Our DSP for this week is Linda. She works at our Thompson home and has been with us since 2022. Linda has worked in the field of caring for others since 1994 and is an incredible asset to the team.
Cynthia Hinojosa, Program Manager, says, “Linda is totally my other half and definitely complements a LOT of what I miss as a person. She is a mom, so she helps me with parent type worries that I don’t even think about because they’re not being expressed. She’s on top of things that I haven’t even had time to think of, or ever thought of, that make the house function better. She and the rest of my team are rock stars because they work together and lift each other up. And I really believe it’s because Linda spends a lot of time saying, ‘It’s okay. This happens to all of us at least once or twice,’ or ‘we learn by making mistakes.’ It makes me so proud to be working with this kind of teammates.”
Linda, your level of professionalism and caring is incredible, and we are grateful you have joined the Living Well team. We appreciate your hard work and dedication.
ABOUT LINDA
Number of years/months with Living Well: 3 years
Hobbies/Interests: I have a lot of hobbies. I am an artist and I love making large murals. I do some sewing and building sets too. I have a lot of Lego sets. I sing with my youngest daughter, usually in the car. She is better than I am. I also read several hours a day.
Education: Anoka Technical College, AS in Community Social Supports. I have an Autism certificate from the State of Minnesota and a PCA certificate from the State as well as well.
Job Experience/History: My first job in the industry of supporting people who have disabilities was in 1994. I was in college at the time. I knew that I would stay in this profession, so I took advantage of every training and experience I could.
Favorite part of the job: Generally speaking, I enjoy the time I am supporting our folks in direct care. I love teaching new skills and advocating for people who need support to live in their community. I have a strong interest in Disability Culture and diversity.
Favorite or craziest work story: After 30 years I have a lot of stories. There is probably not anything I can share now but I have seen some surprising things over the years.
What is your motivation for coming to work: I love my coworkers as they are all amazing. I love to help them make their shifts as smooth as possible. I get very motivated by writing new ISP’s and designing ways to teach skills to persons served. I get very excited when progress is being made. I love to see others succeed. I am interested in the families and the history of each of our folks.
What made you apply: I was looking for a change of pace. I worked in DT&H for a very long time. I will admit that community inclusion and life enrichment did not appear to be the goals of the Day Program I worked for. Too often it was about increasing the number of full-time participants without adding staff, services or even having individualized goals. It felt like we were just warehousing our folks and mostly providing for their physical needs. During the COVID shutdown it felt right to find other ways to serve our community.
What makes you stay: I love Living Well. I love the support that we give to each other. The people I have been able to support have made this career fulfilling again.
What would you tell people interested in joining the team: Come as you are, and be willing to learn new things. Look forward to new experiences.
When not at work what do you like to do for fun: Family time and creating new things. I need to create at least one new thing per day.
Do you volunteer in your community or school: Yes, I am on the board of a nonprofit organization called Cares Connected. This organization is the start-up of a dear friend. Although I don’t go to every event, I am thankful that my friend valued me and my experiences enough to invite me into CC. An important thing to note is that all the original founders have disabilities. We support and value one another.
Want to nominate a DSP? Please email jessica.maurer@livingwell.org to nominate a Living Well DSP. Special thanks to Miles and Cheri Cohen for their support of DSP of Week. Want to join them in underwriting our DSP Shoutout Program? Please contact Jamee Yung for sponsorship opportunities.