Higher Education Transition Strategies with Elena Wisniewski, M.Ed., CRC

The transition from high school to college is tricky in general and involves a lot of adaptation and changes to routines, support systems, and structures. For students with disabilities, losing structured support provided by an IEP or 504 plan can make an already daunting transition more difficult. 

We’re not talking about just a handful of isolated cases either; the National Center for Education Statistics reports that nearly 1 in 5 college students has a disability, and despite 88% of postsecondary institutions reporting enrolling students with disabilities, only 24% of faculty receive training on accommodating these students.

Elena Wisniewski is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor who started a business to address the gap that exists between high school and college. As the Founder and Lead Strategist for Equipped Transitions, Elena directs clinical documentation audits for college-bound students with disabilities, helping them navigate the transition from IDEA to ADA to ensure institutional compliance and student access. 

In our conversation, Elena explains how self-advocacy and understanding accommodations, inside and out, are crucial to a student’s success. Not to mention the ways in which CRCs are equipped to help students and their support systems prepare for all that’s ahead in this exciting next chapter. 

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Transcript

Taylor Bauer, CRCC 0:04

Welcome back for another episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling. I'm Taylor Bauer, CRCC Director of Communication and Marketing, and I'm very glad you're back with us to explore the art and science of rehabilitation counseling. The transition from high school to college is tricky in general and involves a lot of adaptation and changes to routine, support systems, and structures. For students with disabilities, losing structured support provided by an IEP or 504 plan can make an already daunting transition more difficult. We're not talking just about a handful of isolated cases either. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that nearly one in five college students has a disability, and despite 88% of post-secondary institutions reporting enrolling students with disabilities, only 24% of faculty receive training on accommodating these students. Elena Wisniewski is a certified rehabilitation counselor who started a business to address the gap that exists between high school and college. As the founder and lead strategist for Equipped Transitions, Alina directs clinical documentation audits for college-bound students with disabilities, helping them navigate the transition from IDEA to ADA to ensure institutional compliance and student access. In our conversation you're about to hear, Alina explains how self-advocacy and understanding accommodations inside and out are crucial to a student's success, not to mention the ways in which CRCs are equipped to help students and their support systems prepare for all that's ahead in this exciting next chapter. Please enjoy this insightful discussion. Elena, thank you so much for joining me on Inside Rehabilitation Counseling. I'm really excited to talk to you about equipped transitions and get to know a little bit more about your business, but kind of want to start with the beginning of your journey as a certified rehabilitation counselor. Everybody finds this work in a different way. And as we've talked to people on the podcast, a lot of folks kind of just stumble across it, or maybe they get a recommendation from a faculty member, someone in a graduate or undergraduate program. So can you walk me through how you learned about this field and what drew you to this work?

Elena Wisniewski, M.Ed., CRC 2:06

Yeah, and thanks so much for having me on the show. I'm really happy to be here. Um, so I always knew that I wanted to work with people with disabilities, largely from the point of starting undergrad. I got my bachelor's in psychology and did a heavy focus on autism. And my original plan was actually to go into special education advocacy uh one week into law school, and I realized that wasn't really the uh best plan for me at the time. So um I took a year off and I worked for my university. I was at Auburn at the time, and I knew I really wanted to help people with disabilities find jobs. I knew that even going into special education advocacy, that that was a big pull for me. And also, as being a psychology major, you are a jack of all trades and a master of none. So I knew I needed another degree. And I actually just stumbled across Auburn's rehabilitation counseling program. And when I was looking at it, I just realized this is the perfect fit for what I want to do right now. And so that's the path that I pursued and I got my CRC.

Taylor Bauer, CRCC 3:12

That's wonderful. And it's great that Auburn had a program and a and a good program for you to for you to jump into. And I think we hear a lot more from people who are maybe entering in the field in the last 10 years that they start with psychology or they start with um a related field, social work, even sometimes, and they kind of realize that it's that disability component that really resonates with them. And so that's why we're trying all the time to find those people at the bachelor's level and be like, hey, before you go on and get this other degree, because you're right, a lot of times master's level programs are kind of like not really almost a choice. It's like I have to go get a master's in something for this sort of work. And yeah, we're trying as many ways as we can to be like, consider rehab counseling, you know, come over to us. And so it's right that you were already in that Auburn ecosystem and able to jump right into that. And um, what what happened after you got your CRC kind of leading to the in-between finishing your program and then starting equipped transitions?

