PERSPECTIVES SUMMER 2016
Project SEARCH graduates seven students from Grady Memorial Hospital program What’s Inside From the Superintendent DCBDD seeking photos Changes coming to SELF waiver PAGE 2
Spotlight on success Special Olympics State Games PAGE 4
Employment First Safety Town PAGE 6
New faces at DCBDD PAGE 8
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CBDD is proud to recognize seven students who recently completed and graduated from Project SEARCH at Grady Memorial Hospital. Project SEARCH is a business-led collaboration that enables young adults with disabilities to gain and maintain employment through training and career exploration. What’s even more impressive? This year, six of seven graduates have already received job offers due to the program’s training and the students’ hard work, while one student is moving out of state. This year’s graduates include Jim Sagan, Chris Maguire, Katie Bright, Patrick Wingert, Ashley Henry, Yasmine Owens, and Laura Hayward. Each year, up to eight students are accepted into the Project SEARCH program. To be part of the program, the students must be seniors in high school, have completed all of their graduation requirements, and must interview for the position. The program is through the Delaware Area Career Center (DACC) and funded by the student’s school district and Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD). DCBDD helps students apply to the program and works with Project SEARCH to help conduct the interview process.
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2 FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
Summer has arrived so quickly; and with it brings the end to my first year as Superintendent of Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities. This year has been one of great change and a lot of learning, but there is still more to come. In my first year as Superintendent, we were up for a levy renewal, we faced numerous changes to developmental disability law, and strived to increase the agency presence in our growing community. Our staff worked incredibly hard on all of these tasks and I am very proud of what we’ve accomplished. In this next year, we will embrace integration initiatives that promote full community inclusion for people served. Our focus will be on person-centered thinking and promoting self-advocacy. We will also launch a new website that will be easier to navigate and better represent the individuals that we serve, create a strategic plan to guide the organization, and market our new logo that the board approved during its May meeting.
When we began to look at modernizing our logo, the board and staff wanted to be sure that we were honoring the past while continuing to lead the way and represent those we serve as we look forward. Our updated logo continues to incorporate a compass, but now includes multiple individuals to represent a community. We feel the logo represents us well because we strive to work together as a community with the individuals we serve to guide the decisions that we make. We will also continue to lead the way for families navigating through the field of developmental disabilities and continue to advocate strongly on their behalf. We are also really excited about starting our strategic planning process this summer. DCBDD will use our strategic plan to align our vision, mission, and core values with our operational duties. We will put into place objectives with measurable outcomes to ensure that we are meeting our goals. This plan will also incorporate the major stakeholders in our community including the individuals we serve, board members, staff members, providers, and community members via focus groups. These focus groups will be something new for DCBDD, and we look forward to receiving direct feedback from our valued partners. We are aiming to have the strategic plan completed and approved by our board by the December board meeting so that we can begin implementing the plan at the start of 2017. It’s going to be a busy summer for DCBDD, but we are excited about the possibilities ahead. Stay tuned for updates!
DCBDD seeking photos from individuals served
As we work to update our marketing material and website, DCBDD is seeking photos of the individuals we serve playing, working, and participating in the community. If you are interested in sharing your photos with us, we may use them in upcoming newsletters, annual reports, general marketing material, our new website, or social media. Please send high-resolution photos to Brittany McClaskey, PR and Communications Coordinator, at Brittany.Mcclaskey@dcbdd.org. High-resolution photos should have a minimum file size of 800 KB when sent through email. If you have any questions, or are not sure of your photo size, please email the photo to Brittany for assistance.
Thank you in advance for helping us better represent those we serve in the community!
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Once accepted into Project SEARCH, each student completes a rotation of three internships at Grady Hospital that challenges their ability to work, plan, and problem solve. Jobs range from stocking nurses’ carts and working in the cafeteria to greeting guests and looking for expired items in the hospital supplies. Students are also taught job and interview skills. This employment training assists students in obtaining job opportunities after graduation. At the Project SEARCH graduation ceremony on May 16th, Anna Hensley, Chief Operating Officer of OhioHealth, said, “This is the fifth year we have been working with DACC. These individuals (the graduates) have put in almost 6,000 hours this year while helping our patients. On behalf of the entire leadership team, thank you!”
In a 2011 statement, Grady Hospital’s Director of Growth and Development, Ben Shaffer said, “When we were approached by community partners about bringing Project SEARCH to Grady, we knew it was a strong program with a great reputation. It was the perfect way for Grady Memorial to give back to the community and give deserving young adults the tools that they need to be successful.”
Project SEARCH originally began at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in 1996, and has grown to more than 210 programs in 40 states and five countries.
