Exceptional People Awards.

The Annual Exceptional People Awards recognize those who go far beyond "the norm" in their effort to make life better for others with disabilities. We think it is fitting to honor those people who have influenced positive change in the lives of people with disabilities as an "Exceptional Person." Featured here are this year's honorees. We invite our readers to submit to us their nominations for Exceptional People for recognition throughout the year. Please send them to Exceptional Parent Magazine, 555 Kinderkamack Rd., Oradell, NJ 07649-1517; Fax: [phone]; or E-mail [e-mail].

We thank everyone who participated this year, as well as the President's Committee on Mental Retardation for providing us with some nominations. We send our special gratitude to those Exceptional People featured here for serving as an inspiration to us all.

--The EP Staff

THE PROFESSIONALS OF UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS

Nominated by Joe Chalue

Let me tell you about UCP Child Development Centers. But first, a little about my family. My name is Joe Chalue, my wife is Lisa, and my youngest daughter is Cassandra (we call her Cassie). She has two older sisters, Shannon and Shauna.

Cassie was born October 10, 1995. The next day, when doctors told us that Cassie was possibly born with Down syndrome, we felt like someone had just thrown us out of an airplane without a parachute. The test came back positive for Down syndrome. This is something that happens to other people on television, or in a book-- not us. What did we do wrong? Well, the reality of it is, it can happen to anyone, and it does, every day,. From all walks of life--rich, poor, smart, successful. We cried and we prayed and went through almost every emotion, but we were always thankful for Cassie.

After being overwhelmed by our situation for about six months, a friend of ours told us about UCP. Lisa made an appointment and went to visit UCP, and when I came home that night from work she told me all about it. I was skeptical, because when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

After several weeks of therapy, Cassie showed noticeable improvement and alertness. I was interested to see for myself so I went to the UCP Seminole Child Development Center with Lisa to drop Cassie off for her therapies. The first thing I noticed was that Cassie's face lit up when Lisa passed her to the therapist. I saw that that Cassie was happy and loved at this place.

Looking around I clearly saw that the center was very clean and organized, the children all seemed to be loved, and the teachers and therapists were all busy attending to the children. What I witnessed was very skillful, caring people working with these kids. The staff who work at these centers don't work there because of the money; they are there because they have a genuine interest in helping others. I have seen children start there with hardly any movement. After several months, they are rolling all around and smiling.

Cassie started the Early Intervention program at age 1 and attended until she was 3. She will soon be 4 years old, and there is no doubt in my mind that all of the progress she has made is directly related to the early intervention program and the therapies she still receives at UCP. It also eases my mind that Cassie can continue to receive these therapies until she is 21. I have talked with other parents of children with disabilities and they agree that UCP changed the quality of their children's lives. UCP should not be kept a secret; every child deserves the chance to be all that they can be.

UCP has centers located throughout the United States. I want to thank UCP Child Development Centers and give a special thanks to all the individuals and businesses that make UCP possible.

UCP Child Development Centers currently serve over 800 special needs children of all ages, as well as their families, at its five centers located throughout Central Florida.

EDITOR'S NOTE: To locate the UCP program in your area, you can contact UCP at: United Cerebral Palsy Associations, 1660 L St. NW, Ste. 700, Washington, DC 29936-5602; Phone: [phone] (TDD); [phone] (fax); E-mail: [e-mail]; Web site: http://www.ucpa.org.

MARY HELFRICH

Nominated by Dennis Kramme, Director of Residential Services, Franklin County Board for the Handicapped, Union, MO

We have some very dedicated and wonderful staff here at FCBH, but Mary stands out. She has often been described, not only by consumers, but by parents and fellow staff members, as an angel. Mary is probably one of the most giving individuals I have ever met.

Mary has worked in the disability field for 14 years. Currently, she is apartment manager of four supported-living apartments. She not only supervises the apartments, she is right there with her staff, caring for and advocating for her clients. I constantly get requests from our clients for Mary to work with them.

She exemplifies our philosophy of providing necessary supports while respecting the dignity and rights of the person. As a supervisor she insists on them. With the labor market continuing to tighten in our country, it has become more difficult to find the right people to work with our consumers. Mary has been insistent on working the apartments herself before hiring someone that she doesn't first feel would provide quality supports. Mary has been excellent in working with families to encourage their participation in the lives of the people we serve.

Mary works with people with a wide range of abilities and social skills. Several of the people she supports have some very challenging behaviors, yet she doesn't hesitate at all to include them in her church, family, or community activities. At the same time, she is respectful of the individuals' wants and needs.

