California Dept of Rehab Consumers YELP! for Help!

An SSDI recipient applying for California Department of Rehabilitation services just reached out to me, after reading my articles on LinkedIn, inquiring if I could help them.

They first voiced concern about giving their personal, and medical information to the DOR, just to get approved for services. When I asked why the concern they told me that it was because of the horrendous reviews that the DOR has received on Yelp. I, myself, didn't even know that DOR consumers were taking to yelp to voice their discontent with the failing agency. So, I decided to look, for myself. Wow, it really is tragic that this public agency receives hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal government to match the millions put in by our State taxes, and yet they can't adequately serve our disability population. Not for a lack of funding, but for a lack of competency, and for unlawful practices.

I will let the Yelp reviews speak for themselves. Please see below:

Nicholas B. San Francisco, CA

11/15/2016

I'm a disabled person and made some general inquires about hypothetical scenarios in which I would be able to return to work. The lady I spoke to seamed uninterested and unwilling to explore any scenarios I gave her. In short, she was very unhelpful, and left me with the impression the CDOR isn't capable of doing much for me or people in my situation. If they are not enthusiastic about helping the disabled to find work, who exactly are their clients?

Honest J. Los Angeles, CA

10/18/2016

If Yelp were to pick one non-profit/government establish that epitomizes the reason negative star ratings should be generated, DOR would be the perfect epitome thereof. They're a waste, but more importantly, a brutal abuse of tax payer funds and the vulnerable clients they serve.

* Fraudulent reporting of client case needs and successes 

* Negligence to fully assess client capacities and needs 

* Disability discrimination; reluctance if not refusal to accommodate (no, I don't strictly mean physical accommodations) 

* Verbally abusive counselors 

* Poorly trained counselors 

* Threatening counselors 

* Negligent supervisors 

* Receptionists upfront who can be replaced by automated checkins that triage visiting clients in a timely and accurate manner 

* Archaically slow follow-ups, if any at all

Its seems like their operational model was structured by D. Trump or Well Fargo's John Stumpf. Like the SFPD, the Department of Justice or another federal investigative/regulatory agency needs to raid the administration and give almost everyone there, from top down, the hiatus! Send the admin and so-called 'counselors' to the penitentiary or toilet where they belong.

Anyone interested in banding together to take action, let me know. Message me!

Ellen F. San Francisco, CA

2/10/2016

It's important that this information is up to date as many of us find it extremely difficult to make it out of our homes, let alone to their offices.

Since this department has not updated it's orientation schedule, I will do it myself. 

As of Feb. 10, 2016, if you want to go to the orientation schedule is as follows:

-Tuesdays, 2pm

-Wednesday, 8:30am

-Thursdays, 2pm

I was advised that coming in person does NOT speed up review of your application. Apart from that advise, I found the front desk unresponsive and not knowledgeable in helping me navigate or understand their services.

Peter G. Huntington Beach, CA

5/28/2015

All they do is look on Craigs List and send you to BS jobs. They never consider your real experience as a professional. Their office is a complete wast of taxpayers money and you time. 

They don't do anything you cant do on your own. I know, I've been with them for about 3 years and nothing.

Cynthia H. San Francisco, CA

8/22/2016   Updated review

We had a horrible experience with our 2nd & 3rd counselor at the San Francisco location of Dept. of Rehabilitation. After 18 months, we terminated our relationship with the 3rd counselor and asked for another. We are delighted to say that our 4th counselor was results oriented and didn't waste a minute of her or our time. She put us in touch with a great agency that matched our needs on our initial visit with her and she followed up regularly (something we weren't used to previously). As a result or her excellent work and attention to detail, my son received all the services that were necessary in a professional and efficient manner. I've upgraded my rating from 1 star to 5 stars because of the quality of our counselor. If you don't believe you're receiving the proper attention or care at the Dept. of Rehab., then once voiced if nothing happens, don't wait for 18 months like we did. We learned that not all counselors work in the same manner. We rate our experience as 5-star now. Thank you.

