For Laura, who is 45, Self-Direction has meant stable housing and healthy routines.
Laura starts each day in her apartment, where a housing subsidy from Citizens Options Unlimited helps pay her rent. She drives to her job at a local school, working as an office assistant. There, a job coach funded through Self-Direction supports her on the job. After work, Laura goes to the gym for weight training and attends a nutrition support group, also made possible through Self-Direction. On Fridays, she bowls in a league with friends, improving her skills and socializing. Self-Direction also helps cover her phone and internet bills, so she can keep in touch with loved ones.
“Self-Direction gives her the support to live independently: being an active member of her community, having a job and doing the things she enjoys,” said Michele LaSpina, Assistant Director of Self-Direction.
Self-Direction lets people shape their supports to fit their lives, instead of adjusting their lives to fit the supports. This program is funded and overseen by the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), and it lets people choose their services, their providers, and how they receive support. Citizens Options Unlimited offers Support Brokers and Fiscal Intermediary (FI) services to help people build and manage their Self-Direction plans.