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Mahoning County honors Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month; board employees share impact stories
Summary
Representatives from the Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities described services, employment outcomes and community events during public comment; commissioners presented a proclamation recognizing Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and urged continued funding support.
Bill Whitacre, representing the Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities, told the Board of Commissioners on March 12 that the agency’s mission is "providing opportunities that maximize the quality of life for people with disabilities through collaboration and connection to the community." He described a countywide system he said serves nearly 2,000 individuals and families and operates the Leonard Kirtz School in Austintown.
Whitacre highlighted the agency’s programs and economic footprint, saying nearly 1,000 people receive Medicaid-waiver services in the county and that waivers generate roughly $100 million in services countywide. He also described the board’s early intervention program (transcript states "over 550" but the transcript wording is unclear on the precise unit) and said more than 100 people served by the board hold community employment and pay taxes.
William, an employee of the county board, gave a personal account of moving from reliance on waiver services to education and employment. "It was my dream to be off of waiver services and truly live independent," he said, and described earning a communication degree and a master’s in clinical mental health counseling. He said he was appointed in January 2020 to Governor DeWine’s Independent Living Council.
Commissioners presented a proclamation recognizing Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and commended Whitacre, William and partner organizations for outreach. Whitacre also noted a recent Gateways to Better Living "flash mob" at Eastwood Mall with about 250 participants from providers in Mahoning and Trumbull counties and said organizers hope to stage a similar event at Southern Park Mall.
The remarks emphasized the agencies’ local employment and services and urged continued funding. Commissioners used the public-comment portion to highlight the community value of developmental-disability services and to encourage support for levies and grants that fund those programs.
The board did not take formal action on new developmental-disability policy at this meeting; the public-comment presentations and the proclamation were commemorative and informational.
