By Ashly Wiczek, Home and Community Options (Ashly is also a member of the ARRM Public Relations Committee)
Brock Mosher has used Home and Community Options services for most of his adult life. Home and Community Options (HCO) offers support and residential services to children and adults with developmental disabilities who need assistance in the Winona, MN area.
“These services are training them for life and helping them grow as people,” Jan Mosher, Brock’s mother said. “Every year they learn something new.” When Brock began working with HCO, he needed support 40 hours per week. Over the years, he has seen that number fall to a mere three hours per week. Not only did Brock learn to live more independently via his supports, Brock met his wife, Nikki, as well.
Needs For Support Can Be Just Around The Corner
Brock and Nikki's story is unique, because the know both the value of lifelong daily support services that many people with disabilities and their families understand. But two years ago, they went through the kind of unexpected trauma that changed their lives dramatically, an experience the broader public often forgets can happen to anyone. Luckily for them, it was only temporary.
“I got hit by a car on my bike and it broke my leg,” he said. “With my leg being broken, I was pretty much stuck so I couldn’t do much of anything.” Brock’s injury required a several month hospitalization and rehab stay, and just like everyone else he needed some additional help during his recovery. “My staff took over paying my bills. It was hard because I wanted to do the bills myself, but my staff had to take over because I was stuck...”
Brock’s injury also had an enormous impact on his wife. Nikki has Cerebral Palsy and needs assistance with many daily tasks like bathing, cleaning, and cooking – tasks that her husband would normally have assisted her with. Nikki was also able to receive additional support from HCO, which enabled her to continue living in their apartment while her husband was recovering. “I couldn’t have lived there without the help of PCA’s. I would have been sent to live in a group home,” she said.
The Importance of Advocacy
That unexpected need for direct care assistance, and the potential consequences for Brock and Nikki had it not been available right when they needed it, energized them to become more involved in public policy advocacy for direct care staff and the supportive services they provide. That advocacy is even more important for those who don't have a partner, or other friend, family member, or guardian (what are called "natural supports") to help support them. “Many individuals don’t have family or a guardian," Jan says. "If they lose services, they can end up in the correction system or medical system because they aren’t cared for properly.”
Since his recovery, Brock and Nikki have been passionate in talking with HCO’s Grassroots Advocacy Task Force about this challenging time in their lives and the profound impact of the additional care they received. The Grassroots Advocacy Task Force helps individuals advocate for themselves with state legislators, addressing issues like where they want to live, the critical impact of the services they receive, and the importance of funding those services.
“If the funding doesn’t get better, I could lose my staff which would affect my life drastically,” Brock says.
Building Voices, Building Energy
The Task Force meets monthly and leads a large group of self-advocates, family, and staff on yearly trips to the State Capitol to attend rallies and meet with local legislators.
The popularity of HCO’s Grassroots Task Force and corresponding Capitol trips has grown substantially in recent years - so much so that HCO recently had to request a larger, 56-passenger bus and use an additional van to accommodate everyone. As the self-advocacy efforts of HCO individuals continue to grow, it provides a strong message of empowerment for those who have begun to find their voice. When asked about her personal goals with HCO and Grassroots, Nikki said, “I want to make a difference, get my voice out there, and become more independent.”
The Grassroots Task Force attended the “ARRM Day at the Capitol” on March 13, 2018. Attendees were excited and eager to join over 1,000 fellow Minnesotans advocating for disability services from across the state.
Many ARRM members support or assist people in engaging with self-advocacy organizations. ARRM provides grassroots advocacy tips and resources for organizations, staff, self-advocates and family members. Visit the ARRM website for more.
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