March 23, 2023 • 27 mins
One of the most well-known companies in the world, The Walt Disney Company, has long been a case study for exceptional return-to-work procedures thanks to their Transitional Duty Program. Melannie Rodriguez, Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist for the Walt Disney Company, is a CRC who just recently celebrated her 23rd anniversary in Orlando at Walt Disney World.
On this episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, Melannie shares her career pathway to becoming a Cast Member at Disney and how her knowledge as a CRC helps ensure every employee at Walt Disney World Resorts can continue working through their rehabilitation.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (00:04):
Hello and welcome to Inside Rehabilitation
Counseling, presented by theCommission on Rehabilitation
Counselor Certification.
I'm Pam Schleman, executivedirector of C R C, and we're so
glad to have you here foranother conversation on the art
and science of rehabilitationcounseling.
One of the most well-knowncompanies in the world.
The Walt Disney Company has longbeen a case study for
exceptional return to workprocedures thanks to their
(00:25):
transitional duty program.
Melanie Rodriguez, seniorvocational rehabilitation
specialist for the Walt DisneyCompany is a CRC who just
recently celebrated her 23rdanniversary in Orlando at Walt
Disney World.
Melanie took the time to speakwith us about Disney's
commitment to serving employeeswith all types of disabilities,
whether acute or acquiredthrough their transitional duty
(00:45):
program.
Finding alternative roles foremployees around the Magic
Kingdom requires knowledge ofevery role at Walt Disney World
Resorts and Melanie's expertiseas a crc as part of that magic
that makes it happen.
As you'll hear Melanie's passionfor her fellow cast members
radiates in her voice.
Please enjoy our conversationwith Melanie.
Good afternoon, Melanie, andwelcome to Inside Rehabilitation
(01:06):
Counseling.
We're so excited to have youjoin our podcast today.
First, I wanna congratulate youon recently celebrating 23 years
with Disney.
As you know, today is rare tosee longevity and commitment to
one organization.
Can you tell us what yourfeelings are and emotions
hitting that milestone of 23years?
What that evoked for you?
Melannie Rodriguez (01:25):
Well, I can honestly say it.
I, I can't believe it's been 23years, but I do have a
tremendous amount of pride thatI have been with a company that
long, cuz that is not common,but it shows how much I love
what I do and that I enjoycoming to work every day.
And that, I believe helps mehelp people find that joy and
work because I think it's veryimportant.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (01:46):
So taking a step back, can you tell us, how
did you start your career?
How did you become interested inthe field of rehabilitation
counseling?
Why'd you become a C R C?
Melannie Rodriguez (01:56):
Um, I did not take a typical path to
become a C R C.
I actually went, um, to theUniversity of Florida thinking I
was gonna do pre-med and Istudied some classes and
thought, wow, I'm not matureenough to do this yet.
And I thought, let me, why don'tI get my look and see what else
I could study?
But I knew I wanted to helppeople and so ironically, um,
(02:17):
one of my friends was looking atrehab counseling and we were
looking at the program and I waslike, wow, I already have all
the classes that I would need tostudy this and get it as my
bachelor's.
Um, always knowing I'm not, youknow, the bachelor's isn't where
I was gonna end.
So I started taking some classesin that and I realized how much
I liked it.
(02:38):
Um, I couldn't quite figure outhow I was gonna work it into
what I wanted to do, but I justknew that I liked it.
So I finished, I got mybachelor's in rehab counseling
and then I tried to startlooking for jobs and I realized,
wow, I really need my master'sin this as well if I want to
honestly have any financialsecurity or anything in this
(02:59):
profession.
So I decided to go back and getmy master's and at that time UF
also had a master's program andgot accepted into the program.
And honestly, my entire timethere was constantly trying to
figure out what am I gonna dowith this?
And thank goodness forpracticums and internships and
all of that because you get tokind of try it out before you
(03:23):
actually have to do it.
Um, I did get a little concernedmaybe on my fourth one where I
was like, wow, I don't wanna dothat.
So I had worked in apsychiatrist's office doing
counseling and I was like, yep,that's not how I see myself.
Um, I worked with children, um,also doing counseling and I,
that was also not the directionI wanted to go.
(03:44):
And so as you, as I said beforethat, then I went and looked at
what, what does state VR do?
So I did an internship with them, um, as well still in the
mental health side of it cuz Iwas, I kind of liked that, you
know, helping people workthrough things on top of maybe
physical disabilities but havingother things going on as well.
(04:05):
And um, while I was on thatinternship, I started realizing,
I don't like this either.
So I started to get concerned, but luckily I visited
all the other units.
There was all sorts of units,brain injury, all in the vr.
So they let me kind of floataround and I got to look at all
(04:25):
the different, um, populationsthat they were helping.
And I was fascinated when it gotto like physical disabilities
and I actually got to go downand help someone, um, that had a
spinal cord injury when theyneeded to get their driver's
license.
It was fascinating to meeverything that they, um, went
through to get this person kindof like back to a place where
(04:46):
work could even be an option cuzyou know, you gotta be able to
get to work and, you know,activities of daily life that
then springboarded me.
I had a very generous supervisorand she, was like,
Melanie, you make thisinternship, whatever you want it
to be.
And so I got the, um, at thetime it was the National
Association of RehabProfessionals directory out and
(05:07):
I honestly just started callingpeople and I said, what do you
do?
You're close to me.
Can I come and see what you do,um, with your crc?
And I just started visitingdifferent professions and that's
how I, uh, came across who's nowmy coworker, Carrie Hash, um,
her name was in the direct areaand I reached out to her and I
was like, tell me more whatDisney does.
So I went and spent some timewith her.
(05:28):
I was like so excited witheverything that Disney did and
she basically just showed me howthey have people working while
they're recovering from theirinjury.
But I was just fascinated withthat.
I was like, wow, you're, you'rehelping people already get into
that mindset of I'm, I'm gonnakeep moving past this event that
happened to me.
Then I graduated, I ended upgetting a job but outside of
(05:48):
Florida, but I kept in touchwith Carrie.
Um, you know, was like, thanksfor letting me, you know, of
course I sent everyone and thankyou, thanks for letting
me come see what you you did.
And I I, I started doing privaterehab in North Carolina for, uh,
a southern rehabilitation.
They had like a nurse and evokeperson for each region and it
was fabulous.
(06:08):
I had a nurse that was one ofthe owners of the company.
She was like a mentor to me andshe just kind of showed me the
ropes and then probably wasn'tthere more than six or seven
months and Carrie reached out tome and said, Hey, we're gonna
have an opening.
Would you ever wanna come backand work for Disney?
