Professional Development

Annual Convention and Spring Conference
OACB hosts the two largest professional development conferences in the State of Ohio for DD services each year: our three-day Annual Convention in December and our two-day Spring Conference in May. Each event offers board members and staff from all areas of responsibility an opportunity to hear from subject matter experts and other leaders in the field on the most pressing issues facing DD professionals.

Good Life Network
More than half of Ohio’s 88 county boards have chosen to participate in OACB’s custom-developed “Good Life” training series. An à la carte service for county boards, these trainings provide boards with the tools they need to create a positive culture among staff and people served so that everyone is happy and living a “good life” in accordance with their own personal preferences. More information about this topic can be found at www.oacbdd.org/goodlife.  

Executive Development Program
This program has been developed for professionals seeking positions in middle or upper management in the developmental disability service delivery system as well as those seeking to enhance the delivery of services to people with developmental disabilities.  Every two years, OACB offers group-based study specifically designed to enhance the professional learning experience. The full program has been divided into eight two-day units, during which participants will hear from experts in their fields (both in and outside of the DD community) on ways that county board staff members can improve their performance, increase the quality of their services, and become local leaders. For more information, visit www.oacbdd.org/edp.

Board In-Service Trainings
OACB staff members regularly travel to boards across the state to provide trainings on a wide variety of subjects. Some trainings are geared toward specific audiences, such as board members, SSAs, or behavioral support specialists, while others are more general in nature and cross over multiple areas of responsibility. Boards can request these trainings individually or as part of small regional groups on nearly any topic of importance to a county board’s daily operations.

Statewide and Regional Training Events
OACB hosts many statewide trainings in Columbus as well as in other geographic regions of the state that are targeted toward specific areas of responsibility within county boards. Examples include the twice-yearly SSA Forums in Columbus, the 2016 regional communications and branding seminars, Employment Navigation and Project CIRCLE trainings, and others.

Online Training
Though our online Training Center (www.oacbdd.org/training), board employees are able to purchase and download affordable, self-paced courses that qualify for continuing professional development units and meet annual recertification requirements from the Ohio Department of DD.

For more information about how OACB can help support your county board or provider agency with professional development support, please contact Pete Moore, OACB Chief of Staff, at pmoore@oacbdd.org.

This page was last updated on July 6, 2017.