I’m Tanya and I have been with Community Living for 21 years!
I am currently the Respite Now Coordinator at Community Living Trent Highlands (CLTH). I manage the app and assist families to get the supports they so desperately need. My experience in the developmental sector field over the past 20 years gives me a very good understanding of the community and what it has to offer, the challenges that families and people with developmental disabilities face, the resources that are available to them and the gaps in service.
I started working in a nursing home as a program director fresh out of college. I applied for a part-time position at Community Living to supplement my income. As a part time employee in Lindsay, I got the chance to work in all the areas. I really enjoyed the variety and the flexibility. I quickly moved into a full-time position as the Overnight Awake Assistant Support in one of our Community Homes.
Working in a home was pretty far outside of my personal comfort zone. Community Living took the time to train me in each home with each person to ensure I was equipped with the necessary skills. Work paid for me to be certified in CPR, First Aid, Non Violent Crisis Prevention and Pharmacology to give me the confidence I needed to succeed. Working at Community Living Trent Highlands was a great job with a lot of perks (training, benefits, paid vacation and lots of opportunities to advance) so I quit my job at the nursing home to focus my career here.
In addition to my employment at CL, I also worked in all the local gyms as a personal trainer, life coach and fitness instructor. Community Living realized my passion for fitness and hired me to teach fitness classes in the then Day Supports program three days per week.
I have always enjoyed working with youth and supporting people to realize and meet their full potential. CL had many opportunities for me to do that. To get there, I needed experience as a Primary Support which I got in obtaining job share positions in Independent Living. The job shares quickly turned into a full time position in Independent Living.
My sights were still set on youth. I thought if I could start supporting people younger to recognize their goals, independence would be easier to obtain. The Foundations program was where I got to really sink my teeth into individualized supports and community resources. Working in the Foundations program taught me so much about myself and gave me so many opportunities to explore and grow as a person. The program was only limited by my own imagination. I was able to support people to meet their long-time goals of Disneyland, outdoor adventures, Treetop Trekking, camping, dances, driving, dating and so many other dreams. As their support person I got to experience all these things with them. CLTH gave me the opportunity to explore my own dreams and this only benefited the programming more.
Somewhere along the way I was involved with a teen program at Community Living called Teens on the Go. It was a program for youth to get together and enjoy activities in the community and meet new people. I saw a gap in service as this program was geared to teens and there was nothing for adults. That is how Adults on the Go started. I was given the opportunity at to develop the program, train the staff and get the program running in our community. Adults on the Go ran in Lindsay for many years providing community activities to adults with developmental disabilities.
Because I really enjoy change and a challenge when a position with Building Bridges came up for grabs, I took it. I was able to take all that I learned in the group homes, day supports, independent living, and foundations and apply it to high school aged youth. I gained experience in IPRCs, transition plans, employment supports, advocacy, student rights, the education system, the justice system, sexual health, addictions and mental health along with so much more. Building Bridges again gave me the opportunity to evolve a program to meet the needs of our community and youth. Building Bridges created the link to learning early to develop future independent success.
Community Living maintains a training budget that allows their staff to continue to learn. At every turn in my career at CLTH there has been more to learn. I was supported to obtain the knowledge and training needed to effectively support each person. Just some of the training CL supported me to obtain in the last 10 years (limited to my own memory) were on FASD , mental health and suicide, communication and leadership, advocacy, youth engagement, youth at risk, employment supports, sexual health, healthy relationships, youth and the legal system, behaviour management and dual diagnoses.
Community Living Trent Highlands believes in the community and understands that we all work together to create opportunities and value to its members. CLTH gave me the opportunity to collaborate with many different agencies and services to fill gaps in services and to provide the best possible supports needed. I was able to participate in many committees that were involved in community change and awareness. Community Living has given me the opportunity to be part of our community situational table that provides immediate resources to people at risk.
In my current position as Respite Now Coordinator, I fill yet another gap in service, and help families connect to community resources, funding and respite services. I am able to provide opportunities to workers that have a clear passion for helping others. I have the tools to find answers for the families who are desperate for some help caring for their loved ones. I also get to work with all the local agencies to support respite needs. There were many aspects that I loved in my previous work that I have been able to continue, which furthers my connections in the community to provide effective supports. Respite has always been an area of need for families as well as individuals and as a support staff was always a struggle to find resources. I hope to fill that gap for families and the community in this position.
Community Living Trent Highlands is a great place to work and is very rewarding. When I was in college thinking about my future I never thought about working with people with disabilities. I am glad that I took the risk and applied for the ad in the paper. My years working for Community Living have been a great experience filled with so much opportunity and joy. I can honestly say that I love my job and have loved the journey Community Living has taken me on. I would recommend Community Living Trent Highlands to anyone that has a passion for learning, trying new things, caring for others and the community.