We're starting to see lots of people start venturing out into the community, which is good news. The Ohio Department of Health's COVID-19 Dashboard shows that 34% of adults in Ohio have started the vaccine.

It's important that we don't let down our guard just yet. Over the next couple months, CLI will be helping our clients reconnect with the activities & groups they have had to stay away from for the past year. BUT-- we're going to keep the masks up and maintain appropriate social distancing. It would be terrible if Ohio we to have to go through what is happening in Michigan right now.

As we move into spring and summer, CLI intends to rebuild services using the new STEP funding as much as possible. I think this type of service is the way forward for Ohio. CLI privatized in 2015 as a result in state laws that mandated 2 things-- that County Boards of DD can't run adult programs anymore AND federal money (Medicaid) should not pay for segregation except as a last resort.

Ohio's DD system started in the late 1960's with the 169 legislation that created County Boards of DD and enabled those new entities to place property tax levies on the ballot to pay for new service programs for kids and adults with DD. The goal of these new programs was to provide a Free and Public Education to school age kids, to provide parents of adults with DD daytime assistance, and to continue to teach adults with DD independent living and vocational skills.

Adults with DD and their families and their residential providers still need that help.

BUT-- one thing that has been known for more than 20 years is that one-size-fits-all cafeteria-style programs often do more harm than good by fostering dependency and perpetuating the myth that the best model for all adults with DD as passive consumers of large-group, segregated workshop-style services.

While these large facility-based programs feel "safe", the reality is that research has shown that institutional settings are less safe than community settings. CLI always ran a happy & productive workshop. However, even the best segregated models often hold back many people back because they are so "safe". Personal development requires challenging yourself, which almost never feels "safe".

This large cafeteria-style, take-it-all-or-leave it model has three problems. First, we all live up to expectations and I'm extremely grateful that there is no ISP committee armchair quarterbacking my own 3 steps forward 2 steps back progress toward old age. Second, this approach will cost taxpayers more in the long run because it provides constant supervision in a 1:12 ratio for everyone, regardless of actual need. Some people need much less, while others need an heftier initial investment up front to enable them to be more independent later on. Full disclosure, there will be people that need constant assistance for most or all of their life. But the number of people that will need that life-long constant help is way less than 100%. COVID has given us the chance to rebuild our system to be better for every individual served-- and a better value for the taxpayer. Opportunities like this are rare.

CLI believes that true person-centered planning, customized to each person's life, should be a state-wide best practice. We believe that this will yield consistently better outcomes--and will be more cost-effective for the DD community as a whole. We also believe that whenever possible, we should spend money so that it benefits the whole community.

Thanks (and wash your hands).

“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”

Firelands Local LLC Update:

You can find more videos by clicking on either the youtube or the DODD website buttons below.