Your Health, Your Voice, Your Values.

I believe client-centered, independent advocacy ​is a tool to empower patients and help them ​thrive. With a thoughtful and collaborative ​approach, I strive to combine your strengths with ​my skills to help you meet your health goals, ​whatever they may be.

The average amount of information a ​patient remembers from a typical ​doctor's appointment.

- Journal for the Royal Society of Medicine

The estimated annual amount of ​Americans who are misdiagnosed.

- BMJ Quality and Safety

The estimated number of annual deaths ​related to preventable medical errors - ​the 4th highest cause of death in the US.

- National Institute of Health

• Having productive, thorough appointments
  
• Trying to make sense of a new diagnosis
• Managing a chronic diagnosis
• Finding new physicians and/or second opinions
• Getting your care team to work together
• Getting your care team to really listen to you
• Planning for care in the future
• Making sense of bills, benefits, and insurance
• Creating systems to manage your health or medications ​comfortably at home
• and so much more

My Philosophy

I have always been driven by my desire to help people and to empower them ​to help themselves.

In the healthcare world our autonomy isn't simply being able to do things for ​or by ourselves; it's having the power to make informed choices that align with ​our values. We get that power through knowing ourselves, knowing what's ​going on, and knowing all the resources available to us - including our ​personal strengths, our friends, family, spiritual practices, and community.

In your healthcare journey you may have found yourself temporarily stripped ​of your autonomy, or you may not have had the tools or opportunities to grow ​it to begin with. Either way, I feel honored to meet you where you're at to ​help you build your voice, and perhaps even hear it for the first time. My goal ​is to help you get the information, care, and control everyone deserves.

Experience

Schandelle Acosta (many of her clients call her Shea) is a Board Certified Patient Advocate with over 8 years of experience in ​nonprofit leadership and independent health advocacy. She has an extensive background in managing teams, homes, the ​programs, and the care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as people from all walks of life. She ​has experience facilitating everything from orthopedic surgery or neurological MRIs to Social Security reinstatement or picking a ​Medicare plan. Over the years she’s worked with clients aging anywhere from 22-82, with genetic disorders or comorbidities, ​with injuries or illness, of all neurotypes and ability levels, and of course all demographics.

Schandelle graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a pre-health concentration before serving 2 terms in AmeriCorps. She ​attended UC Berkeley’s Extension Program in Health Care Advocacy, as well as the Patient Advocacy Certification Program at ​the Cleveland School of Nursing. She is a certified Independent Facilitator for the GGRC’s Self Determination Program, a Direct ​Service Provider, and has several other certifications pertaining to equity, privacy, financial management, and the ethics of ​healthcare advocacy. She has lived all over the country, and has happily called the Bay Area home for the past 10 years. She ​currently resides in Oakland, California with her partner, 2 cats, and many (mostly) happy plants.

“I am incredibly grateful for Schandelle and truly in ​awe of her and her work. I hired Schandelle for a ​short-term contract where we identified a few ​primary goals with the understanding we could ​continue longer if needed. She was really helpful ​and supportive of working within my limitations, ​budget and otherwise, and her advocacy helped ​me accomplish those goals in a short time, when I ​had not succeeded myself for years.

More important than the actual metrics of success I ​owe to her, in my opinion, is the care and empathy ​with which Schandelle treats her patients. I have a ​long history of dismissal and condescension from ​medical practitioners, some of which had resulted in ​deep-seated trauma around healthcare and western ​medical providers. For the first time in my memory, ​I felt heard. Schandelle listened to everything, ​asked mindful questions about the sensitive spots, ​and empathized with my experience. Hearing my ​new practitioner within the system say that the care I ​had received in the past was incompetent and wrong ​was an emotionally healing experience. I cannot ​thank Schandelle enough.”

“I cannot say enough about Shea Acosta.

It is extremely clear to me that Shea loves her line ​of work, and has unquestionable dedication to ​her clients, all while preserving their rights. A true ​advocate.

As the Senior Manager where my brother Victor ​resides, Shea always put the clients' interests, well ​being, and safety first. One example of many was ​when Victor and another resident were diagnosed ​with Covid, she took them off the premises to a hotel ​where she stayed and cared for them until their full ​recovery, keeping family updated every step of the ​way. Shea did this on her own accord, protecting the ​other clients from exposure.

Because of my brother’s disability he has always been ​a challenge. Her approach with him was always ​with great care, compassion, understanding and ​empathy. She made it so any problem could be ​solved with us all in agreement. Victor will tell you ​that she was the best manager he ever had, she did ​good things, and he misses her, as we all do."