I was like, yes, please.
.
Wow.
So that's kind of how it allstarted.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (06:29):
Wow.
Some of the things that you saidI think will be very useful for
young professionals to hearabout how your approach to
finding a job that fit what youwanted to do and so you just
didn't go the normal pathway.
You really worked really hard toreach out to other companies to
see what they did.
And so that's fascinating andinteresting.
(06:50):
You said you worked a little bitin state vr.
What was your experience like instate
Melannie Rodriguez (06:54):
Vr?
Um, honestly I hated it.
Um, it was very, at the time thestate of Florida was going
through some changes, they hadsome sort of reorg with the
people that did unemployment andwere absorbing them into state
vr.
They weren't CRCs or anything,but suddenly they had caseloads.
(07:14):
I was like, I don't even knowhow you guys are doing this.
I was like, I can't, I can't dothis.
Like, it was so confusing to me.
That was one of the many timesthat I realized every
organization or company haspolitics.
Sure.
I think that's what allowed mysupervisor to let me explore
other things because they had somuch change going on in there.
But when I did have a caseload,I had a caseload of like 200
(07:37):
people and I was overwhelmed.
I was like, how on earth would Ihelp 200 people at one time?
And then realizing they're allin various steps.
Some of those steps were solong.
I was like, well I ever see thisperson succeed because, you
know, there's a lot of movementin state vr.
I mean counselors were movingall the time and that's kind of
(07:57):
why I like what I do.
Like it's my case from themoment to the end.
Even when like adjusters maymove desks, Carrie and I do not,
we travel with the person, wehave a counseling relationship
with them.
Like we're not gonna switch inthe middle and be like, sorry,
now someone else is handlingyour stuff.
And that's one thing that I hadjust state VR was I don't, I
(08:18):
don't know how they kept up withthat.
Like I, I wouldn't know who waswho.
I like knowing who my peopleare, but I'm helping Sure.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (08:23):
And thank you for being transparent on that.
And I, I that's not unusual thisha that has not changed in state
vr.
We hear that all the time andit's unfortunate.
We also know how important stateVR is.
Melannie Rodriguez (08:34):
Yes, I've directed many people there, even
in my own family.
Like I have a nephew that hassome challenges and I'm like, he
is like the definition of whoshould go to state vr.
And I've tried to help mybrother work through that, which
sometimes is frustrating to mecuz I'm like, I know what
services he should be offeredand um, it's such a slow
(08:54):
process.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (08:54):
And you mentioned caseloads and stuff
like that and I, I certainlydon't wanna spend the time
talking about state vr, but Ithink you bring up a very
important issue that's occurringright now and has been occurring
in state VR and, and how thatimpacts the client because they
are not hiring the qualifiedprofessionals.
And I think one of the, what oneof the things that we hear a lot
is the caseload, just as youexplained, they're not doing the
(09:18):
work that they're trained to doand yeah, they're experts in all
things disability and they'renot counseling, they're not
doing any of that work.
What we hear, and I'm not sayinganything out of context, is
they're paper pushers.
Mm-hmm.
because you can'tdo the work and work with
clients with the caseload of200.
Melannie Rodriguez (09:34):
Yeah.
And one of the examples thatalways stands out to me, I had a
young guy come to me and hereally wanted to do like graphic
design that was like 20 someyears ago.
So that was like really hot.
So he wanted to go to a schoolhere in Orlando and it like was
so expensive.
And I was like, well you know,we have like a vo-tech school
(09:55):
that teaches the same thing.
I'm like, maybe you should takea class there and then we'll
figure out if that's really whatyou wanna do.
Like I'd hate to enroll you inthis at that time,$20,000
college and you don't evenreally know if that's what you
wanna do, but this one classwould help open your eyes.
And he's like, Nope, I wanna goto that school.
And I was like, no, no, but thisstate and it was I, he
(10:19):
got his way.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (10:20):
Uh, and that's your experience.
And um, state vier is veryimportant.
We want them to, to succeed andwe, most importantly, we want
the clients to succeed.
So hopefully, you know, withinformation like this and
others, they start shiftingtheir approach and hiring
qualified professionals.
Melannie Rodriguez (10:34):
Yes.
And I think that was one oflike, that was the biggest thing
was they were bringing in peoplethat didn't even have a CRC and
I was like, how are they helpingthem?
Right.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (10:44):
So bringing yourself back to present day,
your current title is SeniorVocational Rehabilitation
Specialist for Walton's NewWorld Resorts.
So many CRCs believe that theirpathway is limited to state vr,
but we know that the C R C opensup a world of opportunities and
doesn't limit your careerpathway.
Who interviewed you,?
I know that you talked aboutyour colleague there, but who's
(11:07):
responsible for bringing you andwho's responsible for bringing
your colleague into Disney?
Melannie Rodriguez (11:12):
So in Florida, thank goodness it's
required by statute that aqualified rehab provider, it
used to be called a qualifiedrehab provider, but it has to be
someone that can be certified asan expert in workers'
compensation.
So we have our own legal team,um, at Disney that handles
workers' compensation.
(11:32):
So they, they recognize theimportance of having experts
should we have to testify, um,for anything that we're, you
know, any cases that get thatfar, we have to be qualified to
do that.
So it kind of started off fromthe legal side of it.
Our team is morphed over theyears we used to be like a, a
team of supervisor and three vorehab specialists and now we're
(11:54):
just a team of two voc rehabspecialists.
My peer interviewed me,
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (11:57):
Obviously HR is involved, but it's through
the department of your legaldepartment that recognized the
need for
Melannie Rodriguez (12:03):
Expertise.
Yeah, yeah.
And the interesting thing is, isthis goes back to another, you
know, who's the first personthat knows about the opening?
It's the person that's gettingready to have it.
And that's why when Carriereached out to me, they hadn't
really even advertised that theywere gonna have an opening, but
they had already knew like, hey,we met this fresh outta grad
school kind of person.
(12:23):
I obviously didn't have theyears of experience they were
looking for because our teamcarries heavy years of
experience.
But because I had gone up andworked in North Carolina and I
worked outta my house up there,I was pretty much on my own.
But I had found my passion, Ihad found my passion in helping
people, like in the workers'comp arena.
(12:43):
I feel like sometimes I'm thereto be their advocate and help'em
along the past of an event thathappened to them that no fault
of their own, but I'm alsohelping them get on with their
lives instead of being stuck ina system that you could stay in
for a very long time.
,
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (12:59):
Well we know that Disney employees, all types
of individuals we know foranybody and specifically
individuals with disabilities,work is very therapeutic.
