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Executive Summary of State Plan Initiatives for 2004-2005Ohio Developmental Disabilities CouncilTo request a copy of this booklet in an alternate format or a copy of the 2004 State Plan, please contact: Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council To receive Council's newsletter, DD Quarterly, contact: AXIS Center for Public Awareness The Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council (ODDC)is a planning and advocacy body committed to community inclusion of people with developmental disabilities. One of a network of state councils, ODDC receives federal funding through the Basic State Grant Program for advocacy, capacity building and systems change for people with developmental disabilities. State councils are encouraged to provide innovative activities that:
The Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council consists of 35 members appointed by the governor. Sixty percent of the members must be people with developmental disabilities, parents, guardians, or immediate relatives of people with developmental disabilities. Other members include representatives from concerned state agencies and nonprofit organizations, and local agencies providing services to people with developmental disabilities. The Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities assists ODDC as designated state agency. State PlanEach state desiring to receive federal funds must submit a five-year state plan. The plan includes a comprehensive review and analysis of the extent to which services and supports are available for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. It reflects Council’s plans for systematic change, capacity building, and advocacy activities to appropriately address the needs of people with developmental disabilities and their families.Ohio’s plan addresses these areas of emphasis:
What is a developmental disability?Approximately two out of every 100 Americans have a developmental disability. Based on the 2000 census, it’s estimated that more than 204,000 people with developmental disabilities live in Ohio.The federal government and the state of Ohio define a developmental disability as a severe, chronic disability of an individual five years of age or older that:
- Receptive and expressive language - Learning - Mobility - Self-direction - Capacity for independent living - Economic self-sufficiency; and GrantsCouncil accomplishes the activities in its five-year plan by awarding grants for specific projects. The Council, its staff and grantees are partners, working together toward successful accomplishment of the goals in the State Plan. Current projects, as listed in the State Plan for Developmental Disabilities are outlined on the following pages, giving project title, description, project agency and federal funds for one year.PROJECTSAdvocating for Public Policy ChangeGrassroots advocacy activities to improve and enhance services and supports for people with developmental disabilities and their families is the focus of these grants. Advocates in seven areas of the state will educate policymakers about state level issues, such as reduction of waiting lists, Olmstead initiatives, restructuring of the family support system. And Ohio’s participation in Medicaid Buy-In. Each of the following sites receives $25,000.The Ability Center of Greater Toledo, Toledo Autism Spectrum Disorder Service GuidelinesThis project will support the work of the Ohio Autism Task Force. The Task Force developed the guidelines to serve as a tool for providers and families in making informed decisions about children and young adults with ASD. The guidelines are intended to provide recommendations, based on current knowledge about "best practices," to parents, service providers and educators for the assessment of individual needs and delivery of appropriate services and supports for children and adolescents with ASD/PDD. Council believes the Autism Spectrum Disorder Service Guidelines will promote a better life for individuals with ASD/PDD and their families. The project will oversee the printing, marketing, outreach and distribution of the ASD Guidelines to all interested parties to include educators, parents, policymakers and post-secondary educators.Bellefaire JCB, Shaker Heights, $50,000 Benefit Innovators- Project WISEDesigned to help people with disabilities, family members, and service providers gain increased access to information regarding federal and state employment benefits, the project will develop training materials on federal and state employment benefits, Social Security Work Incentives, Medicaid Buy-In, and systems advocacy.Project will demonstrate innovative ways to use federal and state benefits to allow individuals with significant disabilities to have more income and assets. Successful methodologies and recommendations for activities to change systems will be presented in a final product. Cerebral Palsy Association of Ohio, Columbus, $136,550. CHOICESSelf-advocates will provide individuals living in large congregate settings with the necessary information about community living to allow them to make informed choices about their residential living options. Self-advocates will identify and address the concerns of family members, whose relatives are residents in large congregate settings. Project will hold roundtable discussions. Project completed a monograph including barriers and recommendations.The Arc of Ohio, Columbus, $176,000 Collaboration, Coordination, and Outreach to Unserved and UnderservedCouncil staff and members will continue to collaborate with other councils, committees and interagency bodies in order to advocate for council's positions on public policy issues, and to strengthen and expand services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Through their involvement with over 100 other entities, Council staff and members also gain information about the service system which assists them in their planning and advocacy.In addition, Council is addressing the issue of those who are unserved and underserved by reaching out to build connections between diverse communities and service providers. Those who are unserved/underserved include individuals from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds, disadvantaged individuals,individuals with limited English proficiency, individuals from un-served geographic