History of Ottawa County Board of MRDD
1927 Bethlem Royal Hospital was established in England for individuals with disabilities and mental health needs (word Bedlam a scene of uproar, came from this creation).
1950 State institutions where the only option in Ohio for citizens with disabilities. School districts established the E-1 exclusion for individuals they considered not educable.
1957 first meeting of parents for what was to become Ottawa County Board of MR/DD.
1960 Association for Retarded Citizens opened a day program with 13 children (American Legion Hall).
1964 Ottawa County Commissioners granted use of a small building on County Home grounds. 1/10 mil levy passed to support day program.
1967 passed SB 169 created Ottawa County Board of MR/DD.
1970 year of movement toward adult day programming and de-institutionalization.
1971 new building now called Ottawa County Early Childhood Center (Riverview School).
1973 due to the growth of the adult population Riverview Industries was incorporated.
1976 due to de-institutionalization a new mission was forth coming and Ottawa County Residential Services was incorporated.
1982 because of growing adult population at home Riverview Industries Building was built through a HUD grant at no cost to Ottawa County citizens.
1982 Group Home in Port Clinton.
1985 Group Home in Genoa.
1985 was also the year State Dept. of MR/DD transferred all funding for school programs back to State Department of Education.
1990 the mission was changing to supporting individuals in the community by providing supports 24hrs a day 365 days a year.
1990 also brought a reduction of school age children at Riverview School who were now choosing to stay in their home school. This precipitated the transfer of three classroom units and the handicap pre-school to the ESC (Educational Service Center).
1992 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) brought two new words to our vocabulary, inclusion and self-determination. The Dignity of Risk was right of citizens with disabilities.
1994 the Early Intervention Program grew from 26 babies between 0-3 to 58 in 2002.
2000 brings the passage of HB 94 with waivers, organizational change to administer and fund community supports as institutions close for good. Also it was time for building county infrastructure that supports handicap citizens and all citizens needed to live in our community.
2003 – 2004 brings the state into crisis as it pertains to funding citizens with disabilities. It causes the continual closing and redefinition of state institutions and Group Homes. It moves the responsibility for the health and safety and Medicaid match dollars to support individuals with disabilities in community settings to the County Board of MR/DD. A major shift did accrue from being provider of direct services through day programs, to administering community supports through contract provider agencies.
2007 remains as a transitional year as the state rewrites rules and funding programs. The weight of funding moves from the state to local Boards of MR/DD and federal dollars, such as in the Medicaid redesign initiatives. The major issue of local control did not move with the funding requirements and/or the insurance of health and safety. This still needs to be resolved as we move into 2008.
Where do we want to be in the next three to five years?