Mm-hmm.
So employment is important tothose individuals as it is it's
to to all of us as well.
How would you describe theimpact that working in
alternative roles has onemployees while they receive
(13:21):
services to transition back intotheir original role?
If somebody is injured on thejob, how do you go about working
with that individual?
So
Melannie Rodriguez (13:29):
That's a great question.
That kind of goes back to why Icame to Disney because I had
learned they had a whole programto allow their cast members to
recover while working, which Ifound fascinating and I had
actually learned about it ingraduate school.
So that was part of why Ireached out to Carrie because I
was like, I wanna know all aboutthis program, the philosophy
behind it.
I'm like, I find pride in it nowbecause I kind of spearhead it,
(13:52):
is that if you're working whileyou're recovering, it never
enters your head that you're notcapable of working.
So you also are part of the workfamily.
So there's still that care thatcomes from your leadership, um,
knowing that your employer stillcares about you.
That's a common thought out inoutside of Disney that you get
(14:13):
injured on the job and you knowyour employer's done with you.
And that's not at all Disneyvalues their employees and
that's what makes me excited tohelp them.
Rather it's an, an injury thatthey're gonna recover from
quickly or an injury that'sgonna take years to recover
from.
Um, that's how I gauge how muchinvolvement I have with them.
(14:33):
If it's helping make sure likeyou're working the right kind of
job.
We call it transitional dutywhile you're recovering, um,
making sure you're worked withinthose restrictions, helping the
area understand, you know, Ialways tell, um, cast members,
you know, your, your leader'snot an expert in this, so don't
be afraid to reach out to us ifyou feel like maybe you're doing
(14:55):
something that is outside ofyour restrictions.
It goes both ways.
Sometimes the cast member's likeI am for sure this weighs 50
pounds and then I can go outwith my scale and it's like, no,
it doesn't.
So, so they just get to see thatthere's an extra level of care
for them and also like,depending on that length of time
that they're in that kind of joband it's looking like maybe
(15:16):
they're not gonna get to go backto their original job.
That gives me an opportunity tomaybe target where they're
working.
Like, Hey, I wanna see if youcan work on stage with guests.
You've only been backstage for20 years of your life.
Let's see.
You know, cuz they're, they,they're scared I've never worked
, um, on stage.
So maybe we can get'em a rolewhere they're on stage and they
(15:38):
can try it out and see if theylike it.
Sometimes they find out theylove it, but it's because
they've never been in thatsetting before.
I
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (15:44):
Do have a quick question.
I know you have spoken a lotabout CAST members, but your
services, c r CRC services, um,encompasses all employees,
correct?
Bus drivers, uh, plumber,everybody, right?
Melannie Rodriguez (15:58):
Yes.
And everybody's a cast memberbecause we're all part of the
show,
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (16:02):
.
Oh, I understand.
Thank you for clarifying that.
.
Thank
Melannie Rodriguez (16:06):
You.
Yes, I probably should.
Yes, we are all part of theshow.
Some of us are backstageand some of us are onstage
.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (16:15):
Oh, I love how you described that.
Thank you and how that'sapproached.
Melannie Rodriguez (16:19):
So I really, that's the piece I like.
Um, and even if the end goal isto go back to your job, um, and
that's what you want, we canstill tailor like baby stepping
you back to that and it reallyis, you know, just some of the
jobs are so physical that you,we need to pull back and have
you do something lighter as weget you to that next phase.
(16:40):
But that's what makes it funbecause everyone's unique.
Everyone's a person.
It's not just, you know, here'sthis job, we've shove you there.
We, we really put a lot ofthought into it.
I have had many stories, um, ofpeople that I just truly have
enjoyed helping.
Sometimes, like I said, it'sjust helping them realize, you
know what I'm done with myworking career, I'm gonna move
(17:01):
on.
Um, you know, we go out and jobshadow, I I I I go job shadow
with them.
I work the job with them whenthey say, Hey, this, I don't
really like this, I, I'll gowork it with you.
Like I'm there through everystep of the process.
But I did recently have a casewhere I just, in the end I ended
up wanting to like go see theperson on their job, which I
don't often do because it's kindof like, okay, you're, you're
(17:25):
there.
Um, but I actually got a picturewith them like, and so now I
have it hanging in my office toremind me why I do what I do.
And I told him that again, the,my pixie dust, I was like,
you're my pixie dust.
I needed it.
I'm gonna hang it in my office.
If you wanna stay working atDisney World, I I'm gonna make
sure you can Melanie,
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (17:42):
We know that CRCs have a tremendous value and
impact on employers in variousdifferent ways.
And one of them is cost savings.
Are you able to talk a littlebit about, um, your department
and how that impact yourorganization and just in
general, any organization?
(18:03):
Sure.
Melannie Rodriguez (18:03):
There's a couple ways that, um, we do
impact our corporationfinancially.
One is when we're able to bringsomeone back to work and they
continue working, um, you're notlosing those training dollars on
bringing in someone new.
So we've got someone there,we're keeping them working.
Um, we're not losing an employeethat you have to bring a whole
(18:24):
new one back in.
But the other piece is justhaving people return to gainful
employment.
I'm technically part of riskmanagement at Walt Disney World
and we are constantly looking atthe savings that we bring Disney
every time we're able to bringsomeone back to work because not
only is it good for theemployee, but it's good for
(18:46):
Disney.
We create a loyal employee.
That's a lot of what happens atDisney.
That's what makes Disney uniquein the way that they do value
each employee.
And they realize that, um,keeping you working while you're
recovering is a cost savingsbecause now you're not out on
sick leave, they're not payingfor benefits while you're not
working.
You're able to collect your fullpay actually while you're
(19:08):
working.
So then you're not caught upinto the system of long-term
disability, short-termdisability and unemployment
because we do keep you workingwhile you're recovering.
And then ultimately the end goalis they don't have to train
someone new to do your job.
If you're going back to yourregular job, they don't have to
post the job, hire someone newinterview and then train the
(19:31):
person cuz you're coming back toyour job.
There's not much lost when youco go back to your same job.
And then the other benefit, asyou're working while you're
recovering, you may be gettingthe skills you need for a new
job.
So that's also gonna save thecompany money because we've,
we've been training you to dosomething new already in
anticipation that you can'treturn to that old job.
(19:52):
So we're constantly trying tokeep someone working so there's
never that gap where then maybethey can start thinking that
they can't work and they aregonna have to go on disability
and um, go down that pathbecause work adds such value and
that it gives you something towake up and you have some place
to go, you know you're needed.
And so ha you know, having thatalways in someone's mind that I
(20:14):
have a job, they're expecting meto be there.
