About

Self-Directed Choices Management and Staff

Self-Directed Choices employees and administration have diverse experience helping to educate, assist, and guide individuals in all areas of New Mexico. We embrace self-direction principles and inclusive communities. Self-Directed Choices promotes the Know Your Rights campaign and provides information to people and their supports. We support persons of all ages. Our employees are well-versed to serve people who speak Spanish and Navajo.

Self Directed Choices
Self Directed Choices
Self Directed Choices

Sandy Skaar received a Master's in Social Work from New Mexico State University with a minor in Gerontology and has over 20 years of community resource experience that connects people to services both in-state and out-of-state. Her passion for this field, began when Sandy adopted four young children with diverse disabilities. They have each grown into inspiring, creative and loving individuals. She was also a treatment foster parent for 11 years, to teenagers that needed help integrating into the community. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Health Services Administration and Gerontology. Sandy's true-life mission is to inspire people to use their voices and teach them how to advocate for themselves.

Self Directed Choices

Don Skaar has been a consultant with Self-Directed Choices since September 2011. He serves as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and has an education in Business Administration and Finance. He provides education, assistance, and guidance to individuals and their consultants as they develop budgets and plans in their self-direction process.

Self Directed Choices

Jacob Patterson, Self-Directed Choices Consultant Program Manager, has over 16 years of professional experience working with individuals whose diagnoses are intellectual/developmental disabilities and medically fragile.

Areas of Specialty

  • Aging/Elderly issues and diagnoses

  • Alzheimer’s

  • Brain injury

  • Down Syndrome

  • Intellectually impaired (DD/MR)

  • Homelessness

  • Mental illness

  • Movement disorders, i.e. Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease

Experience Helping People

  • Empower people to create and affect statewide systems changes

  • Provide people with accurate information and referrals

  • Guide people to access to Government benefits such as SSI, Medicaid

  • Encourage people to develop programs to effectively assist people in their communities

  • Connect people to their community-based services

  • Access the various New Mexico Medicaid Waivers