Elena Wisniewski, M.Ed., CRC 4:09

Yeah, so I actually got my master's in the middle of the pandemic. So that was a fun journey. I was supposed to be in the on-campus cohort, lasted all of about a semester and a half, and then much like everybody else, went on spring break and never went back. Um and so I finished the program, kind of came out on the back end of COVID as we were kind of figuring out what our new normal looked like. Um, and honestly, I went on my own career journey. I stayed in the higher ed ecosystem. Um, I'd been in higher ed working jobs since I was 18. Um, and I went on to work in comprehensive transition programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and I worked in the vocational setting. And I greatly enjoyed those jobs, greatly enjoyed partnering with the employers, had um a bit of just a need to relocate and reposition myself, which led to working in higher education accommodations and kind of leaving the transition program space. And through that, that is when I um just really started to go deeper into the academic side of disability and kind of what that looks like for a student. And I worked as an accommodation specialist for a few years and I saw the same problems over and over again and or the same stresses. And so parents would come in kind of stressed or concerned about the process, or they would be bringing in documentation for their student from like birth to 18 years old, and would we'd have to tell them, hey, we can't take this documentation. I just realized that freshman year in college is stressful enough for any student, regardless of a disability. And then it just becomes a little bit more stressful when we add this extra process of accommodations. And so there was just so much kind of chaos that I realized this is preventable. Um, and I wanted to kind of step in and fill that gap for students with disabilities and kind of remove one level of stress for families.

Taylor Bauer, CRCC 6:16

You know, your steps along the way to becoming the founder of Equip Transitions really lend itself to having an eye on all of the different perspectives that go into this, you know, chapter of someone's life, a student's life. And I think it's really encouraging to hear that you've kind of been on that vocational side of knowing, like, okay, you go to school to hopefully get into a job that's going to fulfill you and you know allow you to be self-sufficient and and really, you know, love your professional life. And then it's all those accommodations and things like that, and navigating those that become such a hurdle for folks, depending on what they've experienced at the high school level. Um, as you mentioned, the logistics of just being able to navigate, even explicitly saying, like, this is what I need or what I'm looking for, can be so challenging. So it kind of sounds like, you know, no journeys and accident, right? It sounds like all of your steps kind of perfectly led to this blending of skills along with your degrees and your certification to um make this a really great opportunity for families and students to get the help that they're kind of, you know, missing and sort of a gap between that high school and college experience. And mentioned it a couple of times. You're the uh founder of Equip Transitions, you're an independent consultancy that specializes in working with students and families to bridge the gap between high school and college for students. Um, one thing when we were, you know, figuring out a time to record and talk that really caught my eye on your website was this idea of the college cliff. And you kind of touched on it a little bit, but I'm curious in terms of students with disabilities entering to higher education, what does that college cliff look like? And if somebody maybe hasn't had to navigate that themselves or with a family member, um, what sort of experience is that to go from the high school ecosystem to college and um what what gaps kind of emerge there?

Elena Wisniewski, M.Ed., CRC 7:59

Yeah, so the term the college cliff is actually something that AI threw out at me while I was brainstorming. And I'll be honest, I had to sit with it for some time and really decide is this the term that I want to use? Is this this what um does this accurately describe the experience? And the more that I sat with it, the more I realized, yeah, the college cliff is a perfect way to describe what happens. It's that moment where high school support abruptly starts, stops at graduation. And now the student is kind of thrown out into the world to figure out what does the same support look like in college. And a key thing to note is the high schools they operate under IDEA, IDEA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. And the language in that law is on success of the student. So it's on the school to figure out which students need support. When we transition to higher education, we move away from the IDEA and we move into the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Rehab Act. The language in these laws is more around granting access. And so it's no longer the responsibility of the school to find the student. It's now the responsibility of the student to let the school know they need additional support. And there's pros and cons to this, but it's a moment for the student to really own their independency and kind of take that first step. Additionally, when you think about logistics, it makes sense that the university can't be responsible for sorting through 30,000 plus students and figuring out who needs the support. So that College Cliff just lends to that gap. We see a lot of support in how do you get into college, but we don't see the same sort of guidance for students with disabilities. Um, that's kind of the largest gap that you see is just there's no one to help somebody walk this path into adulthood. And so that's why equipped transitions exist. We exist to be the bridge across that cliff and to say, hey, here's how things used to work, here's how they're gonna work moving forward, and we're gonna help you navigate that.