My my work family misses me.
I, I'm, you know, you you wannabe there.
So it kind of helps the overallpackage.
You're helping that saving moneyand you're helping the person
just psychologically recoverfrom that injury and just be
better all around.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (20:30):
We know that Walt Disney employees, thousands
of employees.
What, for your particular role,how would you describe, uh, a
day your workday
Melannie Rodriguez (20:40):
?
Um, every day is differentbecause I never know what kind
of job is gonna come across mydesk, what kind of, of, um, cast
member needs my help.
I could go from like todayhelping someone that's a steward
, um, to tomorrow helpingIndiana Jones.
Like.
It ranges that dramatically.
(21:01):
So you, you really just don'tknow it all.
It all depends on what presentsitself that day.
I try to plan my day, butoftentimes, uh, different
scenarios present themselves.
We work very closely with theadjusters.
We sit in the same area.
So if they've got a case thatthey wanna discuss with us, like
hey cuz we're constantly, one ofmy favorite things that I can't
(21:23):
believe I haven't brought it upsooner is how fast we are
involved.
Sometimes as soon as the persongets injured.
Like we're already thinkingabout how, what's the long-term
impact?
Is it, you know, what are theirskills?
Like what if they can't go backto their job?
How can we help them transition?
When do we think they're gonnago back to their job?
And even working with thedoctors to make sure like, hey,
(21:44):
do you think, you know, we'rekind of known for our
transitional duty program so thedoctors know we're, you know, if
you say they can work, we'regonna find them something they
can do.
Um, and just really kind of parthaving that partnership so that
the doctors know like we'regonna have something for them to
recover.
Our end result is to have thema, a job.
We've brought the doctors out tosee the job sometimes so that
(22:08):
they understand um, what'sinvolved.
But that's probably my favoritepart of my day is like, be you,
you're just every day'sdifferent and we're on site
earlier.
Whereas my previous job, youknow, the person's already been
let go from their employer.
I'm trying to find themsomething outside of what they
may have ever done and you know,we're having discussions that
(22:30):
wow would've been helpful asthey were recovering.
Like having talks about, haveyou thought about what else
you'd like to do?
If maybe you can't go back toyour job, you know, let's talk
about what kind of skills youhave already planning that seed
of your life is gonna continue.
This event may change the pathyou're on, but your life is
gonna continue and we're here tohelp you figure out how to do
(22:51):
that.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (22:51):
Your job encompasses so many crucial
tasks and services for hundredsof employees, but we must ask,
what is it like working forDisney World?
It's not like, uh, a lot ofother workplaces.
Melannie Rodriguez (23:02):
Um, it's definitely different.
Yes,, but I thinkdifferent in a good way because
like I said, I I, every day isdifferent.
I could be called to one of thepark, one of the resorts.
They've all got their ownpersonalities.
, I really enjoy it orelse I wouldn't have stayed as
long as I did.
Um sure.
And it's just unique becauseit's like a small city.
(23:25):
So it's not like I work for onetype of industry even though
it's the entertainment industry.
We have plumbers, we have busdrivers, you know, we have it
all.
And what's really nice is wealso partner a lot with our
safety department.
So if some an event happens, wewanna see is this something that
we need to change for all all ofour cast members.
(23:47):
Um, so we're constantly tryingto improve things, look at
things differently with them,and we want it to be a safe
place and that, you know, ourslogan, I think safety begins
with me.
So that's kind of how weapproach it all.
Like that partnership is whathelps everything kind of mold
together because we partner withall the, you know, hr, our
(24:09):
employee relations, our laborrelations with all the unions.
Like there's so many differentpeople who could touch a case
because of each cast member'sdifferent.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (24:18):
It's truly a multidisciplinary team.
Melannie Rodriguez (24:20):
It is, it is.
And I actually, um, have like alittle core team that I oversee
that involves our doctors, ourHR team, um, and our
transitional duty team, likeour, our labor managers.
And we kind, we meet every otherweek to discuss, you know,
what's a, what's going on, whatkind of problems.
Like cuz our ultimate goal isto, we see the cast member is
(24:43):
our guest, so how can we helptheir experience be smooth?
So that's really kind of ourfocus.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (24:49):
Well thank you for sharing that.
Tell me, how does Disneyrecognize the value and ex
expertise of A C R C?
Melannie Rodriguez (24:54):
We definitely get asked our
opinions a lot and get pulledinto different projects where
they realize that we areexpertise is needed.
We always wanna be an excellentpartner and we realize like what
we bring to the table does getus invited to things that um,
you know, that could help allcast members.
And that's really what we'retrying to do is how can we help
(25:17):
all cast members?
Cuz ultimately if we're helpingsomeone, it's gonna benefit
everyone.
Sometimes they joke because ofour counseling background that
we talk too much.
So we drag meetings on
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (25:30):
.
I've
Melannie Rodriguez (25:31):
Heard that before.
You know, hey, this needs to bea quick one,, here's what
we're thinking.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (25:35):
Well obviously it does demonstrate
something, uh, uh, of thecommitment that Disney has.
Uh, you've been there for 23years and your colleague Yes.
Has been here longer than that.
She's
Melannie Rodriguez (25:45):
Been here 26 years.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (25:47):
26 years.
Wow.
Melannie Rodriguez (25:48):
Yeah.
Um, we're actually known in thearea because we do, we, we get
people back to work attorneysand everyone knows like there's
a voc rehab team at Disney that,that's what their whole focus
is, is bringing people back towork.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (26:05):
Well, Melanie, thank you so much for
your time today.
As a proven and experienced crc,what brings you joy in your
career?
Melannie Rodriguez (26:12):
For me, it really is about helping the cast
members.
That's what brings me the mostjoy in my job.
Um, if I can get someone back totheir job, back to a new job,
help them realize that this oneevent, this injury hasn't
changed their entire life, it'sjust made'em go down a different
path.
That's really what makes me feelhappy.
(26:34):
And especially when I get athank you note or a cast member
reaches out to me, I save thosebecause that's what keeps me
going.
Um, just helping other peoplethat had something happen to
them, no fault of their own,helping them figure out how the
new their new life is gonnalook.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (26:53):
Well, I can't thank you enough.
It's been a pure joy to talk toyou today.
You exude so much light.
Um, and thank you for theservice that you do at Disney
and we appreciate your time andthank you so much.
Melannie Rodriguez (27:06):
Thank you.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (27:11):
Thanks again to Melanie Rod Rodriguez for the
Engaging Conversation.
If you have any takeaways orinsights on topics covered in
this episode, let us know byemailing us at contact
us@crccertification.com.
