About
Meet the Team!
Our Mission
SilverNail NW is dedicated to increasing opportunities for choice and access to Professional Behavior Services outside of the Portland, Salem, Eugene corridor. We ensure access by working in locations that traditionally struggle to access behavior services and mentoring other small business owners who work in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities field.
Areas Served
One of our founding goals is to ensure as many people as possible have access to highest quality of professional behavior services. As our business continues to grow we are constantly seeking new professionals and clients in areas that are underserved.
So, if you’re located in an area we don’t yet serve, please contact us and we’ll see what we can do!
Oregon Counties We Are Currently Serving:
Benton | Crook | Clackamas | Deschutes | Grant | Harney | Jefferson | Klamath | Lane | Lincoln | Linn | Marion | Multnomah | Polk | Washington | Yamhill
Meet the Founder
“I first became aware of service equity issues as I witnessed children outside of the I-5 corridor not able to access the needed support systems that other children could access in their local communities.”
Her experience and passion for directly helping people who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities combined with knowledge of OAR’s led Michelle to develop SilverNail NW. With her own consulting firm, Michelle increased her capacity to serve a broad range of service users and to help ensure equal access to services despite the county that people live in. She is always excited about opportunities to meet new people and develop new long-term relationships that support people leading fulfilling lives — whether that is helping a house manager implement more robust and efficient practices or empowering a client to increase their autonomy. SilverNail NW’s agency is dedicated to not only writing FBA’a and PBSP’s but assisting teams with a lifetime of changes through ensuring that we provide maintenance services to the plans that we write.
It was at her very first job that Michelle recognized the importance of supporting people experiencing disabilities and while there she made a connection at Oregon School for the Blind (OSB) which propelled her toward providing direct care of students as a residential and school support team.
It was at OSB that she developed some of her fundamental knowledge about and experienced working with children who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and participating in the (Individual Education Plan) IEP process.
This experience led Michelle to pursue higher education and she graduated from Portland State University with a degree in Child and Family Studies in 2002.
That experience helped Michelle’s next professional development when she returned to her roots in working with people who receive services through local Community Developmental Disability Programs (CDDP’s); first as a case manager or service coordinator at a county office and then at a large provider agency as a house manager and then area director.
Meet the Behavior Professionals
Building rapport and trust is important as I may see folks on their worst day and they need to feel safe being so vulnerable. I strive to work with individuals and teams wherever they feel most comfortable meeting, whether that be their place of work or home during traditional business hours or after. Conducting an assessment of the current safety and quality of life needs for the individual and the people that help support them enables me to develop a positive behavior support plan that is person-centered and a good fit for the individual and their environments.
I value centering the voices and experiences of historically excluded populations in our state and ensuring that individuals and families have the ability to work with someone that looks like them, speaks their language, and shares lived experiences with them. SNNW is already creating this, much needed, vision in our state and I am excited to help build the capacity of Behavior Professionals in Central and Eastern Oregon.
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Shadow ReineBehavior Professional -
Beatriz Mendez SorianoBehavior Professional: Bilingual Spanish -
Cecilia RamirezBehavior Assistant -
Chambria GuthrieBehavior Professional -
Destiny SpellmanBehavior Professional -
Emily YoungBehavior Professional, Independent -
Kristen ClemensBehavior Professional, Independent -
Mia MikelicBehavior Professional, Independent -
Rebecca WeaverBehavior Professional, Independent -
Demeter FinchBehavior Professional
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Meet the Quality Assurance Wizards
I strive to ensure new providers know the “unwritten rules”, things that are typically learned after years of experience, in order to help them best serve their clients. I also work with the licensing department to help ensure more consistency in regards to licensing citations.
I am passionate about being a part of a team that strives to ensure individuals are able to receive services from entities that care about them on a personal level.
I primarily work behind the scenes at SilverNail NW, so while I may not be seen often, you’ve probably seen my work. When I do get to interact with our clients it is at events where I strive to make the events as accessible as possible for everyone.
I have worked in the veterinary industry for 2 years and property management for 2 as well. These experiences have taught me to be empathetic and caring toward others. I was drawn to SilverNail NW because of their team’s positive energy and their dedication to ensuring everyone maintains a good work-life balance. With our clients, we put in a lot of work to ensure they have a well-rounded life – management at SilverNail NW does the same for their team members. This helps us to be able to provide for our clients in a more positive way.
Outside of my job with SilverNail NW, I love to spend time with my family and friends. I also enjoy paddle boarding and surfing.
I am in this industry because I want to have the opportunity to leave an impact on people’s lives and advocate for individuals within this community. David Pityonak stated that loneliness is the only real disability, and that is something that has always stuck with me. I am in this field to provide support anywhere I can to make someone’s life a little more enjoyable.
My job as MAO Admin Assistant involves helping to provide a safe space for participants/new providers to participate in the Medicaid Agency Orientation. I help with scheduling, processing payments, testing, and ensuring everyone makes it into the meetings each session. I troubleshoot technical issues during class and ensure everyone has everything they need to be successful and get their MAO certificate.
I started my career as a Direct Support Professional. After a couple of years, I began working for SilverNail NW and was impressed with their consistent display of their values while supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Everything we do for the I/DD Community revolves around person-centeredness and doing our best to create an equitable space for all.
I love to take my dogs hiking, playing sports, and anything outdoors. When I am not working, you can find me at the gym, at the river fishing, or hanging out with friends and family.
Meet the Person Who Wear Many Hats
I am passionate about providing and finding appropriate resources and training for caregivers. There are a lot of great people in this field who could do even greater things with all the right resources.
I work with clients in their homes, community, and work settings, depending on their needs. Interaction with the people we support is important to me because I want to be able to advocate accurately for people’s wants and needs.
Before I came to SNNW, I worked as a supervisor in a large provider setting that specifically focused on 24-hour and SL services. I have a wide understanding of the pitfalls caregivers face in these settings and how clients may fall into a situation where they are not always receiving the best support. I also have a broad understanding of the DD sector because of my past experiences.
I was drawn to SilverNail NW because they believe in respecting and protecting both people’s rights and their responsibilities. I get excited when I see people learning from a mistake. I firmly believe that all people need to be allowed to make mistakes to learn and grow.
I love reading books and playing video games.
Services
Positive Behavior Support
With direction from people supported, families, ISP teams, and the Oregon Administrative Rules, SilverNail NW works closely to ensure person centered and least restrictive Positive Behavior Support Services.
SilverNail NW has professionals who are OIS certified to write or co-author PBSPs, provide onsite training to the DSPs working with a person who requires safeguarding interventions. At this time we do not provide OIS classes but are happy to refer you to our partners.
Technical Assistance
SilverNail NW provides technical assistance to people, non profits, and companies who want to apply for certification and endorsements in the State of Oregon.
We believe that even the most experienced and educated providers in Oregon benefit from a fresh perspective, system development, and best practices. SilverNail NW has substantial experience meeting the Oregon Administrative Rules in Oregon.