Taylor Bauer, CRCC 10:04

That's wonderful. Yeah, and I think there's almost like you said, universities kind of have to do this, but there's this kind of assumption that when you get to that university level, you're going to be able to show up and go, this is what I've had in the past, this is what I need, and have that um self-efficacy to be able to just walk right in and go, here, here's what I'm doing. The high school experience from what you're saying really doesn't necessarily always encourage that. It more so says, like, here's our system, here's how you fit into it, and here's what we're going to do for you. And um, even if you've had a disability your whole life, or your your child, family member has had a disability your whole life, that sort of um companionship and guidance from the K through 12 system, all of a sudden shifting to now you're on your own, go figure it out, you might be able to, you know, say, I have a disability, right? But that fluency, I think, is the really challenging thing, even if you're living that experience. And um, you know, this podcast kind of exists a little bit, so I can be a cheerleader for you and other CRCs, right? Um, and when you were dropping all of those references to different disability laws and how different ones apply to where you are in your educational career and things like that, other professionals who are kind of working in uh special education or disability services might have some grasp of those things just from their work. But I always find it really fascinating when CRCs are able to just move through those different documents, the differences both on paper and also, you know, just in practice and um in application, how that's impacting the student. That knowledge is so useful for those students and their families for you to have. And, you know, you're not just coming from the high school system that says this is kind of how we do things. You're not the college system saying this is how we do things. You know where all of those bridges need to be built, like you said, if we're keeping that same analogy. And um I could imagine that's the perfect way to ensure that that student, as they're going on to this next chapter of their of their life, can do so and focus on the things they need to focus on rather than all of these, I don't know, safeguards that are all of a sudden kind of being dropped from under their feet. Depending on your high school system, community, and stuff like that, you also have varying levels of who you are working with and what services you're getting. You know, legally, there are certain things every high school student is supposed to have, but um, the level to which that staff and those systems is really engaging you and um not just maybe telling you here's how it is, but like educating you and things like that, I would imagine could lead to even greater disparities depending on where a student's coming from. And then when it turns into, like you said, this test of their independence and being able to navigate that themselves for for college, um, it's probably a huge wake-up call to a lot of folks to be like, wow, I don't know if I was prepared in the best way to do this. So it's fantastic that these services are going to kind of um hopefully give people that confidence to do that for themselves.

Elena Wisniewski, M.Ed., CRC 12:53

Yeah, definitely what we're we're looking to do at Equip Transitions.

Taylor Bauer, CRCC 12:56

One of the services that you offer at Equip Transitions is a documentation audit. And you touched on this a little bit, but when you're um approaching this sort of service and you're looking at IEPs or 504s falling short compared to what standards are going to be at the university offices, what skills as a CRC are helping you identify those gaps to make sure that the student's experience is going to go smoothly?