Be sure to subscribe to thisshow on Apple Podcast, Spotify,
or wherever you're listening tous today.
You can find us on Facebook,Twitter, and LinkedIn at CRC sir
(27:33):
and ourwebsite@crccertification.com.
Until next time, I'm PamSchleman, CRC, executive
Director.
Thank you for listening toInside Rehabilitation
Counseling.
Hello and welcome to Inside Rehabilitation
Counseling, presented by theCommission on Rehabilitation
Counselor Certification.
I'm Pam Schleman, executivedirector of C R C, and we're so
glad to have you here foranother conversation on the art
and science of rehabilitationcounseling.
One of the most well-knowncompanies in the world.
The Walt Disney Company has longbeen a case study for
exceptional return to workprocedures thanks to their
(00:25):
transitional duty program.
Melanie Rodriguez, seniorvocational rehabilitation
specialist for the Walt DisneyCompany is a CRC who just
recently celebrated her 23rdanniversary in Orlando at Walt
Disney World.
Melanie took the time to speakwith us about Disney's
commitment to serving employeeswith all types of disabilities,
whether acute or acquiredthrough their transitional duty
(00:45):
program.
Finding alternative roles foremployees around the Magic
Kingdom requires knowledge ofevery role at Walt Disney World
Resorts and Melanie's expertiseas a crc as part of that magic
that makes it happen.
As you'll hear Melanie's passionfor her fellow cast members
radiates in her voice.
Please enjoy our conversationwith Melanie.
Good afternoon, Melanie, andwelcome to Inside Rehabilitation
(01:06):
Counseling.
We're so excited to have youjoin our podcast today.
First, I wanna congratulate youon recently celebrating 23 years
with Disney.
As you know, today is rare tosee longevity and commitment to
one organization.
Can you tell us what yourfeelings are and emotions
hitting that milestone of 23years?
What that evoked for you?
Melannie Rodriguez (01:25):
Well, I can honestly say it.
I, I can't believe it's been 23years, but I do have a
tremendous amount of pride thatI have been with a company that
long, cuz that is not common,but it shows how much I love
what I do and that I enjoycoming to work every day.
And that, I believe helps mehelp people find that joy and
work because I think it's veryimportant.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (01:46):
So taking a step back, can you tell us, how
did you start your career?
How did you become interested inthe field of rehabilitation
counseling?
Why'd you become a C R C?
Melannie Rodriguez (01:56):
Um, I did not take a typical path to
become a C R C.
I actually went, um, to theUniversity of Florida thinking I
was gonna do pre-med and Istudied some classes and
thought, wow, I'm not matureenough to do this yet
And I thought, let me, why don'tI get my look and see what else
I could study?
But I knew I wanted to helppeople and so ironically, um,
(02:17):
one of my friends was looking atrehab counseling and we were
looking at the program and I waslike, wow, I already have all
the classes that I would need tostudy this and get it as my
bachelor's.
Um, always knowing I'm not, youknow, the bachelor's isn't where
I was gonna end.
So I started taking some classesin that and I realized how much
I liked it.
(02:38):
Um, I couldn't quite figure outhow I was gonna work it into
what I wanted to do, but I justknew that I liked it.
So I finished, I got mybachelor's in rehab counseling
and then I tried to startlooking for jobs and I realized,
wow, I really need my master'sin this as well if I want to
honestly have any financialsecurity or anything in this
(02:59):
profession.
So I decided to go back and getmy master's and at that time UF
also had a master's program andgot accepted into the program.
And honestly, my entire timethere was constantly trying to
figure out what am I gonna dowith this?
And thank goodness forpracticums and internships and
all of that because you get tokind of try it out before you
(03:23):
actually have to do it.
Um, I did get a little concernedmaybe on my fourth one where I
was like, wow, I don't wanna dothat
So I had worked in apsychiatrist's office doing
counseling and I was like, yep,that's not how I see myself.
Um, I worked with children, um,also doing counseling and I,
that was also not the directionI wanted to go.
(03:44):
And so as you, as I said beforethat, then I went and looked at
what, what does state VR do?
So I did an internship with them, um, as well still in the
mental health side of it cuz Iwas, I kind of liked that, you
know, helping people workthrough things on top of maybe
physical disabilities but havingother things going on as well.
(04:05):
And um, while I was on thatinternship, I started realizing,
I don't like this either
So I started to get concerned
all the other units.
There was all sorts of units,brain injury, all in the vr.
So they let me kind of floataround and I got to look at all
(04:25):
the different, um, populationsthat they were helping.
And I was fascinated when it gotto like physical disabilities
and I actually got to go downand help someone, um, that had a
spinal cord injury when theyneeded to get their driver's
license.
It was fascinating to meeverything that they, um, went
through to get this person kindof like back to a place where
(04:46):
work could even be an option cuzyou know, you gotta be able to
get to work and, you know,activities of daily life that
then springboarded me.
I had a very generous supervisorand she,
Melanie, you make thisinternship, whatever you want it
to be.
And so I got the, um, at thetime it was the National
Association of RehabProfessionals directory out and
(05:07):
I honestly just started callingpeople and I said, what do you
do?
You're close to me.
Can I come and see what you do,um, with your crc?
And I just started visitingdifferent professions and that's
how I, uh, came across who's nowmy coworker, Carrie Hash, um,
her name was in the direct areaand I reached out to her and I
was like, tell me more whatDisney does.
So I went and spent some timewith her.
(05:28):
I was like so excited witheverything that Disney did and
she basically just showed me howthey have people working while
they're recovering from theirinjury.
But I was just fascinated withthat.
I was like, wow, you're, you'rehelping people already get into
that mindset of I'm, I'm gonnakeep moving past this event that
happened to me.
Then I graduated, I ended upgetting a job but outside of
(05:48):
Florida, but I kept in touchwith Carrie.
Um, you know, was like, thanksfor letting me, you know, of
course I sent everyone and thankyou
me come see what you you did.
And I I, I started doing privaterehab in North Carolina for, uh,
a southern rehabilitation.
They had like a nurse and evokeperson for each region and it
was fabulous.
(06:08):
I had a nurse that was one ofthe owners of the company.
She was like a mentor to me andshe just kind of showed me the
ropes and then probably wasn'tthere more than six or seven
months and Carrie reached out tome and said, Hey, we're gonna
have an opening.
Would you ever wanna come backand work for Disney?
I was like, yes, please.
Wow.
So that's kind of how it allstarted
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (06:29):
Wow.
