October 11-17 is National Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional (QIDP) Week, and at Esperanza, we are thrilled to honor their commitment to providing outstanding services to our clients!
Esperanza’s QIDPs work in our Client and Family Support Program (CFSP), Coleridge Adult Day Program, and our residential homes, where they assist individuals and their families in obtaining appropriate levels of independence and interdependence through training, counseling, and use of community resources.
“What I enjoy most about being a QIDP is helping and serving the client and family to obtain guardianship, medical, and all their benefit services. Also, it’s very satisfying to see the clients reach their goals to become independent,” says Patricia Gómez, MSW who has been a QIDP for 9 years.
The QIDPs provide direct training for clients and their families in the areas of life skills, self travel, community living skills and related issues; additionally, they support families in establishing individual family goals. Also responsible for many other essential duties, the QIDPs help to provide a foundation for clients at home, so they can be successful out in the community.
While many of Esperanza’s services directly involve our students, clients, or participants, it’s also critical to provide support to the families or providers who care for people with disabilities. It’s important to build a bridge between home life and our programs for consistency and cohesion, which is exactly the job of our QIDPs.
“Esperanza’s QIDPs commitment to our programs and promotion of our person-centered philosophy help us to further support and achieve our mission. We are so grateful for their hard work, advocacy, and dedication!”
Joy Decker, Executive Director at Esperanza
Like Patricia, Tania, who has been CFSP’s QIDP since 2016, enjoys helping clients and their families, as well. “I enjoy being able to form a relationship with the families. Knowing that they put their trust in me is amazing!”
Adds Patricia Riley-Johnson, who has been a QIDP in our residential homes for 2 years, but has been a certified QIDP for 20 years, says, “I enjoy working with our individuals and supporting them in growing independently and expressing themselves while enjoying life, as they make positive decisions, which assists them as they integrate into the world.”