Elena Wisniewski, M.Ed., CRC 13:20

Yeah. So as a CRC, we're trained to see the whole person, right? We're not, it's we're not just looking at disability, we're not just looking at barriers, we're looking at how those things obviously play a part and we need to look at that picture and then how that interacts with the environment of where that individual is going to be, whether that's work or that's school. When you have an IEP or a 504, those documents are good guides for the university because it lets them know, okay, these were the things that this student had in high school. This is what they're used to, these are some supports that may have worked. A lot of times, though, those documents leave out the functional limitations or the why behind the accommodation. And so the reason those documents aren't always, you know, sufficient to go into higher education is because not every disability needs the same type of support. So just because you have autism doesn't mean somebody else is going to have an identical-looking 504. And so everybody needs some different levels of support, different types of support. The why and that rationale gives the university kind of an additional leg to stand on. Should an accommodation ever be challenged or questioned, the university can come back and say, oh, we gave this accommodation because there is this need, and this accommodation meets that gap in this way. So it gives them some rationale and it gives the student a way to describe their disability and why an accommodation is needed. So that extra language is helpful, which is why additional documentation is typically needed at the higher education level, because we just don't have it in the high school level. And being a CRC, you know, we're not just looking at academic accommodations. Take a student who is blind, for example. We need to make sure that their classroom materials are accessible. That's step one. But that student's probably gonna be living in a dorm. So we also need to make sure that their living space is accessible and that they are safe. Not only do you have those two components, but you've got the in-between. Nat that student has to go from the dorm to class, to the cafeteria, to transportation, to hang out with friends. How is the student gonna get there? What additional supports do they need? What services do we need to look into providing? And so being trained as a CRC to see the whole person, we're able to look at that documentation and say, okay, this is really great at saying what we need. We need to look at how we can get the information for why we need it. And then we also need to look and make sure that all components of this student's life are being addressed so that they have equitable access across the board and not just in one area.

Taylor Bauer, CRCC 15:55

Yeah, it's it's one of those things that I think CRCs really stand out with in terms of other professionals who might work with students with disabilities, is that like system fluency of knowing all of the different ways in which this individual's disability diagnosis is going to impact whatever their goal is, right? So for the students that um you'll be working with, they want to go to college, they want to attend class, get that experience in the most equitable, accessible way possible. And I think for certain departments or certain professionals, you know, who are focused on, okay, we just need to figure out what accommodations this person needs, it kind of is stopping right there. Like their idea of putting themselves in that individual's shoes is, okay, what accommodations do they need? And I think it it's very much like a paperwork-driven type of decision, right? I mean, you have to go based on the rules and regulations. And then also you're not necessarily trained, if you're not a CRC, to be thinking of all of those human impacts and implications for, well, if you get this accommodation, how is that going to help you as opposed to if you don't have that accommodation? What sort of um living or personal experiences are you going to be having in that college setting that are going to maybe impact your ability to focus on your studies? And the more that those barriers exist, the harder it's going to be for that individual to just go to school, right? Which is our you you mentioned it earlier. It's already hard enough. Starting college is a daunting task coming out of high school in any part of the country. Add in the fact that you are now potentially in a situation where you don't have the same resources that you're used to. Uh, you might not necessarily have the same skills of being able to advocate for the things that you do need or even articulate why you need them, right? Um, I could see that being something that is going to add a lot of even like mental and emotional stress to an individual if they're constantly having to figure out like, how do I do this daunting thing now with less? And I think that's another part of having a CRC to work with that I think is really beneficial, you know, counselors in the name. It's a process of getting to understand what they need, but also like what are they feeling about these things and how is that going to impact their confidence and their approach to college, um, which as anybody knows, depending on when you start, you know, a lot of people go in their late teens, early 20s, 30s, whatever it might be, early in life where you're still building those skills, no matter what lived experience you have. So I could see having a certified rehabilitation counselor to navigate that paperwork and give you the best foot forward in this experience, while also being able to talk through some of those kind of mental health components to all of this could be hugely beneficial.

Elena Wisniewski, M.Ed., CRC 18:34

Oh, yeah, definitely. I I mean, even as accommodate an accommodation specialist, I had many conversations with students who would come in and it wasn't just the disability, it was, you know, now my mental health is impacted, or my disability is directly tied to my mental health, and now school is impacted. And so there's just all these different facets. So being able to be trained as a counselor, really listen to the people that are talking to you, really get down to the root of the issue is paramount and key. And being a CRC really helps to do that.

