1. Special Board meeting will be held July 27
The Lucas County Board of DD has scheduled a special Board meeting on July 27th via Zoom to discuss collective bargaining. Check the Board website for log-in information.
2. You can help develop the Locally Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan
The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) and Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG) are working together to update the Locally Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan (LOCHSTP). The purpose of the plan is to identify community resources for transportation, understand the gaps and unmet needs within those resources, and to determine an approach to addressing those gaps and unmet needs. Additionally, the coordinated plan is a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requirement for Specialized Transportation (Section 5310) funding in that only projects included in a coordinated plan may be eligible for Section 5310 funding.
A public survey is now available. The brief survey will take no more than 10 minutes to complete and will provide stakeholders with valuable information. To request a version of the survey in a different format please contact Marissa Bechstein at 419.241.9155 ext. 1117 or bechstein@tmacog.org
The survey is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LOCHSTP
3. Job postings
For information on open positions with the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities, follow this link.
Bittersweet Farms has two 2 new positions for posting: Director of Nursing and Development Specialist. Follow this link for more information.
4. Down for the Ride
Local parents of a child with Down syndrome are entering their sixth year of hosting the “Down for the Ride” Poker Run, presented by Maumee Valley Moving and Storage, which will take place on Saturday, July 25th throughout Northwest Ohio. Down for the Ride will kick off with registration at Royal Bar, 3012 Woodville Road, 9:00 a.m. through 11:00 a.m. Over 200 attendees are expected.
“Our family started ‘Down for the Ride’ because we wanted to give back to an organization that supports us while raising our daughter who has Down syndrome”, said TJ Miller, a parent and Board Member with the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Toledo. “We are focusing on increasing our fund for DSAGT to open an education and community center for individuals with Down syndrome in Northwest Ohio. To date, we have raised over $90,000, and the event keeps growing.”
Cost per rider for the poker run is $20 and cost per passenger is $10; carloads are $35. All poker run participants who register will receive an event t-shirt, while supplies last. Donation and registration information can be found at www.dsagt.org. For more information, call TJ at 567-322-7621.
5. ASNO scavenger hunt starts Sunday
Sunday is the first Autism Society Scavenger Hunt! This game uses the app GooseChase. Missions are released daily for your team to complete to earn the top spots. Each mission has an assigned point value. They range from completing activities to finding things. Team members can be anywhere-not just in the Toledo area!
Examples: Find a penny from 1999, take a picture of your favorite mural in the Toledo area, make a pirate's hat out of newspaper.
Cost: $25 per device. Register your team by filling out the registration form
All proceeds from this event stay in Northwest Ohio to help the families with autism.
6. Registration is now open for the Crisis Academy
Ohio Crisis Academy: Mobile Teams for Adults & Youth – August 5th
Join the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) for a Crisis Academy around mobile teams for adults and youth. This 3.5 hour Zoom webinar will focus on crisis response systems—from models, to the individual components and how they can work in partnership. Speakers will also discuss Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) within a Children’s Crisis Continuum. Click here for the agenda.
Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4tVVlnF2TB2uwZscju9-eg7.
7. Department of DD releases its strategic plan
The Director of the Ohio Department of DD, Jeff Davis, has released the Department's strategic plan. Click here to view a message from Director Davis.
"Strengthening and streamlining our developmental disabilities system in Ohio is a top priority," said the Director. "I am confident that this new strategic plan will move our system forward, prepare it for future growth, and help guide the essential work of the organization."
8. Guide to social distancing
The Board of DD has updated its guide to social media. This easy to understand guide, compiled by Mary Recreation Specialist Beth Olender, offers ways we can help stop the spread of the coronavirus and stay safe. Click here.
9. Worth Repeating
"When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something." -John Lewis
The Friday Update is published on Friday mornings by Lon Mitchell, Public Information Manager of the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities. You may subscribe by sending us your email address. You may also read the Friday Update on the Board website and on the mobile app