Fall-O-Ween and Accreditation for SCDD

Oct. 23--Vern Riffe School/Scioto County Developmental Disabilities announced the annual Fall-O-Ween Carnival is slated for Thursday, October 24th and their Mobile Smart Home technology will be available for tour and demonstrations. The carnival is 5:00p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and will have games, food, and face-painting. The cost of admission for the event, which is a fundraiser for the school's PTO, is $1 or one can of food or non-perishable item. The admission price gets the buyer a wristband good for five-game plays and additional wristbands can be purchased.

The PTO's mission is to enhance the experience of students. The organization has sponsored prom and graduation, as well as making purchases such as a washer and dryer for the school.

"As always, our funds through the PTO go for many things for our students -- especially Christmas. We also contribute to the VRS prom and graduation. If the students need funds to attend certain outing we also cover that," said PTO President Kim Miller. "We don't want anyone left out of anything."

The Mobile Smart Home is grant-funded through the Southern Ohio Council of Governments. It promotes awareness of technology-based support for people with developmental disabilities. The remote services are designed to complement in-home services but allow individuals to live more independently in their own homes while still having the security of staff available in case of an emergency.

Recently, SCCDD earned a Three-Year Accreditation. The process included an accreditation review by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD). Upon releasing zero citations, which is a rare occurrence, the state awarded it.

DODD accreditors were onsite in August to examine documentation and perform interviews. Programs directly involved in the 2019 accreditation process included: Intake, SSA, Vern Riffe School, the Human Resources/Fiscal Office, Help Me Grow and Early Childhood Services.

"You, the Board members, your superintendent and staff are to be commended for your efforts in achieving this status," wrote DODD Director Jeff Davis. "Department staff and I are well aware that this accomplishment required considerable commitment of resources and energy."

The accreditation team examined every department, poring over records and conducting interviews with staff. The process is designed to encourage continuous improvement of the services and supports offered by Ohio's county boards of developmental disabilities.

"I am so very proud of the efforts that our team puts forth every single day to make sure that the citizens of Scioto County continue to realize the investments of their tax dollars," said SCDD Superintendent Matt Purcell. "Achievements of this magnitude serve to validate what I already know about this organization. "

The accreditation process requires all programs under the agency's umbrella to work toward a common goal; something that is a common occurrence at the agency. The services provided to individuals often require high levels of inter-departmental communication and cooperation.

"The 2019 SCDD accreditation process proved to be a challenging, yet, a very positive experience," said Early Childhood and Help Me Grow Director, Tammy Nelson. "I witnessed wonderful teamwork between the Help Me Grow Service Coordinators and the SCDD Developmental Specialists. Each staff member took their responsibility very seriously and wanted to make sure their 'product' met with our accreditation standards. The process allowed us to reflect on the quality services we provide and what a true difference Early Childhood Services makes for a child who has delays or a disability."

The three-year accreditation period is effective December 1, 2019, through November 30, 2022.

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