Pioneer Center has 12 Residential CILA (Community Integrated Living Arrangement) homes throughout McHenry County for individuals with developmental disabilities. The homes are located in McHenry, Johnsburg, Crystal Lake, Marengo, Harvard, Woodstock, Lake in the Hills, Cary and Lakewood. They are situated in community neighborhoods and from the outside look like every other house on their street.
Two of the CILA’s are semi-independent homes that house up to three clients that require minimal assistance. Each client has a case manager that assist with budgeting, shopping, cooking, transportation and other tasks that help the clients gain their independence. The clients are responsible for cleaning and maintaining the home. These homes are considered transitional homes for individuals who would like to have their own apartment or house someday.
The remaining ten homes have up to eight clients living in them. These homes are staffed 24 hours/7 days a week. During the day, Monday-Friday, all the clients typically attend one of Pioneer Center’s Day Programs or they have a job in the community. When the clients are home, they assist preparing meals and doing chores, attend outings in the community, go to the bank, etc. Each of the clients have individual goals that they work on to achieve.
The residential team is made up of many individuals that assist with the care and safety of all the clients. The staff that work directly in the homes are called DSPs or Direct Support Professionals. The DSP’s assist the clients with personal care, goals, finances, cooking, cleaning, etc. Each DSP goes through an intense training that consist of online course work and on-the-job training. DSPs are certified in CPR, First Aid and CPI (Crisis Prevention Intervention). In addition, each home has a house supervisor that handles the day-to-day operation of the home and ensures that all codes and regulations are current. The house supervisor assists with the direct care of the clients and supervises the DSPs that work in the home. Each client has a case manager that is referred to as a QIDP or Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional. The QIDP creates, documents and trains DSPs in how to meet the individual goals for each of the clients. The goals are created and updated yearly at an annual meeting that focuses on the client. The QIDP also assists with scheduling and attending therapy and psychological appointments. They are the main contact/liaison with guardians and families.
Our Residential Program also has its own medical team that is made up of two registered nurses and two health services specialists. Although a nurse is not in the home 24/7 they are always on-call. The nurse provides and gives guidance on all medical issues that arise with the clients. The nurses are certified to train the DSPs in the homes on how to administer medication. The training is a two-day course that is held once a month. The health services specialist schedules and takes clients to all medical appointments.
If you have any questions, please contact Renee Stoklosa, Residential Services Manager, at 815.759.7250 or [email protected].
