County Bd. of DD marks 50th anniversary

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Van Wert Board of Developmental Disabilities celebrated a half-century of serving the county’s residents on Thursday, with hundreds of people coming out for a lunch of Gibson’s Backyard BBQ pork and chicken, and to meet and greet with staff and board members.

In 1967, Ohio House Bill 169 established county boards of mental retardation, and that same year, the City of Van Wert established its own charter board. That first board was comprised of the Rev. Dean Check, Edwin Bates, William Hetrick, Robert C. Young, Dr. Harold Smith, Glen Jenkins, and Anne Smith. In 1968, the board began serving its first class of children at First United Methodist Church in Van Wert.

In 1970, an adult program was established at the former Van Wert County Hospital on Central Avenue, with the board relocating services following construction of a new facility at its current site on North Franklin Street.

In 1978, the board established Thomas Edison Center Inc., a not-for-profit entity dedicated to providing work for adults with developmental disabilities. A Stimulation Program was established in 1979 for children ages birth through 3 years of age.

In 1980, the board began construction on an 8-bed residential facility on North Franklin and changed the name of the entity to the Van Wert County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MRDD), and also began providing case management services.

In 1991, the Americans with Disabilities Act became law and provided for accessibility, inclusion, and equality for those disabled in areas of life such as employment, public access, and transportation services.

Two years later, the local MRDD board established Van Wert Housing Services Inc., a not-for-profit housing board that provides affordable housing for those with developmental disabilities, and 11 houses were purchased with state funds.

Seventeen years ago, in 2001, a redesign of the Medicaid program required the MRDD board to hire additional staff members to provide service and support administration (case management).

In 2009, the board again changed its name to the Van Wert County Board of Developmental Disabilities as a result of Ohio House Bill 79.

Board Superintendent Jim Stripe, who has spent 42 of the board’s 50 years of existence working with people with developmental disabilities, said Thursday’s lunch was a small token of gratitude to the community for supporting the board’s programs over the last half-century.

“We wanted to give back to the community,” Stripe noted. “The community has supported us for those 50 years, certainly.”

Among its many services, the Van Wert County Board of Developmental Disabilities (VWCBDD), has provided intervention services for children ages birth to 3 years of age, as well as providing services for preschool and school-age children. They board also serves adults with job, residential, and transportation needs.

Striped said programs for the developmentally disabled have come a long way since 1967, with more community-based services now offered.

“When we first were providing services, most of the services were delivered in a segregated setting; now, more and more of our people have an opportunity to be included in the community in a variety of ways,” he said. “Whether it’s early on in school or later on in the job market, it’s been great to watch that kind of growth.”