Board Bits
An official publication of the
Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities Services
A Human Services Levy-funded Agency
Volume 5, 2015
Supreme Court of Ohio issues new
requirements for all adult guardians
Yearly training, annual plan development part of guardians’ new responsibilities to individuals
I
n an effort to protect the personal and financial
welfare and safety of adults under guardianship,
the Supreme Court of Ohio recently issued a
series of new rules that apply specifically to guardians. These rules include the following requirements:
Guardians must:
l Complete a one-time, free six-hour course
on the basics of adult guardianship within six months of their appointment (or within one year of June 1, 2015 for current guardians)
l Complete a free three-hour continuing
education course every calendar year after completing the fundamentals course
l Meet in person with the person they serve at
least quarterly
l Prepare and file an Annual Guardianship Plan with the probate court of the county where the person served lives
These rules, which became effective June 1, 2015,
will be administered through the probate court
system in each county, which will also oversee the
training, monitoring and compliance of guardians.
Training will be offered in three ways:
l Live courses, which will be offered regionally
continued on page 3
l Undergo a criminal background check
Inside this issue
Project Search helps high school students find
competitive employment, page 4
Parent/Guardian Communications Survey: We need
your input, page 5
MCBDDS staff learn how to help prevent human
trafficking, page 7
New federal rules to change the way
County Boards operate, deliver services
A
ccording to new rules from the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services, individuals
currently receiving federal waiver funds must
be directed to private providers by 2024 for services
including adult day support, supported employment
and non-medical transportation. Details, page 3
Upcoming Events
Stillwater Center Families
& Friends Car Show
Calumet hosts Summer Fun Festival for
individuals, neighborhood residents
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, July
19, 8100 North Main Street, Dayton, 45415. Proceeds support the
needs of residents at Stillwater.
For more information, please
visit http://goo.gl/8061rf .
Jergens Center Car Show
11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 6 at Jergens
Center, 2122 Jergens Road,
Dayton, 45404. For more information, please call 937/910-7400.
Children enjoyed a variety of games at the event.
Parents and Advocates
Advisory Council (PAAC)
his summer, small groups of
high school students took part
in one-week “Boot Camps”
offered by the Montgomery County
Board of Developmental Disabilities.
These free camps were designed to
help them learn more about employment and life skills in an effort to prepare them for greater independence.
The next meeting of the Parents
and Advocates Advisory Council
will take place at 11 a.m.,
Monday, August 17 at the
Ritchey Administrative Center,
5450 Salem Avenue, Dayton, 45426.
MCBDDS Board Meeting
The next regularly-scheduled
meeting of the Montgomery
County Board of Developmental
Disabilities Services will take
place at 7 p.m., Tuesday,
August 18 at Southview Center,
25 Thorpe Drive, Dayton, 45426.
“A Day at the Park”
Baseball Game
Noon, Saturday, August 29;
registration deadline July 15.
$5 player fee. Miracle League
Baseball Field (completely
accessible),1605 South Main
Street, Springboro, 45066. To
register or for more information,
please contact Talia Baker,
Service and Support Supervisor,
MCBDDS, at 937/457-2857 or
[email protected].
2
Neighborhood children
and individuals who attend
Calumet Center enjoyed
carnival games and food July 1
at Calumet’s annual Summer
Fun Festival. Members of the
Northview Transitions program staffed the games and
concessions as volunteers,
and food, games and prizes
were offered free of charge.
Summer Youth “Boot Camp” helps
students develop employment, life skills
T
Guest speakers shared the basics of
how to manage money and search for
jobs, and students also learned about opportunities for employment
during high school. During the course of the week, they volunteered at
The Foodbank, learned how to travel independently using the RTA bus
service, and toured Sinclair Community College and The Job Center.
Northview Transitions group visits Clayton Police
Members of Northview’s Transitions employment preparedness
group showed their
appreciation of local law
enforcement by making
and delivering cards to
the members of the Clayton Police Department.
Here, they are showed
visiting an officer at a
“Coffee with a Cop” event.
New federal rules to change the way
County Boards operate, deliver services
N
ew regulations from the federal Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services will change
the way County Boards operate.
These new rules prohibit Boards from providing
case management (helping secure funding, providing individual services planning) and direct services
(adult day support, employment support, and non-medical transportation) to individuals with developmental
disabilities who receive federal
waiver funds, as the federal
government views this practice
as a conflict of interest.
