Team Member Tuesday

Freda Mook: #TeamMemberTuesday

As program manager, Freda Mook oversees both the Independent Living (IL) and Sefl Direct Personal Assistance ( SDPAS) Programs here at LIFTT.

My name is Freda Mook and I am the program manager here at LIFTT overseeing both the Independent Living (IL) and Self Direct Personal Assistance Services (SDPAS) programs across our entire service area. I was born near the Madison River and Hebgen Lake in Gallatin County and have lived my entire life in Montana. My childhood began in Billings, and through the years I lived in Roundup, Livingston, Butte, and Great Falls. I returned to the Yellowstone Valley and Billings in the spring of 1989, graduating from Billings Skyview High School in 1991. I am proud to be a third-generation Montanan and a descendant of a Montana pioneer family.

I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder – ADD shortly before my eighth birthday. I also have Severe Myopia (advanced nearsightedness), Seasonal Affective Disorder, Sciatica accompanied by nerve damage, and degenerative osteoarthritis of the hips and spine (spondylosis).

I joined LIFTT as a Medicaid Billing Specialist and receptionist in October 2003. Being a disabled child raised by disabled parents has given me a unique perspective on life within the disabled community. Not many people realize that Independent Living is a civil rights movement – one that touches every person at some point in their life. Whether we are born with a disability, acquire one during our lifetime, or if we have friends or family members with a disability, every one of us will face this challenge. I consider myself powerful and successful because I choose to face these challenges head-on every day. Life experiences have made me who I am and my time at LIFTT has given me many opportunities to witness other people’s successes daily.

I have 4 grown children and 4 grandchildren. I love to crochet all sorts of things in my spare time, and I gift all my crocheted afghans to friends and family. I also love camping at Newlan Creek Reservoir near White Sulphur Springs, barbecuing with family, and gardening, as well as being an avid online gamer.

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings, and Glendive; LIFTT provides people with disabilities with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and southcentral Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Stillwater, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on Apple or Google Play. You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Lanette Brown: #TeamMemberTuesday

My name is Lanette Brown, and I have spent 14 years working as a Program Facilitator for the Community First Choice Self-Directed Personal Assisted Services (CFC/SDPAS) Medicaid program. Before joining LIFTT, I grew up on a farm, attended several colleges, and had various jobs ranging from janitor to switchboard operator and from hospital admitting clerk to kindergarten teacher. In the process, I discovered I had an interest in helping people.

I feel the self-direct program is particularly satisfying because it allows the consumer to hire people, they are comfortable with and it gives them the ability to be in charge of their circumstances while, at the same time, accepting help when needed.

Like one-third of LIFTT’s employees, I live with my own disabilities, including lower back issues, mild depression, and diabetes. I consider my disabilities to be minor compared to the individuals LIFTT helps. “I would like to believe I have left a small mark for the better, of the consumers I help, and I feel every day is a success story – if you can get out of bed, arrive at work safely, and make someone’s day a little easier.”

I enjoy exploring Montana and other states with my husband, reading, and playing the piano both at home and at my church. I enjoy cooking, camping, crafting, working word search puzzles, and serving as secretary-treasurer for four irrigation ditch companies.

I have a loving husband who supports me. I have a son who is in the Marines. He is married and they have provided two wonderful granddaughters. We’ve been foster parents, and parents to an international student with whom we have had continued contact.

If you have any questions about the CFC/SDPAS program, please feel free to contact me: lanetteb@liftt.org.

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings, and Glendive, LIFTT provides people with disabilities with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and southcentral Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Stillwater, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on Apple or Google Play.

Larry Ketchem: #TeamMemberTuesday

My name is Larry Ketchem. I was born in Billings. MT, in December of 1971. I graduated from Billings Senior High School in 1988 and was a member of the wrestling team. I also graduated from Montana State University Billings with a Rehabilitation degree in 1999. I am happily married to Marcia and have a wonderful daughter.