Congratulations to this year’s graduates on completing the program and finding employment!
“The graduates have put in almost 6,000 hours this year while helping our patients.”
Changes coming to SELF waiver The Self-Empowered Life Funding (SELF) waiver was recently amended to eliminate the sub-caps for cost limitations on the following set of services; community inclusion, remote monitoring, residential respite, and community respite. The overall cost limitation for this waiver will continue to be $25,000 per year for children and $40,000 per year for adults with a proposed implementation date for October 1 of 2016. Unique services included in the SELF waiver service package are listed below:
• Community inclusion supports an individual’s participation in his/her community. The service focuses on socialization and/or therapeutic recreational activities and may include peer support activities and organization of self-advocacy events.
• Integrated employment is designed to support people in finding and maintaining competitive employment at or above the state’s minimum wage. This service also includes support for an individual for self-employment, not including business startup costs.
• Functional behavioral assessments are useful to determine how to structure an individual’s environment to reduce or understand challenging behaviors.
• Clinical therapeutic intervention assists paid and unpaid caregivers with carrying out treatment plans that increase the person’s independence and inclusion in the community. This support includes the consultation on the development and implementation of the support plan. • Participant-directed goods and services are services, equipment and supplies not otherwise provided through the waiver to reduce the need for other Medicaid services, promote inclusion in the community and increase one’s safety in the home.
If you are interested in learning more about the SELF waiver and how to apply for the waiting list, please contact your support administrator or developmental specialist for details.
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Spotlight on success: Tim Hall has incredible spring
T
im Hall, a 19-year-old recent high school graduate, has a lot to celebrate! In addition to graduating from Olentangy Liberty High School this past May, Tim recently achieved a long-held goal of obtaining his driver’s license before finishing high school, bought his first car, and gained acceptance to The Ohio State University’s TOPS program.
Tim completed the program’s application and interview process in March of this year. He will spend a week in the dorms at OSU in June so that the program can identify his likes and dislikes and what kind of employment opportunities he is interested in. To help offset costs, Tim applied for and received a $5,000 scholarship after submitting an essay in a scholarship contest.
Tim has Cerebral Palsy which can make some tasks more difficult for him. To prepare for taking his driver’s test, Tim practiced maneuverability for a year. He worked incredibly hard to pass the test without any modifications and achieved that goal as well.
When asked about his plans for the future, Tim said, “I am not sure what I want to do yet, I like animals and cars, so maybe something with either of those – we’ll see.”
To top off the accomplishment of obtaining his license, Tim purchased his new car, a 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX, completely on his own. “I saved money for a couple of years by helping to sell pumpkins and corn that my family grows,” Tim said. Tim’s parents both went to The Ohio State University (OSU) and so becoming a Buckeye was something that was very important and meaningful for Tim. The Ohio State TOPS program, or Transition Options in Postsecondary Settings for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, is a two-year portfolio or four-year certificate program that focuses on academics, employment, independent living, self-determination and student development.
We send hearty congratulations to Tim for all of his recent achievements and look forward to hearing about his success at OSU!
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Special Olympics State Summer Games to occur in June Each year, more than 2,000 athletes from across the state of Ohio participate in the Special Olympics Summer Games at The Ohio State University. This year, the State Summer Games will take place from June 24-26th and the Delaware County “delegation” will take 40 athletes.
Delaware County will have athletes participating in aquatics, track and field, Bocce, power lifting, gymnastics, and volleyball. In order to qualify for the State Summer Games, athletes have to participate in at least one area meet for their sport. Coaches also make recommendations on attendance based on participation in meets and who went in previous years. Because there is a quota for each delegation, Delaware County Special Olympics tries to make sure that each athlete has the chance to attend the State Summer Games once every three years. When athletes are not participating in competition, they are able to interact and enjoy social events with the other delegations. They stay in the Ohio State dormitories for the weekend, and are able to bond with their coaches, teammates, and fellow athletes.
“The athletes work so hard all year to be able to go and they look forward to it. (The Games) are an honor for them,” said Jen Hall, Local Coordinator for Special Olympics of Delaware County. “Parents are able to see their children respected as athletes and receive support from the crowd, which is really special for them.”
Another aspect of the State Summer Games that the athletes love is the medals. Medals are awarded to top finishers in each event. “The medals mean so much to the athletes. They work hard all year and to get to the State Summer Games and earn a medal is a huge accomplishment.” Hall said.
DCBDD passed a resolution at the April board meeting to fund the athletes from Delaware County participating in this year’s State Summer Games. During the meeting, athletes Josh Wagner and Wally Berger described the Summer Games to the Board and parents Rob Smith and Tom Sansone explained how much pride their children have in participating in the Games.
