Friday Update: March 4, 2022

1. The Board’s Family and Advocate Forum is March 8

Family members of persons served by the Board, advocates, providers, and anyone else who is interested in supporting individuals with developmental disabilities are invited to join LCBDD for the first Family and Advocate Forum for 2022. The forum is scheduled for Tuesday, March 8, at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom. These quarterly forums are opportunities to meet informally with Board leadership to discuss current topics of importance with the developmental disabilities community. For more information, click here.

2. Board to cosponsor training series the Dementia Coalition

As part of its ongoing partnership with the Dementia Coalition, the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities is again cosponsoring a training series with Dr. Phil McCallion, a world-renowned expert in dementia and intellectual/developmental disabilities. Click on any of the six sessions for more information. Free social work, counselor and DODD certification credits are being offered for attending these sessions. The schedule is as follows:

• The Basics of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Dementia – Monday, March 7, from 1-3 p.m.
• Symptom Identification and Assessment for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Dementia – Tuesday, March 15, from 1-3 p.m.
• Advanced Dementia Care for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities – Monday, March 21, from 1-3 p.m.
• Redesigning Day, Employment and Living Situations for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Dementia – Monday, March 28, from 1-3 p.m.
• Ask the Expert Session with Dr. Phillip McCallion, Ph.D., director of the Temple University School of Social Work – Tuesday, April 12, from 1-3 p.m.
• Train-the-trainer for Basics of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Dementia – Friday, April 22, from 1-3 p.m.

3. SALUTE to meet March 14

SALUTE will hold its next meeting March 14 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the training room of the Lucas County Board of Development Disabilities’ Larc Lane Building. (Use door O.) This meeting will feature state Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson, who will discuss the DSP crisis and state funding.

You’re welcome to bring another staff member of support person; please mention your guest when you RSVP.

If you do attend in person, you must wear a mask (when not eating or drinking) and maintain social distancing practices. Temperatures will be taken on arrival; those with high temperatures will not be allowed to enter the training room. If you don’t feel well that day, please stay home!

Doors open at 5 p.m., and light snacks will be provided. To RSVP, please contact Deetra Mitchell at dmitchell@lucasdd.org or 419-380-5141.

4. Monthly legal workshop to discuss tips for parents

The Special Education Legal Clinic will present “Reducing Barriers Through Advocacy – Tips for Parents from OCECD,” a virtual workshop and Q&A panel, on Monday, March 14, at 7 p.m.

Participants will learn strategies that will enable them to become confident advocates for their child’s education needs. The parent’s role before, during and after the IEP meeting will be explored. Suggestions for recordkeeping and for effectively communicating with school district personnel will be discussed in detail.

The Clinic is a public-private collaboration between three independent organizations: Disability Rights Ohio, the OCECD and Albeit Weiker LLP.

In addition to monthly workshops, the Clinic offers individual guidance sessions to review specific situations with advocates or attorneys. For more information, to register for a monthly workshop or to schedule an individual guidance session, click here.

5. OCALICON call for proposals now open

As the premier autism and disabilities conference, OCALICON is committed to providing informative, engaging, applicable, interactive, world-class sessions presented by leaders in the field and content experts from across the nation and around the world. This year’s conference takes place Nov. 15-18.

To learn more about joining OCALICON as a presenter, click here. The deadline for submissions is March 31.

6. Coffee, Tea and Autism set for March 14

The Autism Society of Northwest Ohio invites you to a virtual chat Monday, March 14, at 7 p.m. Coffee, Tea and Autism is designed as a resource for people feeling overwhelmed, alone or confused about what to do next. If you seek others who understand your situation, join Coffee, Tea and Autism to chat.

Coffee, Tea and Autism can be joined via Zoom here.

7. TARTA seeks feedback on proposed service scenarios

As the TARTA Next redesign project heads into its next phase, customers and the general public can get a look at TARTA’s proposed service scenarios during public meetings next week. You’re welcome to give feedback at the following times:

• Wednesday, March 9, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Pop-up event at TARTA Transit Hub (612 H. Huron Street, Toledo),
• Wednesday, March 9, 1-3 p.m. – Pop-up event at Lucas County Shared Service Center (3737 W. Sylvania Avenue, Toledo)
• Thursday, March 10, 5-6:30 p.m. – Community Meeting, McMaster Room of Main Branch of Toledo Public Library (325 N. Michigan Street, Toledo)

For more information about these outreach events, click here.

8. February’s ‘Disability Download’ from AAPD now available

The latest edition of “Disability Download” is now available. This issue includes blog posts, job openings, information about upcoming webinars and events, and more. Read the entire issue here.

9. Acoustics for Autism is March 6

The 15th annual Acoustics for Autism takes place March 6 from noon to 2 a.m. in the area surrounding the Village Idiot on Conant Street in downtown Maumee. This free event is suitable for all ages and will include performances from more than 80 bands across eight stages. For more information, including a full entertainment lineup and schedule, click here.

