|
Williams Awarded Dr. Viscardi, Jr.
Advocacy Award
from NYS Assembly
 ALBANY
- 05/18/05. The first Annual Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr. Advocacy Award was
presented to Brad Williams, executive director of NYSILC, at New York State
Assembly Disability Awareness Day.
Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli helped
to create this award in honor of Dr. Viscardi, who was a constituent in his
district. Passing away in 1994 at the age of 91, Dr. Viscardi was one of the
world's most highly respected pioneers for the rights and opportunities for
people with disabilities. He broke down barriers imposed by his own physical
challenges and built his medical and academic career on the conviction that
there are no disabled people - just people of varying degree of ability. He was
the founder of the National Center for Disability Services and was council on
disability issues for every president from Franklin D Roosevelt to Jimmy
Carter.
Brad Williams, the first recipient
of this award, has worked with a variety of stakeholders over the past six
years to help direct advocacy and/or media efforts to support several positive
systems advocacy outcomes, such as the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Act,
state Medicaid Buy-In, state sign on to the State of Minnesota's amicus briefs
in the Garrett and Lane cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, and restoration of
SSI COLA funds. Mr. Williams currently resides in Queensbury, NY with his wife
Cathy, son Ryan and daughter Hannah.
Sue's Empowerment Corner
Preventing Burnout
For this column I want to talk about preventing "burnout." Many of
us are familiar with the term burnout. While we may have even experienced it, I
have found that most people really don't understand how serious burnout is, how
common it is, and that it can be prevented.
Burnout is an actual condition where
we feel a sense of having nothing left to give, leading to depression and
feelings of anxiety, guilt and fear. It often stems from a "loss of control"
over a person's work and/or home life. If not addressed, it can even result in
personal neglect, such as a lack of appetite, alcohol/substance abuse, and
frequent illness. You should definitely seek outside professional help if you
are overwhelmed by such feelings.
Burnout is especially prevalent in
fields where you are giving a lot of time and energy to other people or a
cause. Some of the initial signs include feelings that you aren't accomplishing
anything, your best effort isn't good enough, or you are unappreciated for your
contributions. It is common for nurses, personal care assistants, teachers,
advocates, and parents to experience burnout at some point over the length of
their careers.
Burnout is caused by a variety of
factors: consistent stress in home and at work, being over committed, no fun or
down time, and personal problems such as a sick relative or financial problems.
The good news is that burnout can be prevented. However, it may require major
changes in your lifestyle.
(Continued on Page 4) |
