MCBDD Receives Highest State Accreditation

The Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities (MCBDD) is pleased to announce that it has been accredited by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) for a period of three years, the highest accreditation an organization may receive.

“Receiving this level of accreditation shows the dedication of our staff to maintaining our community’s trust and support as we embrace our role in improving the lives of people with developmental disabilities,” said Superintendent Stacey Maleckar. “Our staff is highly committed to the work they do.”

On January 10 and 11, the Ohio DODD’s eight-member State Review Team was on site at MCBDD to take a look at the agency’s daily operations and processes while also evaluating the agency’s ability to help people with developmental disabilities become engaged and connected within the community. Accreditation reviews are conducted by the Ohio DODD Office of Provider Standards and Review to ensure that agencies are meeting standards as outlined in about 371 areas of the Ohio Administrative Code.

As the community resource responsible for connecting, coordinating and funding services for individuals of all ages with developmental disabilities, the Medina County Board of DD supports almost 1400 individuals in Medina County.  The MCBDD helps with everything from early intervention and education opportunities for children to employment and community inclusive living for adults. When an agency such as MCBDD is DODD-accredited, it means it has passed an on-site review and has met guidelines for operations, service and quality.

Upon completing the on-site review, DODD delivered a summary presentation which highlighted the strengths of the MCBDD. DODD reviewers complemented the MCBDD on its agency wide culture of putting the needs of the individuals it serves as the first priority in all aspects of its business practices and decisions. The overall commitment to doing the “right things for the right reasons” even when decisions were hard was noted. Also noted was the agency’s commitment to using technology to create community inclusion and independence as a way to improve the lives of those with disabilities.

At the conclusion of the review, the MCBDD was given a 100% compliance rate and received no citations from the state. This is the second time in which the MCBDD has received such a high rating, the previous time span being 2019-2021.

MCBDD Assistant Superintendent Annie Finnerty, who is responsible for overseeing and managing all compliance and quality assurance for the agency’s services and programs, and was the MCBDD coordinator for the review said, “This outstanding achievement shows that the MCBDD continues to be true to its mission of empowering people with developmental disabilities. I am very grateful to work with a professional staff that know how to put the needs of the people and families we serve first and work each day to improve the services and support available in our county.”