Personal and Professional Accomplishments I Am Most Proud Of:
- Being Hayes’ mom and a never-back-down advocate for individuals with disabilities and their families.
- I have been a human rights advocate my entire adult life.
- Albuquerque T-VI (Technical-Vocational Institute) Legal Assistant Certificate.
- Legal Assistant for Marron, McKinnon & Ewing (Civil Rights, Estate Planning and Family Law) and Atkinson & Kelsey, P.A. (Divorce and Family Law Firm).
- In New Mexico, I worked for the three largest advocacy groups on behalf of families, children, and individuals with disabilities.
The Arc of New Mexico
I started my employment with the Arc as a grassroots legislative advocate to work on improving the laws and funding for people living with disabilities and lifelong conditions and the families that care for them.
The Arc advanced me to the Waiting List Coordinator position, which involved writing press releases, newsletter articles, and newspaper stories about families giving 24/7 care to their loved ones. My responsibilities also included training about the importance of being active in legislative goals by involving more families and individuals.
The last Arc project I worked on was the Beyond Worship Project as a Special Event Planner. It was an effort to connect with local churches to establish and maintain more opportunities for people with disabilities to actively participate in leading prayer, be involved as part of the service, and be included in social events, to name a few possibilities.
Parents Reaching Out (PRO)
PRO is the State of New Mexico’s Parent Training and Information Center. I was hired as a Project Adobe Trainer regarding the special education process, the laws that protect students with special needs in the public school system, and the rights and responsibilities of parents.
At PRO, I advanced to Director of the Families as Faculty Project. My primary responsibility included giving the parent/family perspective during course time at the University of New Mexico (UNM) to students who would be future educators or medical specialists.
I had to recruit and maintain a list of willing families to keep the project going. The students paired up and visited families, usually in their homes, to experience a glimpse of the joys and challenges of raising a child with a developmental disability and, often, incurable disease. Each student was required to write a formal paper on what they learned.
University of New Mexico Center For Development & Disability (CDD)
I was most fortunate to work on a pilot project called the New Mexico Family Support and Systems Change Project. I met with families waiting for services on the New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Medicaid Waiver and the Disabled & Elderly Waiver.
Instead of a pre-determined menu of limited services by the State, each family was given a budget to spend on items or services they chose to directly benefit the quality of life for their loved one challenged by a lifelong disability.
I met with each family, usually in their homes, explained the pilot project, and listened to how they wanted to spend their budget. Whenever possible, the individual with the disability or a family member independently completed a required form requesting items and services.
If that was not possible, I completed the form in their presence and made sure I got all their requests right. However, the State of New Mexico still had to review their requests.
Occasionally, I had to meet with a social worker before approval. I am happy to say all the requests were granted after I provided some additional information and “advocacy” persuasion.
Family Support And Systems Change
I established a dedicated Advisory Council of caring self-advocates, family members, and professionals to impact policy change at the local and state levels.
The Council members created Psst…Did You Know? It was a grassroots guide in English and Spanish to support the unique needs and gifts of people with disabilities and those who love them.
- My son was a Star on the Jerry Lewis/MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) Telethon for eight years. He and I participated in many fundraising events through the years to find cures for neuromuscular diseases.
- I was the Team Mom and a Buddy for Challenger Little League for seven years.
- Caregiver for the Elderly with Comfort Keepers for five years.
- I played competitive softball for seven years and coached a women’s softball team for two years.
- National Honor Society.
- I taught myself how to design and build my website.
- Member of Southwest Writers.
- Member of National Association of Memoir Writers (NAMW).