Some of the things that you saidI think will be very useful for
young professionals to hearabout how your approach to
finding a job that fit what youwanted to do and so you just
didn't go the normal pathway.
You really worked really hard toreach out to other companies to
see what they did.
And so that's fascinating andinteresting.
(06:50):
You said you worked a little bitin state vr.
What was your experience like instate
Melannie Rodriguez (06:54):
Vr?
Um, honestly I hated it.
Um, it was very, at the time thestate of Florida was going
through some changes, they hadsome sort of reorg with the
people that did unemployment andwere absorbing them into state
vr.
They weren't CRCs or anything,but suddenly they had caseloads.
(07:14):
I was like, I don't even knowhow you guys are doing this.
I was like, I can't, I can't dothis
Like, it was so confusing to me.
That was one of the many timesthat I realized every
organization or company haspolitics
Sure.
I think that's what allowed mysupervisor to let me explore
other things because they had somuch change going on in there.
But when I did have a caseload,I had a caseload of like 200
(07:37):
people and I was overwhelmed.
I was like, how on earth would Ihelp 200 people at one time?
And then realizing they're allin various steps.
Some of those steps were solong.
I was like, well I ever see thisperson succeed because, you
know, there's a lot of movementin state vr.
I mean counselors were movingall the time and that's kind of
(07:57):
why I like what I do.
Like it's my case from themoment to the end.
Even when like adjusters maymove desks, Carrie and I do not,
we travel with the person, wehave a counseling relationship
with them.
Like we're not gonna switch inthe middle and be like, sorry,
now someone else is handlingyour stuff.
And that's one thing that I hadjust state VR was I don't, I
(08:18):
don't know how they kept up withthat.
Like I, I wouldn't know who waswho.
I like knowing who my peopleare, but I'm helping Sure.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (08:23):
And thank you for being transparent on that.
And I, I that's not unusual thisha that has not changed in state
vr.
We hear that all the time andit's unfortunate.
We also know how important stateVR is.
Melannie Rodriguez (08:34):
Yes, I've directed many people there, even
in my own family.
Like I have a nephew that hassome challenges and I'm like, he
is like the definition of whoshould go to state vr.
And I've tried to help mybrother work through that, which
sometimes is frustrating to mecuz I'm like, I know what
services he should be offeredand um, it's such a slow
(08:54):
process.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (08:54):
And you mentioned caseloads and stuff
like that and I, I certainlydon't wanna spend the time
talking about state vr, but Ithink you bring up a very
important issue that's occurringright now and has been occurring
in state VR and, and how thatimpacts the client because they
are not hiring the qualifiedprofessionals.
And I think one of the, what oneof the things that we hear a lot
is the caseload, just as youexplained, they're not doing the
(09:18):
work that they're trained to doand yeah, they're experts in all
things disability and they'renot counseling, they're not
doing any of that work.
What we hear, and I'm not sayinganything out of context, is
they're paper pushers.
Mm-hmm.
clients with the caseload of200.
Melannie Rodriguez (09:34):
Yeah.
And one of the examples thatalways stands out to me, I had a
young guy come to me and hereally wanted to do like graphic
design that was like 20 someyears ago.
So that was like really hot
So he wanted to go to a schoolhere in Orlando and it like was
so expensive.
And I was like, well you know,we have like a vo-tech school
(09:55):
that teaches the same thing.
I'm like, maybe you should takea class there and then we'll
figure out if that's really whatyou wanna do.
Like I'd hate to enroll you inthis at that time,$20,000
college and you don't evenreally know if that's what you
wanna do, but this one classwould help open your eyes.
And he's like, Nope, I wanna goto that school.
And I was like, no, no, but thisstate
(10:19):
got his way.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (10:20):
Uh, and that's your experience.
And um, state vier is veryimportant.
We want them to, to succeed andwe, most importantly, we want
the clients to succeed.
So hopefully, you know, withinformation like this and
others, they start shiftingtheir approach and hiring
qualified professionals.
Melannie Rodriguez (10:34):
Yes.
And I think that was one oflike, that was the biggest thing
was they were bringing in peoplethat didn't even have a CRC and
I was like, how are they helpingthem?
Right.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (10:44):
So bringing yourself back to present day,
your current title is SeniorVocational Rehabilitation
Specialist for Walton's NewWorld Resorts.
So many CRCs believe that theirpathway is limited to state vr,
but we know that the C R C opensup a world of opportunities and
doesn't limit your careerpathway.
Who interviewed you,
I know that you talked aboutyour colleague there, but who's
(11:07):
responsible for bringing you andwho's responsible for bringing
your colleague into Disney?
Melannie Rodriguez (11:12):
So in Florida, thank goodness it's
required by statute that aqualified rehab provider, it
used to be called a qualifiedrehab provider, but it has to be
someone that can be certified asan expert in workers'
compensation.
So we have our own legal team,um, at Disney that handles
workers' compensation.
(11:32):
So they, they recognize theimportance of having experts
should we have to testify, um,for anything that we're, you
know, any cases that get thatfar, we have to be qualified to
do that.
So it kind of started off fromthe legal side of it.
Our team is morphed over theyears we used to be like a, a
team of supervisor and three vorehab specialists and now we're
(11:54):
just a team of two voc rehabspecialists.
My peer interviewed me,
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (11:57):
Obviously HR is involved, but it's through
the department of your legaldepartment that recognized the
need for
Melannie Rodriguez (12:03):
Expertise.
Yeah, yeah.
And the interesting thing is, isthis goes back to another, you
know, who's the first personthat knows about the opening?
It's the person that's gettingready to have it.
And that's why when Carriereached out to me, they hadn't
really even advertised that theywere gonna have an opening, but
they had already knew like, hey,we met this fresh outta grad
school kind of person.
(12:23):
I obviously didn't have theyears of experience they were
looking for because our teamcarries heavy years of
experience.
But because I had gone up andworked in North Carolina and I
worked outta my house up there,I was pretty much on my own.
But I had found my passion, Ihad found my passion in helping
people, like in the workers'comp arena.
(12:43):
I feel like sometimes I'm thereto be their advocate and help'em
along the past of an event thathappened to them that no fault
of their own, but I'm alsohelping them get on with their
lives instead of being stuck ina system that you could stay in
for a very long time.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (12:59):
Well we know that Disney employees, all types
of individuals we know foranybody and specifically
individuals with disabilities,work is very therapeutic.
Mm-hmm
So employment is important tothose individuals as it is it's
to to all of us as well.
How would you describe theimpact that working in
alternative roles has onemployees while they receive
(13:21):
services to transition back intotheir original role?
If somebody is injured on thejob, how do you go about working
with that individual?
