Erie County Board of DD Spring Newsletter

Spring 2011

ard of Developmental Disabilities County Bo BUILDING BRIDGES

MARCH is

l Developmenta Disabilities Awareness Month

Inside this Issue Erie County DD’s Carrie Beier Named to Statewide Panel Erie Special Olympics Hoopsters Shine in Skills Competition Annual Erie DD Provider Fair Set for March 26 Would you would like to receive our newsletter electronically? If so, email newsletter@eriecbdd.org with “subscribe” in the subject line, and we will add you to our email distribution list.

Jude Theibert Joins Erie County Board of DD Jude J. Theibert of Sandusky was recently named to the Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

Theibert was appointed to the Board at its January monthly meeting.

Jude J. Theibert

“Jude’s appointment strengthens our board,” said Board President Donald Seig. “His breadth of experience in business and in the military will be

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Gianna Musser Named 2011 March of Dimes Ambassador

Erie County’s biggest celebrity was not too long ago its tiniest resident.

Gianna Grace Musser, the daughter of Jeff and Gigi Musser of Sandusky, was born in November 2009 - 12 weeks early and weighing only three pounds.

After fighting off pneumonia, brain bleeds, multiple blood transfusions, lung and eye surgery, and seemingly overwhelming odds, Gianna was recently named the March of Dimes 2011 Ambassador for the Cleveland region.

“She’s our miracle baby,” said Gigi, watching her daughter toddle across the room. “When she was born they didn’t expect her to make it, they said her status was ‘minute-to-minute.’ And, look at her now. She’s doing so great.”

Gigi credits a portion of Gianna’s progress to the Early Intervention and Help Me Grow programs at the Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

“We love those programs,” Gigi said.

“They are both great resources. When you have a baby like Gianna you don’t really know where to turn for help. Everyone on staff makes you feel like you’re the most important person in the world.”

Gianna spent the first 66 days of her life in the Neonatal-Intensive Care Unit at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital.

She was home only a short time when she was returned to the hospital with right lower lobe pneumonia. It was during this trip that doctors removed her entire right lower lobe in order to remove a very large cystic structure. She left the hospital for good in March 2010.

The Mussers first became connected with Help Me Grow when Gianna’s big brother, 6-year-old Jaxson, received speech therapy from the program. Gianna entered Early

Gianna Musser

Intervention and Help Me Grow shortly after being discharged from the hospital.

Gianna now receives physical, occupational and speech therapy from the program, and an Early Intervention specialist travels to the Mussers home monthly to work with her.

“Gianna is an amazing little girl,” said Lisa Guliano, superintendent of Erie County DD. “We take great pride in our Early Intervention and Help Me Grow programs, but we take even greater pride in the staff behind those programs. Quite simply, they do amazing things for children in need.”

Gianna will take her ambassador sash to Cleveland on May 1 for the 2011 March for Babies. The four-mile walk begins at Voinovich Park.

For more information about the walk, visit www.marchforbabies.org.

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Quarterly Newsletter of the Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities

DD Awareness Month

REMEMBERING WHERE WE ARE, AND WHERE WE HAVE BEEN

BY LISA GULIANO

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

Why, you might ask, do we need a month to recognize individuals with developmental disabilities. We don’t. What we need is a month to remember the struggles these individuals have overcome over the years.

MARCH is Developmen Disabilities tal Awareness Month

Sometimes we forget just how far we have advanced in the socialization and care of individuals with developmental disabilities in the past 40 years. Today, it is not uncommon to see individuals working in the community and living independently with supports.

However, that wasn’t the case just a few short decades ago when many individuals with disabilities were institutionalized. In fact, it wasn’t all that long ago that having a child with a developmental disability was considered an embarrassment to a family. And, it was little wonder that many people felt that way, given the way these individuals were treated by society as a whole.

When the state opened a facility for individuals with mental retardation in Columbus in 1857, it was called the “Ohio Asylum for the Education of Idiotic and Imbecilic Youth.” That facility was renamed in 1875 to the “Institution for the Feeble-Minded.”

That name remained in place until 1945, when it was changed to the Columbus State School, and five years later to the Columbus State Institution. More telling of society’s view of the disabled was the fact that individuals receiving treatments at the facility continued to be referred to as “inmates.”

They are not inmates or patients. They are individuals with the same wants, desires and needs as anyone else. They want the same things we want - a job, money in their pocket, relationships, a safe place to live.

As a society, we have come a long way toward treating, understanding and assisting those among us who have disabilities.

Can we improve? Absolutely. That is the charge of the Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities, and I am proud to be part of an organization that works tirelessly to improve the lives of these individuals.

Lisa Guliano is the superintendent of the Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

JUDE THEIBERT Continued from front page

valuable as Erie DD creates policy that will impact the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities for years to come.”

Theibert retired from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel in 1978 following a 20-year career.

He worked for Systems Automation Corporation and Physician Search before starting the physician search and consulting firm of Theibert and Associates Inc. in 1985.

Theibert is a 1958 graduate of the United States Military Academy, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He earned a master’s degree in political science from Tulane University in 1969.

