Mosaic

Guest Post: Empowering People to Use Their Voice

As a Direct Support Professional at Mosaic, one of the most important aspects of my job is empowering the people we serve to make as many of their own decisions as possible.

Whether it’s choosing to participate in an outing, to take a class or to continue at a job, I discuss different outcomes and consequences with them and empower them to think through each decision.

This past St. Patrick’s Day, Elmer and Joannie, two people I support, both voiced an interest in going to an Irish pub. While it took planning and budgeting on both of their parts to make the outing happen, they were empowered to make that decision.

On another occasion, Joannie decided to enroll in an art class at the local recreation center, but quickly realized the class was not for her.

We talked about how she was feeling and what the consequences would be of her no longer attending. Joannie felt discontinuing the class was the right choice for her.

After seven years on the job, Alex, another individual I support, began to lose interest in his job duties.

We discussed his feelings, and Alex shared that he was looking to expand his skills and take on new tasks.

I empowered Alex to voice his feelings with his supervisor, and he now has a new sense of accomplishment and job satisfaction.

Each of these stories exemplifies the importance of trust, respect and support when it comes to the relationships we build with the people we serve.

There is not a day that goes by, whether it’s been easy or challenging, that my heart is not full.

To say my role at Mosaic is rewarding is an understatement!

Brandi MacMillan is a direct support professional with Mosaic in Denver.

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