Amy Koenig recently took a moment to talk about her role and the important work she does. With calm dedication and a commitment to supporting others, Amy is committed to ensuring the well-being of the individuals Fairfield DD serves in her role as MUI Coordinator.
State law requires Fairfield DD to ensure all served are in healthy and safe environments and bring about quality improvement through a system called Major Unusual Incidents, or MUI. Steps to prevent further incidents and improve a person’s life is the goal of each incident investigation. While the Fairfield DD mission moves beyond safety, Fairfield DD recognizes it as an important foundation.
“I review incidents reported that involve individuals we serve,” she explained. “We determine what occurred and then what support is needed to ensure their health and safety.”
Amy’s work is more than reviewing what happened. She takes time to listen, understand each situation, and help find solutions. She also wants to make sure people feel safe, heard, and supported. “Helping individuals feel safe and supported is an important part of helping them achieve their goals and develop their independence,” she shared. “My role connects with Fairfield DD’s mission by ensuring the health, safety, and quality of life for the individuals we serve.”
The work of the MUI team can sometimes seem focused on problems or difficult situations. Amy sees things differently. She looks at each incident as a chance to learn, make changes, and provide better support. “Often an incident is misconstrued as being negative,” she said. “However, they can provide valuable opportunities for learning and growth. Not just for the individuals, but for their providers as well.”
For Amy, success happens when people work together to find solutions and prevent the same problems from happening again. Every situation is different, and each person and team has their own needs. “Success to me is when effective prevention planning is implemented through team collaboration,” she said. “Then through that collaboration, when it results in us no longer having recurring incident reports for the same situations, which is what I consider success.”
When asked about her favorite part of the job, Amy didn’t hesitate: “It’s the people.” She enjoys working with her co-workers and community partners. She also enjoys gathering information and following up on situations. “I enjoy gathering information and following up on circumstances, kind of like doing a little detective work in a sense,” she said.
Through her thoughtful approach, commitment to safety, and care for the people she serves, Amy plays an important role in supporting the Fairfield DD mission. Her work shows that challenges can also be chances to learn and improve. Through listening, teamwork, and compassion, Amy helps Fairfield DD provide safer and stronger support for the people we serve.