So
Melannie Rodriguez (13:29):
That's a great question.
That kind of goes back to why Icame to Disney because I had
learned they had a whole programto allow their cast members to
recover while working, which Ifound fascinating and I had
actually learned about it ingraduate school.
So that was part of why Ireached out to Carrie because I
was like, I wanna know all aboutthis program, the philosophy
behind it.
I'm like, I find pride in it nowbecause I kind of spearhead it,
(13:52):
is that if you're working whileyou're recovering, it never
enters your head that you're notcapable of working.
So you also are part of the workfamily.
So there's still that care thatcomes from your leadership, um,
knowing that your employer stillcares about you.
That's a common thought out inoutside of Disney that you get
(14:13):
injured on the job and you knowyour employer's done with you.
And that's not at all Disneyvalues their employees and
that's what makes me excited tohelp them.
Rather it's an, an injury thatthey're gonna recover from
quickly or an injury that'sgonna take years to recover
from.
Um, that's how I gauge how muchinvolvement I have with them.
(14:33):
If it's helping make sure likeyou're working the right kind of
job.
We call it transitional dutywhile you're recovering, um,
making sure you're worked withinthose restrictions, helping the
area understand, you know, Ialways tell, um, cast members,
you know, your, your leader'snot an expert in this, so don't
be afraid to reach out to us ifyou feel like maybe you're doing
(14:55):
something that is outside ofyour restrictions.
It goes both ways.
Sometimes the cast member's likeI am for sure this weighs 50
pounds and then I can go outwith my scale and it's like, no,
it doesn't
So, so they just get to see thatthere's an extra level of care
for them and also like,depending on that length of time
that they're in that kind of joband it's looking like maybe
(15:16):
they're not gonna get to go backto their original job.
That gives me an opportunity tomaybe target where they're
working.
Like, Hey, I wanna see if youcan work on stage with guests.
You've only been backstage for20 years of your life.
Let's see.
You know, cuz they're, they,they're scared I've never worked
, um, on stage.
So maybe we can get'em a rolewhere they're on stage and they
(15:38):
can try it out and see if theylike it.
Sometimes they find out theylove it, but it's because
they've never been in thatsetting before.
I
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (15:44):
Do have a quick question.
I know you have spoken a lotabout CAST members, but your
services, c r CRC services, um,encompasses all employees,
correct?
Bus drivers, uh, plumber,everybody, right?
Melannie Rodriguez (15:58):
Yes.
And everybody's a cast memberbecause we're all part of the
show,
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (16:02):
Oh, I understand.
Thank you for clarifying that.
Thank
Melannie Rodriguez (16:06):
You.
Yes, I probably should.
Yes, we are all part of theshow.
Some of us are backstage
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (16:15):
Oh, I love how you described that.
Thank you
Melannie Rodriguez (16:19):
So I really, that's the piece I like.
Um, and even if the end goal isto go back to your job, um, and
that's what you want, we canstill tailor like baby stepping
you back to that and it reallyis, you know, just some of the
jobs are so physical that you,we need to pull back and have
you do something lighter as weget you to that next phase.
(16:40):
But that's what makes it funbecause everyone's unique.
Everyone's a person.
It's not just, you know, here'sthis job, we've shove you there.
We, we really put a lot ofthought into it.
I have had many stories, um, ofpeople that I just truly have
enjoyed helping.
Sometimes, like I said, it'sjust helping them realize, you
know what I'm done with myworking career, I'm gonna move
(17:01):
on.
Um, you know, we go out and jobshadow, I I I I go job shadow
with them.
I work the job with them whenthey say, Hey, this, I don't
really like this, I, I'll gowork it with you.
Like I'm there through everystep of the process.
But I did recently have a casewhere I just, in the end I ended
up wanting to like go see theperson on their job, which I
don't often do because it's kindof like, okay, you're, you're
(17:25):
there.
Um, but I actually got a picturewith them like, and so now I
have it hanging in my office toremind me why I do what I do.
And I told him that again, the,my pixie dust, I was like,
you're my pixie dust.
I needed it.
I'm gonna hang it in my office.
If you wanna stay working atDisney World, I I'm gonna make
sure you can Melanie,
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (17:42):
We know that CRCs have a tremendous value and
impact on employers in variousdifferent ways.
And one of them is cost savings.
Are you able to talk a littlebit about, um, your department
and how that impact yourorganization and just in
general, any organization?
(18:03):
Sure.
Melannie Rodriguez (18:03):
There's a couple ways that, um, we do
impact our corporationfinancially.
One is when we're able to bringsomeone back to work and they
continue working, um, you're notlosing those training dollars on
bringing in someone new.
So we've got someone there,we're keeping them working.
Um, we're not losing an employeethat you have to bring a whole
(18:24):
new one back in.
But the other piece is justhaving people return to gainful
employment.
I'm technically part of riskmanagement at Walt Disney World
and we are constantly looking atthe savings that we bring Disney
every time we're able to bringsomeone back to work because not
only is it good for theemployee, but it's good for
(18:46):
Disney.
We create a loyal employee.
That's a lot of what happens atDisney.
That's what makes Disney uniquein the way that they do value
each employee.
And they realize that, um,keeping you working while you're
recovering is a cost savingsbecause now you're not out on
sick leave, they're not payingfor benefits while you're not
working.
You're able to collect your fullpay actually while you're
(19:08):
working.
So then you're not caught upinto the system of long-term
disability, short-termdisability and unemployment
because we do keep you workingwhile you're recovering.
And then ultimately the end goalis they don't have to train
someone new to do your job.
If you're going back to yourregular job, they don't have to
post the job, hire someone newinterview and then train the
(19:31):
person cuz you're coming back toyour job.
There's not much lost when youco go back to your same job.
And then the other benefit, asyou're working while you're
recovering, you may be gettingthe skills you need for a new
job.
So that's also gonna save thecompany money because we've,
we've been training you to dosomething new already in
anticipation that you can'treturn to that old job.
(19:52):
So we're constantly trying tokeep someone working so there's
never that gap where then maybethey can start thinking that
they can't work and they aregonna have to go on disability
and um, go down that pathbecause work adds such value and
that it gives you something towake up and you have some place
to go, you know you're needed.
And so ha you know, having thatalways in someone's mind that I
(20:14):
have a job, they're expecting meto be there.
My my work family misses me.
I, I'm, you know, you you wannabe there.
So it kind of helps the overallpackage.
You're helping that saving moneyand you're helping the person
just psychologically recoverfrom that injury and just be
better all around.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (20:30):
We know that Walt Disney employees, thousands
of employees.
