Service & Support Administration (SSA)

Portrait of young woman wearing work uniform smiling at camera

Child Team

Child Team Service and Support Administrators (SSAs) can assist with such things as:

  • Accessing community resources

  • Obtaining in-home supports/respite

  • Life planning (guardianship, estate planning etc.)

  • Individual Education Plan (IEP) processes

  • Coordinating with school personnel or other service agencies to meet the needs of the individual and family.

  • Locating appropriate activities and learning opportunities

  • Providing diagnosis-specific resources and education

  • Planning behavioral intervention supports as needed

 

Adult Team

Adult team SSAs can assist with such things as:

  • Accessing community resources (housing, food, utilities etc.)

  • Education/supports related to benefits (SSI, SSDI, Job and Family Services Resources)

  • Writing and maintaining an Individual Service Plan (ISP) that plans identified supports

  • Coordinating with KCBDD’s Employment Navigator to plan employment supports

  • Providing information on various service settings available (home and community-based supports)

  • Providing information on self-determination and self-advocacy options available

  • Working on community inclusion and engagement

  • Assisting to arrange appropriate medical/psychological/psychiatric services

  • Life planning (guardianship, estate planning etc.)

 

Employment Supports

The Knox County Board of DD offers employment counseling to every new individual (age 14+) entering county board services, to any individual desiring to enter an adult day service for the first time and to any individual/team that requests employment supports. 

There are a variety of employment supports (job trials, summer work programs, volunteering opportunities, job coaches, work assessments, etc.) that can be utilized to support an individual in their desire to participate in community employment.  Please check out our Employment Management page for more information.

Residential Services

If residential service and supports are needed for an individual, their assigned SSA will meet with the individual/team to assess the current needs and plan appropriate home and community-based supports.  This could be in the form of remote technology that allows an individual to remain independent while still getting an appropriate level of supports.  It might mean arranging hands-on assistance from a Homemaker Personal Care (HPC) worker for help with personal care, grocery shopping, budgeting, life skill development or general supervision anywhere from a few hours a month up to 24/7 care.  The supports are provided by either an agency (HPC) worker or an independent provider that is personally certified by DODD.  All DODD certified providers must have background checks and receive annual required training.  Every individual/guardian decides for themselves which certified providers they would like to work with.  This ability to choose and steer services from a provider is known as an individual’s “Free Choice of Provider” and is an important aspect of self-determination.

Residential Options Resources

1. DODD Online ICF Search Tool: https://dodd.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/dodd/your-family/community-living/icf_search_map
2. DODD Electronic ICF Informational Booklet: https://dodd.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/dodd/forms-and-rules/forms/pamphlet-options-counseling

Adult Day Supports (ADS)

Knox County Board of DD’s Employment Manager contacts each new individual that is found eligible or transfers into local services before a SSA is assigned and any other services are discussed.    This allows each individual and their support team to consider the full-range of community-employment options available to them first.  KCBDD highly encourages referrals to Opportunity for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) before any adult day support can be considered.  KCBDD educates individuals and their families about the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act and what that means for their situation. If Adult Day Supports (ADS’s) are an appropriate fit, an individual’s SSA will arrange tours and work with the individual/team to plan ADS supports.  There are currently nine independently operated ADS sites in Knox County. 

Senior Adult Services

The Knox County Board of DD provides services to eligible individuals throughout their life-span.  As individuals approach their senior adult years, their SSAs can assist them with resources and supports in such areas as:

  • Home modifications that can allow an individual to remain more independent and safe in their home

  • Benefits planning related to Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security Income (SSI)

  • Retirement and financial planning resources

  • Staying active in the community and engaged in meaningful activities

  • Connecting with resources from the Area Agency on Aging, the Knox County Task Force for Older Adults or Knox County Senior Center

  • Timely medical care, in-home health services, physical therapy etc.

  • Helping individuals/team locate assisted living or nursing facilities for rehabilitation or long-term care as needed

portrait of two women with disabilities smiling at camera
Portrait of older woman with disability smiling at camera

Referral

If you feel you or someone you love qualifies for our program, please ask your physician, Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP) or psychologist to complete and sign the Diagnosis Form OR you can provide documentation of your diagnosis that includes a signature of on the people listed above and return it with the completed Referral Application. This documentation can be obtained from doctors, psychiatrists, and/or schools.  If you do not have this information, please complete the Authorization to Release Information section of the Referral Application and we will request the documentation on your behalf.   Please take a minute to read the Facts About Eligibility and Supports section on the back of the Referral Application as it may help you better understand the process of determining eligibility for services.  Once completed please email your Referral Application and supporting documentation to cpayne@knoxdd.com.  If you need copies of documentation, please bring the documents into the KCBDD office and we can assist you with making copies.

If you have any questions or would like help completing the enclosed application, please feel free to contact Christy Payne at (740) 397-4607 or cpayne@knoxdd.com.