#SharedSupportStories - Jessica Holman
Support broker Jessica Holman has spent her entire career dedicated to supporting people with disabilities in finding their best life. Over the years she has gained an intimate understanding of the way disability services are offered, and she found that, from her perspective, the way people were supported didn’t always make sense.
“I've worked for several people under self-directed services but never saw the true definition of a support broker,” she said. “I felt like as a provider, we overcomplicate things for the people we support.”
After attending a training with Shared Support Maryland, things started to fall into place for Jessica, and last year, she decided to shift from what she had known for most of her career to join Shared Support Maryland.
“When I came to Shared Support Maryland’s training I already had a good sense of person-centeredness,” she said. “But with Shared Support Maryland, I really got a good sense of how to support someone in that role of support broker.”
Here she believes she can offer person-centered planning the way she always knew it could be, drawing from her knowledge as a career-long advocate and sister.
“I had a younger brother that had a lot of challenges and he passed away. If he was still alive, he would be a person that receives support through Developmental Disabilities Administration,” she said. “That's the reason why I'm very passionate about the supports I provide, because I would want them to be the same supports that someone would provide for my brother.”
Jessica says it is her passion for people’s rights that has most kept her committed to the work.
“One thing I've learned is that it's not my fight,” she said. “It's my role to support the person in first learning about what their rights are and providing the appropriate level of support so that they can move forward with their desires.”
But that doesn’t mean she’s taking a back seat.
“I'm committed to my role and my purpose. I don't claim to know it all, but I'm gonna work with that person, their family, their team, and we're gonna get it done,” she said.
From her own family’s experiences and those of the people she has served, she knows the stakes are high.
“Everything is at risk — their livelihood, their motivation, their dignity, their respect, future opportunities. Words can't even describe what is at risk,” she said.
She hasn’t been part of the Shared Support team for long, but definitely has hit the ground running, “It's been a great experience,” she said. “I love how I was able to jump in. I love how I am continuing to grow. I like how I'm being challenged.”
“And I love how each person I support is different, and that’s the way it should be. Support should be individualized, focusing on the person, their employment needs, and moving forward.”
She’s moving forward herself, paving the way for more widespread person-centered plans and self-directed service,“I don’t know what will be next. Whatever it is, I want to continue working with people and making sure that they are having real experiences just like anyone else will be. And hopefully having fun while doing it.”
