October 4, 2024
Twenty years ago, Tim and Bonnie Carmichael embarked on a journey to find a better living situation for their son, Ben. Born with a disability, Ben needed support, but the available options were limited—and, more importantly, didn’t allow Ben to live life on his own terms. Ben had his way of doing things—he liked to eat his way, engage in activities his way, and interact with his community his way—just as we all do.
It was during this time that Tim and Bonnie (both accountants by profession) discovered Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). They learned that self-directed services were an option, allowing individuals like Ben to have greater autonomy in how they live their lives. Not only did they find a better solution for their son, but this also sparked a realization that they could use their expertise to help others do the same.
In 2004, the Carmichaels took on the challenge of unraveling the complex bureaucracy surrounding HCBS with one clear mission: to help people live a life of their choosing, regardless of age or ability. From that mission, GT Independence was born.
As a Financial Management Services (FMS) provider, GT works to remove the barriers of self-direction. These barriers can seem overwhelming—onboarding new employees, paying employees, tracking budgets, paying employment taxes. At GT, we take care of these logistical hurdles so that participants and their loved ones can focus on what really matters: living life on their terms. As a company built by a family, for families, we understand the importance of keeping people at the heart of everything we do.
This October, our team will gather for our annual GT Week celebration, this time marking 20 years of supporting self-direction. Over these 7,300+ days, we’ve grown from helping a handful of Michigan families to serving over 50,000 people of all ages across 17 states and the District of Columbia.
We are incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved. Reaching this milestone required tireless effort, extensive collaboration, a bit of luck, and the shared dream that one day, everyone who wishes to self-direct their care will have the ability to do so. And that’s why our work is far from done.
Today, there are roughly 269 HCBS waivers that could offer self-direction, but only about half currently do. That’s simply not enough. We envision a future where all 269 waivers provide the option for self-direction. This is not just a goal; it’s part of who we are. After all, 269 is not just the number of waivers—we proudly share that number with our headquarters’ area code. And we’ll keep that spark alive, driving forward, until all 269 waivers support self-direction.