We wish the athletes much luck in this year’s Games! We are so proud to see them represent Delaware County.
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Connecting interests and employment opportunity Shane O’Neill has been working at Nationwide Conference Center on Route 23 for more than 27 years. Starting with the company as a table busser, Shane now is responsible for assisting guests in the dining room, helping with room service duties, stocking supplies in the dining room, and other various tasks as assigned.
Shane loves his job because he gets to interact with the guests and because he really likes his co-workers. Shane’s co-workers also truly enjoy working with him and view him as a family member. In fact, in 2004, Shane and his family moved to Florida. By that December, Shane moved back to Ohio alone because he missed working at the Conference Center. “People are really thoughtful, and I like to talk to them. Some of the regulars come in and recognize me and give me
hugs,” Shane said. “It’s really nice.”
Shane has a moderate intellectual disability and Autism. Although Nationwide Conference Center made small accommodations for Shane at the beginning of his employment, they have long been discontinued. Shane knows his job inside and out and is a stand-out employee. He is often asked (and he agrees, of course) to cover extra shifts if other employees have to miss work because he is so reliable. In addition to working at Nationwide Conference Center, Shane enjoys karate and has a really friendly cat named Frosty.
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Delaware Safety Town teaches kids safety awareness Delaware County Collaborative Safety Town, an educational program for children 5-9 years old with and without developmental disabilities, took place at Willis School from June 13-17th. DCBDD partnered with the Delaware Police Department and Delaware YMCA to host the program for its fifth year. This year, 31 students participated in the collaborative session of Safety Town. The collaborative session allows students with developmental disabilities to repeat the program for multiple years to help reinforce safety skills and allows older students to attend who may not have been developmentally ready for the typical session at age five or six. “A few years ago, we were asking parents questions about safety and if their children needed to learn safety skills during our individualized support plan (ISP) development process, but we didn’t really have a program to offer them to help their children learn those skills. Because of that, we decided to approach the Safety Town program and the Delaware County Collaborative Safety Town was created,” said Jocelyn Fleming, DCBDD Support Administrator. Throughout the week, students were taught about safety topics and techniques that can be utilized in real-life situations. Topics included, fire, bike, bus, pedestrian, traffic, and animal safety as well as proper use of 911, stranger awareness, and more. Students also met firefighters, police
officers, school bus drivers, and other community helpers. At the end of the program, students graduated from Safety Town at a ceremony. For their participation during the week, students receive a bicycle helmet and Safety Town t-shirt.
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New faces around DCBDD
Debbie Albert joined DCBDD in May as the Director of Support Services. Debbie has worked in the developmental disability field for 23 years as a Medicaid consultant, fiscal agent, SSA director, and program manager for the Imagine Project, which gained national recognition in the area focused on Person Centered Planning. She has a master’s in psychology with a specialization in organizational leadership from the University of the Rockies.
Tracie Cordle came to DCBDD in May as a Transition Support Administrator. Tracie Cordle has several years’ experience working in the behavioral healthcare field in the community and school settings. She has experience coordinating, linking, and advocating for individuals’ needs. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a master’s degree in social work.
Lisa Fowler joined DCBDD in April as the Office Assistant for the Support Administration Department after working at Delaware County Job and Family Services as a caseworker for more than seven years. In her previous role, Lisa worked with long term care and waiver clients. She also has previous experience as an administrative assistant and training in office education.
Julie Knapke started with DCBDD in May as an Adult Support Administrator. She has four years of experience working in the developmental disability field with a provider agency in Delaware County. Julie attended Wittenberg University for her undergraduate degree and recently received her master’s in social work from The Ohio State University.
Debbie Sonner started with DCBDD in October of 2008 as the Office Manager for the Support Administration Department and became the Executive Assistant this past March. She will graduate from Indiana Wesleyan University with a bachelor’s degree in business management specializing in human resources this summer. In her position at DCBDD, Debbie assists the Superintendent and provides administrative support to members of the senior leadership team.
Jackie Zell came to DCBDD in May as a new Transition Support Administrator. She has over two years of experience working as an SSA in Marion County and has previous experience working for a provider agency. Due to her previous work experience, Jackie has worked with at-risk youth and dually diagnosed individuals of all ages. She graduated with her master’s degree in management and criminal justice in 2008 from Colorado Technical University.
Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities 7991 Columbus Pike Lewis Center, OH 43035 (740) 201-3600 www.dcbdd.org
If you have employment or success stories about the individuals we serve that you’d like to feature in an upcoming DCBDD newsletter, please email them to Brittany.McClaskey@dcbdd.org.