May 1, 2024

Cuyahoga DD Employees Eligible for 50% Scholarships from CWRU Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences

Last month, Case Western Reserve University's Mandel School recently signed agreements with four service providers - FrontLine Service, Bellefaire JCB, Murtis Taylor Human Services, and Cuyahoga DD - to recruit and train diverse students for its master of social work (MSW) program, ranked No. 9 in the country and No. 1 in Ohio. Prospective students will be eligible for 50% scholarships.

To promote a skilled workforce in behavioral health and get ahead of the curve on an expected shortage of 195,000 social workers by 2030, The Mandel School will enroll 10 employees from each of the four organizations and offer them a 50% scholarship. Full-time, part-time weekend and online MSW program formats are available.

“This is part of an effort to build strategic relationships to address an overall need of trained social workers in our community,” said Mandel School Dean Dexter Voisin. “I believe it is part of our community responsibility to elevate and foster talent from inside the same neighborhoods where social workers serve.”

“We are excited to partner with the Mandel School to offer graduate-level educational opportunities to Cuyahoga DD staff,” said Amber C. Gibbs, Superintendent and CEO. “Cuyahoga DD is committed to continuous learning, and we know that having highly trained staff only improves our ability to deliver on our mission and provide the best services and supports to the people we serve.”

Family Fun Fairs 2024

Cuyahoga DD is hosting four Family Fun Fairs in 2024.

The FREE fairs are for families with children with developmental disabilities to meet and connect, learn about Cuyahoga DD, and have fun!

Each fair is geared toward families with children ages 14 and under, served by Cuyahoga DD. All events are rain or shine and will take place from 12 - 2 PM.

The May 18 Family Fun Fair will include the Move for Life Mobility Fair. Which will celebrate the ways physical therapy helps you to live, learn and play! Move for Life Mobility will include fun activity stations and opportunities all designed by Cuyahoga DD Physical Therapists.

Registration is required and space is limited. Click the button below to register.

Date	Location
Saturday, May 18	Big Creek Center, Parma
Saturday, June 8	Green Road Center, Highland Hills
Sunday, July 28	Big Creek Center, Parma
Sunday, October 20	Green Road Center, Highland Hills

Registration

DSP-U Summer Sessions for Highschoolers

To support the development and retention of the Direct Support Professionals (DSP) workforce, we have an exciting opportunity to announce! Cuyahoga DD is partnering with the Ohio Alliance of Direct Support Professionals (OADSP) for DSP-U, a free training program in June.

DSP-U allows high school junior and senior students to earn a certificate, build their resume, and explore future career opportunities to work with people with intellectual

and developmental disabilities as a DSP.

The program is an 8-day training session at our Big Creek Center in Parma. Lunch will be provided. Please share the program information with your staff, families, neighbors, and friends. Registration deadline is June 1.

Info Flyer

Ideastream: Cuyahoga program helps developmentally disabled navigate the justice system

Cuyahoga County is one of the only counties in the State of Ohio with a specialized DD forensics team. Many in our community do not know about the important work Cuyahoga DD’s Forensic Liaisons do to support people with disabilities who are going through the justice system.

Antonio Boone shared his experience working with Cuyahoga DD's forensic unit with ideastream. Listen to or read the article here.

J. Nungesser/Ideastream Public Media

Welcome the Newest Library Facilitators

The Library Facilitator program kicked off by introducing the new Library Facilitators for the season on April 23. Congratulations to Deanna, Hannah, Jasmine, Syndey, and TJ.

The five libraries the facilitators will be working at are:

Cuyahoga County Public Library: Parma-Snow, Solon, and Middleburg Heights
Heights Libraries
Westlake Porter Public Library

Library Facilitators co-lead storytimes and activities in libraries sharing advocacy, fun and inclusion with the community.

Deanna

Hannah

Jasmine

Syndey

2024 Let's Get TOgether Kick-off

Adults sitting in an outdoor patio in a bench

Let’s Get TOgether participants celebrated the start of the second year of the program at Bottlehouse Brewery in Lakewood last month. The topics of the day were boundaries and personal spaces.

Let’s Get TOgether allows participants to learn about social skills and dating while having fun and trying new activities. The events are led by the Behavioral Health and Community Development teams.

Cuyahoga DD Partnered with CAVS on Autism Awareness Night

On Friday, April 12, Cuyahoga DD partnered with the Cleveland Cavaliers on their Autism Awareness Night. Good Life Ambassadors Grace Blatt and Shaye Taylor shared with guest services staff ways they can support Autistic people and people with other types of disabilities.

Guest services staff were also given pocket cards with tips for how to support people with disabilities that they can use beyond Autism Awareness Night. Cuyahoga DD had an information table on the concourse, and the Universal Changing Table was available to guests during the game.