Er​in N.

“Schandelle helped me navigate the process and ​myriad of choices available to me as I moved from an ​HMO to Medicare. Her research saved me time and ​most of all frustration as I went through my ​application and the required documents. I strongly ​recommend her if you’re looking for health advocacy.”

“We’ve been so blessed to have a multitude of ​excellent professionals who have helped our son ​become the amazing person that he is, and Shea is one ​of them.

I could go on and on about her knowledge, ​communication skills, follow-through, etc. What I ​appreciate most about Shea is how her actions ​and words dignified our son as a whole person ​and as an adult. She expertly could assess his ​abilities and disabilities and then could make a ​plan to help him live his best life because she ​asked him the important questions and listened to ​him.

When there were issues, Shea would always work to ​first address them with Brian and would partner with ​us in resolving them when needed. I recommend Shea ​100% as an advocate and as a case manager. If you’ve ​been that person for your loved one, you can trust ​Shea to do the job as good as you’ve been doing it…​or even better.”

"I knew Schandelle (Shea) as the mother of a Kainos ​client - my autistic daughter Susan, who is a resident ​in one of the homes Shea managed. Shea managed ​several independent living homes with great ​efficiency and a huge amount of tact and ​diplomacy.

In the case of my daughter Susan, the previous ​manager had been heavy handed which resulted in a ​lot of attitude and stress. Shea somehow handled ​Susan in a firm, flexible way with good results. When ​Susan visited home, she always spoke of Shea with a ​positive, upbeat attitude.

During the difficult Covid lockdown period I observed ​that Shea was meticulous in carrying out the ​restrictions and also patient with parents, like myself, ​who were impatient with all of it. Shea has also been ​helpful to me as a parent. She was always willling ​to answer questions and provide assistance when ​I needed it. She is greatly missed."

"Schandelle "Shea" Acosta is a conscientious service provider in whom we ​had complete confidence and trust. It was a pleasure and relief to have her ​supporting our daughter.

...Shea managed staff and directly supported our adult daughter who was a resident ​[at Kainos]. In that capacity, Shea used person-centered planning to assess what is ​important to and for our daughter’s well-being. Even though our daughter is ​conserved, Shea still was able to promote decision-making and autonomy.

Shea was consistently patient, friendly, and thoughtful in how she communicated ​with residents who have different abilities and health issues. When residents ​expressed a need or desire to do something, Shea would reliably make it ​happen. She has excellent follow-through.

Shea was observant and insightful. When she thought there could be ​improvement for our daughter, Shea would suggest additional or alternative ​ways to better support her. Shea was always respectful in offering her ​suggestions and listening to our opinions. She was open to implementing our ideas ​as we were to hers.

In addition to working with residents and their families directly, Shea’s role ​required her to coordinate with third party agencies which provide services for our ​daughter. Regularly with us, Shea met with agencies and physicians. When written ​plans were required by third parties, Shea prepared these ahead of time so that ​residents and families could review and discuss them before plans were presented ​to outside agencies. Shea wrote clear and goal-oriented plans. She prepared ​well for cross-functional meetings and effectively advocated for our ​daughter."

“Shea was a dedicated, strong and ​involved advocate for our son and we ​miss her dearly. Her commitment ​was above and beyond in terms of ​physical presence, communication, ​as well as emotional support.”

“Schandelle went above and beyond ​to help me find someone in Santa Rosa ​who could do a psychiatric evaluation ​for my sister. Her communication skills ​were excellent. She was caring and ​compassionate. Schandelle is kind, ​compassionate and thorough.”

What are your rates?

$198/hr. Packages and flat rates for more defined projects/goals are available. If you would like sliding scale or pro-bono services, please inquire.

What if I have care management through my work?

That’s great! Many insurer or employer-sponsored advocacy programs have their limits, but they can still be wonderful tools. They often employ ​wonderful, hardworking case managers who can get a lot done.

An independent advocate would likely have additional training and experience, but I often make use of my clients’ work benefits to save time ​(and save you money). In these scenarios we’re all a team, but I’m more the team captain, and you, of course, are the coach.

Please let me know if you have a benefit like this during our intro call. As always, if I think your needs can be met with a better or more afforda​ble option, whether before or during our time togeth​er, I’ll tell you.

Email

AutonomyHealthAdvocacy@gmail.com

Bu​siness Hours

Monday-Thursday, 10am-6pm, PST

Fridays and Weekends by appoin​tment only

Service Locations

Remote Services Nationwide

In Person throughout the SF Bay Area