Page 5 - E-News_June July 2017_Final

Meet EPIC’s New QE Director

By Teresa Flora

My name is Teresa Flora and I am honored to be the new Director of Quality Enhancement (QE) at EPIC. Although I am new
to EPIC, I am not new to the field of intellectual disabilities having supported individuals with intellectual and physical disa-
bilities since 1994. I have a diverse background which includes vocational, residential, and community positions. However,
my first job in this field was as the job coach for The Arc of Washington County in Hagerstown, MD. While there I started the
“Job Club”, which was a group of individuals that were actively seeking gainful employment. I helped the group to work on
all aspects of the employment process including completing applications, preparing for interview questions, and learning
how to interact professionally with interviewers.

I have always had a hands-on approach to work so I don’t ask the people I work with to do anything that I have not done or
would not do. I am also a strong advocate for the individuals that we are here to serve and I have made numerous trips to
Annapolis, MD on Developmental Disabilities Day to advocate for the rights and choices of the people I supported. One of
my favorite memories is of the year that I accompanied members of the Trailblazers, the self- advocacy group from the Arc
of Washington County. It was the year that the big push was for the ten cent tax on alcohol. We met with several senators
and delegates to stress the importance of passing that particular bill. We even marched up and down the streets of Annapo-
lis, MD chanting “ten cents makes sense”.

The diversity of my professional experience will allow me to have a greater understanding of the challenges faced by various
programs at EPIC. My immediate focus will be completing EPIC’s annual Quality Enhancement Plan and license renewal.
However, my plan for the near future is to start a self-advocacy group here at EPIC to help the adults that we serve to speak
up for themselves. They will learn that it is okay to tell staff, friends and family exactly what they do or do not like to do. Pro-
moting this comfort with self-advocacy is especially important from a QE perspective because the goal of our department is
to ensure that our individuals are receiving the services they want, where they want them and from the staff person of their

choice. I am looking forward to getting to know both the individuals and the staff which make EPIC the won-
derful organization that it is.

Teresa Flora, is the Director of Quality Enhancement at EPIC. A member of the MACS Direct Support Confer-
ence planning committee, Teresa has over twenty-three years of experience supporting people with intellectual
and developmental disabilities in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Maryland.

5