Creative Jobs Story Bank: Amy's Story

Amy Litzinger works as a policy specialist For Texas Parent to Parent and Easterseals Central Texas. She has had her job at Texas Parent to Parent since 2011, and started, beginning as a volunteer, for Easterseals in January 2017.

Between the two jobs, she works about 15+ hours a week, and her hours are different depending on the time of year, and whether the government is meeting. An attendant comes with her to work, driving and helping with certain tasks. This person's job is paid for through the CLASS Medicaid Waiver Program. Amy uses the CDS option to find her attendants. The same people help her at work as in during non-work hours. During work, Amy receives Supported Employment from her attendants.

Amy got her job by meeting lots of people, volunteering in the same type of work for a long time, being willing to learn and change, and showing that she doesn't give up easily. To do her job well, she needed to learn office skills, how to ask questions of government, write speeches, talk to other families and find out what they need and want, and how to gather ideas and people using social media.

At her job, she gets to help other people with disabilities and families and tell important people what they need to hear: is it easier to read what people need and want to change. She writes papers, makes phone calls, and creates spreadsheets. She says she's not in the office a lot, because she goes to meetings to see what's new for people with disabilities. Sometimes she's at the Capitol for an office meeting with staff, or government officials. Sometimes there are conference calls, speaking at conferences, or a response to something that happens. Sometimes lawmakers and staff ask for advice on issues. She also writes newsletter articles for others to read.  Sometimes people have a problem they need help solving, or sometimes they want to try to pass a new law.

Most days she has meetings to talk about next steps with other advocates, including people from other groups. It's nice to see people who are working towards the same goal. When she works from home, she has her dog as an office mate.

Amy says “I like that my job changes every day. And that I get to help people and make changes happen. I like days when something happens the way I expected it to. I also like days where I didn't expect something to turn out well, and it did anyway”.

If you have questions for Amy, please email Amy.Litzinger@TxP2P.org