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Arizona Lionhearts
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    • Home
    • About
    • Contact
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    • The Lionhearted Blog
    • Events
    • Join Our Team
    • Provider Resources
Arizona Lionhearts
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Services
  • Client Resources
  • The Lionhearted Blog
  • Events
  • Join Our Team
  • Provider Resources

About Arizona Lionhearts - Acerca de Arizona Lionhearts

Our Mission

At Arizona Lionhearts, our mission is to provide advocacy and holistic, courageous, and compassionate care to meet the needs of individuals with exceptional and neurodiverse qualities. We strive to: 

  • Provide safe and nurturing environments for members, their families, and service providers.
  • Promote quality of life through personal growth, increased independence, self-care, self-regulation, self-knowledge, self-esteem, and self-determination. 
  • Explore and celebrate individual differences and contributions. 
  • Encourage, educate, and support families in their journey of living with a loved one with exceptional and neurodiverse qualities.
  • Attract, hire, train, and retain exemplary direct care providers and administrators.


Nuestra misión

En Arizona Lionhearts, nuestra misión es brindar defensoría y atención holística, valiente y compasiva para satisfacer las necesidades de personas con cualidades excepcionales y neurodiversas. Nos esforzamos en:

  • Proporcionar entornos seguros y enriquecedores para los clientes, sus familias y los proveedores de servicios.
  • Promover la calidad de vida a través del crecimiento personal, el crecimiento de la independencia, el autocuidado, la autorregulación, el autoconocimiento, la autoestima y la autodeterminación.
  • Explorara y celebrar las diferencias y contribuciones individuales.
  • Alentar, educar y apoyar a las familias en su jornada de apoyo a un ser querido con cualidades excepcionales y neurodiversas.
  • Atraer, contratar, capacitar y retener proveedores y administradores de atención directa ejemplares.

Our Values - Nuestros valores

Diversity is a Superpower

Diversity is a Superpower

Diversity is a Superpower

The spectrum of human diversity is not just something to be merely tolerated but celebrated for giving our world color and meaning.


La diversidad es una superpotencia

El espectro de la diversidad humana no es algo que simplemente debe tolerarse, sino que debe celebrarse por dar color y significado a nuestro mundo.


Stronger Together

Diversity is a Superpower

Diversity is a Superpower

Living with exceptional and neurodiverse qualities can be hard. Caring for someone with exceptional and neurodiverse qualities can be hard. Together we unlock sources of understanding, knowledge, and connection that gives hope, strength to grow, and resiliency.


Más fuertes juntos

Vivir con cualidades excepcionales y neurodiversas puede ser 

Living with exceptional and neurodiverse qualities can be hard. Caring for someone with exceptional and neurodiverse qualities can be hard. Together we unlock sources of understanding, knowledge, and connection that gives hope, strength to grow, and resiliency.


Más fuertes juntos

Vivir con cualidades excepcionales y neurodiversas puede ser difícil. Cuidar a alguien con cualidades excepcionales y neurodiversas puede ser difícil. Juntos desbloqueamos fuentes de comprensión, conocimiento y conexión que brindan esperanza, fuerza para crecer y resiliencia.


Right to Thrive

Diversity is a Superpower

Right to Thrive

Access to a meaningful and quality  life is a human right. At Arizona Lionhearts, EVERYONE has this right to quality of life, meaningful connection and respect as a member, family member or staff.


Derecho a prosperar

El acceso a una vida con significado importante y de calidad es un derecho humano. En Arizona Lionhearts, TODOS tenemos el de

Access to a meaningful and quality  life is a human right. At Arizona Lionhearts, EVERYONE has this right to quality of life, meaningful connection and respect as a member, family member or staff.


Derecho a prosperar

El acceso a una vida con significado importante y de calidad es un derecho humano. En Arizona Lionhearts, TODOS tenemos el derecho a una calidad de vida, una conexión significativa y respeto como cliente, familiar o personal.


