The Dispatch

Monthly Newsletter

August 1, 2022

The Defiance County Board of Developmental Disabilities/Good Samaritan School updated our exterior signage! Thank you Natural Design & Graphics and Creative Sign Resources for making our vision come to life.

We hope the next time you visit us, whether you're here for a meeting or just stopping in to say hi we hope these signs make it easy for you to find us!

1 Year

Travis Hammer, Principal

Maria Glover, Bus Driver

Alex Hartman, Instructor Assistant

Jenna Peper, Communications and Community Manger

Cindy Turpening, Instructor Assistant

Candy Weirauch, Secretary

2 Years

Jenny Vincent, Physical Education Instructor & Special Olympics Coordinator

3 Years

Sydnie Fitwater, Instructor

Sara Snyder, Instructor Assistant

5 Years

Dorrene Beltz, Bus Assistant

Amanda Westrick, Instructor

Stephanie Zachrich, Speech/Language Pathologist

6 Years

Michael Mohr, Bus Driver

7 Years

Craig Clayton, Service and Support Administrator

10 Years

Robyn Helmke, Instructor

11 Years

Rick Davis, Bus Driver

Michelle Steingass, Instructor Assistant

12 Years

Megan Jacques, Instructor Assistant

18 Years

Mindy Liffick, Instructor

23 Years

Valerie Wagner, Physical Therapist Assistant

24 Years

Lori Bruce, Program Assistant

Holly Wendling, Occupational Therapist

37 Years

Mary Fitzenrider-Cox, Instructor Assistant

9 CDC Health Hacks for Back-To-School Success

1. Wash Your Hands
2. Get Vaccinated
3. Eat Well and Be Active
4. Limit Sugary Drinks
5. Don’t Use E-cigarettes
6. Stay Cool
7. Plan for Emergencies ( Medical, Transportation, and Weather)
8. Stay Safe
9. Connect with Kids at School and Home

Early Intervention is a program for children ages birth through two years old. As the eligible child gets closer to the age of three, the Early Intervention Service Coordinator begins discussing the transition that will happen when the child ages out of Early Intervention on their third birthday. Transition is a process in Early Intervention and it begins early, around age two, so the family has plenty of time to consider all the decisions that need to be made before exiting Early Intervention.

Here is a short list of some of things parents may need to consider when thinking about transition:

 What are the needs of my child?

 What programs will best meet the needs of my child?

 How many days a week do I want my child to attend a program?

 What programs do we qualify for?

 What support do I need to make this transition go smoothly?

 What support does my child need to be successful in his/her next setting?

The Early Intervention Service Coordinator will help navigate this process with each family and help the family answer the above questions, along with any others arise. Our goal is to make this a comfortable and smooth process for the child and family. In order to help accomplish this, we’ve made a short video that explains the process to families. Please use the QR code below to view the Transition Video. To use the code, open up your camera on your smart device and scan the code. It will take you to the Transition Video on YouTube.

As summer comes to an end we are are geared up and ready for the  2022-2023 school year here at Good Samaritan School. We look forward to having students back in the building. This summer we resurfaced our playground as it will help protect our students from head and other serious injuries while they are participating in play. It will also allow for better wheelchair accessibility making our playground a place for everyone to enjoy!

If you have any questions about the paperwork in your back to school packets, please call the office at   (419) 782-6621.   

Be safe and enjoy the rest of your summer! 

Reminders

• Open House will be on   Tuesday, August 16th from     6-7pm.
• First Day of School for Students will be on Wednesday, August 17th.

Kate Blakely, SSA

Behavioral Support Strategies

People with disabilities may sometimes act in a way that poses a direct and serious risk of harm to their physical safety or the safety of others. Their actions increase the likelihood that they will be legally sanctioned, which could include items such as eviction, arrest, or even being incarcerated. 

These measures are used as a method of last resort by people providing specialized services to keep people safe from a risk of harm and always paired with positive measures. This ensures people with disabilities are supported in a caring way that promotes dignity, respect, and trust and with recognition that they are equal citizens with the same rights and personal freedoms granted to Ohioans without developmental disabilities.

We talked with Kate, a Service and Support Administrator who specializes in Behavioral Supports, to find out a little more about what Behavior Supports look like and what the process looks like when working with an individual and their team of supports. 

