EPI Employment Staff Awarded CESP Certification

posted on Thursday, January 23, 2014

Waterloo, IA - Two of EPI’s Employment Services staff, Nicole Rand and Nicole Ericson, have become Certified Employment Support Professionals (CESP).  This adds them to a short list of only 27 who are certified throughout the entire state of Iowa.

The CESP recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a sufficient level of knowledge and skill to provide integrated employment support services to a variety of people.  This certification, established in 2011 by the Association of People Supporting Employment (APSE) Board of Directors, is awarded to those who go through a nationally recognized process to define the roles and responsibilities of the employment support professional and pass an exam to demonstrate their competence.  This certification lasts for three years and will assist EPI’s Employment Services in finding new employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

EPI, founded in 1957 in Waterloo, Iowa, as Exceptional Persons, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization created as a catalyst for community based services for people with developmental and other related disabilities. Today’s EPI fosters the active community participation of people with disabilities through residential and transportation services, day activity centers, community living, as well as works to expand child care options and to improve the quality of child care available for families in Northeast Iowa. EPI serves over 5,500 children, adults, and families in Northeast Iowa a year and employs more than 400 dedicated individuals.