About Our Staff - Acerca de Nuestro Personal

Katie Hurstwicker, MSSW

Katie Hurstwicker, MSSW

Katie Hurstwicker, MSSW

Arizona Lionhearts’ co-founder and CEO, Katie Hurstwicker, is a parent of 2 children living with developmental disabilities and a 25-year veteran social worker working in home health, advocacy, mental health, cancer wellness, and administration. She previously led the Cancer Wellness House of Salt Lake City as their Executive Director. Si

Arizona Lionhearts’ co-founder and CEO, Katie Hurstwicker, is a parent of 2 children living with developmental disabilities and a 25-year veteran social worker working in home health, advocacy, mental health, cancer wellness, and administration. She previously led the Cancer Wellness House of Salt Lake City as their Executive Director. Since living in Arizona, she has held positions of Programs Director, managing 200 staff that provided home and community-based services, and as a consultant for an agency developing and implementing a Home and Community-Based Services programs. Mrs. Hurstwicker has a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University in New York City. 


La cofundadora y directora ejecutiva de Arizona Lionhearts, Katie Hurstwicker, es madre de dos niños que viven con discapacidades del desarrollo y una trabajadora social veterana con 25 años de experiencia trabajando en salud domiciliaria, defensa, salud mental, bienestar del cáncer y administración. Anteriormente dirigió Cancer Wellness House de Salt Lake City como su directora ejecutiva. Desde que vivió en Arizona, ha ocupado cargos de Directora de Programas, gestionando a 200 empleados que brindaban servicios domiciliarios y comunitarios, y como consultora para una agencia que desarrolla e implementa programas de servicios domiciliarios y comunitarios. La Sra. Hurstwicker tiene una Maestría en Ciencias en Trabajo Social de la Universidad de Columbia en la ciudad de Nueva York.

Lucy Escobar Bludorn

Katie Hurstwicker, MSSW

Katie Hurstwicker, MSSW

Arizona Lionhearts’ co-founder and COO, Lucy Bludorn, is an advocate for wellness and accessibility. She is a  20-year veteran teacher working in the areas of preschool and elementary school. As a bilingual educator, Lucy focuses her teaching on functional and practical life skills, art, music exploration, emotional health, and movement. 

Arizona Lionhearts’ co-founder and COO, Lucy Bludorn, is an advocate for wellness and accessibility. She is a  20-year veteran teacher working in the areas of preschool and elementary school. As a bilingual educator, Lucy focuses her teaching on functional and practical life skills, art, music exploration, emotional health, and movement. Born and raised in Peru, Lucy has a passion for reaching the Spanish-speaking community and ensuring families have education and access to state services. Before Arizona Lionhearts, she taught at Arizona and Ohio schools, instructing  English as a Second Language, gardening, yoga, Spanish, mindfulness, music, and art. Ms. Bludorn also worked as an administrator at a Speech and Language, and Occupational Therapy clinic, overseeing staff and therapists, hiring, retention, and support, as well as family advocacy and communication.


La cofundadora y directora de operaciones de Arizona Lionhearts, Lucy Bludorn, es una defensora del bienestar y accesibilidad. Ella es una maestra veterana con 20 años de experiencia en las áreas de preescolar y escuela primaria. Como educadora bilingüe, Lucy centra su enseñanza en habilidades funcionales y prácticas para la vida diaria, arte, exploración musical, salud emocional y movimiento. Nacida y criada en Perú, Lucy siente pasión por llegar a la comunidad de habla hispana y garantizar la educación y el acceso a los servicios estatales. Antes de Arizona Lionhearts,  Lucy enseñó en escuelas de Arizona y Ohio, impartiendo clases de Inglés como Segundo Idioma, jardinería, yoga, español, mindfulness, música y arte. Lucy también trabajó como administradora en una clínica de Terapia Ocupacional y de terapia de Habla y Lenguaje supervisando a los empleados y terapistas, y así mismo apoyando a las familias a navegar los servicios de DDD.

Our Inspiration - Nuestra inspiración

My Family Living Neurodiverse Qualities

Parenthood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you’d have. It’s about understanding your child is exactly the person they are supposed to be. And, if you’re lucky, they might be the teacher who turns you into the person you’re supposed to be. ~The Water Giver


Mi familia vive cualidades neurodiversas

La paternidad se trata de criar y celebrar al hijo que tienes, no al hijo que pensabas tener. Se trata de comprender que su hijo es exactamente la persona que se supone que debe ser. Y, si tienes suerte, puede que sea el profesor que te convierta en la persona que se supone que debes ser. ~The Water Giver



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