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.