I work at LIFTT as an Independent Living (IL) Specialist. I am a person that lives with a vision disability, so I understand what our consumers go through, and what barriers they must overcome to reach their goals and live independently daily. Being low vision requires me to be well-organized in order to not get lost. Everything must have a specific place and always be put in that spot. My memory helps me remember a lot of things. If you are vision impaired, you are not alone. Allow me to remind you that there are over 25 million people in the United States who experience at least some vision loss. Many people believe that going blind leads to a complete loss of independence but that is not true and I am proof of it. There are lots of technology that can help a low vision and blind person live independently. I use special software, magnifiers, audio texts, audiobooks, voice recognition, and other instruments.

This is my second time working at LIFTT. I first worked at LIFTT from 1998 to 2010, when I retired. In November 2020, I decided to return to LIFTT because I wanted to serve the disabled community of Southeastern Montana.

If you are low vision or blind and live in one of the eighteen counties of our service area come to LIFTT and let us work together to improve the quality of your life.

Things I like to do in my free time are playing with my three dogs, listening to audiobooks, watching professional and college football, and playing video games. What I love the most is spending quality time with my wife of 25 years. We usually set aside time during the week to do something special together. Every day we sit down to eat a meal together and talk about our day. The moments we spend together increase our happiness and satisfaction help to reduce our stress and anxiety lead to a healthier lifestyle, and lengthen our life. We motivate each other to become the best version of ourselves.

Thanks

Larry

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings, and Glendive, LIFTT provides people with disabilities with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and southcentral Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Stillwater, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on Apple or Google Play.

Marilyn Gone: #TeamMemberTuesday

My name is Marilyn Gone. I have been the receptionist at LIFTT since 2010, although I did a stint as an IL Specialist for approximately one year in 2011.

I grew up on the Fort Belknap reservation in the little town of Hays, in north central Montana, and attended a Roman Catholic Mission school. I spent the first three years of high school in out-of-state native boarding and Mission schools before graduating from Harlem High School. I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with options in both Social Work and Social Justice from MSU-Bozeman. I spent many years in various human service professions, both in direct services and administration, and taught Human Service and Psychology classes at the tribal community college level.

I had three children, my oldest son is now deceased, and raised them mostly as a single parent. I have four grandchildren and one great-grandson. I am a voracious reader of free kindle books and enjoy attending powwows and ceremonies, and am involved in the native community in Billings. I am now the matriarch of our huge extended family.

I was unable to work for several years after 2002 because of my mental health disability which had progressed over the years, finally resulting in a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). My early life was full of many traumas. Finally feeling that I might be able to make it in the world of work again, I found a program called Experience Works and was placed at LIFTT. It was very difficult for me at first, not because of the work, but because I could not control my emotions sometimes and I tried to quit several times.

However thanks to our awesome Program Manager at the time, who understood bipolar disorder because of having family members with the disorder, she would not allow it! She let me work at my own pace and as many days as I felt that I could handle. I am very grateful to her and I have continued to progress and heal from trauma over the years since.

I used to be ashamed to disclose my disability but working at LIFTT was given me the courage and maybe my story might help someone else. I enjoy meeting and getting to know the consumers at LIFTT and am so happy when they receive what they need with the assistance of our dedicated team members.

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings, and Glendive, LIFTT provides people with disabilities with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and southcentral Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Stillwater, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on Apple or Google Play.

Nancy Grigsby: #TeamMemberTuesday

white female with blond hair wearing a black jacket

A native of the MonDak Region (born in Glendive & raised in Beach ND), Nancy Grigsby works out of LIFTT’s Glendive office as an Independent Living Specialist serving the eastern counties of Carter Custer, Dawson, Fallon, McCone, Power River, Prairie, Richland, and Wibaux.

My name is Nancy Grigsby I was born in Glendive and raised in Beach North Dakota. I lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Grayling, Michigan before moving back to Eastern Montana in 2007. I have been with LIFTT in the Glendive Office since April 2022. I have 4 daughters and 6 grandchildren. They are my pride and joy.

I have spent much of my life doing service work, from running a home daycare center and raising my children to working as a Certified Nursing Assistance at a nursing home, as a home health aide, and in group home settings. I enjoy doing anything I can to help people live their best life. In my free time, I enjoy reading daily devotionals, listening to Christian music, crafting, and making meals for family and friends.

