Support Broker Interest Questionnaire
Name:Kelli Schmidt
Date: 2/1/07
Please list your experience working with people with developmental disabilities. Include your role or job, timeframes, activities.
I have been a Support Broker with Progressive Community Services since July
of 2004.
Before becoming a Broker, much of my career in the field of developmental
disabilities was spent providing residential support to people in their homes.
I worked for about 6 months as a home coordinator where I was responsible for
medical appointments, initiating community activities and helping people with
cooking and cleaning. I then moved into a manager's position for 2 years where
I supervised staff for several homes, tracked individual's budgets and facilitated
team meetings. I next was promoted to become a Program Director. I worked in
this position for 2 years, and was responsible for supervising managers, overseeing
household budgets and monitoring health and safety of clients.
I also have work experience from a summer job during college, providing respite
care for families with children with disabilities, and I worked as a Case Manager
for several months providing vocational support to adults with disabilities.
What do you feel you could offer people as a Support Broker?
- Experience working with people with a variety of disabilities.
- Knowledge of fiscal management and experience helping clients most effectively use their budget.
- Having lived and worked in Madison most of my life, I am familiar with many of the resources available for people with disabilities in Dane County.
- My master's degree and licensure in Social Work guides me in advocating for clients, encouraging people to make their own choices, and working with the whole individual (not just the disability).
Do you have additional specific talents or skills that might help in considering which people may be referred to you? (Examples: proficient in sign language, foreign language, experience with service coordination, person-centered planning, etc.)
- Experience in behavior support planning and implementation.
- Basic-level knowledge of sign language and Spanish.
- Experience with person-centered planning.
- Past training as an abuse and neglect investigator.
List any preferences you have in working with individuals with disabilities (disability type, location, particular characteristics). Please explain.
To me, the benefit of working in this field is that you get to work with such a
wide variety of people. I have worked with people with traumatic brain injuries,
mental retardation, cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, mental illness, behavioral
challenges and people who are medically fragile, to list a few, and I have enjoyed
each experience.
I believe a good personality match between Support Broker and client is much more
important than the type of disability a person has.
Is there anyone you would not consider working with? Please explain. (Example: "I prefer not working with someone with severe behavioral challenges as I have no experience in this area.")
No, see answer to question #4!
Additional information you care to include.
In my work, I try to focus on each individual's strengths, and the good side of
any situation. A positive attitude can go a long way!
I'm a huge Green Bay Packer fan, I enjoy biking and playing volleyball, and I love
my two cats, Bailey and Aeowyn.
