For Stefanie Primm, MSW ’08, a commitment to the field of developmental disabilities began early in life. Her brother’s autism required special attention in her early years, and she remains a central caregiver for him as he ages. Through her personal and professional experiences, she recognized that the isolation that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families face can have significant life-long ramifications, but families can work together and support each other to effect change.
That recognition led Primm to found LOV Inc. (Living Our Visions Inclusively), a non-profit organization originally housed in the UW-Madison Waisman Center. “LOV Inc. is a family-led community uniting people with developmental disabilities and their families to mobilize their strengths to engage and build their best lives.”
“Alongside other families, we recognized that we could accomplish something together, in the absence of readily available resources for our family members with disabilities,” said Stefanie. “In essence, doing together what we can’t do alone, we joined forces to help create a better future for our loved ones who were stuck on waiting lists.”
The program saw early success and in 2017, with significant project growth and a desire to continue to expand, LOV Inc. separated from the Waisman Center and became a stand-alone non-profit.
From a program that began as a collaboration of eight families in Madison, LOV Inc. has grown into an organization serving hundreds across 14 counties in Wisconsin. LOV has expanded its offerings to include specialized services for Tribal and Latina/o families that include an individual with a disability. In addition to bringing together and facilitating group meetings and events for families, the Bridge Builder program works one-on-one with individuals with disabilities to help discover their interests and develop a customized plan for community involvement.
Having drawn on her own lifelong experience with developmental disabilities, Stefanie has crafted and expanded a program where she and her staff foster community engagement for those with disabilities and their families, encouraging a more fulfilling life for their members. The school is fortunate that in addition to her work at LOV, Inc., Stefanie also co-teaches our field unit in Intellectual and other Disabilities.
“At its core, our work is about individuals discovering their own power,” says Stefanie. “It’s a privilege to support the growth that follows.”