How do people who need assistance meet people who are ready to help? Petra Gonzales introduces them.
Gonzales works as a supports planner, helping people who are considered medically fragile get access to the services and supports available to them.
“A lot of times, that looks like me doing home visits and making sure that an elderly individual in the community is safe and thriving, and that they have access to support systems to help them with their activities of daily living,” Gonzales says. “I also assist them with applying for services and monitoring the services.”
When she’s not in the field, she’s at her home in Woodlawn or on the go with her family. Gonzales lives with her husband, Alex, and their children, Vincent (11) and Allister (8).
What do you love about [being a supports planner]?
I really enjoy being able to help out my community. My grandmother passed away a few years ago, and I think she really would have benefited from these services, but we didn’t know about them at the time. The same is true for my grandfather who passed about two years ago. I like the fact that while I could have used those services and benefited from them but wasn’t able to, I can now help other people who are in that same situation.
I have one woman in particular who is entirely bed-bound and only able to move her hand and one foot on the opposite side, and her neck. One element of my job is to assist with the quality of life for these individuals, and I’m working on getting her a Wii because she has such limited mobility that she’s not able to get out of her home. I want her to have the opportunity to still stay connected with people and be active.
We spoke to her about her expectations, and she really enjoys playing games on her iPad because she’s able to use that with one hand. So, I thought it would be a good idea if we could find her other things to do in her home. The 2000s [Wii] console only requires a nunchuck placed in one hand, and she can use the other hand to move the character or swing the baseball bat like for Wii Sports.
In collaboration with her and her staff who take care of her, it was determined that would likely be extremely beneficial for her well-being and mental health. That’s my main project right now—tracking down a Wii.
What do you love about being a parent?
Everything! I really love to follow [my kids’] lead to see what they like to do, and then I home in on that strength. It’s kind of similar to the Montessori school of thinking where you follow the child’s lead and allow them to develop things naturally.
I really love watching them learn, grow and kind of pushing new things their way to see if they’ll pick up on it. We’ve discovered that Vincent in particular loves cooking.
How do you find a work-life balance?
That is so hard. My job is thankfully pretty flexible. I work from my home unless I have to go into the field, so that helps a lot because I can help Allister at the school if he needs it. I also maintain a very strict boundary that when I’m not working, I’m not working, and when I’m with my kids, I’m with my kids.
What is something that you hope your children learn from you?
I honestly hope that they learn a sense of community from me. I hope that they learn how to value appropriate social connections because that was hard for me growing up. That was a struggle. I had a family you could describe as a broken family, so helping them grow up and doing everything lends itself not only to me healing but assisting them with developing their own ideals and their own sense of the world. I want them to be able to follow their passions, but it’s also really important for me that they learn to develop a support system.
Family Favorites
Meal: Dad’s spaghetti
Dessert: Homemade baked goods
Local Spot: Patapsco Valley State Park’s Avalon Area
Vacation Spot: In-laws’ house in Florida
Activity: Cooking together
Movie: “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.
