Cynthia Macluskie: A Champion for Systemic Change
Ryan R Gielow, Owner of Absolute Pest Solutions and Founder of Together Toward Tomorrow Series
In the realm of disability advocacy, Cynthia Macluskie isn’t just improving lives—she’s re-engineering the systems meant to support them. Her combination of systems thinking, collaboration, and relentless follow-through sets a new standard for community impact.
Seeing the Roadblocks No One Else Sees
Cynthia spots the pressure points where agencies overlap—and sometimes collide. By mapping these intersections, she helps partners remove red tape before it strangles the very people they aim to help.
Fighting for Timely Payments
Currently, Cynthia is leading a vital initiative—working directly with multiple agencies and state officials to fix a serious issue: delays in payments and reimbursements to organizations that serve people with developmental disabilities.
This isn’t just about money—it’s about making sure these care providers can continue their essential work without disruption.
The Be Safe Program: Bridging Caregivers and Law Enforcement
Cynthia’s innovation doesn’t stop at system reform. She’s also the creator of Be Safe, a groundbreaking training program that connects caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities and local law enforcement.
Be Safe empowers caregivers with tools to manage emergency interactions, and it equips police officers with the understanding and sensitivity to de-escalate encounters with people who may not respond in typical ways. It’s real, practical, and saving lives.
A Life-Saving Encounter
Cynthia shared a powerful story: a 12-year-old boy with autism, who was physically large for his age, was experiencing a meltdown in a car with his caregiver. When police arrived, the situation could have escalated quickly.
Instead, because the caregiver had gone through Be Safe training, she was able to communicate the child’s condition immediately. Even more powerfully, one of the responding officers had also completed Be Safe. This shared training allowed the situation to de-escalate safely—something that could’ve easily ended in tragedy.
This story is a hopeful counterpoint to a heartbreaking incident in Mesa, Arizona, where a similar situation ended with devastating results. That tragedy became the catalyst for Cynthia to create Be Safe in the first place.
Spread the Word—Save More Lives
Cynthia Macluskie’s work is nothing short of transformative. With her blend of systems thinking, compassion, and community-building, she’s changing how we protect and support individuals with developmental disabilities.
The Be Safe Program is literally saving lives—and the more people who know about it, the safer our communities become.
Please share this story. Advocate for Be Safe training in your local police departments and schools.
Together, we can build a community where everyone feels seen, heard, and protected.
Did you catch one of our other Together Toward Tomorrow blogs about Evan Short with Missing In America Network? He is doing some amazing things and you do not want to miss it.
And did you catch CM’s blog about Inclusive workout spaces in North Phoenix? These are all part of our Local Lens Blog Series.