A Full Life — Blog

Christine Leider is the Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP) / Associate Director of the three Lifehouse Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) homes. These ICF homes are staffed to provide intensive personal care and medical support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

On May 6, 2021, Christine received a phone call from John Kalb, a Lifehouse parent whose son, Jaryd lives in the Nova House ICF in Terra Linda. He shared that after an apartment building fire, one of his son’s friends named Carlos had to find a place to live by May 12 or was at risk of being homeless.

Carlos came to Nova House on Tuesday, May 11 for an in-person visit and to complete the required intake assessment. Carlos saw his new bedroom, his friend Jaryd, met the other residents and a few staff and was thrilled at the prospect of a new home. The next day, Wednesday, May 12, Carlos officially moved into Nova House.

Recently, Christine asked Carlos what his favorite part about living at Nova House was. He responded, “My friends.” Carlos is a wonderful young man and has been an amazing addition to Nova House and the Lifehouse family!

Many thanks to Christine Leider, her staff, and the rest of the Lifehouse Team for this undertaking performed with great intention, kindness and love.

It was at this point that the Lifehouse team stepped into action. Christine worked with Carlos‘ family, their family friend Betty, the Marin Community Clinic, Golden Gate Regional Center and Housing Urban Development (HUD). Miracles happened and in less than a week, Carlos had a home.

Prior to moving into a licensed group home, there are many requirements that must be met, for example: a pre-physical exam, lab work, TB tests, lease agreements, consents, intake assessments, etc. We used all of our connections to get Carlos an appointment with his primary care doctor at Marin Community Clinic and to get the required medical records.

Find this story, community updates, and more information about Lifehouse in our Annual Report. You can sign up to receive our mailings by emailing our Office Manager Erin Loftus, mail@lifehouseagency.org.

Meet Sallie

Sallie has called Lifehouse home for eight years and is in the Supported Living Program (SLP). This program is perfect for her since it gives her the tools and life skills she needs to be as independent as possible.

Sallie is full of life and loves goofing around and making people laugh. Her favorite person to get a smile out of is her boyfriend Mark. They have been together for eight years. Some of her hobbies include hiking, going to the beach, and playing table tennis. She is a total shark on the court, and she was in the winner’s circle at her most recent tournament!

When Sallie isn’t palling around with friends, she is hard at work. With the support of the local non-profit, People with Disabilities Succeeding (PDS), Sallie works two jobs. The PDS Integrated Work and Community Inclusion Program helps her maintain her job at Woodlands Market for the past 11 years, as well as a position as a crossing guard during the school year for the past seven years. She takes great pride in her work, and loves the opportunity to be out and about in her community.

Sallie has lots of goals for her life, including to live more independently and be less reliant on others by practicing the life skills she has learned from Lifehouse. She also wants people to see that she has a warm heart and a good mind. Her message to the community is that people should accept individuals with developmental disabilities and welcome them into their lives.