In the years that I have known and worked with her, I can say that I have never heard one unkind word spoken about Mary Helfrich, nor one unkind word spoken by her. She's usually the first one to offer to work the holidays or carry the beeper at times when no one else wants to. Mary is an example of what every director can only dream of in a staff person.

It's very evident that she loves what she does, and finds value and meaning in it. Oftentimes, people are on a career track and are constantly striving to climb to the top. I truly see Mary as being on the top. She may not have the prestige of a title or a high-paying salary, but neither money nor prestige could ever pay for what she does for the people she serves.

ELBERT (AL) PORTER

Nominated by: Jeri Kroll, Coordinator of START Respite Program, Greater Lynn Mental Health and Retardation Association, Lynn, MA

Al Porter has worked as a direct-support professional for the START Respite Program since the program began in 1989. Since then, we have facilitated 1,575 emergency respite admissions, 2,149 planned respite admissions, and 681 dinner visits. Over 1,000 individuals with developmental disabilities have received service from START.

Al Porter has provided the type of direct support that respects the dignity, culture, and rights of individuals. Often, when individuals come into the respite program, they are not known to us. In addition, they are often in crisis and experiencing personal stress. Al has taught all of us that treating people with simple respect is the first step in engaging them in receiving services so that we can assist them in stabilization and subsequent skill-building. He welcomes each guest not only with respect but with curiosity about who they are and what they want for themselves.

In addition, Al is a wonderful cook and delights in assisting individuals to prepare foods that are specific to their cultures and tastes. Many of the individuals who come for planned respite have stated that they come just for Al's cooking.

Al has been integral in facilitating inclusion in all aspects of community life, including work, leisure time, religious, and political opportunities. Each guest at respite is encouraged to fully participate and is offered many opportunities and choices.

Al looks forward to exploring with each individual how he or she can make daily decisions which are meaningful for them, from how to spend leisure time to pursuing relationships. He has provided leadership to the entire team at respite and truly acted as a role model for individuals and other staff members.

Al's major accomplishment is to have remained as a caring direct-support professional who sincerely believes in providing quality services for over 10 years. He has done this without burnout and without promotion into an administrative position despite being encouraged to do so. His heart and soul remain in providing direct support.

CHRIS EATON, BETH EARLY, RAYMOND CANDA, AND MISSY NEWCOMER

Nominated by Kim Herrell

Our son's name is Mikey. He is 3 years old and has cerebral palsy, seizures, auditory processing problems, and speech problems. He has four therapists on his team and he sees each one of them weekly. We have been working with these therapists for over 2 years. We drive 30 miles one way to see two of them, but it is worth it.

Chris Eaton is Mikey's developmental therapist, and they work together on many different things. The best thing is the crafts she and Mikey make for us. Mikey has a speech therapist, Beth Early, and they work together for one hour weekly. He has a vocabulary of 10 words and is also learning sign language with Chris. Beth just ordered a communication device for him.

His physical therapist, Raymond Canda, taught Mikey to walk and climb. We give Raymond a hard time because now we cannot keep up with our son! He has an occupational therapist, Missy Newcomer, whom he absolutely adores. She has been working with him on his behavior problems. Missy helped us order a helmet so Mikey does not hit his head when he falls.

Mikey's team has been working with us for two years. When they started, he could not crawl or turn over. He was not even babbling like most babies. As a result of everybody's hard work, Mikey has come a long way and is able to do many things. We have all celebrated every little step that has been made. The therapists have helped my husband and I as much as they have Mikey. They have been there for us whenever we needed them.

Every special needs child should have a therapy team like Mikey's. There just is not any way to totally repay everything they have done for us. These people seem like angels from heaven. They will be in our thoughts and prayers forever.

RONEE GROFF

Nominated by Kitty Miller

At age 17, my son was diagnosed with ADD. I knew nothing about it, I did not understand it, and I did not know where to turn. I happened to see a copy of Exceptional Parent's 1999 Annual Resource Guide. I was then able to contact the Learning Disability Association, and they put me in contact with a woman who changed my life as well as my child's life forever.

Ronnee Groff is the President of the Learning Disability Association of New Jersey. She has dedicated her life and the past 15 years helping families fight for their rights as well as deal with this lifelong disability.

She gave me, and my family, hope and the will to persevere. But most of all, she gave us the understanding that we are not alone and that there are resources that can help families. She taught us to be strong and to fight. Together, my husband and I along with our three children fought and fought and finally won with our school system.

My son is now 18. He looks at life and smiles, he does well in school, and understands what his learning disability is all about. Soon he will be going to college.

