Where does the QIDP Role Stop?

The QIDP is often given multiple task within the ICF/IID organization and the line between QIDP work and "Other" can sometimes become blurred together.  The question then becomes "Where does the QIDP's role stop?"  Most QIDP's reading this post will say it never stops, or it stops after I leave the organization.  Sadly, this approach to QIDP work is making it harder and harder to find people willing to become QIDPs.

Consider the basic responsibilities of most QIDP's listed below:
1.  Obtain Consents
2.  Write CFA reports
3.  Implement IPPs and Objectives
4.  Maintain IPPs and Objectives
5.  Coordinate services
6. Write Plans of Correction
7.  Train Staff and monitor staff
8.  Write Interim staffings between annual CFA meetings
9.  Obtain and coordinate Specially Constituted Committee people, minutes and meetings

This short list is only the basic QIDP responsibility list.  We could extend it further and likely give each item listed above sub-categories.  Anyone looking at this would think initially, "That's not too much," and it might not be if a QIDP was assigned to only four to six individuals.  However, the fact is most QIDP's have a caseload of somewhere between eighteen and twenty-four individuals.  This means the QIDP has to do the above nine items for upward of twenty-four individuals.

This is twenty-four individuals with unique wants and needs, unique family dynamics, unique behaviors, and unique problems.  Basically the QIDP is responsible for all nine areas presented and to be the counselor for the individual person.

This is where the lines often blur together and would-be QIDP's spend a brief amount of time working in the field before deciding that a teaching job or a job in a department store might present fewer headaches and fewer hours.  When the line blurs together the QIDP might end up hiring new staff, training all the new staff, completing background checks on new staff, handling individuals money, accounting for property of the individuals, grocery shopping, shopping for clothing for the individual, minor repairs at the home, coordinating major repairs and on-and-on.  The list of QIDP "Responsibilities" can rapidly grow to a point to where the QIDP is the Human Resource Manager, the Accountant, the Home Manager, the on-call staff person, etc.  It can actually become overwhelming just to think about it.

All this being said though, the reader must still keep in mind that the caseload is the key to the QIDP's responsibilities.  My QIDP (MY QIDP) started to meet the needs of small facilities.  The fact is a six-bed facility owned by one person or even a small group, does not need a full-time QIDP.  If they do have a full-time QIDP, there's a good chance that QIDP will have to have some other duties and responsibilities pertaining to the operation; however, the larger groups where a QIDP has a large caseload (18-24), you may want to consider giving a Home Manager responsibilities for home related items, a payroll or human resource department the responsibilities related to employees, and allow the QIDP to function as a QIDP and not the manager, book-keeper, director, staff training coordinator, etc.  Once we reach a point where QIDP's can do the job they sought, we'll have happier QIDP's who decide to stay in the field rather than seek something different.