Championing Dignity: A Support Broker's Journey

"Self-direction is really just giving someone the power to stay within the community, not go into a facility, and having power over living the way they want and receiving that care that they need. Then when you go into homes (as a support broker), you know, they're trusting you. And it's almost like you get an insight into their lives, you get to see what's working for them, what's not." Second episode of Choose YOU First – A self-direction podcast by PPL Join host Kelli Barnett-Carey and guest Claude Schmincke as they talk about his journey helping others in Self-Direction.  Claude Schmincke has been working in the self-direction space for about 30 years, first as the sibling of an individual in need of home support care, second as an employee taking care of their sibling as their paid job, third as a consultant at a small Fiscal Intermediary supporting his family and others in NJ, until his current role at Public Partnerships where he works tirelessly to truly make self-direction easier for all. Throughout his life spent enmeshed in self-direction, he has gone to school at Boston University SFA, spent 10+ years in the Financial Business, lived and studied abroad at Aarhus Business Academy in Denmark, and returned to the United States to be happily married and look after two wonderful cats.  Kelli has been with PPL in all manner of roles for over 8 years. She loves to talk about self-direction and is passionate about making information on self-direction more accessible.