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Provider Fair
As we transition from four adult centers to three, we are inviting adults and students, as well as their families or guardians, to meet staff from our local providers with day programs.
The first provider fair is 4:30 - 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Jackson Adult Center, 5093 Kingsley Drive in Madisonville.
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Paul Haffner was appointed by the Hamilton County Commissioners to replace Cindy Molloy on our board. He is an attorney with Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP, a corporate practice focusing on public finance, risk management and government affairs.
Mr. Haffner has a sister-in-law who has Down syndrome, and he is personally interested in and knowledgeable about developmental disabilities.
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Upcoming Events
- Arc of Ohio Fall Conference. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Xenos Center in Columbus. The conference will cover proposed changes to independent providers, new state-funded waivers, Ohio's ABLE Act and more. Click here for details or to register.
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Synergy Ohio 2015. Oct. 7-9 at the Embassy Suites in Dublin, Ohio. Conference for DD professionals, individuals with DD, parents, guardians, family members, county board staff and providers. Click here for details.
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HCDDS Board Meeting. 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13. Support Center, 1520 Madison Road.
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First Step: Transitioning Toward Independence. 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14 at LADD, 3603 Victory Parkway. Panel discussion with self-advocates and open house. Space is limited. To reserve a spot, email Wylie Jones or call 513-487-3927.
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Autism Forum. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22 at Malone University in Canton. Click here for details.
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- Ohio Adult Sibling Conference. Nov. 13-14 at the Embassy Suites in Dublin, near Columbus. Click here for the brochure.
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From the Superintendent
Important decision about our future direction
F
or a few years, you have been hearing about several state and national issues driving significant change to the traditional ways services have been delivered for more than 40 years. Those issues include:
- Ohio Department of DD's (DODD) response to Gov. John Kasich's Employment First Initiative requiring every person served to be on the path of community employment
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2014 rule eliminating funding for segregated services
- The CMS requirement that a provider of services cannot also be a provider of case management
- The Department of Justice's ongoing legal enforcement of the Supreme Court's Olmstead Decision of 1999 and ADA of 1990, which require services to be provided in community settings instead of segregated settings
At the Sept. 8 Board meeting, we took a first step to fulfill our responsibility to continue serving people with disabilities in the midst of these driving forces of change. This step involves consolidating the four adult centers we currently operate into three. More information about this decision is available on our website. We also hosted two communication forums for families to learn more and ask questions. We compiled those questions, along with the answers, in this document.
If you have additional questions or comments about this, call 513-559-6701 or email [email protected].
Thank you for everything you do to support people with disabilities, and for your ongoing care and patience as we walk together through this and what is yet to come. I know you will join me in keeping each person's individual needs at the forefront, as well as our vision and mission of community integration.
Alice C. Pavey
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Staff Spotlight
As the school year gets underway, students and families will get to know the new Educational Administrators: Rob Moody at Fairfax and Dr. Jibby Brown at Rost.
 Before taking on his new role, Moody was a behavioral support specialist for Hamilton County DD Services and worked at the Kelly O'Leary Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Cincinnati Children's for close to a decade.
Brown was a teacher at Covington Independent Public Schools for many years, focusing on teaching kids with autism, or behavioral and emotional challenges. She
spent her last two years working for Indiana State University in the Northwestern area collaborating with K-12 school principals, teachers, and parents toward building literacy and special education partnerships.
 Both administrators have personal connections to developmental disabilities and were drawn to this field. When she was younger, Brown would often spend time helping her sister, who had a brain injury, with math, spelling and other tasks.
"I knew at that point this was what I wanted to do," she said. "I always wanted to work with kids and make a difference. I'm eager to learn in this new role, and I want to be able to help the families and children grow."
Moody said his mom's job as a psychiatric nurse, as well as knowing friends, neighbors and family members with DD, attracted him to this work.
"I want to increase opportunities for the kids to be involved in the community," he said. "I'm looking forward to this role and making positive changes for the students we serve."
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Thank you to everyone who joined us for this year's Harvest Home parade! See more pictures on our Facebook page.
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