Our Team

In 1993 Michelle Murphy’s youngest of two sons, Steven Murphy, was diagnosed with autism. She knew she needed to learn more about this right away and learned through books, conferences and materials. In 1995 she started in residential services at the local county board to dive deeper into understanding and helping others. After 15 years of service in the county board she knew she still wanted to help others in the home and community. She had encouraged her oldest son, through her actions, to further himself in the field of home care as well. She spent the next six years working in management for a home and community based services provider learning more about the field and how services are properly provided. In 2016, Strive for Independence was born out of a need for more available agencies to serve individuals with disabilities in their homes and in the community.