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The mission of the Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities is:
GUIDING PRINCIPLESWe believe that:
OPERATING PRINCIPLESWe believe that:
ABOUT STARK COUNTY DD AND OUR SERVICESThe Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities provides services from infancy onward to nearly 3,000 Stark County residents with mild, moderate, severe, or profound mental retardation or other developmental disabilities. These services include school programs beginning with Early Intervention and Preschool, and continuing throughout the school-age years. For adults, we provide workshops and supported employment in the community. Senior citizens also benefit from specially designed programs. The Board also provides residential care in the community with appropriate supports based on individual needs. In addition to a variety of programs, the Board also provides transportation throughout Stark County to more than 1200 individuals, traveling more than two million miles annually.
ABOUT THE GOVERNING BOARDA seven-member board governs Stark DD with each member serving up to three four-year terms. Monthly meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the multi-purpose room of Whipple-Dale Centre, 2950 Whipple Avenue NW in Canton. All meetings are open to the public.
Meet the Board
Board selection and eligibilityFive members of the Board are appointed by the Board of Stark County Commissioners and two members are selected by the Judge of Probate Court. At least two of the members appointed by the county commissioners must be parents of an individual with mental retardation or developmental disabilities receiving Board services. Of the two members appointed by the probate judge, at least one must be a member of the family of an individual eligible for services. All board members serve without pay. A Board member who has served during each of three consecutive terms will not be reappointed for a subsequent term until two years after ceasing to be a member of the board, except that a member who has served for ten years or less within three consecutive terms may be reappointed for a subsequent term before becoming ineligible for reappointment for two years. In January of each year, the Board reorganizes and elects a President, a Vice-President, and a Recording Secretary. The Board appoints its chief executive officer, the Superintendent/C.E.O. It also establishes rules and regulations for its operation and forms committees, which are designed to advise the membership on various aspects of an annual budget. The Board makes long-range plans for facilities, services and enrollments. Organization and historyCounty Boards of DD are legal entities with legislative power to institute programs for persons with mental retardation or developmental disabilities residing in their county. They establish policies, rules and regulations to operate programs in compliance with government standards. Prior to 1967, individuals with mental retardation in Ohio were served through county welfare departments. In the summer of 1967, the legislature passed a law establishing a Board of Developmental Disabilities in every county in Ohio. These Boards assumed responsibility for providing schools, workshops, training centers and other services for children and adults with mental retardation. The Board is responsible to the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities, or DODD. As designated by law, the Board is subject to the department's rules and regulations. The Board must also adhere to the policies of such agencies as the Ohio Department of Education, the Ohio Department of Administrative Services and the State Highway Patrol. The County Auditor serves as its fiscal agent. Individual Board members are responsible to serve without pay in the best interest of the general public. Board meetings are open to the publicAll regular and special meetings of the board are open to the public. The order of business at any regular meeting includes an twenty-minute window of opportunity for members of the public to address the Board. However, the Board is not obliged to consider any request or proposal submitted during this public speak portion of the meeting. During the public speak session, citizens may have only one turn to speak per Board meeting and are asked to limit their comments to no more than three minutes. No one is permitted to speak on any individual Board employee grievance problem. Individuals must direct all comments to the Board President who may refer the questions to the proper party for later consideration. Any citizen involved in debate, disrespect or obscenities will be ruled out of order. MEET THE MEMBERS OF THE STARK COUNTY BOARD OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIESTom Bucka Tom Bucka is new to the board beginning his term with the Stark County Board of DD in January 2010. He is retired after spending 42 years in the travel industry. Bucka has a daughter, Kimberly, who has been involved in the DD services for over 20 years. He also served in the United States Marine Corps during Vietnam and has a degree from Kent State University. Jack J. Calhoun began his term with the Stark County board of DD in 2006. A retired Major in the Stark County Sheriff's Office and Chief of Security at the Stark County Courthouse, he is a native of Canton, Ohio. Jack and his wife, Connie, have four children. His son, J.J., is in the Stark DD program. Roger Gines has been with the Board since January 2009. He has worked as a senior product development analyst at the Timken Company for 35 years. His son, Paul, works through the Supported Employment program at Stark DD. Roger volunteers with Special Olympics track, softball and basketball teams and Adult class "A." Frank Gressel, Recording Secretary, has served on the Board since 1999. Gressel was employed at the Hoover Co. for 37 years before his retirement and served as the financial secretary for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for nine years. Carlene Harmon Carlene Harmon is new to the Stark County Board of DD, beginning her term in January 2010. Harmon is a business owner and retired IT director from the City of Canton. She has served on many boards and been elected to public office for three terms. Harmon's son was critically injured in a motorcycle accident at the age of 30 causing him to be visually impaired and brain injured. Harmon wants to resurrect the TBI support in Stark County and help families get to the right agencies. Larry Marcus ,Vice President, began his first term with Stark DD in June 2008. He is a past president of both The ARC of Stark County and The Workshops, Inc. He has been the vice president of finance for the Stark Development Board and has been responsible for various government loan programs for local businesses. His eldest son, Tyler, will soon receive services from Stark DD Adult Services. Robert P. Milliken, President, a native of Canton, is a graduate of Kent State University. He established R.P.M. Properties in 1992. Milliken began his term with the Stark County Board in 2000 and has served two terms as Board President from 2006-2007. He had two older brothers who received supports from Stark DD. He currently serves as Board President for the Ohio Association of County Boards of DD.
