Housing Myth Busting Community Spotlight: Jamie C.
Families CCAN is proud to be a recipient of the PA Developmental Disabilities Council’s Housing Myth Busting grant. The goal of our project is to break down some of the prevalent myths, or falsehoods, about housing for adults with disabilities.
Along with our partners from Self Advocates United as One (SAU1), we are sharing information about Independent Living for Adults with disabilities.
As part of our project, we are sharing a series of Community Spotlight Interviews. These interviews highlight the stories of individuals with disabilities who are living in the community.
Our next Housing Myth Busting Community Spotlight Interviewee is Jamie C. Jamie lives in a Community Living Arrangement in Bucks County. Jamie balances her time between work and her favorite leisure activities--art, basketball, cooking, and shopping.
Jamie was interviewed by Gretchen, Housing Myth Busting team member and SAU1 power coach. Jamie’s mom, Kathy, assisted with the interview when Jamie requested her help. For clarity, Kathy’s quotes are in italics. This interview has been lightly edited for length, but the words are all their own.
Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Jamie. We know you live on your own. The information you will provide is so valuable to people with disabilities. . . . Can you tell us a little bit about where you live? Is it a city, a small town, suburban, or a rural area?
“A small town.”
Is it an apartment, a townhouse or a house?
“A house.”
How long have you lived there?
“5 years.”
Did you get to choose where you live?
“Yes.”
How did you make this choice?
“With [help from] Mom, Dad, and [the CLA administrator at the time].
What kinds of choices do you have about your day to day life? For example, do you plan meals?
“I help the staff.”
[Do you get to] plan your weekend activities?
“I paint my nails, I color, I go out shopping.”
[Did you get to] decorate your own room?
“We planned it together. It’s painted blue.”
What is one thing you know now that you wish you'd known before you moved out of your family home?
“I’m home right now. I can come home whenever I want.”
Who helped you plan your move?
“Mom, Dad, and [the CLA administrator].”
What are some steps you took before you moved from your family home?
Kathy: “You had to go to the doctor, right, and get a physical, right?”
Jamie: “Yes.”
Kathy: “And we had to fill out a lot of paperwork. Right?”
Jamie: “Yes.”
Was there some stuff from you from this house you took with you?
Kathy: “Did you take some of your pictures from here?”
Jamie: “Yes. I left the rest here.”
Kathy: “When she left here, we went and bought her new things, new curtains. Whatever she wanted for her room”.
Do you feel you are receiving enough support? What are those so supports?
“Yes. They clip my nails. They take me to work in the van.”
What skill do you think has been most important for living in the CLA?
“Being kind and be polite with [my housemates].”
Good skills, Jamie. Thank you for sharing. Oh, here's a favorite question to ask. What is one thing that is wonderful about living [in your CLA]?
“Everything.”
Do you have housemates?
“Yes, two.”
Did you get to choose who they are?
“No.”
Jamie, do you feel included in your neighborhood?
“Yes.”
Good answer. Thank you. Do you have social spaces in your community that you use or go to frequently? Such as a gym, restaurant, coffee shop, or community center?
“The park. . . I can play basketball.”
Any spaces you would like to have?
“Ross.”
Where are some places that you like to go?
Jamie: “Homegoods with Mom and Walmart. I go to the mall with Mom on Saturdays. Bowling.”
Kathy: “[The CLA staff] will take her anywhere, but because she’s with us on the weekends, it works out that we take her a lot of places.”
Jamie, what do you like to do for fun? I heard bowling. Do you like bowling?
“Yes. I like baseball, soccer, basketball.”
So you are athletic! And Jamie, do you like to dance?
“Yes.”
And do you like Bingo?
“Yes.”
What advice do you have for other people with disabilities who are thinking about moving out on their own?
Jamie: “I’m happy. I like living in [my CLA because] there’s always somebody to talk to.”
Kathy: “In terms of the process of moving in, first they pick the house-- and Jamie moved in during COVID, so it was a little different, but normally, first you go for dinner, and then they go for a sleepover, a couple dinners, a couple sleepovers. But Jamie just got to do a couple of dinners, and then it was like, time to move in. We told her that she didn’t have to move during COVID, but she said, “I’m an adult. I have to move into my own place now.””
And you like to do crafts, right?
“Yes, with the staff.”
Kathy: “They do crafts--all kinds of things--board games, they even play bingo.”
Jamie: “I like Bingo.”
Kathy: “And she watches her IPad and exercises by herself. They used to exercise together, but not everyone liked it.”
That sounds really nice.
Kathy: “We are blessed with the home she is in. We are blessed. I come and go as I want. I walk in there any time of day. I just go in and say, “I’m here!” And so far, everything’s always been on the up and up. . . . She comes home almost every weekend. We pick her up Friday night and then she goes home Sunday. And every other Sunday she goes to church. [Her church] has a special program, so she goes with her housemate, and she likes that. You like going to church with [your housemate], right?
Jamie: “Yes”.
I heard that you cook. What’s your favorite thing to cook?
Jamie: “Chicken”
Kathy: “Jamie likes to cook [at her house], and she also helps to cook at [our house]. She made a cake on Saturday. She has good cooking skills.”
You did such a good job answering the questions. I feel like we really got to know you. I think I might like to come over for dinner
“Thank you.”
This project is funded by the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council. To learn more about the project and how you can get involved, please visit our Housing Myth Busting page.
