LIA Week 4

After two weeks of taking notes, making an outline, and learning as much as I could about all of the statutes that the EEOC enforces, the time had finally come for me to do my own intake interview. I was extremely nervous not only because I understood the weight of these interviews - the people who we were speaking never came to the EEOC because something had gone right; many had been fired from their jobs or were being denied accommodations for their disabilities and this was oftentime their only hope - but also because I knew how unpredictable they could be. In a lot of ways, the only way to truly prepare was to practice them. I was thankful that I had had the chance to learn from so many kind and caring investigators who went out of their way to let individuals be heard and tell their story. They recognized that for many of them, this was the first time they had been fully listened to, the first time that someone dedicated their full attention to the pain or frustration that they were going through. I reminded myself that while I couldn’t guarantee any outcomes in this process - the majority of cases are dismissed at the time of the intake interview and very very few are ever mediated or litigated - I could guarantee that I was going to let the PCP know that I heard them and that I would do my best to explain all parts of the process that they were currently going through. With those reminders in mind and lots of notes and templates, I placed the call. Over an hour later I was finished and a flood of relief washed over me. It had been stressful at times and there was still plenty of work to do now in writing up a charge for the individual, but I felt that I had helped them and that I had done my job to the best of my ability. It was a really amazing experience and it gave me an additional level of respect for the investigators who I had watched navigate extremely complex situations with composure and compassion.