NAEYC CERTIFICATIONNAEYC CERTIFICATION: PROMOTING QUALITY THROUGH ACCREDITATIONFor more than 80 years, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has worked to raise the quality of programs for all children from birth through age eight. A major part of NAEYC's efforts to improve early childhood education is through different systems of accreditation for programs that are committed to meeting national standards of quality. Stark DD programs are accredited through the organization’s programs for young children, a national, voluntary accreditation system that sets professional standards for early childhood education programs and helps families find high-quality programs. CARF ACCREDITATION: LEADING THE WAY IN REHABILITATIONThe Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) has been a leading, independent, nonprofit accrediting body of human services since 1966. With guidance from the field, including providers, funders, and, most important, the persons receiving services and their families, CARF develops standards that are focused on outcomes and the satisfaction of the persons served. Stark DD programs are accredited due to ongoing efforts to improve efficiency, fiscal health, and service delivery; creating a foundation for continuous quality improvement and consumer satisfaction. Stark DD received a new three-year CARF accreditation in 2008. ODMRDD ACCREDITATION: MEETING STATEWIDE STANDARDSThe Office of Provider Standards and Review within the DODD Division of Community Services is responsible for monitoring and oversight of County Boards of Developmental Disabilities, certification and registration of county board employees, certified providers of supported living, including HCBS waiver providers and licensure of Residential Facilities (ICF/MR and non-ICF/MR) Accreditation Reviews are conducted by the DODD to ensure that County Boards of Developmental Disabilities meet accreditation standards as outlined in Ohio Administrative Code 5123:2-4-01. Based on the results of an accreditation review, a County Board of DD is awarded an accreditation of from one to five years. Stark DD received a five-year accreditation in 2006. OVERVIEW OF SERVICES
ABOUT STARK COUNTY DD AND OUR SERVICESThe Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities provides services from infancy onward to nearly 3,000 Stark County residents with mild, moderate, severe, or profound mental retardation or other developmental disabilities. These services include school programs beginning with Early Intervention and Preschool, and continuing throughout the school-age years. For adults, we provide workshops and supported employment in the community. Senior citizens also benefit from specially designed programs. The Board also provides residential care in the community with appropriate supports based on individual needs. SupportTax levies approved by the Stark County voters along with state and federal funds support the services at no cost to participants, their families or caregivers. ReferralsProgram participants are generally identified through referrals from public schools, social service and human service agencies, hospitals, doctors and from the parents, friends, and relatives. STAFFThe staff of the Stark County Board of DD is highly qualified and committed. All staff members providing direct services to individuals enrolled are certified/registered by either the Ohio Department of Education or the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities or a state licensing board. All employees of the Board also meet the rules and regulations of the State Department of Administrative Services. ABOUT MENTAL RETARDATION
The American Association on Intellectual Disabilities defines mental retardation as the following: ABOUT DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIESDevelopmental disability is a severe, chronic disability that begins any time from birth through age 21 and is expected to last for a lifetime. Developmental disabilities may be cognitive, physical, or a combination of both. While not always visible, these disabilities can result in serious limitations in every day activities of life, including self-care, communication, learning, mobility, or being able to work or live independently. Such disabilities are almost sure to result in a lifetime of dependence on publicly funded services, unless families receive sufficient support, children receive appropriate education, and adults receive appropriate services that enable them to live and work in their local communities. Approximately four million Americans have developmental disabilities. Developmental disabilities can occur in any family, no matter what their ethnic, economic, religious or political background.
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