Disability support works best when it starts with the person, not the system. On Bucks Co Living, I talked with Carrie Adkins-Ali and Kristen Farry of Woods Services, two leaders at a Langhorne organization that supports people from early childhood through adulthood. They explained whole-person care, how families can find services, and why people with disabilities make the strongest advocates. Here is what I learned, and why their message gave me hope.
Curious about this episode? Here's a preview of our conversation, including their message of hope for families who feel overwhelmed.
Meet the Leaders Behind Woods Services
Woods Services leaders Carrie Adkins-Ali and Kristen Farry came to this work from very different paths. Carrie started in healthcare, including retail clinics, and joined Woods in 2023. She calls the experience life-changing.
Kristen studied political science at Lebanon Valley College and worked in the Pennsylvania governor's office of legislative affairs and at the state insurance department. She served under two governors, which is rare. She joined Woods in 2017 and now manages marketing, development, communications, government relations, and advocacy.
Their team works well together. Leadership development, including personality exercises, helps them respect their differences. Kristen charges ahead, and Carrie checks how people will feel.
Watch the full episode here:
How Woods Grew From One Campus to 14 Affiliates
Molly Woods founded the organization in 1913 after seeing that students with intellectual and developmental disabilities were not being served. She chose Bucks County in 1921. Today the Woods System of Care includes 14 affiliates and serves people in Bucks County, New Jersey, and Delaware.
For years Woods was relatively closed to the public. Over the last six to eight years it has opened up. Many people still do not know that disability services in Bucks County include a doctor and a dentist who specialize in special needs, open to anyone.
To fight stigma, they invite the community in. About 1,000 people join the Run for Woods 5K each June. Clients work in a florist shop and other businesses on campus. The more people meet clients, the more the fear fades.
During COVID, Woods did not have a single death related to the virus. Staff volunteered to live in homes for two or three weeks at a time to limit exposure. Woods was also the first organization in Bucks County, other than hospitals, to get vaccines, and it served as a vaccination site for first responders and healthcare workers.
Individualized Disability Care: Why One Size Does Not Fit All
Woods supports people across their whole lives. Here is how services line up by age:
| Stage | Support |
|---|---|
| 12 to 24 months | Diagnostic testing, including autism assessments |
| Ages 3 to 4 | Early intervention through New Jersey providers |
| School age to 21 | Approved private schools on the Langhorne campus |
| After 21 | Adult supports, including residential and health services |
| Later life | Support continues into old age |
Most students live at home and travel in from nearby districts. Some live on campus. Kristen explained that support looks different for everyone. Some people need one-on-one staff all day. Others move between peers. Many children use communication devices, and many adults need help with daily activities.
That is why individualized disability care matters. As Kristen put it, if you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism.
What Whole-Person Care Looks Like in Practice
Carrie Adkins-Ali from Woods Services explained whole-person care with real examples:
Social enterprises: Clients can work part time, and a missed day is okay.
Connected care: Psychologists call the doctors to check whether a behavior change has a medical cause.
Dental care: Some clients drive more than three hours. Providers let a person visit the clinic, look around, and try again another day.
Animal programs: Horses and goats can calm people who communicate in ways other than speech.
"We call it whole person care, which just means that in everything that we do, we are looking at everything the person needs. None of these things are happening in isolation. Our psychologists are calling over to our doctors to see, does this person have a virus? Is there something going on that they don't feel well? And that's manifesting as a behavioral issue. A lot of our clients have never been able to go to the dentist. It's been too stimulating or too terrifying. Our providers at every step look at that person and ask and communicate with them, what do you need? Every single person has multiple things that help them reach their full potential, and we strive to meet all of them. And if it does not exist yet, then we create it."
How Self-Advocacy Changes Minds in Government
I asked how to get officials to pay attention. Kristen Farry of Woods Services advocates for people with special needs for a living, and she is clear that they can speak for themselves. Self-advocacy for people with disabilities is her most powerful tool.
"I want to be very clear that the people with special needs are more than capable of advocating for themselves as well. We always try to help tell their stories and help them tell their stories if they want to. I have taken some of our clients along with me to Capitol Hill lobby days and into meetings with congressmen and senators and legislators and let them tell their story. That is really the most compelling way to persuade a legislator or staff to see your point of view, to hear it directly from the person who is impacted. It's one of the most rewarding things I do when I can bring an individual who's impacted by the services we provide to come and advocate alongside me for whatever the ask may be that day."
I told her it is harder to say no when someone is in the room. Kristen added that advocacy here is bipartisan. County commissioners, state legislators, and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick have toured Woods and supported its work.
Kristen also flagged HR 1, the federal budget law, as the top concern. She explained that people with disabilities were carved out of its Medicaid changes. But Woods also serves people who use Medicaid expansion for behavioral health, and they may be affected. Her team is helping clients keep their paperwork current so they keep their coverage.
How to Find Disability Services for a Loved One
Navigating the system is hard, even for people who work in it. When families ask how to find disability services for a loved one, Kristen suggests these steps:
Contact an admissions office. They can explain what to do at the county and state levels, even if you do not choose that provider.
Reach out to peer groups, including parent groups for neurodiverse kids.
Keep going. You are your loved one's best advocate.
Carrie finished with the message that stayed with me most.
"There is such an enormous amount of hope. We have clients all the time that grow and are able to accomplish things that their families never would have thought possible when they came to us. We've had clients who were living in acute care hospitals for years, living in a little room in a hospital, who now live in homes and go to activities and go swimming and have wonderful lives. So no matter where your loved one is, they always have the capacity for growth, and we have support systems in place to get them there."
Frequently Asked Questions About Disability Support in Bucks County
Why doesn't one-size-fits-all disability care work?
Each person has different abilities, communication needs, and levels of support, so care has to be individualized.
What does whole-person care mean?
It coordinates healthcare, behavioral health, dental care, education, and daily support around the individual.
What ages does Woods Services support?
Woods supports people from early childhood through adulthood and senior care.
How can families start finding disability services?
Start with an admissions team, a peer group, or a local support organization that can explain available services and next steps.
Connect With Woods Services and Bucks Co Living
Visit woods.org or follow Woods on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more local conversations, visit Bucks Co Living or find me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thank you to Carrie Adkins-Ali and Kristen Farry of Woods Services for sharing their work.
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