The Dispatch

Monthly Newsletter

July 1, 2022

How to Stay Healthy in the Heat

Keep Cool

• Keep Your Body Cool

     Drink cold drinks and eat smaller cold meals such as salads and fruit.

     Take cool showers or baths.

     Minimize physical activity, do all household chores early in the morning when it is 

     coolest.

• Keep Your House Cool

     Use air-conditioning if you have it (make sure it’s set to cool).

     If you don’t have air-conditioning, spend time in a cool place like a library, shopping

     center or cinema.

     Use your stove and oven as little as possible.

Stay Hydrated with Water

• Drink plenty of water even if you do not feel thirsty – check the color of your wee – if it’s pale you’re drinking enough (check out the urine color chart).
• Avoid alcoholic, hot or sugary drinks including tea and coffee (they can make dehydration worse).
• If you go outside, carry a bottle of water with you.

Look Out for Each Other

• Visit or telephone elderly friends, neighbors and relatives, at least once a day.
• Take particular care to keep children cool and get them to drink lots as they won’t often do this by themselves.
• Never leave babies, children or animals alone in a car even if the air-conditioner is on.

Plan Ahead for the Heat

• Know who to call if you need help.
• Follow your doctor’s advice if you have any medical conditions.
• Keep an eye on the weather forecast.

Keep Your Food Safe

• Make sure food that needs refrigeration is properly stored (the temperature in the fridge should be between 0°C and 5°C). Defrost foods in the fridge, not on the kitchen bench. For more information about keeping food safe please refer to the NSW Food Authority.
• If your fridge and freezer is affected by a power failure, please refer to the NSW Food Authority.

After the Heat has Passed

• Continue to drink plenty of fluids so your body can get back in balance.
• Take time to rest and recover as coping with extremely hot weather can be very tiring.
• Make any changes in your home so it will be more comfortable for you during another time of extreme heat.

The Routine Based Interview (RBI) is one of the assessment tools used by the Early Intervention (EI) Team. The RBI is composed of interview questions that helps families look at their daily routines and determine where interventions would be most helpful. The Early Intervention Service Coordinator typically completes the RBI with the child’s caregivers. Other EI team members may participate in the assessment process as well. A typical RBI takes between 30-60 minutes to complete, depending on how much information the family chooses to share about each routine. The routines may consist of waking up, breakfast, getting dressed, morning routines, meal times, bath time, and bed time, along with any other routines the family may have throughout the child’s day.

RBIs provide the EI Team with rich information about the child’s day and where interventions can be best implemented to have the most impact. For example, the parents may report that meal times are difficult because their child cannot verbally communicate what he/she wants to eat and sometimes demonstrates frustration. Based on this information, the EI Team, including the parent/caregiver, may develop an outcome that addresses this routine to make it less stressful for the family. This information may lead to an outcome such as, “Mom and Dad will give Franklin a choice between two food items at meal time and Franklin will point and say which one he wants to eat.” Based on this outcome the child’s team will develop a list of strategies to help achieve this outcome.

Families have the option to complete a RBI when they enter the EI Program and annually after enrollment. Families who do choose to complete the RBI typically develop better outcomes that address the child’s deficit areas and reduces the family’s stress level. If you missed the opportunity to participate in a RBI when you were given the option, please ask your Early Intervention Service Coordinator when the next opportunity might be complete a RBI.

The staff at Good Samaritan School hopes you are having a great summer. It seems crazy to think that it is already July and next school year is right around the corner. There have been a lot of exciting changes around the building. We are excited for the students to return to see all of these changes.   

The second packet for parents will go out the last week of July. If you have any questions about the paperwork in that packet please call the office at            (419) 782-6621.   

Be safe and enjoy the rest of your summer! 

Reminders

• Wednesday, August 17th is the students first day back to school for the 2022-2023 school year.

Clarissa Ankney, Transition SSA

Like any young adult, the transition from school to adulthood can be difficult and is even more stressful for those with an intellectual or developmental disability. 

We are fortunate to have a Service and Support Administrator (SSA) here at the Defiance County Board of Developmental Disabilities who specializes in working with individuals and their team of supports to prepare them for the transition process and what lies ahead. Clarissa's main role like all SSA's is to provide support to individuals by linking them to the supports they need to succeed. 

Individuals will start working with Clarissa at the age of 14. They continue to build their working relationship until the individual turns 22. This period is determined due to the options the the individual has for their education.

One of the major ways Clarissa works with individuals is on their employment options. There are three resources that can assist an individual in exploring employment opportunities. They are Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD), Four County Work Transition and Job Placement Program, and Impact 419 through Ohio Means Jobs. Each have their own qualifications and services, some over lapping and some are unique to the individual. Many times, these agencies will work together for wrap around services.

Employment is not always the best path for an individual, in that case there are other options like Adult Day Service (ADS) Programs that may be more suitable for an individual giving them the socialization they may be looking for. There are numerous programs around the area in and out of the county. A few of them even qualify as employment as the individual could still make a little money learning job.

"I am here for the individual to assist in anyway I can. I am their advocate, support team, and service coordinator. While I am only involved in their lives for a short but important period of time, the services available to them are lifelong.", stated Clarissa.

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.

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

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