Ronee is part of my heart and my family; she is a true professional who has changed so many people's lives. I will always admire her dedication to the families, children, and professionals that she touches each and every day.

She deserves the title of "Exceptional Professional" more than any human being I know. Thank you, Ronee Groff.

ANGEL MADERA 

Nominated by Joanne Malagrino, Coordinator of Rhode Island Programs

Angel Madera has been a valued member of the Spurwink Realty Development Corporation Community Support Services team since 1990, supporting individuals in group home and community settings. He currently provides support at Willow Street Supportive Housing in Providence, a residential setting for up to 20 individuals with disabilities.

Thanks to Angel's commitment to providing support far beyond traditional Section 8 housing, along with his dedication to community betterment, Willow Street has become much more than housing.

One of Angel's talents is his ability to guide and bridge gaps between the community and the individuals he supports. The residents of Willow Street are considered valued community members. Some of the tenants serve on committees formed by the Neighborhood Association's revitalization projects and other partnerships within the community. The Willow Street grounds and home have become the standard for other community members. Not only does Angel ensure that the community comes through the doors at Willow Street, he hosts a monthly dinner to celebrate the tenant accomplishments and invites speakers in to educate the tenants on such topics as safety, transportation, social security, and fire prevention. In addition, local civic groups meet at the Willow Street Common Room.

Peers, other providers, and community members often seek out Angel's advice because of his gentle manner and skills. He inspires the respect of others through his openness and integrity. He quickly assumes a strong leadership role when action is needed and excels at motivating others to perform better. He works toward supporting other provider agencies and Division of Developmental Disabilities social caseworkers whenever the need arises. Natural supports, community jobs, social contacts and transportation are services he not only advocates for but will also assist in attaining.

There are countless occasions in which he individually touches the lives of those he supports. Often this is done on his own time. He might support a mom with disabilities at a school meeting about her son, or take someone to the local YMCA or art class to check it out. He always has a listening ear and a positive word.

JOFFRE (JAY) HENDERICK

Nominated by Ron Fick, Executive Director, The Arc, Alameda County, California 

Jay is a quiet, caring man who provides a stable and tranquil peace simply by his presence. Jay, an active advocare throughout the East Bay area, provides not only the services of a community-based job coach, but when requested by his clients, he intercedes with landlords and employers and also navigates the bureaucracy of the Social Security, Medi-Cal, and Medicare systems. Each day, Jay demonstrates tact and understanding, giving the people who have chosen to work with him the self assurance and feelings of success they need to become confident and successful members of their chosen community.

Jay Henderick leads by example when he provides training for the job coaches in their responsibilities of providing direct support for the people we serve. Jay ensures that all people are fully included in their chosen community. He offers choices and explains the natural consequences that may occur based on those choices.

Jay resolves problems, communicates with other professionals, employers, staff and clients, resolves difficult client placement issues, and can always be counted on to be there for the people he serves. Far more than a support person, Jay is truly a friend. He recognizes that supporting individuals to achieve full inclusion in community life does not end at 5 o'clock on Friday night, but continues through all aspects of community living. It is not unusual to run in to Jay on the weekend, shopping with a friend who happens to have a disability or on a social outing with individuals with severe challenges whose behavior and communication deficits limit their opportunity for social activities.

Jay is a valued resource and recognizes that the strength of an organization depends heavily upon effective development and use of all members of the team. He not only models the way assisting new members in practical training out in the field, but also often assists with service training on a wide variety of skills and disability-related topics. Jay has assisted other organizations in our region in training their job coaches and is very conscientious about keeping abreast of changes in the field.

LATHAN SIMMONS, JR.

--Recipient of the John F. Kennedy Jr., Award for Excellence in Direct Support

Nominated by Susie Eguez, Executive Director, Support Works, Inc., Raleigh, NC

In his capacity of Professional Life Coach for Support Works, Inc., Lathan "Lakeside" Simmons works to support three men in designing their own lifestyles, empowering them to live their lives with dignity as citizens with full rights. He always goes the extra mile in teaching them to look their best at all times, to take responsibility for keeping their home clean, and to improve their social skills. He constantly encourages them to reach higher. He teaches them to make their own decisions after carefully discussing the options and consequences of those decisions, to make sure they understand the choices they are about to make.

Lathan Simmons goes out of his way to teach people in the community how to interact with the gentlemen he supports. He is a role model for his peers in the support field, initiating opportunities to improve consistency and quality of services.

Though he is a single parent and has another full-time job during the day, Lathan takes advantage of training opportunities to increase his knowledge and skills. Furthermore, to him, everyday life is a classroom, and the people he works with are his teachers.

