, vocational rehabilitation district manager. "We are going to commit funds within our existing resources to develop this further." State officials have asked Franklin to develop a budget to implement the WRAW program in rehabilitation offices across Oregon. A counselor for 20 years, Franklin is a firm believer in giving people the knowledge they need to make their own decisions. That approach is at the core of WRAW. "This is the first time in rehabilitation history that folks are being given the opportunity to make their own choices," Franklin said. WRAW offers 36 workshops that get disabled and injured workers to prepare faster for a career and a new life. Starting the first week, workers learn about themselves, how to cope with everyday life and how to find and prepare for a new career. They learn computer basics, nutrition and stress management and a host of other life skills such as balancing work and family and managing their finances. The learning takes place in a group setting with other people in the same boat. These skills can mean the difference between keeping and losing a job. Before WRAW, people like LaBar would have waited two to three months before being able to meet with a counselor and start working on a plan for a new vocation. Now they start learning right away, and move quickly to exploring career options and learning about resume writing and financial aid for school. A women's support group and a peer support group help those who are having trouble coping with their disability and life changes. WRAW gave LaBar the training and self confidence she needed to believe she could work again but at something entirely different. "You're so depressed and angry at yourself that your body has done this," she said. The workshops helped her accept her disability, promote herself in the job market, research careers and land interviews. Workshop participants suggested many of the workshop topics in surveys conducted by Franklin. By the time they met with a rehabilitation counselor, the participants had a clear idea of what they wanted to do and how to do it. Franklin Corbin, a counselor in the Medford office, said his WRAW clients are more confident and less fearful of the future and of change. WRAW speeds up the rehabilitation process for the client and "accelerates what I have to do one-on-one," Corbin said. The local office's six counselors juggle a caseload of 70 to 100 people each, Franklin said, and they don't have the time to provide the information and support that WRAW does. Franklin said the local office is tracking WRAW enrollees and their employment results, but the program hasn't been around long enough to generate meaningful statistics. But Franklin said she and other counselors are confident that more WRAW graduates are finding jobs and staying employed longer than before the program started. Today's Business Index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA