Connecting Sierra to Our Community

Sierra became involved with Life Navigators almost two years ago, and as her guardian, our first priority was stability. We brought her emergency supplies when she was in crisis and worked with her community care team to set up a new living placement to fit her personalized needs.

Her Life Navigators Guardianship Representative ensures that Sierra has a voice in her decision-making. One of Sierra’s goals was to learn to cook, so we introduced her to Journey21 in Oconomowoc, where she now enjoys taking cooking classes, among many other activities. We also connected her to Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) in Waukesha. Her Peer Mentor through the program helps her with community integration, such as grocery shopping, which is so important to Sierra.

To reduce isolation and provide enrichment opportunities, we also found a wonderful Adult Day Program for Sierra where she participates in community volunteer outings, walking groups, book clubs and more. Sierra is a dedicated Walmart employee, and we provide support to maintain her employment. Her next goal is to work on her money management skills with her Adult Day Program. Learning these independent living skills while developing friendships has meant so much to Sierra and improved her overall quality of life.

Without intervention, she would not have been connected to services to ensure her safety, maintain employment and build independent living skills related to her goals. We continuously monitor her needs to ensure she is safe and healthy and advocate for services to ensure she has a full quality of life. Today, Sierra is thriving. She is one example of the impact of our expanding services in Waukesha County. Our Guardianship Program ensures that individuals with disabilities do not fall through the gaps and have an advocate to ensure they are safe, happy and healthy.