Ohio County Boards of Developmental Disabilities have
until 2024 to stop providing
direct services to the vast majority of individuals receiving federal waiver funds. Along the way, Boards
must redirect individuals who are currently receiving
direct services to private providers. By 2020, 70 percent of individuals already receiving federal waiver
funds statewide must receive services from private
service providers. Individuals who enter the system
at future dates will be directed to private providers
exclusively.
To meet these goals, County Boards must recruit
new providers of services, as the number of existing private providers will not meet the needs of new enrollees
and those of individuals currently receiving services.
Counties will also be required to establish benchmarks related to the reduction of direct services. The Ohio
Department of Developmental Disabilities (Ohio DODD)
established the following benchmark for the Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities:
l Move 37 people each year for the next five years from a segregated work setting into an integrated day environment.
Montgomery County also established the following benchmarks, which are subject to
Ohio DODD approval:
l Work with the community to develop five NEW
providers and increase the
capacity of existing providers in 2016
l
Direct 50 individuals to private providers of
day services in 2016 by reducing the number of
people currently receiving Board services or by
directing new recipients to private providers.
The Montgomery County Board has not yet determind how it will meet these goals, but will seek input
from families, employees and concerned citizens.
For more background about this mandate,
please visit the Conflict-Free Case Management and
Restructuring of Services page on the MCBDDS website, http://www.mcbdds.org.
Ohio issues new rules for all guardians of adults
continued from page 1
lInteractive sessions that will be broadcast to local sites on August 27 and 28, October 29
and 30, and December 17 and 18
l Online education, which will be available in
late 2015 for self-study
Preregistration for all courses is required, and can be
completed at The Supreme Court of Ohio’s eCademy
website, www.judicialecademy.ohio.gov.
Candidates can also e-mail their registration form
to the Supreme Court of Ohio Judicial College at
[email protected].
Documents explaining the new rules and
requirements in further detail can be found at the
Montgomery County Probate Court website,
http://goo.gl/5QXO7O, or the Montgomery County
Board of Developmental Disabilities Services’ website
at www.mcbdds.org.
3
Every Person. Every Talent. Every Opportunity.
Project Search prepares high schoolers
for competitive employment
H
elping individuals with developmental
disabilities gain job skills and find meaningful,
competitive employment is the goal of
Project Search, a program that provides Montgomery County high school seniors with real-world
experience and on-the-job training.
The Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities (MCBDDS) recently partnered with
the Miami Valley Career Technology Center (MVCTC),
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities and
Miami Valley Hospital South in its first Project Search
effort, which offered 12 young men and women the
opportunity to learn job skills and more about what
is expected of them in the workplace.
What the program involved
During this nine-month program, students
received classroom instruction in effective communication, resume writing, and interviewing. They also
interviewed for — and completed — three 9-week
internships at Miami Valley Hospital South with the
support of job coaches. Upon completion of these internships, the
students, who had all earned the necessary credits
to graduate from high school, received their official
diplomas from their home schools, and began interviewing for jobs.
Outcome: Job placements
Ten of the 12 students who participated in the
program found competitive employment immediately after graduation, and the remaining two were
interviewing for positions at press time. Premier
Health at Miami Valley Hospital South hired two of
the individuals as full-time employees with benefits
after they demonstrated that they could reduce the
amount of downtime needed to clean operating
Fast Fact:
4
A Project Search graduate helps prepare an operating room
for use at Miami Valley Hospital South.
rooms between procedures. They also hired a third
individual to work in their Coffee Shop.
Students also obtained employment with Fresh
Thyme Farmers Market in Centerville, which hired
two individuals to provide janitorial and maintenance services, and a third to bag groceries; the
Waffle House on Brandt Pike in Huber Heights, which
hired an individual to greet guests and clean; and
Elder-Beerman in Huber Heights, which hired an individual to perform inventory control. Panera Bread in
Springboro and McDonald’s in Richmond, Ind., hired
grads to clean dining areas and stock supplies.
“All of the young people who participated in
this program worked very hard and learned a great
deal,” said Linda Cudd, director of Adult Services for
MCBDDS. “They also showed local employers what
a tremendous asset individuals with developmental disabilities can be in the workplace. Project
Search truly was a win-win for everyone involved.”
On average, each month the Montgomery County Board of Developmental
Disabilities Services provides recreation and respite services for more than
1,400 developmentally disabled individuals and their families.
Montgomery County Department of Developmental Disabilities Services (MCBDDS)
2015 Parent/Guardian/Individual/Provider Communications Survey
This survey, which is offered both in print form and electronically via SurveyMonkey, is designed to help MCBDDS leaders identify the
most effective way to communicate with parents, guardians, individuals and providers. Please answer these brief but important
questions. We ask that you complete either the print OR electronic version of the survey, but not both. The electronic version of
the survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MCBDDScomm
1. Are you an: q Individual that currently receives services q Parent/Guardian q Provider
2.
