Tania Keiser, M.S.Â
Founder/Executive Director
The company was founded in 2001 and has been a leading provider of Independent Living Skills training ever since. Cypress ILS is very proud that they have been able to provide a unique brand of high-quality life skills coaching to hundreds of individuals with developmental disabilities for over the past decade.
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Mrs. Keiser has worked in virtually every aspect of Rehabilitation Counseling and Social Services, assisting individuals with disabilities. She has worked extensively as a direct caregiver, Consumer Case Manager, as well as Group Home Manager and Administrator for several respected Residential Care Facilities (RCF's). Mrs. Keiser has broad experience as a Quality Assurance Specialist for RCF's, monitoring the standards of care in various residential care homes. As a certified QMRP Specialist (Qualified Mental Retardation Professional), exceptional competence was demonstrated in coordinating with the facilities to ensure licensing requirements were successfully implemented and that the care and respect of the residents were always paramount. Mrs. Keiser was the recipient of the annual "Outstanding Efforts and Results " award at Loyds Liberty Homes, Inc. It was during her tenure at Loyd's Liberty Homes that her efforts were noted on the prestigious Anchor list by federal and state agencies for consistently overseeing and administrating several RCF's with zero deficiencies (homes in 100% compliance with state and federal requirements), something rarely seen with such consistency in the care home industry.
In addition to the respected work she has done with RCF's, she has also functioned as a Consumer Case Manager at Adult Day Programs. Mrs. Keiser's accomplishments included developing a more effective means of coordinating and supervising staff as well as overseeing Consumers' daily activities alongside their integrated work and employment programs. She continued serving the Special Needs population for over a decade when she returned to her Undergraduate Alma Mater for an advanced degree.
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While maintaining her professional career, Mrs. Keiser completed her Graduate Studies at the nationally ranked and accredited Rehabilitation Counseling Program at Fresno State University. During her time in the Graduate Program, she completed an Internship for the Department of Rehabilitation, which afforded her a substantial understanding and familiarity with the State agency, vocational training, job development, and job placement. After graduating with a Master's Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling with honors, she re-entered the private sector and responded to an emerging need for Professionals with specialization in developmental disabilities as it related to children in foster care.
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Navigating the Foster Care system with a pilot program for the newly conceived blended services model, Mrs. Keiser utilized her knowledge and experience supporting developmentally disabled children in the Foster Care system as a Case Manager. Her personable demeanor and ability to effectively advocate for children proved to be instrumental in providing vital support and education to the foster families served. Early intervention, proper care, and support were key to ensuring successful foster and adoption placements. Numerous positive outcomes were achieved through her oversight and support of children that were developmentally and physically disabled, and non-disabled alike.
As demand for her personal services grew, Mrs. Keiser launched her Behavioral Consulting practice and provided services to prominent agencies serving the developmentally disabled population. As a Behavior Specialist for Porterville Developmental Center, she received the "Outstanding Voluntary Service" award for her contributions, awarded to her by the Sequoia Area VIII Board. In addition, Mrs. Keiser worked with numerous foster families throughout Northern California on behalf of Aspira Children and Family Services, fusing the goals and directives from multiple disciplines into one unified care plan - and then seeing that care plan was implemented effectively. She found that the most gratifying aspect of her professional experience was seeing the actual results derived from thoughtful, effective care plans translated into high-quality direct care service to each Consumer. It was this passion that propelled her to make her greatest contribution to the developmentally disabled population as a leader, developing an organization to deliver high-quality direct care services.
As the Founder and Executive Director of Cypress Independent Living Services, Inc., Tania has utilized her extensive hands-on experience and professional training to build an organization that provides life skills coaching leading to more independent and fulfilling lives. Since its inception in 2001, Cypress ILS has become a recognized leader in providing quality Independent Living instruction and has serviced hundreds of developmentally disabled adults, Senior Citizens, Veterans, and individuals with dual diagnosis and co-occurring disorders. These services address the unique needs of individuals experiencing a life change and transition factors such as going from teenager to young adult, being a minor dependent to one that is independent, adjusting to physical, mental and emotional needs brought about by health or ability changes; adjusting to life after military service; and establishing new roles and lifestyle due to change in age and assistive care needs. Cypress ILS continues to set the standard of care by constantly innovating new ways to achieve more independent lives. For her work, Mrs. Keiser was honored in the "Manchester Who's Who of Executives" for her leadership abilities and is featured in the association's World-Wide Registry.
Attributing the success of Cypress ILS to a symbiotic balance of Administrative-Know-How combined with expertise in the field of Social Services, Mrs. Keiser introduced a new concept in Consulting, called "Social Service Practice Management" through Keiser Rehabilitation Group (KRG). KRG's focus is on the development of Individual Practitioners, Teams and Groups, Organizations, and Government Agencies to deliver high-performance direct care services to the specific populations they serve. KRG as the Consulting Practice to other social service entities, and Cypress ILS as the direct Service Provider to Consumers, will continue to impact and provide quality services to individuals at local and regional levels, as well as continue to partner with communities and innovative program developments as it strives to improve conditions and opportunities for those serviced.
Mrs. Keiser holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the nationally ranked and accredited Rehabilitation Counseling Program at California State University Fresno (CSUF). She currently serves as a member of the Rehabilitation Counseling Advisory Board at CSUF; is a member of the Women's' Initiative Leadership Council (United Way); NADD (National Association of Dual Diagnosis); NAFE (National Association of Female Executives) and IARP (International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals). She has been selected as a Member of the Steering Committee for the Center for Disability Innovation (CDI), a first of its kind project combining accessibility, research, education, and direct services, in a unique green building that transforms itself to the needs of its visitors. In addition, Mrs. Keiser is a Board Member of the Doctoral Program Advisory Board for the Rehabilitation and Counseling Program at CSUF.