2/25/2016  Previous review

The Department of Rehabilitation in San Francisco is a total waste of Tax Payer's money. They don't provide services. They don't return calls. They will frustrate you and make you feel worse than when you started working with them. The State of California needs to monitor and audit this office. They are not serving their clients.

bluemoon p. San Francisco, CA

10/11/2013

California rehab merely spending its resources since I don't see any outcome of its productivities. 

When I was going through the process my Chinese rehab counselor only send me to Chinese people to get evaluated like: psychologist, doctors; they are all Chinese. Even these Chinese professionals complaint that it takes too long to get paid by rehab. If all the clients ended up with minimal cheap jobs as rehab workers wish and save lots of money (it's even their own money but tax payers) 

how Helen Keller and FDR could have been succeed in the real world.

This faceless agency really force its clients to landing with something cheap so they pay for little. I never understood their way of operating thing.

It's better to get financial aid and loan rather than deals with this faceless agency of ruthlessness and wasting precious time.

Bill M. Palm Springs, CA

5/23/2013

If you're preparing to become a client at the DOR, Be VERY patient! Since I submitted my application back in Nov. 2012, I've been seen by a counselor only one time in March 2013. Appointments take a long time to get, With many bumps along the way.

My first counselor called me 2 hours before my first appointment to cancel because she was overbooked, I showed up for the next weeks appointment, Waited 40 minutes, Then left, I later received a voicemail from this counselor who I had not yet met that I needed to be empathetic toward her vehicle and parking issues that made her late for our appointment. I was assigned a second counselor by my request who've I've seen only once, And there have been issues seeing her as well. This whole process makes the idea of getting off disability very doubtful.

Beth G. Murrieta, CA

10/21/2014

So I'm reviewing a different DOR in Southern California. Eh. it's okay. As a government facility, the are limited as to what they can help you with. I filled out the application in winter 2011, by spring 2012 I had my first appt. By summer 2012 I was doing this "job club" once a week for about 4 weeks. After that I was told to "look for work" on my own mind you. I have a computer and internet connection at home, so that's not hard. I applied to jobs online (about 4 jobs a week). I was getting no bites. I did get help with a resume, but the help didn't do anything - still no interviews. Not until I meet with someone OUTSIDE of the DOR and I followed his advise 100% and did what he said and he even provided words for my resume. I meet with him in Feb 2014. I had to do something. By April 2014 I started to get job interviews so I knew my resume reflected my true skill set. He also told me to leave my graduate degree on my resume and told me to stop applying to jobs that pay only $10 or $12 an hr. I kept on getting resumes. 

Well, I kept on getting job interviews from April 2014 to the fall 2014. I kept on saying to myself "Tell the employer what they want to hear". I made a recent employer an offer they can't refuse (through the job application, it said "Starting wage desired"). I knew if I put down something too high, they wouldn't bite. I needed a job. Anything. I was offered the job. If I had asked for $13 or $15/ hr, I doubt I would have been offered the job. 

Oh, I forgot. The DOR has these third party companies that are to "help you" find a job, but they don't. I had to "retake" this job club thing again, and with this other third party company - they made me go through 6 months of this job club each week. The same stupid thing twice a week. It got really really old. The company provided mock interviews ONCE. In an entire year, the did ONE mock interview with me. I think that is shameful. Oh, wait. I lied. I did three mock interviews. Only one was with my worker. I kept on asking for more mock interviews and I was ignored. 

Much of the stuff within these third party companies - what they do - is try to keep you "busy". I think half of the stuff is a waste of your time. What you need to be doing is networking and meeting with people that WORK and get to know people that WORK. If you have a neighbor that works, talk to them about their job and what they do and see if their employer has openings. Sitting at a computer all day doesn't cut it. But this is exactly what the DOR wants you do to. Just sit and fill out online job applications all day long. 

They don't even want you to go to a job fair. They also tell you to NOT apply to any seasonal job or temporary job. But if you need a job and if you are not on SSI, what do they want you to do? Die? I guess it could be just the person working for the DOR. I've heard some workers say "no, job fairs are not good" and others say "That is a networking opportunity". I've heard some say "go apply to the seasonal job and if you get that job, great. We will work on permanent after you get the seasonal".

