Bailee loves interacting with children, horseback riding and baking.
As an individual with mild intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), Bailee qualified for the STAR Kids program up until she turned 21. At that time, Bailee became eligible to transition to the STAR+PLUS program, which provides access to extra support and care, including services to help with daily activities.
To help transition into adulthood, Bailee’s parents knew that they needed to provide her with additional tools to gain more independence and engage in her own health. Bailee and her family began working with Brenda Guyton, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan STAR Kids Transition Specialist, to create an action plan to help Bailee achieve her goals.
Bailee shared her desire to have her own job and transportation - Brenda recommended that Bailee leverage vocational rehabilitation through Texas Workforce Solutions Vocational Rehabilitation and connected her with life skills training at East Texas Center for Independent Living. Through these programs Bailee was able to develop the skill set needed to obtain a part-time job working at a pizza restaurant, and she has also independently completed the driver’s education course and testing required to earn her learner’s permit. Bailee’s family is certain that over time as her confidence continues to build, she will be able to obtain her driver’s license.
Since Bailee is transitioning to adult services through the STAR+PLUS program, Brenda will no longer be part of Bailee's ongoing care team. To continue to support Bailee, Brenda developed a toolkit that has helped Bailee coordinate her own appointments, ask her doctor’s questions about her health and refill her own medications. With Brenda’s help and the support of her family – Bailee is a participant in her own health care.
To fulfill her dream of working with children, Bailee has started volunteering at the local library. For Bailee’s parents it brings them comfort and peace of mind to see her integrate into their community and head down a path in which she will be capable of caring for herself even when they are not around.
“One of the reasons Bailee has had so much success leveraging the services and supports provided by UnitedHealthcare and the STAR+PLUS program is because of her parents – they are committed to helping their daughter gain independence and live a productive life.”
Brenda Guyton
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan STAR Kids Transition Specialist