When I started my job at LIFTT, it felt like home to me. I joined LIFTT as an Independent Living (IL) Specialist in April of 2022. LIFTT is a great workplace. I enjoy being an IL Specialist. I want to become a strong voice for disability rights and independent living and work to assist consumers like you in maintaining their lives independently in the community. Essentially, living independently is having opportunities to make decisions that affect our lives and pursue the activities of our choosing, limited only by the decisions we make. I look forward to making connections with our consumers in the eastern part of our service area.

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings, and Glendive, LIFTT provides people with disabilities with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and southcentral Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Stillwater, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on Apple or Google Play.

Tanya Thomas: #TeamMemberTuesday

My name is Tanya Thomas and I have been a LIFTT team member for 8 years. I came to LIFTT as part of a work experience through my job coach and started as a receptionist. Shortly thereafter becoming a peer and eventually had the opportunity to become the Peer Program Coordinator.

Having lived my whole life with a Visual Impairment has offered me both great perspective and appreciation for the shared experience of those individuals that I serve.

My goal and the goal of LIFTT’s Peer Program is always to help guide a person new to a disability or someone struggling with current barriers, to acceptance, to a greater sense of confidence, and to a feeling of empowerment. To be able to make a difference for someone is a wonderful honor and I’m proud to be part of their journey.

When I’m away from the office, I enjoy a variety of things. I have an aptitude for art and have created several charcoal portraits. I also love music of all kinds, and singing, and am an avid reader.

Travel is also a passion of mine and I look forward to a time when can again add another stamp to my passport. I’m always up for a good laugh and once I get the giggles, I’m sort of a lost cause!

If you are a person with a disability who would like to share their experiences with others and lives in our service area please consider becoming a part of our Peer Program.

Lastly, I’m kind of a quote nerd, so I’ll leave you with one of my favorites from Charlie Chaplin, “You’ll find that life is worthwhile if you just smile.”

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings, and Glendive, LIFTT provides people with disabilities with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and southcentral Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Stillwater, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on Apple or Google Play.

Tara Robison: #TeamMemberTuesday

My name is Tara Robison. I have been an Independent Living (IL) Specialist and Living Well in Community (LWC) Facilitator at LIFTT since 2022.

Not all disabilities are visible. Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) and Depression are two examples. I was diagnosed with SAD and Depression in my 20’s. SAD is an intense fear of social interaction and is often associated with social avoidance and impairments. SAD can be a chronic mental health condition, but learning coping skills in psychotherapy and taking medications can help us gain confidence and improve our ability to interact with others. Depression causes us to be irritable and socially isolated. At first, when diagnosed, I did not understand what was happening. Once I began to take the prescribed medication and learned the skills to help me cope with and overcome the control my anxiety had on my life, things improved, and I became the outgoing person I have always been.

I experienced such an improvement that I returned to school in the fall of 2012 when my youngest child was a senior in High School. I attended Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood, Washington, and took a two- and half-year course to become a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA). It was not easy going back to school in my 40s after my children were grown up and after having had an anxiety disorder. I was determined to be the first woman in my family to graduate college. I am proud to say that I Graduated 2nd in my class in the spring of 2015. I was on the college President’s list twice [The President’s list is an award each quarter for undergraduates who achieve a 4.0 GPA], and the Vice President’s list once [The Vice President’s List is compiled at the end of each academic quarter to recognize outstanding student achievement]. Before returning to school, I worked several jobs as a customer service representative and caregiver, including having a childcare business at home. We are a military family, so we moved a few times. I am a retired army wife of a wonderful supporting husband who served our country for 26 years.

I have four grown children and several grandchildren. I love hiking, camping, quilting, and spending time with my family, friends, and animals.

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings, and Glendive, LIFTT provides people with disabilities with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and southcentral Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Stillwater, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on Apple or Google Play.

Valerie Rowlison: #TeamMemberTuesday

Valerie Rowlison has been a Program Facilitator with LIFTT’s Community First Choice Self-Directed Personal Assistance Program since 2020.

HI! My Name is Valerie Rowlison. I have been a personal care program facilitator at LIFTT since 2020. I have enjoyed learning about the Community First Choice self-direct personal assistance program and assisting consumers that wish to remain in their homes with the assistance of a caregiver who provides them with hands-on help with daily living activities.I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation from Eastern Montana College (now known as MSU Billings).

