Gary Reed
Director of Early Intervention Monitoring
|
Gary Reed has worked in the developmental and therapeutic fields since 2006. After seven years of service in the United States Air Force, he began his career serving adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities while employed with EPIC (Empowering People, Inspiring Capabilities) in Peoria, Illinois. He later joined the Early Intervention system, (EI) which serves children with disabilities aged three and younger. Gary worked for the Early Intervention Program as a Service Coordinator for four years before serving as a Family Connections Regional Manager for two years. During his time as a Regional Manager, his Regional Office improved from being one of the poorest performing to one of the top ten in statistical categories. Improvements were seen in the following categories: percentage of children receiving services in their natural environment, percentage of children transitioning from Part C to Part B of the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), percentage of children aged one and younger participating in the EI program, and an overall decrease in the average age of children participating in the EI program. In 2016, he joined the Vander Weele Group as Director of Early Intervention Monitoring, where he oversees a team operating out of two offices that monitors services for approximately 22,000 children a year. Under Gary’s leadership, the team upgraded internal processes to better reflect quality of services to children, annually achieved or surpassed its performance metrics, and contributed to multiple state and federal initiatives to support families and young children, including the Illinois State Systemic Improvement Plan. Gary has developed an extensive knowledge of Part C of the IDEA, including federal guidelines, requirements, and related policies and procedures. Gary received his Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health at Northern Illinois University.
|