PATTIE ARCHULETA is a Maryland-based consultant, project director, and advocate for children and youth with special health care and behavioral health needs. Her professional experience is informed by her personal experience as the parent of a young adult with an autism spectrum disorder and a history of pediatric epilepsy. Archuleta is also a personal coach and mixed-media artist who teaches workshops in Baltimore.
Advocacy career ~ For over two decades, Archuleta has worked in Maryland and nationally to improve services for families and children with special needs. Her roles have included:
- Family Voices: Project Director for the Family Engagement and Leadership in Systems of Care (FELSC) project working on national initiatives to raise family voices and improve care systems.
- Maryland Department of Health: Program Chief for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Title V office working on administering and managing statewide grants to local health departments and nonprofit organizations.
- Maryland Coalition of Families: Professional Development and Training Manager as well as Family Engagement and Training Specialist, focusing on training, advocacy, family leadership, and empowerment.
- Parents’ Place of Maryland: Health Project Coordinator and Family-to-Family Coordinator assisting families with resources, and navigating healthcare systems.
- Maryland State Autism Workgroup: Appointed by the governor to this workgroup.
- Johns Hopkins Pediatric Epilepsy Center: Volunteer offering peer support to families using the ketogenic diet for pediatric epilepsy.
Artistic pursuits ~ Archuleta is also a mixed-media mosaic and collage artist based in Catonsville, Maryland.
- Creative expression: She has spoken about using her artwork as a way to process mental health challenges, with her mosaics often representing broken pieces that have come back together again in a beautiful new way.
- Workshops: She teaches community art classes, including vision box and personal altar making workshops through the Baltimore County Arts Guild.
- Storytelling: In 2024, she shared a personal story about finding lost love at a Stoop Storytelling event, which was featured on WYPR.