I personally think if you are on SSI or something like that and if you do not have a masters degree or an undergrad - and if you desire to get one - you'd probably have a much better chance of them helping you with school. But if you want help with a job. Don't look to the DOR. They really don't help and they don't understand the value of networking with people THAT ALREADY HAVE A JOB!!

linda l. Concord, CA

11/11/2008

• First to Review

I was told to walk in to this office during my lunch hour to get an application for services. I saw through a glass window four people seated infront of me not one asked if i needed help. Finally a stringy haired, hawaiian shirt hippy walked up and asked what I needed. I told him I needed an application for services- he asked for proof of my disability- I showing him my transportation diability card and my blue parking placard. .

He took me to his office and after 20 min of fumbling he said he "We need written proof from a doctor indicating you are disabled."

What? Is my LIMP not enough proof for you, sir? Perhaps I need a walker or a wheel chair to make it undeniably obvious?

Why tell disabled people to come down if you are not going to help them? Geesh!

Iris M. San Francisco, CA

12/14/2016

The DOR is an abominable, discriminatory, incredibly poorly-run agency. They play favorites with their clients, providing excellent, prompt, respectful service for some, and terrible, slow, unresponsive service for others, such as me. They never respond to my emails or calls, even after I follow up multiple times. They repeatedly DENY me services that they happily give to other clients. It's been extremely painful, frustrating, and anxiety-provoking to be with the DOR the past several years. It has actually caused me MUCH more work and frustration to be with the DOR than if I wasn't with it. 

Counselors are very condescending and harsh to me, while they're friendly, lenient, and prompt with other clients. It's ironic that they have "EQUALITY" in their slogan when they give very unequal, discriminatory treatment towards me. It's shameful that an organization that's supposed to help disabled people actually pick and choose favorites among their clients, and leave others like me to suffer and be denied services. 

Bringing up problems to management is useless - managers just side with the incompetent counselors. This is an agency where they slack, collect a paycheck, and only help a few clients that they like (attractive, white clients). Bruce Tingwall repeatedly ignored my emails and calls for years. Even after I tried working it out with him multiple times, he kept slacking or purposely not getting back to me. He was on top of things for other clients, though. It was finally brought up to his manager, but that didn't help things at all. Tingwall also said some very condescending, hurtful things to me that still repeat in my head painfully today (PTSD). 

After years of working with Tingwall and getting nowhere, he suggested that I move on to a different counselor. When I was assigned to Jane Graff, she actually denied all the services and equipment that Tingwall had approved. I was also working with the District Manager, Theresa Woo, at this point, and she was just as condescending, difficult, and unhelpful as all the rest. Despite all my hard work, always following up, always trying to discuss and amend things - it all keeps coming to a standstill. I should've gotten training and a job years ago, but the DOR's slacking, denial of services, and refusal to work with me has caused all this to drag on MUCH longer than it should. For clients that the counselors like, they got great services and their goals accomplished in a short amount of time. I should've gotten all my goals accomplished in a year or 2 instead of 5 years and counting. 

The counselors and managers at the DOR should receive disciplinary action for all their stigmatizing, unfair treatment towards me. They really need to learn to be prompt, helpful, empathic, and respectful towards ALL their clients, not just SOME. 

It's shame that the DOR won't respond to emails or take an action until I threaten to FILE A GRIEVANCE. This is ridiculous. The DOR doesn't do their job, and tries their best to make things hard for me, and I have to resort to GRIEVANCES to get them to take any action?! And I have to repeatedly use the grievance threat for ANYTHING to move forward. They're extremely incompetent. They should be motivated, smart, diligent professionals with a lot of integrity and kindness for their clients - but they're just the opposite. 

The DOR's treatment towards me over the years has been absolutely unacceptable. As an agency, they should be thoroughly AUDITED to ensure that the employees are actually doing their jobs and providing the best, most prompt, respectable, and caring service for ALL their clients, not just SOME. The DOR is supposed to HELP people with disabilities, but they've only HURT me over the years. That's shocking. I've been with a lot of organizations, but the DOR has been by far the most hurtful and damaging to me.

L N. San Francisco, CA

8/22/2014

CDR has a lot of services you might be able to use, and, like most government offices, all the charm of the DMV. Bring a book, a great deal of patience, and see what they have to offer you.