areas, and specific groups of individuals within the population of individuals with developmental disabilities. Coordinated Planning for Informal and Formal Caregiving- Safe HarborThis project is assisting parents over 60 years of age to develop a long term care plan, which includes an emergency plan. The project is currently working with more than 20 families.PLAN of SE Ohio in conjunction with Elder Care of the Ohio Valley, Athens, $40,000 Development and Replication of a Regional Dental Program for People with DisabilitiesIndividuals with developmental disabilities in previously unserved and underserved areas of Ohio will receive continuous, appropriate dental care resulting from the development and/or replication of regional models of dental care for patients with unique needs. The project director will facilitate and implement a plan to introduce the model throughout Ohio and encourage replication.Community Action Organization of Scioto County, Inc., Portsmouth, $100,000 Disability Awareness Across the Medical ContinuumThis needs assessment will produce recommendations for funded health initiatives related to people with disabilities: getting needed health services, improving health programs, and training people in health services.Karla M. Lortz, Delaware, $25,000 Educational Options for ChildrenTo maximize the educational potential of children with disabilities, parents will be assisted in understanding the educational options and rights available to them. The project will provide services to parents of preschool children to expand their knowledge, skills and acquire tools to establish an informed advocacy base that will effect positive systems change in the education system in schools. The grantee will report numerical changes in inclusionary practices of the districts involved and compare to baseline data collected at the onset of project.REACH (Referral & Educational Association for Child Health), Portsmouth, $50,000 Employment CollaborativeThis project is a collaborative effort involving Governor’s Council on People with Disabilities, U.S. Department of Labor: Office of Disability Employment Policy, and the National Organization on Disabilities. Programs in the project include:
Ohio’s Governor’s Council on People with Disabilities, Columbus, $50,000 Empowerment FundThe ODDC will enable individuals with developmental disabilities and family members to serve on policy and program planning bodies and to gain knowledge and skills by attending conferences and meetings. A committee of Council members will approve applicant requests in accordance with the policies governing the fund.Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, Columbus Family Support ActThe project continues DD Council’s initiative to increase statewide availability of individualized supports to families of children with developmental disabilities. The project will support the passage of the Family Support Act and establish the Family Support Board. The Family Support Act will establish a simple, streamlined application/eligibility process, create a single point of entry to find out about, apply for and evaluate supports and link data bases among agencies to generate unduplicated information.The Family Support Board will change the support system for families in Ohio by developing a family-centered and family directed system, coordinating efforts with local and state agencies, making recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly, testing and piloting initiatives, and reviewing any other issues with regard to development of a family support system. Ohio Legal Rights Service, Columbus, $50,00 Fannie Mae/HomeChoice: Homeownership for People with Disabilities ProjectLow income people with disabilities and/or their families will be assisted in renting or becoming homeowners. The goal is to provide homebuyer counseling services to 12 or more low-income individuals with disabilities and/or their families who want to become homeowners. In addition, six homebuyers can receive down-payment assistance. Project is using Housing Trust Funds and multiple cash matches from both corporations and nonprofit organizations to meet the goals of the Special Needs Homeownership Assistance Program.LADD, Inc., Cincinnati, $15,000 Funding for the ArtsEmerging artists with disabilities will move to a higher level of artistic career development. Funding can be used for any artistic discipline to assist artists with disabilities develop the materials and skills necessary to begin marketing their art for profit. Funding is available yearly for public and private nonprofit and for-profit organizations and individuals in Ohio that have a commitment to promoting artists with disabilities.Recipients are selected each year, $12,000 Improving Quality Assurance for Services and Supports - My Voice, My Choice ProjectThis project will continue to pilot the provider report card statewide. This card allows customers with disabilities and their families and/or guardians to have a voice in stating how they feel about the services they receive and to assist them in making an informed choice about services and supports.Norwich Consulting Services, Ltd., Columbus, $90,000 Infant and Toddler Mental HealthMental health assessment tools for children, age birth to five, at risk for developmental disabilities or who have developmental disabilities, will be evaluated. The project will assess the tools’ overall effectiveness and promote their use by professionals through education, training, and technical assistance. In addition, the project will work to raise the awareness of programs and service providers who work in early intervention and infant child care. The project will advocate, first at the local level and then expanding to all of Ohio, for an effective and coordinated service delivery of mental health services to assure better outcomes for children.Children’s Resources Center, Bowling Green, $50,000 Medicaid Buy-In Study and AdvocacyThe Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA) of 1999 expands a Medicaid option under Section 4733 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. This provision gives states the option of providing Medicaid health insurance coverage to working individuals with disabilities who do not qualify for Medicaid under existing rules. People who are eligible may "buy-in" to Medicaid coverage by paying premiums. In April 2001, Steven Howe completed the study, "Projecting Enrollment in a Medicaid Buy-In Program for Ohio."To further this effort, this project will:
Steven Howe, Cincinnati, $31,000 Offenders with Developmental Disabilities Partners in Justice ProjectThe Action Committee will continue to address statewide issues relating to offenders with mental retardation and developmental disabilities and to educate individuals working in the justice system and the field of mental retardation on the critical issues facing both systems and to identify ways in which the systems can work together to resolve some of those issues. This Action Committee will continue to advocate and develop interest and support (financial and political) for creating a treatment center designed to:
Partners in Justice, CCDDD, Cincinnati, $25,000 People First of OhioSelf-advocates will learn to advocate for themselves to have the same rights, responsibilities, choices, and lives as other community members. They will learn how to be active in making Ohio’s communities more inclusive of people with developmental disabilities. Each year, project will set up at least four new chapters and provide self-advocacy training.People First of Ohio, Mt. Vernon, $109,000 Personal Assistance Services CooperativeThis project will continue to establish a Personal Assistance Services Cooperative as a pilot in Cleveland, Ohio. It will be owned and operated by people with disabilities and family members.LEAP Attendant Training Program, Cleveland, $25,000 Professional and Teacher Development Task ForceThe project will staff a task force whose members will be a statewide representation of educational stakeholders, including members and staff of the Children’s Issues Committee of DD Council. The task force will ensure that educational needs of students with disabilities are met in Ohio’s implementation of No Child Left Behind Act and the reauthorization of IDEA by ensuring there is language in the State’s Consolidated Application Plan and its guidance to the local education agencies to meet the educational needs of students with disabilities with respect to professional and teacher development in all educational settings.Project will educate public policy makers at all levels (state and federal legislators and local officials as well as the Ohio Board of Regents, boards of directors of colleges and universities and local school boards) as to the need for better-prepared professionals and teachers to educate students with disabilities in all educational settings. Memorial Inc., Cincinnati, $50,000 Public Awareness- AXISProject will increase awareness of the capacities and needs of people with developmental disabilities and their families, and issues related to the provision of services and supports for these individuals. Activities will include: production of a quarterly DD Council newsletter and a variety of awareness materials; presentations and trainings; participation in organizations; developing and implementing DD Council’s public relations plan; producing Council’s Annual Conference, and maintaining a toll-free help line.AXIS Center for Public Awareness, Columbus, $238,000 Public Awareness- OPICouncil will be cosponsoring the annual media and awareness awards luncheon hosted by Ohio Public Images. Awards recognize outstanding efforts by the media, organizations, consumers, and private entities to create positive awareness of people with developmental disabilities.Project also will create a poster contest encouraging students to recognize their classmates with developmental disabilities as full participants in school and community activities, and will revise selected products developed under previous DD Council grants. Ohio Public Images, Inc., Toledo, $25,000 Self-Determination in Employment: Employment Outcomes and Micro-enterpriseInnovative and unique ways to access employment for individuals with disabilities will be demonstrated by expanding the Employment Outcome project, piloted in Delaware County, to all counties in Ohio. People with disabilities will receive "Challenge Grants" that can be used either to pay an "Employment Agent’s" commission that is based on earnings of the person with a disability or to start a business. The person with a disability and those he or she chooses to help will be in control of their resources.Robert Morgan, Delaware, $100,000 Solidarity ConferenceScholarships will be provided for 220 individuals with developmental disabilities to attend the Solidarity Conference in 2005. Solidarity is Ohio’s largest conference planned by and for people with disabilities. Participants gain knowledge and skills from workshops, keynote speakers, health and wellness fairs, technology displays, and exhibits. Many agencies, corporations, and individual contributors also support the conference.Disability Network of Ohio- Solidarity, Inc., Dayton, $25,000 Technical Assistance and Training Benefiting People Who Have Mental Retardation or Other Developmental Disabilities, with Co-occurring Mental IllnessA Center of Excellence will be developed as a base for extensive training, technical assistance, and mini-grant incentives to counties throughout the state. The ODDC, the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, and the Ohio Department of Mental Health are funding this initiative.Wright State University, Dayton, $75,000 Volunteer Credentialing Program for Direct Support Professionals- PATHS ProjectProfessional Advancement through Training and Education in Human Services (PATHS) will develop and implement a volunteer credentialing program for direct support professionals working with people with disabilities in selected regions of the state. Currently, it is being implemented in Hamilton, Cleveland and Toledo, Ohio.Activity will include identifying specific problems and best practices related to the recruitment and retention of direct support professionals to provide in-home family support. Grantee also will develop an advocacy plan to address recruitment and retention issues related to providing in-home family support services. Ohio Alliance of Direct Support Professionals, Columbus and Ohio Provider Resources Association, Columbus, $75,000 Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council (800) 766-7426 Design and photography by AXIS Center for Public Awareness Return to the top of the page.
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