Our Staff
Pam Heavens
Executive Director
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Welcome
to the Will-Grundy Center for Independent Living! My name is Pam
Heavens and I am honored to serve as executive director of the
Center. I am a native of Coal City and have lived in
Joliet since 1983. I am a graduate of Joliet Junior College and
the University of Illinois. I have been involved with the Center
since 1985, when the first Board of Directors was developed. It
is a pleasure to see how our Center has grown since that time and
the positive changes we are making in the community for people
with disabilities. My major responsibilities include making sure
that our Center has enough money to operate, ensuring that the
daily activities of the Center are carried out, participating in
advocacy efforts, and raising funds. |
Kelly McKenzie
Personal Assistant Advocate |
Kelly
McKenzie is the Personal Assistant Advocate. Her responsibilities
are to ensure that home services are provided to consumers in the
Home Services Program. She conducts a monthly orientation for personal
assistants who wish to provide home services to consumers in need
of personal care, homemaking and transportation. She also provides
the four core services; housing advocacy; voter's registration;
and assistance with circuit breakers. Kelly is member of the Continuum
of Care housing committee and the local coordinator for Disability
Mentoring Day. Kelly is married and the mother of three children
and the grandmother of five grandchildren. She loves reading books,
watching a good movie on Lifetime, and spending time with her grandchildren!
Kelly is employed part-time by another social service agency that
also helps people with disabilities. Therefore, Kelly loves to
help people and enjoys helping others be all that they can be! |
Mary Tisdale
Independent Living Advocate |
My name
is Mary Tisdale, Independent Living Advocate at the Will-Grundy
Center for Independent Living. I was hired February 28,
2005. My two greatest loves (other than my son and grandson)
are reading books and listening to music. I
assist consumers in becoming knowledgeable of their rights, assist
in securing benefits and services, and learning self-advocacy skills. I
participate in advocacy activities by calling, writing and visiting
our legislators to keep them informed of concerns and issues important
to people with disabilities. I am also an Advocate for parents
who have children with disabilities. I can assist
in two ways: I can attend IEP meetings with the family and I can
also provide tutorial services at the center to coincide with goals
and objectives listed in the child’s Individual Education
Plan. I
am also available to tutor adults who would like to improve their
literacy skills (with a focus on reading, math and writing). As
a person with a disability, I am able to listen, understand and
share my experiences to support others in their independence.
I assist consumers with activities and services that help them
increase their independent living skills from learning to “avoid
money traps” to “saving
more when you don’t have a dime to spare”. Learning
good money management is a goal of the Financial Education Program
offered free to our consumers on either an individual or group
basis.
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Maria Cristina Hansen
Hispanic Outreach Advocate |
Maria
Cristina
is a member of The Latino Buseness Association and The Hispanic
Coalition. Her goal is to outreach to the local Hispanic Community
and encourage persons with disabilities and parents of children
with disabilities to seek assistance when needed and to provide
resources. She is available to translate at school meetings
and IEP's if needed. She has also created a Hispanic support group
for mothers of children with disabilities that meets on the 3rd
Thursday of every month here at the Will-Grundy Center. She also
assists in planning the Joliet Support Group for the MS Society. |
Deborah Tarrant
Independent Living Advocate |
I am the
Community Reintegration Advocate here at Will-Grundy Center for Independent
Living. The consumers that I serve are people within the ages of
18 through 59, and who are residents of a Nursing Care Center in
Will or Grundy Counties. If you want to live in the community, then
please call me at the Center for Independent Living. I will enjoy
talking with you and look forword to explaining the program to you
personally. I have been married to my best friend for about 20 years,
I have two married sons and six fun-loving Grandchildren, whose ages
range from 8 to 20 months. I enjoy spending my time with them. I
am interested in many things and always interested in learning new
things and meeting new people. My hobbies are too numerous to bore
you with here, I am always trying something new! |
Laura Zeiger
Transition Coordinator |
Hello and Welcome to the Community Reintegration Program! My name is Laura Zeiger, I have been working at the Center for almost 3 years now. I am happy to work at the Center in my new title as a Community Reintegration Transitional Coordinator. The main focus of the Community Reintegration Program is to help individuals who are in nursing homes to return to the community with adequate services and supports to ensure their success. Services include helping to find adequate/safe housing, initial set-up of utilities, home furnishings and supplies, adaptive equipment, home modifications, arrangements for a Personal Assistant, support or therapy groups, home health care, doctors, and individualized independent living skills training. In addition to my primary role, I always strive to ensure that the Independent Living Philosophy is represented in the community by: participating in public policy and legislative advocacy projects; providing information and referral services on rights/laws pertaining to persons with disabilities; promoting disability awareness; acting as a liaison and advocate for and with consumers of all ages with agencies to facilitate receipt of benefits or services. In my new title, I am considered a Case Manger who works with the Department of Human Services, Department of Rehabilitation Services on the Community Reintegration Program; and now as a Case Manager working with the new Money Follows the Person Federal Demonstration Program for DHS, Healthcare and Family Services. I am a divorced mother of two. I have lived in Braidwood for the past 20 years. As the mother of a Deaf teen, I am also learning sign language. Please feel free to call me with any questions you may have, or for a referral to DHS/HFS for these two very important programs. I look forward to assisting you in your new life! |
Tijuana Sanders
Transition Coordinator
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Bio currently not available |
Marie Malfatti
Clerical Assistant
(Not pictured) |
Marie
provides assistance in greeting guests, answering the phone/TTY,
filing, assists with the ITAC program, and performs many general
office procedures. |
Questions? Please click here to contact us!
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