Meet Jenny Kiser

Jenny Kiser is a Quality Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP) at the Center of Hope and has been on the staff for 10 years. We asked Jenny to share some of her thoughts about the Center.

How long have you been at the Center? My 10-year anniversary was on January 17, 2022.

Please describe your role at the Center. I am a QIDP which includes case management for the participants in our department.  I also manage and supervise the area and the staff in our department.

Why did you choose this field? I chose a major in psychology and once I graduated my degree led me to this field and I am very grateful it did.

What advice would you give someone who is interested in working at the Center? Do your best and be your best, a direct quote from one of our parents.  Be positive, ask for help and help others, we are all a team working towards the same goal.

What is the biggest change you’ve seen over the years? The biggest one, which is a very positive one, is the direction the personal plan for participants has gone as directed by DHS. The plan is about what they want out of their lives, what they like to do and what they may not like to do. Instead of working on goals such as writing my name, unless that is what they would like to do, it may be “ I would like to go to the park and take a walk each week or go out to lunch at McDonald’s.”

 What keeps you at the Center?  Well I believe it takes time to feel at home some place.  I feel very at home here at the Center and feel I can be myself and I feel valued. I very much enjoy our staff, participants, families and residential homes we get to work with on a daily basis, too.

 Anything else you’d like us to know? I love that we get to try new things and see how they work for our staff, our participants and even ourselves.  Some things work and some do not but it is all about the choice and willing to try the new things to see if we like them.