Expert Care for Every Mind, Every Journey

Dear friends, past clients and staff of Vocational Management Consultants,

It’s been over 40 years since I started working as a vocational rehabilitation counselor. I never had the vision of working in this field. I thought my career as a fleshling counselor would start and end in the correctional counseling work. But as life throws you “lemons” or obstacles, the choices one makes can change one’s life immeasurably and as they say can have you making “lemonade”.

As the door closed for me as the Program Administrator for the Women’s Correctional Facility, another door opened for me as a vocational rehabilitation counselor. My degree was already in the field so I walked away in tears from the facility and walked into a whole new world and career.

Working with injured workers across the community and state from janitors to general managers, from attorneys to housekeepers, each of whom came to my office had a story to tell and needed an opportunity to reach others such as counselors and those in the workers compensation system to receive and obtain the help they needed to walk through the quagmire called Workers Compensation.

I never took that responsibility lightly. Each story had their sadness, feelings of hopelessness and sometimes almost lost hope. Those who kept the faith and walked through our Vocational Management Consultants door with one foot in front of the other made hard decisions, worked hard, some went back to school and many others went on to different careers and many succeeded to move on with their lives after the workers compensation case ended. One cannot take away the pride I felt for our clients as they celebrated their successes, graduations, promotions and job acceptances!

My job, as your counselor (those who may be reading this) was never to make decisions for you but to help you and others to look at each side of the situation and what pitfalls might occur given the decisions. Ultimately, the decision was my client’s, and my job was to help the clients walk through their plans and move on. I agonized with you, I cried with you and with others, I urged and sometimes “gently pushed” when things got tough. I always prayed that you chose what was right for you and your families.

My staff and all of you who walked bravely through our doors, gave me new perspectives to consider and to change as the work changed and as the world changed. All of you were my teachers as you taught me, I hope from the bottom of my heart that you also felt that you could lean on me and learned how to traverse through this traumatic and tumultuous part of your life.

I was honored that you allowed me to work with you and your families. May you be able to look back and remember that VMC helped you through those times. May your life be filled with success and happiness.

Sincerely as always,

Laurie H. Hamano retired Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor/past President of VMC