Serving People with Developmental Disabilities
Project CIRCLE: Program Information
The Capacity and Integration Regional Collaborative Leadership Endeavor (Project CIRCLE), a new training program launching in June 2016, will help professionals define what “integration” means for DD services, build provider capacity, and create community connections for people with disabilities. Project CIRCLE was conceived in response to a request for proposals issued by DODD in early 2016. The department sought assistance from the DD field in creating a plan to satisfy federal requirements and maintain quality services while preventing unnecessary upheaval in the lives of Ohioans with disabilities. Ohio’s DD system is undergoing fundamental changes as service providers adapt to new federal rules. Agencies can no longer provide DD support services while also managing them, and all DD services (regardless of provider) must be offered in an integrated community setting by 2024. The project will include in-person training sessions and webinars taking place throughout 2016 and 2017. Project CIRCLE’s training curriculum, which draws on the knowledge of county board employees, providers, and self-advocates, will focus on concrete solutions that are workable in Ohio. The program will rely on professionals who know and understand the unique culture and structure of the state’s DD support system, and it will ensure that people served, families, and Ohio DD professionals maintain a leadership role in shaping the system’s future. The training program has been designed to help the state's DD system meet benchmarks defined by the Strategic Planning Leadership Group, which issued a report outlining its final findings in December 2014 (click here to read the SPLG report). Among the goals of Project CIRCLE are increasing the chances of people with disabilities to find quality jobs in the community, creating natural and supportive environments for integration, growing and supporting provider agencies, and giving people served and their families tools to lead fulfilling lives.
Upcoming Trainings
Project CIRCLE Partners:
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The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) has contracted with OACB, the Ohio Provider Resource Association (OPRA), and a collaborative of other stakeholder groups to plan and execute a series of trainings to prepare DD professionals for changes related to systems transformation.
