DD looking at changing providers

With a shortage of Direct Support Providers, the Auglaize County Board of Developmental Disabilities may be changing who delivers some services during the next year to make sure needs are met.

Director of Individual Support Services Sherrie Lowe explained how this will happen.

“The services don’t change; it’s who is providing the services,” Lowe said.

Normally a DSP is the direct provider. But flexibility could extend to house program managers, administrators, and supervisors. “We are pooling in all the resources to make sure needs are met,” Lowe said.

That flexibility extends to SSA’s who might pick up groceries, or go to the bank or take someone to an appointment.

“In a crunch, the service doesn’t change and the need doesn’t change, but who does it might change,” she said.

Lowe explained remote services will still be available to redirect someone or answer a question.

At the state level officials are waiving fees associated with becoming a provider in the hopes of alleviating service provider shortages.

“A lot of the other counties have been hit harder, but we wanted to open up the conversation,” Lowe said. “We are not really in crisis, but people have been flexible and expanding their bandwidth to provide. I just want to have that open conversation.”