Building Economic Futures for Americans with Disabilities
Real Economic Impact Tour
WID Featured Successes
It Takes a Team - Morganne Gent
[right to left- Ada Gent,
Morganne Gent,and friend Emily]
When Morganne Gent was born sixteen years ago with cognitive disabilities, autism, and a seizure disorder, her parents- Steve and Joani- knew that their lives were forever changed. Thrown into the world of disability services, the Gents quickly learned that the system designed to help them would be the same system they would be forced to change. They eagerly sought information and programs that would expand the possibilities and opportunities for Morganne. When they heard of the Smart Start program, the Gents instinctively knew that this was a chance for Morganne to explore her full potential.
Traditional programs designed to help students with disabilities like Morganne have long been centered on measurement and evaluation of abilities. If a life beyond school has been considered, it is typical to funnel people with significant disabilities into predetermined roles and employment situations that rarely include personal interests or desires. Current programs offer little flexibility or control over how and what services are provided. The Smart Start program seeks to change that system by opening up the concept of employment, economic self-sufficiency, and the control of how Medicaid dollars are spent. The program offers a way to save Medicaid dollars by increasing efficiency, while simultaneously allowing for more freedom and personalized tailoring of services that an individual wants and needs to be successful in all aspects of life (for more information about Smart Start, see the 2006 March EQUITY Program of the Month article).
Employing a team-centered approach, Morganne, the Gents, Morganne’s personal agent- Laurie Ertz, and Sarah Renner from Smart Start, Morganne has the opportunity to create her own destiny. While still in the formulative stages, the Gents see a great deal of hope in the program. Beginning with Morganne’s Individual Education Program (IEP), Laurie assists the Gents in constructing a budget that includes using Medicaid service dollars to cultivate opportunities and experiences that Morganne would not be exposed to in the classroom setting. Rather than judge her success or failure at certain activities, Smart Start seeks to give Morganne the tools to help her succeed with the choices she makes.
The central tool is financial management. The standard model of service provision is generally channeled through the school system and social service agencies, with the parents and children with disabilities never seeing the costs of services or controlling which services or providers are hired. In this case, the Gents chose Laurie (their long-time friend and a veteran of the disability system) to help navigate the maze of programs that they were currently eligible for and make decisions about Morganne’s vocational goals, how to maximize community integration, and utilize the funds to capitalize Morganne’s chance to contribute to society. The financial management is aided by a crucial support partner- Jean Trainor from Veridian Credit Union. Jean and Veridian staff offer financial literacy classes for high school students and hope to offer fully inclusive classes for Smart Start participants. Veridian will also function as the financial manager and serve as fiscal intermediary, offering online account management, assistance in payroll and withholding taxes, and eventually administering the Individual Development Accounts for the students.
Together- Morganne, Steve, Joani, and Laurie- supported by all the folks at the Smart Start program and Jean from Veridian Credit Union; the Gents feel that they have finally found a program that believes in Morganne and support her desire to find her place in this world. Isn’t that what we all want?