How do you currently receive information about MCBDDS? (Select all that apply)
q e-mail
q
Community weekly newspaper (please specify): _________________________
q U.S. Mail
q
Television news (please specify stations): _______________________________
q Board Website
q
Radio news (please specify stations) __________________________________ q Board Bits newsletter q
PAAC (Parents and Advocates Advisory Council)
q Dayton Daily News
q
Other parents/guardians/advocates
q Dayton Parent magazine
q
Providers (please name): ____________________________________________
q Dayton Business Journal q
Other agencies or organizations (please name): __________________________
q Dayton City Paper q
Social media
q Dayton Magazine q
Service and Support Administrator (SSA) or Habilitation Specialist (Hab)
q Developmental Specialist q
Other (please explain) ______________________________________________
3. What traditional media outlets do you consult REGULARLY for local news?
qWDTN-TV/2News (NBC) qWHIO-TV/Newscenter 7 (CBS)
qWKEF-TV/ABC 22 qWRGT-TV/Fox 45
qWPTD-TV (PBS) qWRCX-TV/ ION 40 (Urban Vision) qOther TV stations (please specify): ________________
qRadio (cite station/s) ___________________________________________________________________________________
qDayton Daily News
qDayton Business Journal
qDayton Parent qDayton City Paper
qDayton Magazine qLocal weekly newspaper (please specify): _________________________________________
qOther (please explain): _________________________________________________________________________________
4.
What kinds of information do you look for on an organization’s website? q Information about services q Issues of concern q News q Events information q Activity sign-ups/registration q Contact information for staff q Helpful resources
q Advocacy opportunities q Locations and hours of operation q Other (please explain) ______________________________
5.
How do you typically access MCBDDS’s website? (Please rank numerically by order of importance.)
q Smartphone q Tablet computer
q Desktop or laptop computer
6.
If the MCBDDS website offered the following capabilities, which would you be likely to use?
q Automated news alerts q Automated text alerts q Automated e-mail alerts q Activity sign-ups/registration
q Webcasts via video q Other (please explain) _______________________________________________________________
7.
Is social media one of the best ways to reach you with news and information from MCBDDS? q Yes q No
If not, why? _____________________________________________________________________________________________
8.
What social media do you use?
q None
q Facebook q
9.
How often do you use social media?
q It’s a primary source of info q Throughout the day q Every couple of days
q Every couple of weeksq Monthly
q Less than Monthly
Twitter
q YouTube
q
Instagram
q
LinkedIn
qOther ______________
q Weekly
q Never
10. If you are a Facebook user, what pages or groups provide you with information about developmental disabilities services?
q MCBDDSq Calumet page q Jergens page q Kuntz page q Liberty page q MONCO page
q Spire Arts page q OACB page
q Ohio Dept. of DD q Provider page (please specify) ________________________
q Other county Board organization’s page q Montgomery County, Ohio page
q The ARC page
q Others (please specify): _______________________________________________________________________________
11. What kinds of information are you interested in receiving from MCBDDS?
q Board news updates q Information about activities and events q Information about services q Information about parent resources q Legislative updates
q Stories about people with disabilities q Information about programs
q Information about respite care
qOther (Please explain on back of form)
12. How would you prefer to receive this information? q Hard copy q Electronic q Both q Depends (Please explain on back)
13. Are you MORE likely to read a newsletter THOROUGHLY in print or electronic form? q Hard copy q Electronic
Survey continues on back side of page.
14. Considering the following forms of communication, which are the BEST ways to reach you with information from MCBDDS?
q e-mail
q
Television news (please specify stations): _______________________________
q U.S. Mail
q
Radio news (please specify stations): __________________________________
q Board Website
q
PAAC (Parents and Advocates Advisory Council)
q Board Bits newsletter q
Other parents/guardians/advocates
q Dayton Daily News
q
Providers (please name): ____________________________________________
q Community weekly newspaper q
Other agencies (please name): ________________________________________
q Dayton Parent magazine q
Social media (please name outlet):_____________________________________
q Dayton City Paper q
Service and Support Administrator (SSA) or Habilitation Specialist (Hab)
q Developmental Specialist q
Other (please explain) ______________________________________________
15. Where do you reside (e.g., Dayton)? ________________________________________________________________________
16. What is your age? q 18-24
q 25-34
q 35-44
q 45-54
q 55-64 q 65 or older
Please cut page along fold of booklet at right to separate survey from rest of newsletter. When separated, fold page into thirds with
mailing address facing out. Tape the open end to prevent the folded page from opening in the mail, and affix standard letter postage.