Taylor Bauer, CRCC 19:02

Yeah. And I mean, all of these systems, you know, just inherently are dealing with a a number of people that they have to essentially push through, right? And work with. There's not always, depending on who that professional is who's working with them, enough time or, you know, skill level to be able to be like, hey, you're not just like a document that I'm trying to get through so we can be like checked onto the next one. And I think that's such a huge difference. And in university uh accessibility and disability resource centers all across the country, we know that there are a mix of like CRCs working alongside um folks who don't come from a rehabilitation background, and a lot of the accessibility coordinators or you know, directors of ADA services that I've spoken with either on the show or just in conversations as I try to get to know you all better. Uh, there's a lot of you all across the country. It's hard, but you know, one at a time, right? Um, they always say the same thing where it's like when it gets to something beyond, here's the paperwork I have, what can you do for me? And it's kind of now this person maybe is having a hard time even understanding like who do I disclose my disability to? Um, I don't want people to know that I need these. There's a whole other element that I always hear from people. That's when they go to the CRC on staff and they're like, can you maybe help me navigate this a little bit? Because those counseling skills mixed with all of the disability law knowledge and uh the approach, like you said, the holistic, you know, skills-based functional limitations, not being a what can't you do, but what can you do and how do we get you uh the help you need based on, you know, what challenges you're you're experiencing, those are always the things that they turn to the CRC for. So it's it's great that for you, they're getting all of that from the get-go when they come and look to get your services.

Elena Wisniewski, M.Ed., CRC 20:46

By providing these services early and going ahead and looking at the documentation and at the end of high school and as we transition into college or even a little bit earlier in high school. The goal here is also to help equip the disability services office as well, so that if they've got everything they need on the front end, they can focus more on paying attention to that student's immediate and direct needs. So I wanted to touch on how this kind of helps both ends of the spectrum. The student goes in prepared and confident, and then we've also set the disability services office up for success so that they can spend more time with the student.

Taylor Bauer, CRCC 21:20

Students of any, you know, background or experience have varying levels of abilities to advocate for themselves, right? It's a scary thing to have to walk into a new space and say, you know, this is who I am, this is what I need to succeed, right? Um, and self-advocacy is a topic that comes up on our podcast a lot because it's it's just difficult in a new environment to be able to speak confidently about um the things that you're looking for and the things that you need. Why was a self advocacy training important for you to include as one of the offerings that you have for clients?

Elena Wisniewski, M.Ed., CRC 21:53

Self advocacy is important because it builds the confidence of the student and it helps protect protect their rights. When I was an accommodation specialist, I met with so many students who kind of, as you said, they they're nervous to have that conversation with the professor, which is part of the accommodation process. It's not just a piece of paper, it's now a logistics conversation with the professor of what does this look like for me? Like how do I actually get these in the classroom? And students would be nervous to have that conversation either because they didn't really know how to talk about their disability or they didn't know how to have the conversation in general, or they were afraid that they were gonna have to disclose. And we know that disclosing is kind of a double-edged sword. There's benefits and there's negatives. You don't always know what the other person's gonna do with that information. And again, a diagnosis doesn't get at the exact needs of that student. I'll use the example again. Just because a student comes in and says I have autism, well, that's that's one thing. We know you have autism, but that doesn't mean that the next student that comes in and says I have autism struggles in the same way. And so self-advocacy I felt was very important so that we can give students the language to explain why they need an accommodation without having to say their diagnosis. Just I have a limitation in X and this accommodation helps me with Y. And then it also allows the student to go in with the professor in a very collaborative approach. A very, I need these things. Can we talk through how I'm gonna get them and what this looks like in your classroom and what is our process here? And the other half of it is self-advocacy translates even far outside the classroom. Um think about the workplace. They may need accommodations there. So if we go ahead and start early with self-advocacy, we've set them up for success far beyond college, where now they can go into work and advocate for the same supports. Even beyond that, just having the skill set of being able to self-advocate and having that confidence in yourself and in your abilities is a lifelong skill that translates across the board in so many different settings. So for me, it would just seemed very important to be able to equip these students with the language that they need so that again, it's another barrier removed, it's another layer of stress removed, and they can come in and just get to the point of being in college, which is to learn and grow and have experiences.

