At Fello, we recognize that supporting people with disabilities means understanding that mental wellness and daily life are deeply connected. Since 2020, our Behavioral Health team has helped people with disabilities and mental health diagnoses build the tools and strategies each person needs to navigate life on their own terms—strengthening independence, inclusion, and opportunity. 

Our team includes licensed clinicians and behavioral health associates who specialize in supporting people with complex and overlapping needs. But the Behavioral Health team doesn’t stand alone.  Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are essential partners in this work and collaboration is critical to providing the best possible support to the people we serve. 

DSPs are present in the daily lives of the people Fello supports. That closeness gives them a window into each person’s world. By partnering with DSPs, Fello’s clinicians support with strategies built around real experience—what happens at home, in the community, and everywhere in between. That makes all the difference when developing support that fits each person. 

A Partnership That Builds Confidence 

Whether just starting out or with decades of experience, all DSPs benefit from access to Fello’s Behavioral Health team. The partnership helps build confidence, strengthen their skills, and creates new ways of seeing and responding to the people they support. 

For Sandy, that relationship made all the difference. A new DSP with Fello, she wasn’t sure how to support Joe when he felt overwhelmed and reached out to the Behavioral Health team for guidance. Together they explored Joe’s behavior from a different perspective and offered advice on how to meet him in the moment. 

What began as a quick conversation to bounce ideas off each other grew into a comprehensive Behavior Support Plan for Joe and a much more confident Sandy. 

That’s partnership in action—clinicians and DSPs learning and teaching each other, leading to an integrative approach to support. 

Communication Makes the Difference 

Effective support depends on effective communication—and that’s as true for DSPs as it is for the people they support. 

When Denise, a DSP, needed to navigate a difficult conversation with the person she supported, she turned to the Behavioral Health team to brainstorm. The team met with Denise to address her concerns, create a shared plan, and practice communicating. When the time came, all three met together, with the clinician supporting in real time, modeling techniques that created a healthy, safe dialogue.  

That experience didn’t just help Denise in that moment—it strengthened her ability to better communicate with the people she supports going forward. 

Support That Follows 

At Fello, we believe exceptional, person-centered support happens through collaboration. 

DSPs bring deep, firsthand knowledge of the people they support. Clinicians bring specialized clinical expertise. Together, they offer behavioral health support that follows people wherever they go—at home, in the community, and everywhere in between. 

That’s what partnership makes possible: support that adapts, responds, and grows with each person so they can live the lives they choose and feel good about who they are. 

Fello is excited to bring back its annual 50/50 raffle, a fun and easy way to win big while supporting children with disabilities and their families. Every ticket purchased directly contributes to Fello’s Family Fund, which provides financial grants so families can access therapies, equipment, and other educational and life-enriching opportunities for their children. The raffle prize grows larger each year, with last year’s winner taking home over $3,000. Every ticket gives you an opportunity to win big while making an even bigger difference in our community. 

How to Participate 

While the winning ticket will be drawn at Fello’s annual Golf Fore Kids Tournament on May 11, you do not need to attend the tournament to be eligible to win.  

Tickets are now available for $5 each or five tickets for $20. Each ticket you purchase increases your chances of winning and your impact on the lives of families and children throughout our community. 

To get your tickets:

1. Click here or complete the form below.  
2. Select the number of tickets you’d like to purchase.  
3. Complete your payment securely online.

The raffle drawing will take place on May 11 during the tournament. Winners will be notified directly, and you don’t need to be present to claim your prize.

The Power in Your Purchase 

All proceeds from the raffle support Fello’s Family Fund, a 100% donor-funded program that helps families pay for essential services that are often expensive or not covered by insurance.  Founded in 2021, the Family Fund has distributed over $382,000 to 239 families, with 2025 being the most successful year for the program yet.  

Behind every grant is a child with unique goals and the resources that help build the right support around them.  

For Christa, watching her nine-year-old daughter Della’s mobility decline was heartbreaking. As her bones grew faster than her muscles could keep up, Della lost the ability to straighten her legs fully for more than four years.  

As Della approached her pre-teen years, Christa knew this was a critical moment. Children often experience rapid growth during this stage, and the right intervention can make all the difference for their future independence.  

After years of research, Christa found a specialist who offered a less invasive procedure, called PERCs, with the potential to preserve Della’s strength and mobility. Insurance deemed the costly procedure ‘cosmetic’. 

With a grant from the Family Fund, Della was able to receive the surgery over summer break, giving her time to heal and focus on physical therapy without missing school.  

The results were immediate and remarkable. Within weeks, Della was doing things once thought impossible—like standing up by herself. The impact of the surgery was more than physical.  

