BORN ADVOCATE

Hello, my name is Jamie Lazaroff, the Self-Advocate Coordinator at The Arc Eastern Connecticut. The stated goal of my position is to mentor peers to be strong self-advocates. I run three groups: Two clubhouse self-advocacy groups for people we support during the day; and another that meets once a month at night for people we support who work during the day.

Although I have worked at The Arc ECT for 15 years, advocacy has been part of my life from the beginning. Born with a rare disability, I learned to advocate for myself at an early age. Traveling with my late mother while she served as President of The Arc Connecticut's Board gave me a firsthand appreciation for the power of advocacy and community. That experience continues to inspire the work I do every day.

I have given information on voting, self-direction, able-accountants, Supported-Decision Making and many other topics. While I may not have personally received direct feedback, I know that my efforts have helped the people we support. Over the years, advocates have pursued the closing of Connecticut institutions (state-run training schools) in favor of community-based care, and changed the name of the department that supports people with IDD from DMR to DDS.