Taylor Bauer, CRCC 24:19

I mean, that that's it's life-changing to have that skill, especially, you know, at that point in your life before you're going to go on and have your career kind of be your next main life focus, right? And I do think that there's something to be said about just the college experience in general being kind of like a an on-ramp to some of those skills of independence and kind of advocacy for your for your needs and your wants um for any adult, being able to have those skills developed early on, like you said, that's going to carry through for the rest of their lives. And I think that that's another reason why a lot of students and their families are going to see your business as such an asset, because those are things that even if you've, like I said, been disabled your entire life and you have varying levels of comfort of telling that to people or kind of wearing that um as part of your identity and who you are to whatever level you find, you know, that you're comfortable with, it's a whole nother thing to have to introduce new people to yourself and say, like, okay, here's what I need from you or what I'm looking for to be able to do my very best. And um it's fantastic that those are skills that they're going to be developing. And hopefully they've done a little bit in that high school system as well. But um it's also, as you said, uh something that could be very beneficial for the accessibility and accommodations departments, future employers, that they're not now having to kind of pull that out of that individual, the individual showing up with that. And it's one thing when we talk all the time about CRCs, you know, helping people get back to work or um find community services that could benefit them. It's not always just about that individual. It's going to benefit the people who are working with that individual or, you know, um building relationships with that individual because everyone's going to be better equipped to know how to make sure that they are creating an equitable and accessible environment. So those skills really, you know, for having self in the name of self-advocacy, that's really going to be a tool that's going to benefit everyone that that individual works with. There are a lot of times when we talk to CRCs where um we'll want to discuss kind of the role that being certified plays in their lives. And one of the reasons I was really excited to talk with you is because you have this fantastic section on your website where you have the CRC badge on there and it talks about the importance of certification. And I do really love that because I'm like, oh yay. Like we have someone out there, you know, like uh spreading the word, right? Uh best kept secret is the term everyone uses about this profession. And I'm like, shouldn't be a secret. Like, go out there and tell people. And I'd love to see more CRCs doing things like that and kind of leading with the certification as a as a part of who they are. When shifting over to this business from other roles that you've had, what confidence or support did having that CRC credential provide you?

Elena Wisniewski, M.Ed., CRC 27:08

It seemed like it was just a very important thing to add because, like you said, not everybody knows what a CRC is. And um, so just going ahead and being transparent of, hey, this is who I am, this is what I do, that was important. Um, and so shifting over to this, as I've said before, the CRC gave me the skills to see the whole person, not just the disability, not just the barriers. And in my program, I took courses related to counseling and theories and best practices in a counseling session. And a lot of those teachings were around active listening, which you had mentioned before. And I've been able to use that skill even outside of being a CRC. In a previous role, I had to take calls for a live YouTube show. And so clients would call in so that they could ask questions, but we dealt with really big and heavy topics. And so a lot of times clients would give me their whole live story and get to the end and go, I really don't know what I'm asking. And so I was able to use my active listening skills to really make sure that I was truly understanding the client and then helping them form that question and giving them an opportunity to tell me whether they really felt like that was what they were asking or not. And so it was an opportunity to give those clients a way to feel heard before they even got on a show. And so when it comes to my business, I know that when my clients work with me, they are working with somebody who sees the whole person, who's looking at the whole picture, and who really wants to get to the root of the need. Also, I am held to our codes of ethics, and I, because of that, I'm held to a high standard. So that is going to guide my work and my interactions with individuals because I will be held accountable. And because of the organization and the certification, I have support and I can use it as backing that I have an organization that's behind me. I am a well-trained professional and I am qualified to be working with the disability population. So I just really find so much pride and joy in being a CRC. And even in roles when I wasn't acting as a CRC, that just wasn't part of the job description or the reason why I was hired, it was so hard to separate being a CRC from my identity because I just really feel like it's become a huge part of who I am and what I do and how I work with people.

