The intent of the Developmental Disabilities Services Division (DDSD) is to secure services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities to live, work, and participate in their communities. The principles in this subsection provide direction and purpose in designing services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities.
- (1) Understanding the ways in which a person with a developmental disability communicates with others is critical. Case managers, program coordinators, and other involved Personal Support Team (Team) members must actively solicit, listen to, and respond to the person's needs, ideas, and choices, whether these are communicated verbally or non-verbally.
- (2) DDSD employs a service planning, implementation, and monitoring process which focuses on the needs, desires, and choices of the person receiving services.
- (3) The Individual Plan (Plan) process assures that people receiving services have access to quality services and supports which foster:
- (A) independence, learning, and growth;
- (B) choices in everyday life;
- (C) meaningful relationships with family, friends, and neighbors;
- (D) presence and participation in their communities;
- (E) dignity and respect;
- (F) positive approaches aimed at skill enhancement; and
- (G) health and safety.
- (4) The case manager ensures that the Team makes maximum use of services which are available to all citizens.
- (5) Services and supports are provided based on assessed needs as explained in OAC 340:100-5-51.
- (6) The case manager assures that the services and supports developed by the Team support the person's own network of personal resources. The willing efforts of family members or friends to support areas of the person's life are not replaced with paid supports. • 1
- (7) Planning focuses on the needs and outcomes which the person receiving services wishes to achieve. The Team considers the preferences of the person receiving services first and family, friends, and advocates secondarily.
- (8) Each person served has a single, unified Plan. All services and supports are an integrated part of the Plan. Programs involving professional and specialized services are jointly developed to assure integration of service outcomes. The Team ensures that services and supports:
- (A) are integrated into the individual's daily activities;
- (B) take advantage of every opportunity for social inclusion;
- (C) reflect positive approaches aimed at skill enhancement; and
- (D) make use of the least intrusive and least restrictive options.
- (9) The case manager assures that the Team identifies needed services and supports.
- (A) If services and supports are unavailable near the area of the person's home, the case manager submits a list of such services and supports to the area manager for resource development.
- (B) If the Team identifies a lack of available services and supports as a barrier, the Team develops alternative strategies, using currently available services and supports, pending the development of additional resources.
- (C) If an identified service is not within the scope of the State's programs, the Team creatively seeks methods to meet the need.