What, for your particular role,how would you describe, uh, a
day your workday
Melannie Rodriguez (20:40):
Um, every day is differentbecause I never know what kind
of job is gonna come across mydesk, what kind of, of, um, cast
member needs my help.
I could go from like todayhelping someone that's a steward
, um, to tomorrow helpingIndiana Jones.
Like
It ranges that dramatically.
(21:01):
So you, you really just don'tknow it all.
It all depends on what presentsitself that day.
I try to plan my day, butoftentimes, uh, different
scenarios present themselves.
We work very closely with theadjusters.
We sit in the same area.
So if they've got a case thatthey wanna discuss with us, like
hey cuz we're constantly, one ofmy favorite things that I can't
(21:23):
believe I haven't brought it upsooner is how fast we are
involved.
Sometimes as soon as the persongets injured.
Like we're already thinkingabout how, what's the long-term
impact?
Is it, you know, what are theirskills?
Like what if they can't go backto their job?
How can we help them transition?
When do we think they're gonnago back to their job?
And even working with thedoctors to make sure like, hey,
(21:44):
do you think, you know, we'rekind of known for our
transitional duty program so thedoctors know we're, you know, if
you say they can work, we'regonna find them something they
can do.
Um, and just really kind of parthaving that partnership so that
the doctors know like we'regonna have something for them to
recover.
Our end result is to have thema, a job.
We've brought the doctors out tosee the job sometimes so that
(22:08):
they understand um, what'sinvolved.
But that's probably my favoritepart of my day is like, be you,
you're just every day'sdifferent and we're on site
earlier.
Whereas my previous job, youknow, the person's already been
let go from their employer.
I'm trying to find themsomething outside of what they
may have ever done and you know,we're having discussions that
(22:30):
wow would've been helpful asthey were recovering.
Like having talks about, haveyou thought about what else
you'd like to do?
If maybe you can't go back toyour job, you know, let's talk
about what kind of skills youhave already planning that seed
of your life is gonna continue.
This event may change the pathyou're on, but your life is
gonna continue and we're here tohelp you figure out how to do
(22:51):
that.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (22:51):
Your job encompasses so many crucial
tasks and services for hundredsof employees, but we must ask,
what is it like working forDisney World?
It's not like, uh, a lot ofother workplaces.
Melannie Rodriguez (23:02):
Um, it's definitely different.
Yes,
like I said, I I, every day isdifferent.
I could be called to one of thepark, one of the resorts.
They've all got their ownpersonalities.
long as I did.
Um sure.
And it's just unique becauseit's like a small city.
(23:25):
So it's not like I work for onetype of industry even though
it's the entertainment industry.
We have plumbers, we have busdrivers, you know, we have it
all.
And what's really nice is wealso partner a lot with our
safety department.
So if some an event happens, wewanna see is this something that
we need to change for all all ofour cast members.
(23:47):
Um, so we're constantly tryingto improve things, look at
things differently with them,and we want it to be a safe
place and that, you know, ourslogan, I think safety begins
with me.
So that's kind of how weapproach it all.
Like that partnership is whathelps everything kind of mold
together because we partner withall the, you know, hr, our
(24:09):
employee relations, our laborrelations with all the unions.
Like there's so many differentpeople who could touch a case
because of each cast member'sdifferent.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (24:18):
It's truly a multidisciplinary team.
Melannie Rodriguez (24:20):
It is, it is.
And I actually, um, have like alittle core team that I oversee
that involves our doctors, ourHR team, um, and our
transitional duty team, likeour, our labor managers.
And we kind, we meet every otherweek to discuss, you know,
what's a, what's going on, whatkind of problems.
Like cuz our ultimate goal isto, we see the cast member is
(24:43):
our guest, so how can we helptheir experience be smooth?
So that's really kind of ourfocus.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (24:49):
Well thank you for sharing that.
Tell me, how does Disneyrecognize the value and ex
expertise of A C R C?
Melannie Rodriguez (24:54):
We definitely get asked our
opinions a lot and get pulledinto different projects where
they realize that we areexpertise is needed.
We always wanna be an excellentpartner and we realize like what
we bring to the table does getus invited to things that um,
you know, that could help allcast members.
And that's really what we'retrying to do is how can we help
(25:17):
all cast members?
Cuz ultimately if we're helpingsomeone, it's gonna benefit
everyone.
Sometimes they joke because ofour counseling background that
we talk too much
So we drag meetings on
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (25:30):
I've
Melannie Rodriguez (25:31):
Heard that before.
You know, hey, this needs to bea quick one,
we're thinking.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (25:35):
Well obviously it does demonstrate
something, uh, uh, of thecommitment that Disney has.
Uh, you've been there for 23years and your colleague Yes.
Has been here longer than that.
She's
Melannie Rodriguez (25:45):
Been here 26 years.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (25:47):
26 years.
Wow.
Melannie Rodriguez (25:48):
Yeah.
Um, we're actually known in thearea because we do, we, we get
people back to work attorneysand everyone knows like there's
a voc rehab team at Disney that,that's what their whole focus
is, is bringing people back towork.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (26:05):
Well, Melanie, thank you so much for
your time today.
As a proven and experienced crc,what brings you joy in your
career?
Melannie Rodriguez (26:12):
For me, it really is about helping the cast
members.
That's what brings me the mostjoy in my job.
Um, if I can get someone back totheir job, back to a new job,
help them realize that this oneevent, this injury hasn't
changed their entire life, it'sjust made'em go down a different
path.
That's really what makes me feelhappy.
(26:34):
And especially when I get athank you note or a cast member
reaches out to me, I save thosebecause that's what keeps me
going.
Um, just helping other peoplethat had something happen to
them, no fault of their own,helping them figure out how the
new their new life is gonnalook.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (26:53):
Well, I can't thank you enough.
It's been a pure joy to talk toyou today.
You exude so much light.
Um, and thank you for theservice that you do at Disney
and we appreciate your time andthank you so much.
Melannie Rodriguez (27:06):
Thank you.
Pam Shlemon, CRCC (27:11):
Thanks again to Melanie Rod Rodriguez for the
Engaging Conversation.
If you have any takeaways orinsights on topics covered in
this episode, let us know byemailing us at contact
us@crccertification.com.
Be sure to subscribe to thisshow on Apple Podcast, Spotify,
or wherever you're listening tous today.
You can find us on Facebook,Twitter, and LinkedIn at CRC sir
(27:33):
and ourwebsite@crccertification.com.
Until next time, I'm PamSchleman, CRC, executive
Director.
Thank you for listening toInside Rehabilitation
Counseling.
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