When an individual is struggling in an area of their life, or when we can identify change is coming, or see a pattern of behavior that is negatively impacting how an individual is navigating their day, Kate works with the other members of the SSA team to learn about the individual, look at what supports are already in place, and what can be added or adjusted. She also participates frequently in trainings related to supporting individuals, different ways of intervention and things related to Trauma-Informed Care.  

An important tool when working with an individual to identify their needs is the Behavioral Assessment. A behavioral assessment looks at a person’s history, any possible traumas they may have experienced, any health or medication causes, what has recently changed for that person, what possible triggers may be occurring, what the behavior looks like and what may be impacting that behavior. After the behavior and possible causes are identified, the assessment then looks at what can be changed or modified for that person, what new alternatives can be provided, does the person need more sensory options, how can staff/families support the person, and how can the staff/families be supported. 

After the assessment, any risks are identified first and how to prevent, redirect and support. Then the focus for our department is really looking at positive supports. These are things that can be done without being restrictive and lead to more positive responses/behaviors. Quite often adding more structure and activity to a person’s routine with things of their choosing can make a huge difference. It is really important to take time to get to know the people we support and to build relationships. 

"There is strong teamwork between the members of the SSA team here at the DCBDD." stated Kate. This allows the team to work with each other to help check in with staff and individuals to see how things are going, to anticipate needs and changes early on and to help provide some interactive support. This is what makes the assessment so effective.

The results of assessments and identified areas of risk or areas that need support get identified in different sections of an individual’s Individual Service Plan (ISP). The ISP provides the structure of weaving these supports throughout an individual’s plan. These supports may look like what an individual’s favorite activities are, what is important to them, how often and how to provide access to the things that really matter to that individual. It is also possible in the plan to identify how to record behavior data so that the team can monitor for changes. Plans will get updated to be the most current set of supports for an individual and continue to evolve throughout their lifetime. 

Capabilities Charitable Fund

Capabilities Charitable Fund is once again awarding mini Grants!

They are offering grant opportunities to individuals with disabilities across Ohio, ages 14+ years, to help them achieve their community employment goals!

The grants can be used for, but not limited to, accessing transportation, interview clothing, tools needed for work, professional services to help someone find employment, assistive technology, etc.

OACB Public Education Sessions

Free Virtual Education Series to People Served by County Boards & their Families

OACB has been leading statewide efforts to increase awareness and promote prevention efforts in the area of abuse and victimization of people with developmental disabilities.  OACB has partnered with a former sheriff's detective to create free virtual education sessions for families and people with developmental disabilities that will give them a better understanding of how to effectively work with law enforcement.

These sessions include:

• How to Respond to a Law Enforcement Officer
• What to Watch For: Bad People with Bad Intentions
• How to Speak Up When Being Mistreated
• How to Advocate When a Family Member has been a Crime Victim: Insights and Guidance from a Law Enforcement Perspective

Check Out Our Online Event Calendar!

The Defiance County Board of Developmental Disabilities (DCBDD) Event Calendar lists information about activities, programs, and special events for individuals with developmental disabilities happening at our agency and in the community. Please scroll to the bottom of this page for links to other important calendars.

Some meetings, workshops, events and activities are sponsored and hosted by organizations other than the DCBDD. The DCBDD is not responsible for the content and operations of these events, programs, or organizations.

No Limits

Defiance County

Self-Advocacy Meeting

The Defiance County Board of Developmental Disabilities/Good Samaritan School is excited to be supporting Buckeye Roofing & Exteriors as they host their first "See the Able, Not the Label" Autism Awareness Event! On Saturday, August 13, 2022 from 11-3pm located at 1990 Baltimore St. Defiance, Ohio 43512, Buckeye Roofing & Exteriors will have Food Trucks, Face Painting, a Bounce House, a 50/50 Raffle and so much more!

It is these types of community partners who raise awareness for causes like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and according to estimates from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, about 1 in 44 children has been identified with ASD.



We hope you join us on Saturday, August 13th as we bring awareness and create inclusive opportunities to continue to make Defiance a Community Without Boundaries!

The Defiance County Board of Developmental Disabilities/Good Samaritan School is excited to have a booth at the 2022 Defiance County Fair.

This year's fair will run August 20-27th! We will be located in the County Building and we hope you stop by and check out all of the amazing services we have to offer here at the Defiance County Board of Developmental Disabilities/Good Samaritan School!

Keep up to date with us on Social Media!