July 20, 2020

Welcome to Spectrum Services located in Rochester, NY! I am excited to be open for business and offer a variety of services to create better futures for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). I will blog weekly on important information regarding self-direction and housing. Today I just want to tell you a bit more about how I got here and what I do.

I have two amazing children ages 26 and 16 with I/DD and ASD. I may write about them in a future blog. They have inspired me to create this business in order to help other families with the knowledge we have gained over the past decades. My 16 year old son moved into a group home at age 9 after an extensive out of state hospitalization due to severe self-injurious behavior. He has been in a group home setting for 7 years and we have learned so much. Our plan is to move him into his own home at age 21. My daughter still lives with family. She was home with me for her first 21 years and now lives in Florida with her Dad. Someday soon she will want to move out and get a place of her own. We plan on supporting her through that process and have already saved and planned for her future.

For the past two years I have been taking many courses and educating myself in order to best help my children and families like mine. I am a strong advocate and believe knowledge is power. One course in particular resonated with me, Housing Navigation. I plan to move further into affordable housing communities through a separate nonprofit starting next July. In my first year, I will be focusing on Housing Navigation and bringing individuals and families together to discuss important policy and advocacy topics.

The wait list for group home placement is long and may never be caught up. According to the current statistics the only people being placed are in the “emergency” category. I look forward to working with my clients and their families to create a sustainable Housing Plan that will meet their unique needs and actually come to fruition. Why keep waiting for that group home placement when it may never happen?

If you are in a group home setting, you may realize that it is not ideal for many reasons. I would be happy to assist you in your transition to living in the community which will open up a variety of person-centered choices in your life. You can self-direct when living in a group home! You will have a small budget, but it will be enough to get you active and increase your social connections while planning for a move to the community.

So you may be wondering what is a Housing Navigator? A Housing Navigator assists in planning and implementing innovative transitions to community living. Whether you plan to move from a group home or a family home into the community, we are there to help you every step of the way on many levels, including saving for the future without losing eligibility. It is never too early to plan, in fact I recommend age 14-16 to start! A yearly check-in and planning session for a few years can make a huge difference in your social and fiscal capital come moving day! We will also check in after the move periodically as needed to assure sustainability and make revisions as needed.

The Housing Navigation process starts with a free 30-minute discovery call to discuss your unique needs and to answer any questions you may have. Once hired, I can be paid privately or through your self-direction budget. I will then walk you and your family through various steps in creating social and fiscal resources needed for a move. We will explore renting vs. owning, hiring support staff, live-in caregivers, shared living, savings accounts, SNTs, housing vouchers, IRS tax credits, section 8, HEAP, SNAP and many other topics. I will work alongside your care manager and broker to maximize your fiscal resources and create a life plan that includes your housing and support needs. I will work with you to plan for the future and answer that nagging question, “What happens to my loved one when I am gone?”.

If you are interested in my services please contact me to schedule your free 30-minute discovery call.