10. March’s ‘Aging Gracefully’ now available

The latest edition of “Aging Gracefully” is now available. This issue covers healthy meals for seniors, a recap from the quarterly Dementia Coalition Meeting, information about upcoming webinars and training opportunities, and more. Read the entire issue here.

11. DeWine administration moves forward with provider relief payments

Gov. Mike DeWine issued an executive order allowing the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) to prioritize the swift disbursement of provider relief payments. The approval specifically includes $210 million in lump-sum payments for DD providers. Payments will be processed immediately. Additional details about this round of provider relief payments can be found on the Ohio DODD website.

12. Register for the 2022 Autism Walk

The 9th annual Autism Walk takes place at the Franklin Park Mall on Sunday, April 3, at 10 a.m.

Participants will walk the hallways of the mall before enjoying post-walk festivities in the food court area. There will be games, crafts and an Autism Resource Fair featuring service organizations in the area. All proceeds from the Autism Walk fund programs that support, advocate and educate on behalf of the autistic community. To register or donate click here.

13. DODD seeks input from direct support professionals

The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities recently worked with the Ohio State University Nisonger Center to develop a short survey for direct support professionals (DSPs) to learn about the needs of this essential workforce and to identify the factors that would encourage people to stay in the field longer.

The survey will take between five and 10 minutes to complete and closes Friday, March 11. Answers are completely anonymous, will not be linked to you in any way and will be used to better support DSPs across the state. Click here to take the survey.

14. The Ability Center offers college scholarships

Ensuring that people with disabilities have opportunities to achieve higher education is critical. That’s why, in partnership with its auxiliary, The Ability Center of Greater Toledo has provided nearly $500,000 in college scholarships to area students with disabilities. 2022 scholarship applicants must meet all eligibility requirements and apply by March 31. For more information and to apply, click here.

15. Register for Courageous Acres

Registration is now open for summer 2022 camp sessions at Courageous Acres. Each session is themed and tailored for a specific age group. Dates are available from June to August. To learn more and to register, click here.

16. DODD seeks feedback from families

The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) works to communicate and connect with families and people with lived experience. To align its communication and resources with these preferences, the DODD invites families of people with disabilities to take this short survey about what DODD family resources they use and how they were involved with DODD during the past year. The results will inform DODD how to best support families in 2022. This survey closes March 18, 2022. To take the survey, click here.

17. Providers invited to join OhioISP

The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) is actively preparing for the release of OhioISP and wants to assure all providers that the OhioISP is available to them, even those working with a county board that uses a third-party vendor. With OhioISP, providers working with multiple counties can find all the assessments and ISPs for the people they support in OhioISP with one simple login. Also, there is no cost to use the OhioISP. There’s more information to come, including training videos and materials. If you have any questions about using the OhioISP, contact OhioISP@dodd.ohio.gov.

18. February Board meeting recognitions

During the February 2022 Board meeting, the Lucas County Board of Development Disabilities recognized several groups and individuals.

Stephen Sheets receives Special Recognition Award

The Board recognized Stephen Sheets with the February 2022 Special Recognition Award. The embodiment of perseverance, Sheets faces every challenge with a can-do attitude of self-advocacy that has helped him, among other things, land a job at Sherwin-Williams.

Sheets has learned to successfully use TARPS for his transportation needs, and he schedules his own trips. He also gives back to his community. In 2021, Sheets volunteered at the Sofia Quintero Center, and he plans to help other local Spanish-speaking organizations this year with support from Cindy Deye and the FANS Network.

A 2014 graduate of Ottawa Hills High School, Sheets went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Toledo in 2018.

The Board was honored to recognize Sheets with a Special Recognition Award for February 2022.

Joel Alexander recognized as Staff Person of the Month

The Board recognized Joel Alexander as the January 2022 Staff Person of the Month. Alexander has been with the Board for three years as a community service and support specialist (SSA). As a community SSA, Alexander does not have the funding to assist his individuals, so he must be creative and resourceful to help them reach their goals and needs. Alexander helps with simple things like completing paperwork and more difficult things like assisting with finding housing and being a support when someone needs to talk. Alexander is willing to go the extra steps to help someone in need.

Alexander is very kind and patient with his individuals. Regardless of the need, he is always willing to help. He demonstrates dedication to the individuals on his caseload and assists to make their hopes a reality.

Alexander has been a great resource for the two new community SSAs who joined the team. He volunteered to assist with extra cases, attend meetings with new SSAs and be available to help in any way he can. This has been a great support for his co-workers. Most recently, Alexander assisted with contacting community partners to navigate building inclusive activities and restarting a pool league that was successful in the past.

The Board was pleased to recognize him as the February 2022 Staff Person of the Month.