Biography: Jeff Parker

Aloha, A lil bit about me.  I took pictures for a living for over ten years. In the middle of a photo assignment of the Painted Caves fire in Santa Barbara California. While watching peoples lives burn down around them, with animals on fire running down the street towards me. I found myself in a quandary. To help or to watch destruction. Well, I tossed my camera in my car and drove five miles up wind and ran back to help nine families pack everything we could in thier cars before thier homes burnt to the ground. The next day I went to work at the largest school at that time for autistic children. (http://www.devereux.org/) I have been in the helping field ever since. Having worked with downs kids and adults, living/running grouphomes for up to 10 autistic kids to doing classes at college level with Asperger young adults.  I am a LPT (Licensed Psychiatric Technician) that currently works at  Atascadero State Hospital.  I volunteer with the American Red Cross doing Disaster Mental Health work and I spent two and a half years out with them after hurricane Katrina all over the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans. On my off time I can be found flying off mountains and cliffs on my paraglider or surfing here in Cali or Hawaii. Mahalos,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     jeff