Brittany

Brittany earned a master’s degree in social work at UT-Chattanooga. She is now putting that degree to use. She has full-time job at the Helen Ross McNabb Center in Sevierville. The support she receives from the Employment and Community First CHOICES program has been a key part of Brittany’s journey.

Brittany has Arthrogryposis, which limits her ability to use both hands and arms for many activities of daily living (ADLs) such as dressing and bathing her upper body and bringing food to her mouth with her hands.

While she was a student at UT-C, Brittany used the Employment and Community First CHOICES Community Transportation service to help her to get places like the grocery store, school, and other places in the community. Brittany also used Personal Assistance services to help her with washing her hair and doing her makeup. Brittany is now able to drive herself to work and back with her own car. She has reduced her Personal Assistance services to only needing help with bathing and personal care.

Brittany will soon take her Licensed Master Social Worker exam. She used her the Community Integration Support Services (CISS) benefit to pay for her licensure exam fees. The CISS benefit helps TennCare members do things in the community, like take classes, join clubs, volunteer, exercise, build relationships, and reach personal or professional goals.

Melissa Lovely, Brittany’s Amerigroup case manager, says Brittany has become “a very independent person” during her time with Employment and Community First CHOICES and describes her as “a good student, a hard worker, and very conscientious.”