He is a 1953 graduate of Sandusky High School.

Erie County DD’s Carrie Beier Named to Statewide Panel Carrie Beier, the Early Intervention administrator for the Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities, was recently chosen to two statewide boards.

Carrie Beier

The Ohio Department of Health selected her to participate in a statewide rule revision of the Help Me Grow program.

She also was named to the state’s Early Childhood Advisory Council. Carrie is representing the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities - special needs work group - at the advisory council, which is operated by the Ohio Department of Education.

“Clearly, Carrie has earned the respect of her peers around the state,” said Lisa Guliano, superintendent of Erie County DD. “Carrie is an example of the quality individuals we have working here in Erie County.”

Help Me Grow, which is administered in Erie County through the board of developmental disabilities, provides health and developmental services to expectant parents, newborns, infants and toddlers. Carrie was selected to the Help Me Grow panel because of her involvement and commitment to the program. She will participate on the Home Visiting Workgroup.

“It is a great opportunity for Erie County to be part of the process of developing the best practice standards for Ohio,” Beier said. “I am so happy to have been chosen.”

Spring 2011

Special Olympics Hoopsters Shine at Skills Competition

Erie County’s Special Olympics basketballers faired well at the Ohio Area 4 Competition for Basketball Individual Skills Contest, held Feb. 15 at Toledo Start High School.

Erie County sent 11 athletes to participate in the competition, which is comprised of the spot shot, 10-meter dribble and wall pass. Each event is scored and added together for the athlete’s total score. Our athletes brought home four first-place winners, four second-place finishers and three third-place finishers.

Special Olympics in Erie County is an independent, community based program.

The Special Olympic coaches are Jessica Smith, Kelly Hlavin and Jo Miller.

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Wanda Hinds will Keep Busy in Retirement After spending 12 years at the Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Wanda Hinds is retiring and kicking back. Well, sort of.

Her dance ticket will be quite full as she takes cooking classes, experiments with her recipes, learns to quilt and care for her 92-year-old mother. “I’ll have plenty to keep me busy,” Wanda said. “I have a lot of interests and it will be fun to delve into those projects.”

Wanda Hinds

Wanda began at Erie County DD as a van driver in the transportation department. From there, she moved to a position as adult service provider, a position she fell in love with. “I enjoyed working with the clients, particularly the severely and profoundly disabled. You get so attached,” Wanda said. “You learn how to relate to them, and communicate with them, and I enjoyed that so much. They each have such unique personalities.” Her last position at Erie County DD was as a file clerk.

Since leaving, she began taking cooking classes at her church, focusing on vegetarian dishes. Her mother is a long-time quilter and she plans to learn the craft.

Sharon Travis, director of Service and Support Administration at Erie County DD, called Wanda a “very dependable team player.” “Wanda will certainly be missed around here,” Sharon said. “She was so pleasant, very approachable and such a hard worker. And, she always had a smile on her face.”

Erie County Hoopsters

Erie DD Q-1 Anniversaries

Tara Kamann

Tara Kamann Greg Semer Ronald Watts Teresa McDermond Rita Burrier Lesley Swope Eric Wightman Jason Luzader William Carrico Tara Frost Jimmy Meade Richard Casper Tommy Sample Jacqueline Woodruff

Erie CBDD Employees Celebrating Employment Anniversaries in the First Quarter 2011

YEARS OF SERVICE

17 12 10 10 10 9 9 5 4 4 3 3 1 1

Wayne Golob was promoted from part time van driver to full time dispatcher in January. Wayne has worked as a van driver for the board for five years.

Wayne Golob

Kristin Braun was promoted from Help Me Grow Referral and Intake Coordinator to Executive Administrative Coordinator in February. Kris has worked for the board for 10 years.

Kristin Braun

County Boa

rd of Developmental Disabilities BUILDING BRIDGES

4405 Galloway Road Sandusky, OH 44870 419-626-0208

Erie County DD Annual Provider Fair Set for March 26 The Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities will host its annual Provider Fair on Saturday, March 26, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The provider fair is designed to assist individuals with disabilities and their families by providing access to service providers.

The fair gives individuals and families an opportunity to gather information about the type of supports available and the organizations providing those services.

“The Provider Fair helps to educate, therefore providing individuals with more of a choice in what services they may want and perhaps what companies they want providing those services,” said Lisa Guliano, superintendent of the Erie County DD. “March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and that makes it a great time to open the doors at the Provider Fair to families and individuals in the community.”

Erie County DD has invited providers and companies that provide services such as residential, in-home supports, day programming, transportation, medical and recreational.

For additional information, contact Megan Etzel at 419.502.4121.

Providers gathered at the 2010 Provider Fair at Sandusky High School

ard of Developmental Disabilities County Bo BUILDING BRIDGES

BOARD MEMBERS PRESIDENT

Eric Kibler VICE-PRESIDENT

David Stuck SECRETARY

Vicki Deel-Lezon MEMBERS

Don Sieg Kay Mackey Howard Collins Jude Theibert