One of these individuals was having great difficulties for almost nine years prior to working with Lathan, exhibiting aggressive and destructive behaviors so extreme as to inhibit his participation in almost every activity. Under treatment of a psychiatrist and with Lathan's diligent, consistent, and unconditional positive support, this young man has made phenomenal progress and is now gainfully employed and an active participant in sports events and a choir. He calls Lathan "My favorite person in the whole wide world."

Those close to Lathan refer to him as "the epitome of sacrifice, determination, and diligence." "He is a man of hugs, a man of songs, a man of truths," a colleague attests. "I have proudly seen him grow through situations that would have stopped most people in their tracks. To him no goal is unattainable, no task is too hard, and no hurdle too high. That is the expectation he sets for every one around him. Lathan is a team player, inspiration, and motivator to all."

His son, Lathan Simmons III, agrees: "He has worked with people with developmental disabilities for over five years. During that time, I have seen him as a role model to them. He treats them like the adults that they are. My dad has a special way of communicating that puts people at ease and helps them do what they need ... My dad has been a leader all his life, and now I am learning to be a leader from him."

CHAROL ARMAND

Nominated by Nancy Robertson, Louisiana State, University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA

Ms. Armand began her career as a direct-support professional four years ago as a housing specialist with the Louisiana "A Home of My Own" project, located at the Human Development Center. The project helps people with disabilities find and purchase their own homes. Ms. Armand enthusiastically embraced the concepts of person-centered care, inclusion, and self-determination. She easily integrates these concepts into her day-to-day interactions with the individuals and families she supports. In conversations with individuals and their family members, I have heard the following comments: "Charol was great; she really took the time to make sure I always understood everything," "I could not have been successful without Charol's help," and "She was always there when I needed to talk to someone." I have observed Ms. Armand continually treat the individuals she supports with dignity and respect, even in the most stressful and difficult situations.

Ms. Armand has demonstrated a commitment to the people she serves that goes beyond the scope of her work. While her position requires that she assist people with disabilities in realizing their dream of home ownership, she also takes a personal interest in their lives. She has solicited donations of furniture; picked up and delivered donated furniture; delivered donated decorated Christmas trees; spent weekends painting the inside of individuals' new homes; spent countless hours on the phone reassuring anxious potential home owners; and served as a tireless advocate with numerous bureaucracies such as Social Security, Rehabilitation Services, and Housing and Urban Development.

As indicated in current evaluation data, every individual Ms. Armand has assisted is satisfied with being a home owner and with the house they purchased. As a result of her support, each individual has experienced increased self-esteem and self-determination, and a desire to achieve additional goals.

Ms. Armand continually demonstrates a commitment to improving the lives of people with disabilities that goes beyond her job. She has a natural ability to respond compassionately to the needs of the individuals she supports. She also challenges them to achieve beyond their own and their family's expectations.

NANCY SWEIVEN

Nominated by Myko Mitchell, Senior Program Manager, Washington Coalition of Citizens with disabilities (WCCD)

Nancy joined the WCCD in 1994 as a bus travel-training specialist. As the lead travel instructor, Nancy provides community-based, one-on-one training to people with cognitive barriers who want to learn how to ride the bus safely and independently.

She has an unwavering dedication to both the consumers she serves and to the mission of the travel training department, which is "to open one's doorway to the community." This includes a commitment to helping people increase their sense of personal control and having the ability to see beyond presumed limitations, such as no reading or number recognition skills, being unable to tell time, having limited to no communication skills, etc.

Nancy has been able to help intellectually challenged consumers learn to work around these barriers in order to travel on their own in the community. Moreover, she possesses strong communication and motivational skills, patience, and the ability to listen--really listen.

It is easy to fall into the trap of not listening, especially when one has provided direct services for a long time. Many people talk at their consumers and plan their activities or training programs for them. Nancy always listens to the consumer. Even when working with trainees with no verbal communication skills, Nancy is able to quickly tune into their means of expression.

She works hard to always support an individual's choices and works with them until they exude a sense of confidence when riding the bus on their own.

In December 1997, Nancy made suggestions to King County Metro (Seattle's transit authority) on WCCD's behalf to create an assistive card for developmentally disabled bus riders. The card helps drivers assist consumers who are lost, sick, confused, etc. Nancy's suggestions were invaluable and greatly affected the assistive aid's design. The card is free and available to any county resident with a disability.

In 1997, because of her love for the job and the personal joy it brings her when a travel trainee buses on their own for the first time following their training, Nancy made the decision to step down as program manager and took a reduction in pay in order to be a full-time travel trainer. The program's survival and continued growth may be attributed to her many years of hard work.