At its August 26 meeting, the Board of Directors of the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities gave a Special Recognition award to a local resident, who was moved to take action and donate time and goods to the Lucas DD FANS Network. The Board also recognized a Service & Support Specialist as its Staff Person of the Month.
Special Recognition: Patti Fraker
This month’s Special Recognition Award recipient’s connection to the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities started, of all places, in The Blade.
Patrice Fraker was reading a feature article about Lucas DD’s Friends, Allies, and Neighbors Network, or FANS as we affectionately call it, which ran in late May in the Toledo newspaper.
Patti, a former public employee herself having retired from the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, was searching for another organization to donate to, especially after she learned the program she was assisting was no longer accepting donations.
She called the Board’s Community Inclusion Department to learn more about FANS and how she could best assist the organization. Since then, she regularly asks what is needed most and focuses on providing those things.
Patti graciously donates new items that have helped many individuals we serve, especially those that are most requested and needed. Everything from towels to bed sheets of all sizes to blankets, frying pans and personal care items. Nearly all of them are brand new and still in the original packaging. She says she shops almost weekly at places like Costco and looks for items that are on sale.
As a token of appreciation for this incredible generosity, the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities is pleased to award Patti Fraker the August 2024 Special Recognition Award for her generous and on-going support of our FANS Network and individuals with developmental disabilities. Congratulations, Patti!
Staff Person of the Month: Ashley DeWitt
Ashley DeWitt never hesitates to go above and beyond in her role as a Service & Support Specialist. Whether that is helping out a colleague, or, especially, helping out an individual served.
Take, for example, an individual that was recently added to her caseload.
L.D. was a transfer from another county after a stabilization stay in a developmental center. Through the difficult transfer to Lucas County, the individual’s mother, who is also his guardian, was losing hope about her son’s care and what appeared to be a decline in his mental health.
Ashley has proved to be a constant source of support to both L.D. and his mom. When mom decided that a change to her son’s services was necessary, Ashley was with her every step of the way, offering support and helping arrange interviews with more than 20 providers. The mother ultimately selected Parker Residential & Care Services to be her son’s provider and has already seen a significant change in his behavior. Although some challenges remain, he is already thriving, going out into the community, and appears happier than he has before.
All of that is due in no small part to the trust Ashley has built with the client, guardian and his team. Her continued dedication to the SSA role has had a significant impact on L.D.’s life.
Ashley’s commitment to the program and her peers is evidenced by the positive impact she has had with her individuals as well as the wonderful support she provides to her unit. As the department moves into the new Ohio ISP, she helps cover cases when staff are out on leave, transfers plans into the new format, and is a wealth of wisdom when it comes to helping other SSAs develop impactful solutions for their difficult cases.
Thank you, Ashley, for your hard work that truly embodies Lucas DD’s mission of improving life so individuals with developmental disabilities reach their full potential. This Board is pleased to present you with the August 2024 Staff Person of the Month Award. Congratulations!