Feature Family Member

Milford Roque likes to work at THERAPY 2000, and it shows.

He’s a speech therapist assistant and has worked with the agency for two years. In that time he’s worked long days, traveled the North area from one end to the other and is always ready to do it again.

“I fell in love with speech therapy in school, and there’s not much else I’d rather do,” he said.

Karen Gillum, District Supervisor of the North Division, said Milford uses his enthusiasm to motivate his patients.

“He inspires them to want to improve,” she said. “His patients love him and look forward to ‘Mr. M’s’ visits.  He is upbeat and innovative—always looking for new therapy ideas. If he doesn’t know something, he does the research necessary to find the information he needs.”

Milford was influenced early in his life at home since his mother worked with visually impaired children. He attended Grambling State University in Grambling, La. He originally planned to study psychology with a minor in deaf education.

An adviser at the university asked him to consider speech therapy as a major, since there were similarities between it and his minor. He opted to take one class, and the rest is history.          

Soon after graduating he moved to Dallas, where he stayed with an aunt that already lived here. He interviewed with THERAPY 2000 and liked it from the first day.

“Even though I was just interviewing, everybody talked to me like they already knew me,” he said. “I could tell from the beginning that there was a real family atmosphere.”

Maggie K., a parent whose foster children receive treatment from Milford, said in a letter that she credits the vast progress in her son’s speech and language to Milford’s dedicated work.

“Milford has been able to reach him and facilitate growth in a way that takes much compassion, patience and skill,” she wrote. “I am always impressed how Milford can handle behavioral challenges and still manage an effective therapy session.”

Maggie’s foster daughter has also made steady progress that “only the most tenacious and compassionate of therapists could manage.”

“They don’t make better therapists than Milford,” she summarizes.

Milford said he is very happy to work for the agency, and he credits Jerre van den Bent with creating an optimum working environment because he too has worked the field and knows what therapists need to be successful.

“I feel blessed to have worked somewhere else before I came to THERAPY 2000,” Milford said. “That way I can appreciate how good therapists have it here.”

When he’s not busy working, Milford like to spend time with his wife and two daughters. He also likes to connect online and play PlayStation videogames with former colleagues from the National Guard, where he served for several years and was honorably discharged.

Milford is also an active member of the IT committee at and had a key role in the selection and training on the agency’s new tablets.

From his military service to his present line of work, Milford has surrounded himself with positive influences.

According to Karen, Milford is preparing to return to school to get his graduate degree so that he, too, can reach his optimal potential. 

 “When you work with greatness, you can become great yourself,” Milford said.