Meet InControl Wisconsin board member Laura Hanson.  A friendship that began years ago has led her to a career and passion in self-determination and disability advocacy.  When she’s not exploring the great outdoors with her family, she is very involved in supporting and advocating for Self-Directed Supports (SDS) and Integrated Employment.  She has a wealth of knowledge in both of these areas. In fact, she recently started a group on the Network for people who are involved in SDS to share their experiences and ideas with others. We encourage you to contact Laura for more information about the group.  She’s a great addition to the SD Network!

· How are you involved with self-determination? Why did you join the SD Network?

I’ve been an advocate for self-determination since the beginning of my career.  My journey started while learning from a friend who had been institutionalized in a nursing home for 35 years.  When he was 55 he was finally able to move into the community residing in a group home.  (This was before the Home and Community Based Waivers were an option.)  He was a voracious self-advocate and impressed on me the values of self-determination.  I carried this experience with me throughout my career, advocating within the Long-Term Care (LTC) system to support self-determination through person-centered planning, development and implementation of personal experience outcomes in the CIP/COP Waivers and Family Care Programs, and promoting/supporting Self-Directed Supports and Integrated Employment in both Family Care and IRIS Programs.  Currently, I am working at Disability Rights Wisconsin and serve as a board ember for InControl Wisconsin; both organizations are actively engaged in supporting self-determination.

I have joined the SD Network to connect with others around critical issues that impact people’s options and ability to self-direct within Family Care and IRIS in the near future.  It is more important than ever to keep people informed and engaged so we can ensure that Family Care/IRIS 2.0 is going to give people real options for self-direction.

· Tell us some good news - what's the most exciting thing happening for you (or in Wisconsin) in terms self-determination?

I am very excited to help support a new group, SDS Forward, to get off the ground.  This is an effort supported by InControl, and involves leaders for Self-Directed Supports (SDS) within the legacy Waiver program, Family Care Managed Care Organizations, IRIS Consulting Agencies, Fiscal Employer Agents, and program participants.  The purpose of this group is to learn from one another and share our experiences about what has been successful or best practice in these programs as well as challenges.  It is our hope that together we can give voice to the Wisconsin SDS experience from a programmatic perspective and provide a level of expertise to inform development of SDS within Family Care 2.0.  

· What tip or resource would you like to share with people who want to be more self-determined?

The National Resource Center for Participant Directed Services (NRCPDS) is an excellent resource providing technical assistance, training, and publications around implementing SDS at the State level.   Many of our Wisconsin Fiscal Employer Agents participate in a national network supported by NRCPDS to learn best practices and stay on top of changes in policy and law that impact implementation from the fiscal and labor side. 

Most importantly for this network is the opportunity to connect with peers at the national level.  NRCPDS launched the national SDS network for self-advocates and families, called the National Participant Network.  This group works to strengthen SDS at the local, state, and national levels and provides input on national policy efforts related to self-direction.  I highly encourage members of the SD Network to explore this opportunity!!!

Information on NRCPDS can be found at: http://www.bc.edu/schools/gssw/nrcpds/

• What message would you like to share with the members of the SD Network?

Stay informed, involved, and positive during these challenging times of change.  While there are many concerns and uncertainty of what the future holds for our LTC system in the near future, it is important to stay engaged and pro-active. Consider what opportunities these changes may bring that could potentially enhance or expand SDS.

· What are some of your hobbies?

I love being outdoors and exploring in nature.  My favorite activities are camping, hiking, and canoeing around Wisconsin.  Fortunately, my husband and two children share this love, so this makes for great family time. I also love to travel and take road trips to explore new sites, take in museums, check out art/music, and meet new people. Curling up with a good book is great when I have time, especially science fiction or nature oriented topics.

***We love hearing the views and opinions of Network members. We need to mention that the views and opinions expressed on this site are those of the person who is sharing them. They do not necessarily reflect InControl Wisconsin or any of our supporters and funders.