From Clinician to Advocate

I’m Dr. Jessica Forbes, a licensed speech-language pathologist (CCC-SLP) with a PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Howard University. I’ve spent over a decade helping families navigate the challenges of education and healthcare systems — in schools, clinics, and research settings. But the title I’m most honored to have held is caregiver. I supported my father through the final stages of Parkinson’s disease, and that experience changed how I show up in this work. It gave me a deeper understanding of what families face when they’re trying to advocate without a roadmap, and it’s the reason I built The Advocacy Table.

My Story

I’ve always believed that being an expert isn’t just about what you know. It’s about how well you can help someone else understand it. That belief has guided every part of my career — from my work as a licensed speech-language pathologist, to my time in clinical and research settings, to my current role supporting federal biomedical research programs.

Before I ever stepped into this work, I was in homes, schools, and clinics — helping families make sense of complex systems that often felt designed to leave them behind. I saw how easy it was for important conversations to get buried under paperwork, and how often parents and caregivers were expected to advocate without the tools to do so.

And while I brought clinical and research experience into those spaces, it was my role as a caregiver to my father that shifted my perspective entirely. Walking alongside him through the final stages of Parkinson’s disease taught me what it feels like to fight for answers while carrying the weight of love, fear, and responsibility. It grounded me in the emotional reality of advocacy — not just the technical parts.

The Advocacy Table grew out of all of that. It’s a place for families who want to show up informed, confident, and ready, even when the system feels overwhelming. I created it so you don’t have to figure this out alone, and so you always have someone in your corner who understands both the process and the pressure.