Jonni, an APSI client in our Southwest region, knows a thing or two about change. APSI Protective Service Representative Cammie Seymour, who has spent several years working with Jonni, can attest to that. "Jonni has come a long way since I met her," Cammie says.
Jonni used to live in Northwest Ohio but, due to behavioral struggles, was removed from her Intermediate Care Facility following an incident. This was her turning point. Jonni went from much structure to no structure at all. She had to move homes and cities and get new staff. It was a significant time of transition for her, maybe for the better.
After Jonni's move, she had staff 24/7. It upset her that she needed staff at all, let alone all the time. Jonni is highly independent, and this change to 24/7 staff conflicted with how she views herself. Luckily, Jonni has no problem speaking up for herself. She made it known she wants a small staff that visits infrequently.
It took time, but Cammie and Jonni have slowly worked together to decrease her in-person staff time. The team was able to get Jonni virtual supports, which she really enjoys and utilizes frequently. It's made a massive difference in how independent she feels day to day. Jonni recognized that working towards improving her behavior would give her that independence. Now when she feels frustrated, she makes art to decorate her home. She also regularly sees a therapist, which she says is very important.
Through her time working with the system and self-advocating, Jonni developed a strong sense of justice, which she uses to advocate for those she knows. It's important to her that others in the DD community are spoken for and receive quality support.
"I think Jonni's doing extremely well," Cammie says. "She's living in the community and not getting herself into trouble anymore." Jonni understands now that every team and staff member she worked with was only trying to help her. It took her a long time to figure out, but they gave her what she needed then, and now she's doing better than ever.
