Growing up, Centelia Braxton watched her mother support individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. She saw firsthand the good, the bad, and the ugly of working in human services, and she knew this was the job for her.
Braxton has worked for KenCrest for 10 years. She is currently the Outcomes Specialist Assistant Director for Region 2 and recently became a Lifesharing provider.
For years, Braxton heard KenCrest promote the Lifesharing program and the search for providers to match with the people they serve, and she was always interested. But there were a few hurdles in her way.
“It always was a goal for me, and I lived in an apartment at the time,” says Braxton. “I knew that I could have done this in an apartment, but I tied this to getting a home. So once I got home, I had Stephanie Brown—the Senior Referral Manager for Lifesharing—come in and tell me everything I needed to do to the house to be successful.”
Braxton stripped the house to its bare bones and brought Stephanie in to help her redesign it to accommodate people with disabilities. During her home renovation, she began the process of becoming a Lifesharing provider.
She went through two informational sessions, one by herself and another with her husband, where she learned about what Lifesharing means, the different criteria required to be matched with an individual, and how to accommodate someone in one’s life. As the Outcomes Specialist assistant director for Region 2, Braxton has experience with people with disabilities, so she knew what questions to ask and how they relate to people’s behaviors and mannerisms. But it was a bit harder for her husband. He learned a lot in the session and even asked questions that Braxton never considered.
After that, they had to make sure their home was ready for licensing and ready for someone to move in. Then, the Individual Support Plans (ISPs) begin coming in the mail. These are sent according to the specific criteria that the provider asked for that matches partners with those same criteria.
“Once people meet your specific criteria, then you have to meet that person’s criteria,” explains Braxton. “You have to let things play out and wait for the right person to come along. I probably waited eight or nine months before I found Joanne. When I got her ISP, she was picture-perfect. You couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Braxton and Joanne instantly clicked when they met for the first time. However, introducing someone new into the home still presents challenges. This is why KenCrest does a respite for a couple of months before making the official move-in so that both parties can learn how to live together safely and healthily. According to Braxton, the respite was an excellent experience because she learned more about what Joanne could do versus what her sister told her that Joanne could do.
Joanne lived with her sister before moving in with Braxton. She lived with her two nephews, who were three and five and was treated more like another child than an adult. So, one of the main things Braxton wanted to do was give her adult experiences and help her learn how to be independent. She now has daily chores like making her bed, cleaning up after herself, bringing her trash from her room before leaving for her day program, and so on. She can handle all of her activities of daily living but needs some oversight to make sure they are done thoroughly, which is when Braxton steps in.
“You have to know that your life is rubbing off on somebody else’s, and it’s amazing for them,” says Braxton. “When Joanne hangs out with my husband and goes to his family's house, everybody knows her, and she feels part of it.”
The duo has visited Baltimore, visited different seafood restaurants, taken a weekend trip to Rehoboth Beach, and even gone to North Carolina. Joanne recently celebrated her birthday with the Braxton’s, and Centelia bought her a beautiful white dress to wear to her day program.
“I am so boring, but because I have Joanne, I feel like I have a life now,” smiles Braxton. “If I want to visit my sister in Baltimore, I have a road dog to go with me. I have an instant best friend and couldn’t ask for anything better!”
If Centelia Braxton's story has inspired you, consider exploring the Lifesharing program at KenCrest. It could be the opportunity to make a profound difference in someone's life and, in turn, enrich your own. Visit the KenCrest website to learn more about how you can become a Lifesharing provider and start your journey towards creating meaningful connections and lifelong memories.
