Who am I
I am a 23 year old college student that loves his family and friends but really has a passion for the developmentally disable population.
After completing three internships at New York College of Technology I truly believe I found my passion working with the developmental disabled population. Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions that are due to mental or physical impairments. Since this population tends to go unnoticed in my opinion, I personally want to aid in improving the lives of people in this demographic. As I self-reflect, I realize how quickly I use to judge a homeless people and their state without trying to understand their condition. This is a similar perception for the DD population. Most people do not realized that individuals with developmental disabilities lack the intellectual understanding to know that what they’re doing is not accepted by society. So as a Human Service professional I know it’s my duty to give them a voice and also a listening ear.
Working for AHRCNYC, I’ve experienced the DD population and some of their down –falls first hand. I began to think of ways I can help them to improve. A thought that came to mind was to create a men’s group where they can come and express themselves with other men, and complete workshops. I developed this idea after interning with my agency and viewing the growth the clients made in different groups settings. I also realized that certain individuals performed better working one on one with staff, so I would incorporate person center planning workshops. As an intern I learn patience and the importance of understanding the need of each client. According to the CDC one in six children in the U.S. have one or more developmental disabilities or other developmental delays that shows this population in not decreasing but increasing and needs more support an advocates for individuals.
The reason why I started working for AHRC was after reading this on the website “With the exception of a small number of specialized services, all programs, services and supports offered by AHRC are available to individuals with developmental disabilities.
Person-centered-planning philosophy and innovation permeate AHRC from the more traditional offerings to the more individualized and experimental service plans. For individuals served by the organization, person-centered-planning, whereby all members of our community are committed to helping each individual served live the most worthwhile life possible in the community, is the foundation of service delivery. This is true in the more traditional programs, as well as more individualized innovation plans.” This statement prove to me that there were agencies committed to improving the lives of the DD population and I had to join the fight.
As I close, when I first started my college career business was my only interest so naturally my major was business administration. After transferring to City Tech, I chose Human Service as my major, but it was only to avoid taking math course. After almost five year in the college career I’m glad I stumbled into the field of human service. I’m especially glad I chose to work with the DD population because it humbled me and I have learned that everyone need a little support.
