Adult Team

The Knox County Board of Developmental Disabilities has an Adult Team of Service and Support Administrators (SSAs) that serves the unique needs of adults with developmental disabilities. The Adult Team includes SSAs with knowledge of resources, services and needs of adults and the aging community. The goal of the Adult Team is to support each individual in living a healthy, safe and quality life.

Adult Team Services
• Assistance to access community resources
• Assistance to access in-home supports/respite
• Assistance with life planning (including estate and guardianship)
• Assistance with identifying and coordinating summer programs for individuals
• Assistance with home modification- availability based on income
• Assistance to get Federal and State benefits
• Assistance to locate service providers (physicians, dentists, etc.)
• Assistance in coordinating with other service agencies to meet the needs of families and individuals with disabilities
• Assistance with emergency request for services
• Assistance to access community transportation
• Placement on waiting list for residential services (waivers)
• 24-hour crisis management

Service and Support Administration

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Behavior Support

The Knox County Board of DD provides support to individuals with challenging behaviors. Such individuals and their interdisciplinary support team are led through an assessment process by a County Board specialist to ascertain the nature, function and antecedents of their behavior. A formal behavior plan or behavior guidelines may then be developed to identify preventative measures and appropriate interventions for direct care providers to utilize to support the individual during problematic episodes as well as reinforce appropriate replacement behavior for the future.

For more information contact the Community Options Director or the SSA Manager at 740-397-4565.

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Community Services

Residential (Home Supports):

Planning for Home Supports is built around the individual’s and the family’s wants and needs. You may want to live in your own home, in an apartment, with your family, or you may want to live and share expenses with roommates. Services may include hiring a provider who can help with living skills, transportation assistance, or purchasing adaptive equipment.

There are a variety of funds available to help pay living expenses, including Medicaid. We can help you apply for residential services, or to plan a budget for the things you need.

Clubs: There Knox County Board of Developmental Disabilities is proud of the local clubs designed specifically for individuals with developmental disabilities. These clubs help individuals learn about their own strengths and to give back to the community through advocacy or community service:

Aktion Club: Sponsored by Kiwanis, this is a group for adults with disabilities intrested in giving back to the community. Individuals learn leadership skills by running the meetings, electing officers, selecting activities, conducting fundraisers and giving back to the community through various forms of community service. Individuals also have the opportunity for social interaction and fun expereinces. The group is assisted by advisors from Kiwanis, the Knox County Board of Developmental Disabilities and parents/family of individuals.

People First of Ohio: A self-advocacy group that helps individuals learn about their rights and exercise their ability to speak out for themselves to make changes in their lives. The group is trained in advocacy, the advocates’ Bill of Rights, community awareness, Roberts Rules of Order, Self-Determination, and how to speak out about their dreams to make changes in their lives. People First encourages involvement in government. They testify at the state level, and they sit on many boards (such as the “Futures Committee at the Ohio Department of DD) that make very important decisions about the lives of people with disabilities in Ohio. They encourage individuals to vote and to live the lives they want including jobs, friends, homes in the community, relationships independence and dreams for the future.

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Educational Opportunities

Day Services: Adult Day Service programs are one way that educational opportunities and skill developments can continue into adulthood. By definition adult Day Services

• Assessment -- may be formal or informal, for the purpose of developing an Essential Lifestyle Plan or ELP
• Personal care -- includes personal hygiene, eating, communication, mobility, toileting, and dressing
• Skill reinforcement -- includes implementing behavioral intervention plans, and help with the use of communication and mobility devices
• Training in self-determination -- includes developing self-advocacy skills and acquiring skills that enable an individual to become more independent
• Recreation and leisure -- includes supports identified in the ELP that are therapeutic, and help to develop and maintain social relationships and family contacts
  

Some Day Services also provide Vocational Habilitation services designed to teach and reinforce concepts related to work such as:
> Responsibility
> Attendance
> Task completion
> Problem solving
> Social interaction
> Motor skill development
> Safety

Currently two Adult Day Services provide Supported Employment services. These are intensive, ongoing supports that help people to perform work in a typical employment setting, including self-employment.

There are two types of Supported Employment services:
> Enclave -- provided to individuals who work as a team at a single work-site (community business or industry) with ongoing support provided by on-site staff
> Community -- provided to individuals who work in an integrated community work setting, along side employees without disabilities, and performing same or similar tasks

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Eligibility for Services

If you are interested in receiving supports through the Knox County Board DD you may:

1. Come into the office and pick up the application information.
2. Call the Intake Department at 740-397-4607 and the information will be mailed to you.
3. Review, print and complete forms that are located on this website and mail or bring the forms to the agency.

If you need help, the intake person will explain the steps to take to apply for enrollment and assist you with completing the application and getting the documents you may need.

We will need:
• A completed application
• Documentation from a licensed professional (physician, psychiatrist, psychologist) stating your diagnosis & the date of onset. Documentation examples are a psychological evaluation, physical examination report, school IEP & MFE, letter from your physician.
Eligibility may be re-determined periodically to ensure that an individual is still eligible for services.

Application Form

If you are interested in services, please contact:

Intake Department: 740/397-4656, intakes@knoxmrdd.com

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Employment

If you are interested in having a job, your service and Support Administrator can help you get connected with supported employment services. This may include BVR or a supported employment provider. Skills can be developed in a sheltered workshop, an Adult Day Service program or in the community

There are several agencies in the community that will help support an individual in their employment. Through the agency of your choice, we can arrange for you to have help in finding, learning and keeping a job. Supports may include, helping you complete an application, helping you write a resume, going with you to the interview, helping you learn your job, or talking to your employer to help you keep a job. A Supported Employment provider can also work closely with your team to help identify and strengthen the qualities that employers look for in their employees.

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My Plan

The Knox County Board of Developmental Disabilities believes in person-centered planning. The person-centered approach creates a team of people who know and care about the individual with a disability, who come together to develop and share a dream for the person's future, and who work together to organize and provide the supports necessary to make that dream a reality. The goal is to organize truly individualized, natural, and creative supports to achieve meaningful goals based on each individual's strengths and preferences. Central to person-centered planning is a circle of friends and supporters, including the person with a disability, family members, friends, peers, teachers, and other service providers. The individual's team meets at least once a year to evaluate progress and to create a plan for the coming year. The Essential Lifestyle Plan or ELP is meant to be a unique reflection of each individuals' personality, lifestyle goals, needs and progress. The objective of the ELP is:

• Discover what is important to a person in everyday life; and what is important for a person in order for them to stay healthy, safe and have a quality life.
• Describe what you have learned in a way that is easily accessible to those who will help the person get what is important to them.

When goals and areas of need are identified the plan directs services that work towards a fuller and more independent life for each individual. This plan also acts as a "contract" with service providers to provider the services outlined as frequently and for the length of time that the team decides.

Here is a personal workbook that helps you look at your life and plan for many of the questions that the team will address during your team meeting.

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