{"id":10253,"date":"2025-09-09T10:53:44","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T14:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.epiny.org\/?post_type=news-article&#038;p=10253"},"modified":"2025-09-09T12:45:32","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T16:45:32","slug":"epi-celebrates-dsp-week","status":"publish","type":"news-article","link":"https:\/\/www.epiny.org\/news-article\/epi-celebrates-dsp-week\/","title":{"rendered":"EPI Celebrates DSP Week"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Meet Jerome<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>ROCHESTER, NY, September 9, 2025<\/strong> &#8211; Jerome Brooks has been working with EPI as\u00a0a Direct Support Professional (DSP) for more than nine years.\u00a0 The Rochester native spent years as a full time cook at The Distillery Restaurant on Mt. Hope Ave. before a chance conversation with his roommate, Anthony, changed his career path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnthony loved the work he did,\u201d Jerome recalls, \u201cand he thought it would be a good fit for my personality.&nbsp; I connected with EPI, interviewed, and nine years later, here I am, loving it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Monday through Friday, Jerome works with three men supported though EPI\u2019s Day Habilitation program, a service that offers adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities opportunities to grow, learn, and interact with others.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jerome and the guys he works with spend lots of time in the community, attending baseball games, fishing, going to movies, and spending the day in some of Rochester\u2019s beautiful parks.&nbsp; He looks forward to their daily conversations and enjoys learning about their families, lives, and ambitions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI try to be as attentive as I can and really listen to what they have to say because I\u2019m always learning something new from them,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jerome says the most rewarding part of his job is that he gets to make people happy.&nbsp; Of course, some days are more challenging than others, but he feels it is important to keep the positive energy flowing and he does what he can to keep spirits lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"701\" height=\"761\" src=\"https:\/\/www.epiny.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Brooks-Jerome-group-cropped-09.09.25.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10257\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.epiny.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Brooks-Jerome-group-cropped-09.09.25.jpg 701w, https:\/\/www.epiny.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Brooks-Jerome-group-cropped-09.09.25-276x300.jpg 276w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI mean, not every day is full of laughs, but those moments are important too because they trust me to listen to what\u2019s on their mind.&nbsp; It\u2019s a privilege for me to be a sounding board for that.\u201d&nbsp; Jerome points out that while it\u2019s important to know the details of his job, it\u2019s even more important for him to remain open and have a good heart.&nbsp; \u201cIt isn\u2019t the kind of job where you punch in and punch out.&nbsp; It\u2019s not for everyone, that\u2019s for sure, but it works for me, and I am grateful for this opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jerome is one of hundreds of DSPs working with EPI to help make a difference for people in our community with intellectual and developmental disabilities.&nbsp; Each year in September, EPI recognizes the extraordinary work done by DSPs throughout the agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDSPs are the backbone of our agency and play a critical role in making sure we accomplish our mission of empowering people with disabilities, neurological and chronic health conditions to pursue the life of their choosing,\u201d says President and CEO, Jeff Sinsebox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow EPI on social media for all the latest news, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/empoweringpeoplesindependence\">Facebook<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/epi_newyork\/?hl=en\">Instagram<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/epilepsy-pralid-inc-\/mycompany\/\">LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"episervices":[],"news-type":[],"class_list":["post-10253","news-article","type-news-article","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - 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