The ARRM Cares ceremony is Thursday, May 19, 2011 in the late afternoon--at 3:45 p.m. rather than during the lunch hour. (Attendees will be treated to dessert.) KARE-11 anchor Rena Sarigianopoulos will once again emcee the event. As in previous years, ARRM Cares winners and nominees must register for the conference.
Nominee: Elexis Luttrell
Nominator: Katie Conner
Agency: Life By Design, Inc.
Elexis is a lead direct support employee at an SLS for three men. Her title does not begin to describe the value she brings to the lives of the men living there. She consistently goes above and beyond, whether advocating for the consumers’ independence, finding creative ways to meet their needs, or just making everyday life a little more fun! Her commitment to the consumers and their self-determination is commendable.
Recently, Elexis was instrumental in addressing changing health needs of one of the men, Dick, who was experiencing a rapid decrease in mobility. Elexis recognized the change and used her creativity to encourage and support him in meeting several specialists to figure out the problem. Dick needed surgery. He had a bone spur pressing on his spinal cord; a bad fall could result in him being unable to walk. Dick had to use a wheelchair until the surgery. Dick is a proud and independent man and this was difficult for him to accept. Elexis used humor and kindness to make his needed supports seem less intrusive. She was with him every step of the way, from the appointments, to the hospital stay, to ensuring support after surgery. She even passed on going to the ARRM conference as she juggled her schedule to support him! Her commitment interrupted the rapid decrease in Dick’s mobility and will help maintain his quality of life. Dick is so thankful to have gained back mobility and independence.
Elexis’ focus on self-determination led Fred to his dream job, working with cars. At age 39 he had almost given up. For many reasons, including intense supervision and programming needs, his dream seemed unattainable. But Elexis didn’t give up. Elexis recognized that Fred could possibly work at the auto shop that repaired the house van. She assisted Fred in meeting with the owner to discuss the shop’s current needs and how well Fred could fulfill many of those needs. By the end of the meeting, Fred was offered a chance to work a few hours a week to see if it could work out; it has! Fred has been working for several months now and the fit is great; they’ve even increased his hours! For the first time Fred and his team believe that he might actually be able to work independently with natural supports; something that had not even been considered in the past. Elexis also supports John who had been at a state facility before moving into the SLS. With Elexis’ encouragement and support, John is expressing himself positively and learning to work through emotions in ways that help him at home and in his community. He is now participating in sports, independently attending classes, and has meaningful relationships with his family and girlfriend.
I could go on and on, speaking to her commitment to the men she supports. So, I’ll sum it up with Elexis Rocks! The men at SLS 8 feel lucky to have her support!
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