MOUNT VERNON — The Knox County Board of Developmental Disabilities has been accredited by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) for the quality of services and supports it provides to people with disabilities.
Accreditation reviews are conducted by DODD to ensure that County Boards of Developmental Disabilities meet accreditation standards as outlined in Ohio Administrative Code. Based on the results of an accreditation review, a County Board of DD is awarded an accreditation of one or three years.
The comprehensive state review of Knox DD was conducted Aug. 9-10, 2021. A team of surveyors from DODD reviewed all areas of county board operations, including personnel administration, service planning and delivery, medication administration, behavior support, money management, waiver administration, boardmanship, health and welfare, and other indicators of the general effectiveness of Knox DD operations.
The results of the review found that Knox DD achieved substantial compliance with standards established for the review and subsequently obtained the maximum possible award term, a three-year period of accreditation by DODD, with zero citations.
“I’m grateful for the hard work of our staff that resulted in a three-year accreditation award,” Knox DD Superintendent Steve Oster said. “Our staff members have a passion for coordinating quality person-centered services and supports for people served by Knox DD.”
The surveyors singled out the entrance conference as a highlight of the review and noted that Knox DD’s entrance conference was unlike any other they participated in before. No staff from the Knox agency was present in the room; instead, community leaders talked about how meaningful Knox DD’s connections and partnerships are within Knox County.
During the Self-Advocates panel, adults supported by Knox DD enthusiastically shared their life experiences with reviewers by talking about their jobs, relationships, how technology has increased their independence, and advocating for positive change in the community. Reviewers also went to Harmony Playground, the inclusive playground built for all children of Knox County to play together in one safe space.
“I knew immediately when the entrance was a totally different kind of entrance than we’ve ever done before where none of you (KCBDD staff) were in the room, you just had community partners in the room, that this was going to be really different,” Kelly Miller, deputy director with the Ohio Department for Developmental Disabilities said. “We are going to brag up Knox County for a really long time. We’ll encourage our director to come, he’d be really impressed with a lot of things that you’re doing.
“When I think about what we’ve been saying to boards for the last 10 or so years, which is you have to be out of the business of providing a service, and you have to figure out what your new business is, and this, in my mind, is way more than I had ever thought about or expected,” she continued. “You’re really way far ahead than any other board I know. And I just don’t say that. You have a niche, you don’t have to be the expert at everything, you get experts involved, which is really awesome. I was so impressed with the partnerships.”
The Accreditation Review Team commended Knox DD on the supports they give to the people and families involved in their program. In 2021, Knox DD supported more than 600 individuals living in Knox County through Early Intervention, Help Me Grow, Service and Support Administration, employment opportunities, and other home and community-based programs.
