Welcome to One Team, where we highlight standout members of Citizen Advocates’ 800-strong team, stretching from Lake Champlain to Lake Ontario.
Before joining Citizen Advocates, Jenna LaClair worked at an adult home where she discovered her passion for helping residents achieve their goals and build independence. Today, she carries that passion into her role as a fiscal intermediary coordinator in Citizen Advocates’ Self-Direction program.
This program honors individuality and fosters self-confidence by empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to create a life that works best for them. Participants manage their own services—creating a personalized budget, hiring support staff and making decisions that fit their needs—while receiving the assistance necessary for daily activities like shopping, employment and medical appointments.
Below is Jenna’s story in her own words.
How long have you been with Citizen Advocates?
In September, it will be eight years. I started as a relief direct support professional in the At-Home Waiver program, transitioned to plan writer, then became a fiscal intermediary coordinator, which I’ve been doing for two and a half years.
How would you explain Self-Direction services to someone not familiar with the program?
We provide person-centered support that helps individuals gain and maintain independence.
Services start with a broker agreement and a meeting to understand the individual’s needs and goals. We then create a budget and submit it to OPWDD [New York State’s Office for People with Developmental Disabilities] for approval. Once approved, we assist with hiring staff, managing expenses and ensuring plans align with the person’s goals.
In terms of hiring staff, Citizen Advocates is the employer of record—we handle paystubs, tax forms and benefits—but the family is the actual employer. They can select who they want to work with and change staff whenever they want.
What does a typical day look like for you?
At this point I manage a caseload of 41 people from Rensselaer Falls to Plattsburgh, so every day varies. I assist with hiring new staff, training them on the electronic software, managing budgets to make sure they’re within [state] requirements and checking staff action plans (to make sure documentation is current). There’s lots of odds and ends. I’m also currently training a new fiscal intermediary.
How do you work with outside agencies and other departments within Citizen Advocates?
We make strong connections throughout the community to support the people who come through our door, from the moment they start services. That includes connecting them with other Citizen Advocates departments to make sure we provide the best programming we can.
Can you share an example of how Self-Direction has made a difference in someone’s life?
We had a person we support in our program who was able to move out on his own with the help and support of our program through the housing subsidy option within his budget. He gained the confidence to do so with the support of his team and the extra helping hand of one of the many options our program offers.
What are some common goals individuals achieve through Self-Direction?
We help with everything from ADLs [activities of daily living] to the basics of managing money. A lot of people want to get out into the community, find recreational activities or pursue hobbies. Most want to be independent with something they’ve struggled with—laundry, dishes, learning new recipes.
We have an individual who likes staff to be in the kitchen with them while they’re doing dishes, because it makes them more at ease and motivated to get the task done. It’s all about making the person comfortable and getting them to achieve the goals they want to achieve.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in Self-Direction?
Be patient with yourself and don’t be scared of little failures. Nobody gets everything right on their first—or twelfth—attempt. Lean on your team and ask questions.
What motivates you to keep going, even during stressful times?
It’s about the people we support and the team I work with. We recently had a coworker out on leave. We all pitched in to cover additional aspects of their job while they were out. We want our program to be as successful as possible, so that the people we support are successful as well.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I’m a mom of four, so there’s not a lot of free time. [She laughs.] When I can, I enjoy crafting and caring for my plants.
If you’re interested in learning more about a career at Citizen Advocates, including a job in Self-Direction, visit citizenadvocates.net/careers.
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