You can also return completed surveys to the Communications/Community Relations Office
at 5450 Salem Ave, Dayton, OH 45426 or to [email protected]. Thank you for participating!
MCBDDS
5450 Salem Avenue
Dayton, OH 45426
Please
place
stamp
here
Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities Services
Attn: Community Relations Department
5450 Salem Avenue
Dayton, OH 45426
Human trafficking awareness and prevention
workshop hosted for MCBDDS staff
H
uman — or sex — trafficking is a crime that
most people won’t encounter. Yet according
to BE FREE Dayton, a non-profit organization
that seeks to fight and eliminate sex
trafficking, the Miami Valley ranks
fifth in the United States for this type
of criminal activity.
Unfortunately, individuals with
developmental disabilities can be
targets for sex trafficking predators.
That’s why the Montgomery County
Board of Developmental Disabilities
Services (MCBDDS) asked BE FREE
Dayton to train its Service and Support Administrators (SSAs), behavior
support and mental health staff in
how to prevent such outcomes.
“Human trafficking is a real danger for individuals with developmental disabilities, for they
are at greater risk from predators,” said Kamarr
Gage, director of Residential and Family Services for
MCBDDS. “We needed to make our staff aware of
this problem and help them learn how to work with
individuals to prevent it.”
BE FREE Dayton provided three sessions of its
Domestic Trafficking 101 course to the agency free
of charge. MCBDDS Service and Support Administrators, habilitation specialists, mental health case
managers and therapists participated in the training,
and learned what types of people and behaviors
traffickers target, how prospects are manipulated
by predators, how and where victims are typically
approached, and how they become
enslaved.
BE FREE’s staff also taught MCBDDS
personnel how to respond to sex
trafficking if confronted with a person
that has been victimized.
“The majority of victims enter the
sex industry before adulthood, and
are not there by choice,” said Tonya
Folks, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of BE FREE Dayton. “Once
they are in the life, it’s extremely
difficult to get out. What may look like
choice on their part is actually behavior that is forced, prodded and coerced, and made to
look like choice. But help is available — and our goal
is to prevent further trafficking and help those who
are involved in the industry escape.”
Today, Folks said, upwards of 90 percent of trafficking happens online, which makes it more challenging to prevent. MCBDDS staff learned strategies
to help keep individuals with disabilities from falling
into the sex trade trap.
For information about how you can help prevent
human trafficking, visit www.befreedayton.org.
Honoring the lives of friends we have lost...
The MCBDDS community would like to
acknowledge and honor the following individuals
who recently passed away:
m Marjorie Keil, grandmother of Brian Katchmer,
m
m Sharon Brannon, sister of Sheila Brannon, vehicle m
operator in the Transportation Department
m Amy Cromer, an individual who received services
from Kuntz
m Roy Hasting, brother of Evonne Lyons, program
support assistant at Liberty
m
m
habilitation specialist at Kuntz
Elizabeth Northern, an individual who received
SSA services
Amanda Burel, grandmother of Katrena Smith, program support assistant at Kuntz
Jeffery Moore, father of Joshua Moore, an
individual who received services from Jergens
Patty Kadar, an individual who received services
from Jergens
7
Montgomery County Board of
Developmental Disabilities Services
5450 Salem Avenue
Dayton, OH 45426-1450
www.mcbdds.org
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Non-profit Org.
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PAID
Dayton, Ohio
Permit No. 554
Key points of Governor’s Biennium Budget for
individuals with developmental disabilities
T
he newly-approved State Biennium (two-year)
budget will have a significant impact on
individuals with developmental disabilities.
This budget:
lInvests an additional $286 million over the next two years to fund services for Ohioans with
developmental disabilities
l Funds approximately 3,000 new Home and Community-Based Services waivers
In signing the budget bill, Governor Kasich vetoed:
l The proposed Developmental Center Closure Commission, which affects Montgomery
Developmental Center
l Language that prevents private providers from decreasing the number of individuals they serve
l Language that prevents the state from decreasing the current payment rate for adult day services
Board Bits is a monthly communiqué from the Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities Services.
For information about items in this edition, or programs and services provided by the Board, please contact
(937) 837-9200. The Board does not discriminate in provision of services or employment with regard to disability,
race, color, creed, national origin, marital status, gender or age.