If, some day, a Hall of Fame were to be created for professionals in the disability field, there is no doubt that Mauricio Vivas would be a first-ballot member.
“Mauricio is stellar,” says Dave Caron, Adult Services Program manager for Crotched Mountain Foundation. “He treats his clients like his own children. He really cares about them.”
As a Crotched Mountain home provider in the shared living program, Mauricio has opened his home to two clients who live with him full time. It is very much a family-like environment and has become a rapidly growing service model in the disability field. As community-based disability services – especially residential services – has become a focal point for advocates and legislators, the shared living approach has risen in popularity.
And you need not look further than Mauricio and Kayla, one of his clients, to understand why. The two first met at Crotched Mountain School in 2010, when Kayla was a student and Mauricio was a volunteer.
The two made a connection. Kayla’s first words to him were “Who are you?” which she articulated through her speech device. Over the course of their conversations, Mauricio would repeat his name to her until she was able to finally say: “Moe.”
Seven years after their first meeting, as Kayla was preparing to graduate from Crotched Mountain School, Mauricio was approached with an inquiry: would he and his wife Tulia be interested in becoming Kayla’s home provider? They said yes.
During the summer of 2018, Mauricio and Tulia spend the weekend with Kayla, building familiarity with each other and helping make the transition to their home more seamless and comfortable. Following her graduation, Kayla moved in with the Vivas family.
“I don’t consider her a client,” Mauricio says. “Yes, I’m her caregiver,, but she is treated as part of my family.”
The key to their success has been the commitment of the Vivas family to weave consistency, patience, empathy, and compassion into their daily lives with their clients – or, rather, the members of their family. This approach has resulted in significant success, allowing Kayla to dramatically reduce adverse behaviors.
“We have found the Shared Living program to be so absolutely beneficial to the clients and families,” says Dave Caron. “We want to continue to see it grow.”
For Mauricio, it is far more than a profession (though being a home provider is a more than suitable way to make a living!). It is an extension of the values he holds dear, and the experience he gained throughout his time with Crotched Mountain (“creating people with dignity and respect,” as he says).
“Kayla knows that Tulia and I are in tune with her,” he says. “Our goal is to provide for all of her needs and bring joy and happiness in her life.”
