When Patricia O’Brien learned that Eden Autism’s finance department was hiring, she immediately knew she wanted the role.
“I have several family members who are on the spectrum,” said Pat. “My parents are deaf, and I have deaf nephews and nieces, so I have been around disabled people my entire life. I wanted to be part of an organization like Eden.”
When she interviewed for the job, she was struck by the camaraderie and friendliness of everyone at Eden, from the admin to the teaching staff.
“Everyone here wants to do the best job they can. I can absolutely say that this has been my favorite job I’ve ever had,” she said.
Pat is Eden’s Senior Billing Specialist. While she handles several different tasks within the finance department, her main work includes Medicaid billing and ensuring claims get paid. “I like to joke that if I don’t do my job, we don’t get paid,” she said.
Outside of work, Pat is a member of the Hightstown Elks Lodge #1955, an organization that has a long history of supporting children with special needs. Every year, the Hightstown Elks send special needs children to a sleepaway summer camp, giving the children a fun experience while the families have an opportunity to do things that may be difficult for their child to attend.
A few years ago, Pat took her support to the next level and worked with the Hightstown Elks to have them sponsor the Eden Autism 5K! “Everybody at the lodge knows I work for Eden, and they’re all really excited to help out when they can,” she said. In addition to the 5K sponsorship, her fellow Elks members joined her to volunteer at the Eden Dreams gala.
“When you support Eden, you’re supporting not only students but you’re supporting the residence and the day centers,” said Pat. “It’s a lifetime, and we can all make a difference if we get involved. Everybody at Eden is so committed to doing the best they can across the entire spectrum of people with autism.