Self-Advocate Profile: Tanya Castiello Trains Hundreds of New Employees
Tanya Castiello, employed as a Quality Assurance Advocate, routinely attends new hire orientations for Citizens Options Unlimited and AHRC Nassau to read the rights and responsibilities of people supported. Tanya lives in Syosset, in a home supported by Citizens. In addition to reading the rights and responsibilities of new staff, Tanya shares her experience of being supported by residential services and working with Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and management.
Tanya’s contribution to the new hire orientation over the four and a half years has shaped the perspectives of hundreds of employees beginning their careers in the field of disability care.
“I like it,” Tanya Castiello said of her job. “It helps me to come out of my shadow more and more.”
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time at her family home, visiting by booking rides on Able Ride.
“I don’t like all the stops, but it’s a way of me going home,” Tanya said.
Tanya also enjoys doing musical theater. Last summer, she was in a production of Frozen at the Cultural Arts Playhouse. Her favorite part of doing theater is singing, as she gets to sing a variety of songs. To unwind, Tanya likes to watch television.
By ensuring that we center the voices, desires, needs, and goals of people we support, we are continuously advocating for further change so that we never go back to how it was in the past.