Another new job!?!

Yep....its true, only this one is not by choice. I know, it might sound weird, and it is! I work for the City of Phoenix in the Parks and Recreation Department. Well, as you may have noticed, the economy is not doing super fabulous at the moment. Not only does that affect me as a person, but that affects the Cities and States and other municipalities in a very big way....almost 80 million dollars in debt way. So the City had to make some changes and some cuts in a very big way. I actually knew about this situation going into it. I was told when i was hired that because of the budget crisis situation, there may be a chance that i could be let go in a few months. Hopefully that would not be the case, but it depended on the amount of the deficit. Since i had only been hired in January, my seniority within my job level was pretty much zero, and i would be the first cut if any. I had prayed about taking this job and had felt prompted to take it and actually passed up jobs that now i wonder why!, but I believe Heavenly Father has a purpose. Anyways, so last friday i was called out of an all day training to go down town (scary!!!!) to City Hall to meet with the Director of the Department. Of Course they dont tell you what the meeting is about, they just let you sit and sweat. So i freaked out for about 2 hours of the training and then at the lunch break, left to go downtown. I was pretty nervous they were going to drop the ball and say see ya later, so i prayed........and prayed......and prayed! It was the only thing i could do to not freak out too much (at least on the outside). Basically my prayer went something like "Ok Heavenly Father, did you really compel me to take this job just to get fired? If so.....now what! I felt like there was a purpose so help me know the purpose whatever that is!" So then i walk into the meeting.........Well, they started out by saying that i wasnt loosing my job, so the meeting was a good meeting. WHEW!!!!! However, because I am the only Full Time person working for the City of Phoenix with the credentials of CTRS (Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist) i was being moved to do more good and be a bigger influence. So now, I am the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)/Inclusion Coordinator for the City of Phoenix. Talk about Holy Cow! Basically, I am responsible for making sure the City (well at least the Parks and Recreation Department which is the 3rd biggest department in the city behind police and fire) follows the ADA and makes all facilities and programs accessible for individuals with disabilities.

The Inclusion part I think i can handle, because that really is what i do...helping to find ways to adapt programs, equipment, or attitudes to allow everyone to participate and enjoy recreational activities, however dealing with the legal side of the ADA and the potential ramifications on a City wide level is pretty intimidating!!! Hopefully there will be a learning curve, especially since originally they were two separate positions being done by people who were much higher levels on the career ladder than I am. So if I seem frazzled for a bit.....now you know why!~

However, on the positive side.....perhaps this was Heavenly Fathers plan because i will definitely be in a much better position to make some real changes for people with disabilities in the City of Phoenix, and if we can get it all figured out and do a good job....Phoenix is the 5th largest City in the nation, so people look to the City for an example, so maybe we can be a model for positive change all over. Now that would be very far into the future, Im sure, but possible. I am really just hoping to not drown and to help any one that i can, and really i am just grateful that they didnt say your fired!