GREENVILLE — The Darke County Board of Developmental Disabilities (Darke DD) has been accredited by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD), for the quality of services and supports it provides to people with disabilities, according to a representative.
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 Darke DD was conducted in September 2017, a representative said. 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, health and welfare, and other indicators of the general effectiveness of Darke DD operations. The results of the review found that Darke 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, according to a representative.
“I’m grateful for the hard work of our staff that resulted in a three-year accreditation award,” Darke DD Superintendent Michael Beasecker said. “Our staff members have a passion for coordinating quality person-centered services, and supports for people served by Darke DD.”
The surveyors singled out the entrance conference as a highlight of the review, according to a representative. Individuals supported by Darke DD, enthusiastically shared their life experiences with reviewers by talking about relationships and advocacy in the community. Staff members also participated in the entrance conference and shared their perspective on person-centered planning concepts and community-based opportunities.
The Accreditation Review Team commended Darke DD on the public relations videos that were shared as part of the review, a representative said. The overall theme was to empower people to explore possibilities for their lives. In 2017, Darke DD supported more than 450 individuals living in Darke County through early intervention, school, adult, residential, and other home and community-based programs.
