Written by: Leigh Anne Wenning, Superintendent
At the Shelby County Board of Developmental Disabilities, we often get questions about who can qualify for our services. Because the process can sometimes feel a little confusing, we’d like to share some basics to help clear things up.
Across Ohio, every county uses the same assessment tool approved by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. It’s called the Ohio Eligibility Determination Instrument, and here in Shelby County, we have a trained assessor who helps complete it.
To be considered, a person must have a qualifying diagnosis or disability that began before the age of 22 and is likely to last indefinitely. Deficits also cannot be attributed to a mental illness. Since our services are designed to support people with developmental disabilities, this step is very important.
The assessment itself is done in person, either at home or another convenient location, and looks at seven key life areas, such as self-care, mobility, and independent living skills.
· For adults: eligibility means having substantial limitations in three of these areas.
· For children under 16: the assessment is adjusted for age, and eligibility is met with substantial limitations in two areas.
If a person is found eligible, they will be connected with a Service and Support Administrator, who will walk alongside them and their family to explore available services and resources. If the person is not eligible, we do our best to connect them with other resources.
If you’d like more information about eligibility, just give us a call at 937-497-8155 and ask for our Eligibility Specialist. We’re here to help!
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