Life Quest, Inc. (LQI), a non-profit located in Silver City, NM that provides services to adults with developmental disabilities and children from birth to 3 with or at risk for developmental disabilities, is announcing its permanent closure. Life Quest has been a very important part of this community for 45 years, providing services for children and adults and had been the sole provider for Early Intervention (EI) services for Grant, Luna, Hidalgo and Catron counties for the past 30 years. Over these years, Early Intervention services resulted in thousands of children who were prepared for the transition to school and also facilitated community inclusion and employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities.
During the spring of 2017 a decision was made by the NM Department of Health to award an additional provider, who is for-profit provider in the area, the ability to provide contract services for the Early Intervention Program in the four county region. This particular provider had also been the sole therapy contractor for Life Quest for the previous two years. Life Quest was told by the state that this decision was based on population and the allowance of a “Freedom of Choice” for families. This decision did not account for the dwindling population of the rural areas we served nor did it account for the shortage of available therapists in the rural southwest. When the new provider was awarded the Early Intervention contract they ended their contract with Life Quest and subsequently all the therapists and many of Life Quest’s trained staff went with them.
The CEO of Life Quest, Debra Frasca, said: “The continued sustainability of the company was severely compromised with the state decision last spring and while we worked tirelessly to build the program back up we were unable to overcome the hurdles to sustain our programs.” Frasca also stated that “during the past 11 months, we have made every conceivable effort to grow our Early Intervention program back; however, with the extreme shortage of available therapists (especially OTs-occupational therapists, PTs-physical therapists, and SLPs-speech language pathologists, known as speech therapists) in our rural southwest area we were not able to recruit the necessary contractors to enable us to grow at the rate needed to sustain our programs.”
“It is with a very heavy heart that I must announce the closing of the LQI Early Intervention Program, the Adult Services Program and our Yards Beautiful and Woodshop businesses” Frasca said. “It has been an honor and a privilege for Life Quest to have served the southwest New Mexico region for so many years. I would like to thank everyone that has worked for and contributed to our organization over the past four decades: our staff, Board members, and especially the families and the community that have entrusted us to serve their loved ones and supported us through donations, grants and the utilization of our ancillary services.”
The building, in which services are offered, belongs to Life Quest and is for sale. Frasca said she hopes that a community-minded organization that does great work or service will buy it. The agency also owns a building in Deming on Gold Street that is for sale.
Frasca emphasized that Life Quest will ensure a smooth transition for all individuals to other provider agencies in our area. "We are very proud that Life Quest has had such a long and successful run." She also said that their clients who have independent jobs in the community will keep them.
The date of closure will be effective May 10, 2018.
If you have questions, please contact Debra Frasca, CEO at 575-388-1976 or dfrasca@lifequestnm.org
Our TOT to TEENS community workshop is still on schedule for May 8. We will see you there! For event information visit: www.lifequestevent.eventbrite.com