Taylor Bauer, CRCC 29:29

That pride that you feel, I know us on the CRCC team, we feel that pride when we see CRCs like yourselves going out there and leading by example, especially when it's like paving new paths for what you can do with this credential. And I feel like the quick transitions is like the perfect cornerstone of like what the credential can provide to you. And especially for any CRC who's going out and looking to provide services directly to clients in a private practice kind of business setting where you're running your services yourself as a business. That that code of ethics is the difference maker. When you're going to the public and saying, trust me with this sensitive information and trust me to be the professional who can give you the support to succeed, that that code of ethic is everything because that's a very, you know, we're regularly having to um utilize it to be able to explain to people why the certification makes a difference, right? Because there are just a lot of things that the public is not protected from when they don't work with a certified individual. Um, and that's why when we do see folks who aren't certified doing some of the roles or the work that CRC should be doing, we get very concerned because it's like, what's stopping that individual? First of all, what training do they have? And is that depth of knowledge as rich as a CRC? Spoiler alert, it almost never is. Uh working experience counts for something, right? I don't want to discount that, but it is something to be said that when you've gone and gotten your master's, you've passed a really rigorous exam, and you have those skills, that that is just on paper that makes a difference, and especially when you apply that to the clients you're working with. But there's so much to be said about having that credential, being able to use it in a variety of different work settings. Like you mentioned, even some jobs, plenty of CRCs work in positions where nothing on that job description they applied to asked for that CRC. But I think when you work with a CRC or you work alongside one, those things permeate and make a difference. Even if it is like you said with the talk show where you're answering questions live, which is a daunting thing. As someone who has to take questions on webinars from folks sometimes where there's hundreds of people in there and they can ask anything, you've got to be on your toes. And um, I might be calling you in the future when they ask those really deep questions. And I kind of sit there on camera like, uh, I'm not a counselor. So maybe we dive into that with someone else. But it it is something that whether it is a direct job task that you are completing or it's just who you are professionally and personally, I do think it just becomes, like you said, a part of your identity, whether you are actively running around letting everyone know or not. And to the point of your website, we love when people run around and wear that as a badge, you know. Uh, that's why we have the digital badges with everything being so virtual now, with social media and providing services online and things like that, even email signatures, having that badge grabs your eye and makes you say, like, well, what is that? And so it's just it's great to see the work you're doing is so integrated into having that CRC be your identity and um really kind of a launching pad for you to be able to do the great work that you're doing.

Elena Wisniewski, M.Ed., CRC 32:31

Thank you. Yeah, no, I and I really love that the CRCC did the digital badge because it's got the brief explanation of what we do and what we're qualified for. And so I've had instances with employers in the past or applications where I was able to just go grab that quick kind of reference and just say, hey, for more information, here's this great resource for you that can kind of give you a snapshot of what I'm capable of.

Taylor Bauer, CRCC 32:54

And that's the very reason why when people don't accept the badge, they get like three more emails from me because I'm like, you're really gonna maybe want this. And then it is sometimes months later, people will be like, I actually do kind of want that. And I'm like, all right, we'll get you hooked up. Like, you know, you came around, that's good. We want you to use it. So um, I mean, I know, you know, from hearing you talk about this business and everything that you're offering, I know I'm really excited to see, you know, the impact that this has on people. What has the response been to this type of service from families or students that you've talked with about starting this business? And what's the reaction been to what this could be in terms of as a resource for their students?

Elena Wisniewski, M.Ed., CRC 33:33

Yeah, so I've talked to families ranging from uh having students with disabilities that have just transitioned to college. So they've just kind of crossed that that cliff and they're getting their accommodations. And I've talked to families that are a few years out from us needing to have that college uh conversation, but they already see the cliff. They already know that they need support. And all of the conversations have been very positive. Everybody has noted that there is a need and that support is needed in this area. And um, I even have one family who it falls in that category of it's a little early for us to talk about college accommodations. We're still in like, I think, middle school area. So it's okay to start having some general conversations, but we're not to the point of let's do a deep dive into this documentation. And they've already reached out and said, when the day comes, we're booking. Um, so I've got this one spot already held in the future for this family that they see the need and they've recognized that we're gonna need some support walking through this and um they see the value in it already. So it's been a all-around really positive response. Everybody's really um excited about this and are really seeing that, yeah, this this is a need in society. Society, you know, didn't quite build the supports um for this transition. So here we are with equipped transitions.

