Stacy Ellingen is a woman from Wisconsin who’s never met an obstacle she couldn’t overcome. After graduating from high school, Stacy left home to attend the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. After graduating with a degree in journalism and advertising, she moved to Oshkosh. Now in her thirties, Stacy leads a busy professional life as a small business owner and an independent contractor with InControl Wisconsin, an organization that plays a key role in advancing self-directed supports in the state. She’s become more involved in disability advocacy efforts and the community.
Stacy’s story is a successful one—living independently for more than five years, finding a job about which she is passionate and becoming involved in her community. But now consider this success as part of Stacy’s larger story – she grew up with cerebral palsy, resulting in complex physical support needs. However, Stacy grew up believing that she could do everything others do. Working with her self-directed support consultant, Kathi Miller, an employee of TMG by Magellan Health, Stacy proved she could do everything others do.
“Kathi has helped me reach my goals in many, many ways,” Stacy said. Kathi and Stacy joined forces to identify community home care providers to support Stacy in meeting her daily needs at home and at work. They partnered to identify ways that Stacy could make responsible budget decisions in purchasing services to meet her goals. When developing her small business, Kathi supported Stacy in connecting with the local business community to create professional peer connections that enhanced her business development strategies. “Most of all though, Kathi encouraged me to keep moving forward when things got tough! She has been amazing!” said Stacy.