“This really reduced my stress as a mother,” said Christa. “Having to watch my child struggle just to move her own body every day just hurt. This surgery that my daughter had will essentially affect her whole life. She has greater movement, more comfort, and better stability.”  

Hundreds of children like Della rely on the access the Family Fund provides, and the need grows steadily each year. Since the 2026 application opened in February, Fello has already received over 360 applications, a record high. 

“High-impact resources that empower children with disabilities to meet their potential are unfortunately out of reach for many families in our community,” said Sara Pease, Assistant Director of Children, Youth & Families. “The Family Fund helps close the gap by expanding access for families and creating opportunities for children to set and achieve their unique goals specific to their needs.” 

When you purchase a raffle ticket, you are not just entering to win. You are helping provide access, opportunity, and life-changing resources to children, like Della, who need them most. Join us in participating in the 50/50 raffle and help us reach more families through the Family Fund. Read more about how our grants change lives.

What if you could hire your own employees, set your own schedule, and decide exactly how your support fits your life? That’s self-direction—a program that gives people with disabilities more choice and control over their services.  

In Episode 10 of the Fello Thinking Differently podcast, Marc Weinstein, Fello’s Senior Director of Self-Directed Services, explores what self-direction offers: independence, freedom, and the rewarding challenges that come with it. The episode also features Lauren Sheeder, a Self-Directed Services participant with Fello, who shares how the model changed her life and her son’s. 

Listen Now: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify 

The Power of Self-Direction 

Self-direction puts people with disabilities in charge. Think of them as the CEO of their own support services—interviewing and hiring employees, managing budgets, and deciding how their support works day to day. 

“[With self-direction], you’re not worried about a program telling you that you can’t do that. ‘No, I’m the boss, and you’re going to make this happen,'” said Marc. 

But self-direction isn’t just about managing services—it’s about opening opportunities for exploration and personal growth. Whether it’s catching a movie, going on a date, or taking a spontaneous day trip, participants have the freedom to make those choices—and the support to make it happen. 

“[Self-direction] helps people live a spontaneous life like you and I want to have,” said Marc. 

Self-direction means ownership. Participants set employee schedules, adjust priorities, and make both big and small decisions about their support. It takes effort—but most participants wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“It’s work. It’s a lot of work. But it’s worth it,” said Lauren. 

A Way of Living 

For many people, self-direction isn’t just a service; it’s a shift in what’s possible.  

“I can go to the YMCA. I can go swimming now. I couldn’t do that before because I didn’t have someone to assist me in changing clothes or getting in and out of the pool safely. It’s really important, and it’s been really good for me emotionally as well as my confidence,” said Lauren. 

That independence creates space not just for personal growth, but also for a deeper connection to the community. 

“For myself, I wouldn’t have imagined being able to be a part of some of the things I do now. I take part in my child’s school activities. I’m part of the PTA. He’s in the Cub Scouts—I’m part of committees for Cub Scouts. I get to go and do things with him with the support of my staff because otherwise I would really struggle,” said Lauren. 

Self-direction expands what participation looks like: at home, in school, and across the community. Lauren discovered this firsthand—after seeing what the model did for her son, she decided to try it for herself.  

“Since my son has started Self-Directed Services, there has been a huge improvement in safety concerns and behavior management,” said Lauren. 

People First 

For 20 years, Fello has offered Self-Directed Services, supporting thousands of people across Maryland. What began with hundreds of participants has grown into a model serving more than 3,500 people today.   

“It’s really an evolution of services for people. They previously didn’t have a lot of say in what their lives looked like. This is just a movement towards self-determination,” said Marc. 

At its core, self-direction reflects a simple belief: people know what they need.  

Fello’s role is to support that by providing the structure and administrative support that allows each person to design services around their goals and priorities. 

“For Fello, we’re rooted in people-centeredness. Whatever we do is for the person. They drive that. Self-direction takes it to the next level,” said Marc. 

Take the Lead 

There’s no one path to independence, and self-direction isn’t the right fit for everyone.  But for those interested in having a greater choice and control, self-direction offers something powerful: the ability to live life your way.  

“Self-direction has really been a benefit for myself and my child, and I know a lot of other individuals who are in self-direction, and it’s made a huge difference for them. So, if you’re able to put the work in or you have a team behind you to put the work in, it’s definitely worth it,” said Lauren. 

Listen to the Full Conversation 

Listen to Marc and Lauren talk about the potential of self-direction for people with disabilities. Tune into Episode 10 of Fello Thinking Differently today. 

Listen Now: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify