Feeling Stuck? How to Get Started Navigating Disability, Healthcare, or Mental Health Services.

If you've ever typed “who can help me with disability services” or “I don’t know where to start with Medicaid” into Google, you’re not alone.

Navigating the maze of disability, healthcare, and mental health systems can feel overwhelming — especially when you're doing it for yourself or someone you love. That's where I come in.

At Advocacy & Navigation Partners, I help individuals and families just like yours take those first steps with confidence. Whether you’re trying to find the right provider, access funding, or make sense of complicated systems, I’m here to walk with you every step of the way.

From Advocate to Navigator: Why I Do This Work

People often ask how I got into this line of work — and the truth is, it's always been a part of who I am. From the time I was a kid volunteering at the local hospital and nursing home, to working with kids with disabilities at a summer camp when I was 16.

As an adult, I have worn many hats: caregiver, non-profit director, healthcare patient advocate, quality assurance professional, and parent, just to name a few. I’ve helped families navigate the disability services landscape, friends and clients navigate mental health services, and through both professional and very personal situations, I have navigated care and advocated for people in the most vulnerable situations. I’ve sat in waiting rooms, interviewed care givers, filled out a million forms, waited on hold, said the same thing to 10 people within one phone call, and wondered if there was someone out there who could just help.

So I decided to become that person for others.

Advocacy & Navigation Partners was born from years of experience — and just as importantly, from empathy. No one should have to figure these systems out on their own, and when you are under stress and trying to balance "life" with crisis or challenging systems, it is near impossible to be as effective as you can be. I believe everyone deserves dignity, clear guidance, support, and access to the services they need.

What does an Advocate and Navigator actually do?

When people first reach out, they often ask: “I’m not even sure what I need… can you still help?”

Yes. That’s exactly what I do.

My role is to listen first — to your story, your needs, and your frustrations — and then help you identify options and next steps. Together, we create a practical, step-by-step plan.

Some of the services I offer include:

• Helping you understand what services and benefits are available to you

• Supporting you in applying for Medicaid, SSI/SSDI, the Marketplace or other programs

• Assisting with provider or therapist searches

• Attending meetings or calls as an advocate or second set of ears / eyes

• Coordinating across systems

Making sure you don’t have to go through it alone

Common Places People Get Stuck

Everyone’s situation is unique, but there are a few places where people tend to feel especially overwhelmed:

• Paperwork — Medicaid, SSDI, housing applications... the list is endless, and it's never clear.

• Provider searches — You’re told to “find a therapist” or “get on a waitlist,” but you don’t even know where to begin.

• Eligibility confusion — You hear words like “Tier,” “waiver,” or “support coordination,” and they just add to the fog.

• No follow-through from agencies — You’ve made the calls, filled out the forms… and nothing happens, no one calls or emails back.

  
  

If any of these sound familiar, I want to reassure you: it’s not just you. The systems are often not built to be user-friendly — but I know how to work within them and get answers.

Let’s Take the First Step — Together

My clients often come to me when they are most frustrated or discouraged. But what I see is their strength. They are emotional and want to get the best care for themselves or their loved one with the information they’ve been given.

My job is to meet you where you are, help you breathe a little easier, and move forward one manageable step at a time. Sometimes that means handling the logistics. Other times, it means being the calm voice in the middle of a storm. Either way, I’m in your corner and there to shed a light on the path ahead.