C&C States
Self-Direction Handbook
Data &Mark Chapman
My name is Mark Chapman and I am a survivor of a Traumatic Brain Injury, which I received on Dec. 10, 1988. I live in Bloomfield, NM together with my wife. Before I was on the Mi Via program, I was with Personal Care Option (PCO) program. It was hard to have total strangers come into my home to take care of my needs. Some of them did the minimal work required to get their hours of work time.
In 2005, I was married and I wanted my wife to take care of me. However PCO didn’t allow a spouse to provide paid care. I was afraid that my wife would have to get a job outside of the house which would keep us separated. We prayed that there would be a way for my wife to take care of me and be hired as my caregiver, and then Mi Via program showed up.
I am grateful for Mi Via, which allows my wife to be my caregiver, assistant and accountant, helping me whenever I need it and allowing us to stay together most of the time.
I feel happier and I have a better life with Mi Via because I can direct and manage my personal care. I get the services and goods I need. Now I can make decisions by myself and better integrate myself into the community. My life has changed for good. I can go swimming, I can go to the gym and I can go to the movies together with my wife.
The Mi Via program eliminates the third party (other agencies) and improves the life of people with disabilities. With Mi Via, the money goes directly to the person with disability and they don’t have to pay other agencies to help them and tell them what to do. I am sure that the state saves money with the Mi Via program. Thank you for the Mi Via program, I now have more confidence and feel more important in the community I live in. Now I can advocate for other people with disabilities, which I like to do.