Taylor Bauer, CRCC 34:56

I do think that's one of the best facets of getting to tell people about the work that CRCs do is so many of the things that people with disabilities experience, whether it's hurdles, navigating systems, um, just the general, I don't know, this is gonna sound kind of harsh, but the general like disinterest from society of wanting to talk about disability or centered disability as something that we actually put time and thought into, all of that kind of coalesces to this idea of like, if only there was a professional out there who could like answer these direct needs that I'm uh I'm looking for. And then when we get to talk to people who've never heard about a CRC, whether it's like at a conference or something, um, I was actually heading to the parking garage at our office a couple of days ago, and I held the door for a guy, and he was just like, We just made small talk, you know, it's end of the day, we're both in a really great mood, ready to get home. And he he mentioned he was like, Oh, what do you do? And I told him what CRCC does. And he was like, Oh, I have a I have a son with autism. That could be huge for us. And like, it's just those little things where all of a sudden, all those things he might be navigating as a parent of a child with autism, I think he said he was like six or seven. So, like you said, we're not at the college conversation, or we're still trying to just even figure out who this individual is as a person and uh what their interests are, what they like, what they don't like. All of these things that they're about to face. Our goal at CRCC is to let folks know, you know, there are professionals out there who can help work with you through these things. And maybe it's not something you need today. Maybe you're not already thinking about how do I um make sure my seven-year-old knows what he wants to do for a living, right? Um, but those are good things to know so that when the time does come, like your example, they know who to turn to rather than feel like maybe lost or feel like there isn't that help. And it's um really wonderful that people are already showing such an interest in these services. You already have a meeting book for the 2030s, which is not something I can say um with someone in middle school, you know, a future client of yours, which is fantastic. Um and I'm not surprised at all that the feedback that you've gotten so far has just been almost maybe one of relief. Like that is going to be such a help when the time comes.

Elena Wisniewski, M.Ed., CRC 37:01

Right. Yeah, no, I'm I'm super excited. Super excited that people are seeing it and that they want to take it. And some are seeing it because they've just lived through it. They're like, yeah, that was a hard transition and we would have wanted some help.

Taylor Bauer, CRCC 37:12

I do want to close the conversation today on something a little bit broader than even the work you're doing with equipped transitions. I like to ask everybody this because I do think that one of the most compelling things about CRCs is how passionate you all are about the work you do. So I'm really curious to hear from you with your background and the work that you're doing in this incredible business you're starting. What brings you joy in doing this professionally?

Elena Wisniewski, M.Ed., CRC 37:35

I love seeing the people that I work with achieve things they couldn't or achieve the things they were told wouldn't happen for them. And it's one thing for me to believe that the people I work with are capable. It's something completely different when they realize it for themselves. So for a student who is nervous, like, I don't think I can talk to my professor about my disability. I don't think I can get through this meeting. Or when I was, you know, working on the vocational side of things. I'm really nervous about this interview. I don't think I'm gonna be able to do it. I was told I couldn't have a job. And then to watch them have that conversation, go through that interview and come out just with the amount of pride in themselves, like they knew they could do it, they just didn't realize they knew they could do it. And so I really enjoy just seeing them reach their goals. And at the end of the day, that's what it is for me. I enjoy being a CRC because I help people reach their goals and achieve their full potential. And I'm confident in my ability to do that because of the training I had as a CRC.

Taylor Bauer, CRCC 38:38

Thank you to Alina, founder and lead strategist for Equipped Transitions for the great conversation. You can find the links to a website and social channels to follow Equipped Transitions in the show notes. If you have questions or ideas for a future episode, hey, maybe that includes you coming on the show and sharing more about your work and journey. Email us at contact us at crccertification.com. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok, our newest channel, by searching CRC Cert. As always, we're grateful for the work Alina and other CRCs are doing. This episode's actually releasing a couple days after National Rehabilitation Counselors Appreciation Day 2026. And I can't say enough about the passion and professionalism CRCs bring to all that they do. From all of us here at CRCC, thank you for your efforts, your commitment to individuals with disabilities, and for working every day to make our society work for all. Take care.