Razzle Dazzle Shines at Beck Center for the Arts

Razzle Dazzle: Everything Old Is New Again - Cover To Cover brought the house down! The annual show returned to the Beck Center for the Arts April 26-28. The shows featured a cast of adults with developmental disabilities and community volunteers who performed to original and cover songs.

The performers shared their talents and joy with the lively audience. Congratulations to the cast, crew, volunteers, and production team on a spectacular Razzle Dazzle. Cuyahoga DD is a proud sponsor of the show.

Virtual Independent Provider Meet and Greet

Meet independent providers (IP) who can support you at our virtual meet and greet. Here you will be able to learn what services, availability, and certifications each IP has.

Date: Wednesday, May 8

Time: 10 AM or 5 PM

Where: Zoom

Meeting

Talespinner Children's Theatre Recruiting "The Troupe" Members

Talespinners Children's Theatre presents a new free theater performance program. "The Troupe" will be a space for adults who identify as disabled to be creative, expressive, and perform. Participants will be cast in the production of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales.

Dates:

Enrollment closes on 5/31
Rehearsals: 6/3 - 7/29, Mondays & Thursdays from 6 - 8 PM
Performance: 8/2

For questions, contact Rebecca Burcher, Director of Education, at rebecca@talespinnercle.org. Enrollment through May 31 by clicking the button below. Cuyahoga DD is proud to fund the program.

Enroll

OOD Youth Leadership Forum

High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors with disabilities are invited to Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities’ week-long Ohio Youth Leadership Forum with LEAP Cleveland this summer. Apply by May 17.

Students at YLF will:

Learn about choosing a career
Learn about available resources and assistive technology
Identify existing barriers to personal and professional success and develop plans to overcome those barriers
Interact with professionals with disabilities who serve as mentors and role models
Develop a personal leadership plan
Gain the power to reach your goals
Develop a social network with your peers

Apply

National Nurses Week, May 6-12

May 6 -12 is National Nurses Week. All members of the Cuyahoga DD Health Service team are registered nurses. Health Service Coordinators support people with disabilities by giving resources, needs assessments, and consultations to caregivers and providers, and much more. Thank you to our Health Service team for all they do!

Top row: Jacqueline, Julie, Antevia, Kelly, and Danette. Bottom row: Dana, Barb, Tamara, and Natalie.

CSU Seeking Research Study Participants

The Cleveland State University (CSU) Human Performance Laboratory, in partnership with Jacob’s Ladder Special Needs Fitness, is looking for research study volunteers with Down syndrome, ages 18 and older. CSU wants to observe the impact of regular exercise on biomarkers of health and Alzheimer’s Disease in people with Down syndrome.

Volunteers will visit the lab one time for about 2 hours. Participants who complete testing will receive a $25 gift card. Participants will receive the following testing:

Body fat percentage
Blood lipid and glucose panel
Cognitive
Self-Esteem
Blood pressure

If interested, contact Emily Kullman, PhD at e.kullman@csuohio.edu or 216-687-4854 or William Matcham, PhD at w.matcham@csuohio.edu or 216-687-3890.

Online Resource Guide to Inclusive Places, Jobs and Events

Discover inclusive places, jobs, and events near you on our Online Resource Guide. Our community experts verified organizations and places as part of our All Means All initiative, ensuring they are inclusive and accessible.

Find your perfect job match with our Workforce Development team's assistance, as they can connect you with local businesses. Don't miss out on year-round fun events, both virtual and in-person, to build connections and experiences.

Check out the places, jobs and events listed in each category below to learn more.

We Want to Hear from You!

Supporting Staff Survey

Have you recently interacted with Cuyahoga DD staff as part of receiving services and supports from the board? Please let us know how we are doing. Complete the short survey below for each staff member you worked with.

Survey

Shout Out Your Provider

Providers play an important role in the lives of the people we serve. Now is your chance to recognize them for all the amazing work they do. Complete the form below to shout out the provider that supports you. The shout-out may appear on Cuyahoga DD's social media pages and e-News.

Form

Cuyahoga DD Employee Spotlights

DeAnn, Waiver Support Specialist

“What I like most about working at Cuyahoga DD is that management really cares about our clients and their employees.”

Angela, Occupational Therapist

“I like helping families accomplish their goals and help their children gain independence. It is so great to see this daily.”

Provider Spotlight

The family member of someone served wants to give a shoutout to Welcome House.

"Welcome House has served our sister for almost 20 years. Our family wanted to thank her staff caregivers and agency leadership for all they do. They support our sister to have the best possible quality of life. Her caregivers are truly a dream team, and our family is immensely grateful for the incredible care they provide each and every day."

Learn more about Welcome House at welcomehouseinc.org.

Books with Inclusive Stories, Messaging and Representation

These books are inclusive in their messaging, stories and representation. These books are joyful, fun to read, and selected from an anti-bias and anti-racism perspective. Check out these books at your local library.

Read Aloud, 0-8 Years