I became involved in Support Coordination because of
my own with a severe disability. Twenty years ago, 1 woke up
at
4 AM
to find
that my right side was becoming paralyzed and I could not speak.
At the hospital, it was discovered that 1 had a blood clot on the
surface of the brain. After an operation, I had almost no speech,
and my physician said that I probably would never walk again.
Thankfully, I recovered most of my speech and motor
control during the next four years. During that time I learned
how important it
is to have a support network or ‘safety net.’ My parents
motivated me and gave me courage. I had an incredible circle of
friends who treated me with respect, not with pity or grief. They
gave me hope. They opened doors for me and encouraged me to walk
through them. They had a gentle but persistent expectation of good,
and I eventually started to respond. I received my Masters in Special
Education six years later.
My Support Coordination agency, Community Resource
Coordinators, was based on the idea of a ‘safety net.’ This
net looks different for each person because their needs, wishes,
and dreams
are different. Our staff has tried to make sure that each person & family
builds a net of supports that is truly safe, and that all essential
services are in place when needed. Hopefully, we try to pass on
to our families the skills to be able to create and maintain their
own safety net.
Over the years, I have learned that having a secure
safety net is just the beginning. A person needs more than supports
in order
to make life worth living. All of us need to have some joy and
a sense of fulfillment in our lives. I've found that if CRC can
help a person find situations where they feel more alive, they
will naturally want to do more, learn more, and take on more responsibility
for their lives. More importantly, everyone that we have helped
has shown us that they are more than clients or consumers or individuals.
They are people, who deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.
Executive Director
