At its March 2024 meeting, the Board of Directors of the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities gave its Special Recognition to the Special Olympics Ohio Young Athletes program, for its work with our Early Intervention team. It also recognized the March Staff Person of the Month as well as a retiree of the Board.
Lucas DD Special Recognition
Hannah Lawrentz, Special Olympics Ohio Young Athletes
Special Olympics Young Athletes is an early childhood play program for children of all abilities, from ages 2 to 7. It is a fun way for children to stay active, establish healthy habits, and set the stage for a life of physical activity, friendships and learning.
For those of us in Early Intervention, this program could not be a better fit! To bring this program to Lucas County, we had the pleasure of teaming with Hannah Lawrentz, Manager of Health Strategies at Special Olympics Ohio.
Hannah eagerly jumped in and joined a staff meeting to describe how introducing basic sport skills, like running, kicking and throwing offers families, teachers, caregivers and people from the community the chance to share the joy of sports with all children.
Young Athletes provides children of all abilities the same opportunities to advance in core developmental milestones. Children learn how to play with others and develop important skills for learning. Children also learn to share, take turns and follow directions. These skills help children in family, community and school activities.
Hannah came to our center to train 17 staff on the Young Athletes play program. She provided all the equipment that we needed to start the program in Lucas County along with starter kits for families that are interested in the at-home program. Hannah’s love for children is evident. She turned us on to the program with her overflowing enthusiasm and joy.
The Young Athletes play program mirrors Early Intervention playgroups. Our team of staff were on board immediately! In fact, we have two active Young Athlete groups happening now and it is only March! The families that are enrolled in the play programs have reported that they love the movement of the group and the opportunity to engage with peers and families in the community.
We are looking forward to growing this relationship even more and are thankful to have this opportunity! Thank you, Special Olympics Ohio and Hannah Lawrentz, we are pleased to present you with our March 2024 Special Recognition Award!
Lucas DD Staff Person of the Month
Elizabeth Waldron, Investigative Agent
For her outstanding customer service and commitment to her role as an Investigative Agent, the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities is pleased to recognize Elizabeth Waldron as the March 2024 Staff Person of the Month.
Earlier this year, we heard from Anna Shaffer, a Major Unusual Incident (MUI) Investigator for the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities, who commended Elizabeth for conducting such a thorough Misappropriation MUI investigation. We already knew this of Elizabeth’s work but for this specific case it truly made a difference in the life of an individual we serve.
When a suspect was found to have been using the food stamp card of an individual served by the Board for their own personal gain, he was ordered to repay the individual. Upon doing so, the suspect’s record was expunged.
The amount the court determined as repayment, however, was way less than what Elizabeth had originally identified as misappropriated through her investigation. So, when DODD was taking the case through Abuser Registry, Anna, their MUI investigator, wanted to review all the records from the court case.
When she contacted the Toledo Municipal Court Prosecutor, they said they couldn’t pull the docket. Thanks to her thorough investigation, Elizabeth had all of that documentation already printed and in her MUI packet. That saved a lot of work that would have been needed to ascertain the docket, and gave enough evidence to potentially move the case forward and potentially place the suspect on the Abuser Registry.
The status of this case is still pending. Elizabeth’s dedication to her work, however, continues, as does her commitment to our individuals, ensuring they are protected to the fullest extent of the law.
Thank you, Elizabeth, for all that you do to further the Board’s mission. Congratulations on this well-earned March 2024 Staff Person of the Month Award!
Lucas DD Retirement Recognition
Michelle Cope-Morris
Michelle Cope-Morris, Provider Support Specialist has officially retired after 35 ½ years of service to the Board!
Michelle began her career in March 1989 and served in Adult Options for much of her career at the Holland facility in several capacities: Vocational Trainer, Habilitation Technician and then Job Coach. In 2018, Michelle transitioned to Children’s SSA and joined Provider Supports in 2020, where she ended her career last month.
Through most of her tenure Michelle worked directly with individuals in Adult Options to ensure they had work training and support to successfully prepare them for paid work opportunities. In her later years in Provider Supports, Michelle monitored provider services and ensured quality service provisions to meet individual needs. Michelle used her strong advocacy skills to provide coaching and support to enhance providers’ knowledge and improve quality of services for people served. She always displayed great care and respect for individuals served with a desire to help them live life the way they desired. Michelle advocated for quality care and treatment of individuals served and placed individuals first in her focus on customer service and communications. She was passionate about anything that would affect a person’s services, and did not hesitate to address concerns or have difficult conversations.
Michelle, for all your years of work and dedication to individuals served, commitment to your colleagues and the Board, we want to recognize your efforts and thank you for your service. Congratulations and best wishes on your retirement!