My career path has been working with the developmental disability population; spanning from early intervention to aging and long-term care. I have had the opportunity to provide case management services for adults in Wyoming and New Mexico and enjoyed my time as a family support specialist working with young kids and their families in Eastern Montana. For me, the focus was providing person-centered services and promoting the goals and dreams of those I served. I’m a Montana native. I enjoy spending my free time watching movies, hanging out with family and friends; getting competitive on game nights, or window shopping for antiques. When the opportunity arises traveling is highlighted even if it’s just a day trip.

Please call me if you or a family member are Medicaid eligible and need hands-on assistance with dressing, hygiene, bathing, etc. I will be able to assist you if you live in one of the 18 counties of our service area.

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings, and Glendive, LIFTT provides people with disabilities with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and southcentral Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Stillwater, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on Apple or Google Play.

Tonnette Jensen: #TeamMemberTuesday

white female with brown hair wearing a green dress with red, yellow white, powder blue and pink wildflowers

Tonnette Jensen is an Independent Living Specialst and Assistant Manager of LIFTT’s Glendive office which serves Carter Custer, Dawson, Fallon, McCone, Power River, Prairie, Richland, and Wibaux Counties.

My name is Tonnette Jensen, I was born and reared in Washington State. When I was 18, I felt like I needed to be elsewhere, and that is when I decided to make a big move to Eastern Montana. I have been a part of the LIFTT team for almost two years, and I am excited to be a part of the constant improvements and changes of LIFTT as well as the amazing team we have here. I love challenges and problem-solving. I hope to be able to assist you in getting to where you want to be in life!

Coming to LIFTT, I bring the knowledge of being a strong advocate for myself and others. Working with people who have disabilities has made me want to see change, address the tough issues, and provide a voice for those who feel like they don’t have one. When I hear the word “disability” I think of something beautiful, and strong, I want to help people with disabilities think that way about themself.

During my free time, I like to hang out with my husband as well as my three dogs and three cats at home. Nothing beats watching “Golden Girls” while being with the people and animals I love.

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings, and Glendive, LIFTT provides people with disabilities with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and southcentral Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Stillwater, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on Apple or Google Play.

Tricia Cutright: #TeamMemberTuesday

My name is Tricia Cutright and I have been at LIFTT as a Peer Mentor since 2019. Peer mentors provide education, recreation, and support opportunities to individuals. The peer mentor may challenge the mentee with new ideas and encourage the mentee to move beyond the most comfortable things. Most peer mentors are picked for their sensibility, confidence, social skills, and reliability. Currently, I am training with Larry Ketchem to become an Independent Living (IL) specialist. He is blind and I am his reader.

I am a person with invisible disabilities. I have PTSD, Bipolar Disorder 1, and Schizoaffective Disorder Bipolar type. These disabilities are challenging because most people do not understand Mental Health disabilities. I decided to share this information with you on this blog to encourage those who deal with invisible disabilities and let them know that we can live independently. I hope with my work through LIFTT and Mental Health Advocacy I can bring awareness to this issue.

Because of my disabilities, I became involved in the Butte-Silver Bow Mental Health Local Advisory Council in 2016. I was a part of the committee that worked with Montana’s Peer Network to bring the Certified Peer support pilot program to work with Butte’s police department and Mental Health providers.

I moved back to Billings in 2018 and contacted the local Mental Health Advisory Board to continue my involvement with Mental Health Advocacy. I met the board chair who happened to work at LIFTT. He got to know me and interviewed me for the Peer Mentor program. I have been involved with the council now known as the Yellowstone County Behavioral Health Local Advisory Council and LIFTT ever since.

I have an extensive background in Computers, and I hope to someday complete my bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. I only need 5 classes to finish but funding is currently my roadblock. While I am not able at this time to work in the demanding field of technology, I am able to use the skills that I learned in previous work experience to help support staff at LIFTT. I love helping people and making their life easier.

I crochet hats for the homeless and paint pictures for my own enjoyment.

I would encourage anyone with a disability across our service area who wants to help people to please consider becoming a Peer Mentor at LIFTT and we will be able to work together for the advancement of the independent living cause.

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings, and Glendive, LIFTT provides people with disabilities with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and southcentral Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Stillwater, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on Apple or Google Play.

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