Highland County Board of DD Superintendent set for retirement.
After nearly 40 years working with individuals with developmental disabilities in both the public and private sector, Superintendent Debra Buccilla has announced her retirement for the end of February 2024.
Deb has served as the Superintendent for both Fayette and Highland Counties since September 2014. During her time in Highland County, she had oversight of numerous changes and expansion in services. Significant strides were made in housing for adults, programming for youth transitioning into adulthood and early childhood services including Early Intervention, Help Me Grow and Preschool Services.
Prior to 2014, Deb served as the Chief Operating Officer for Alvis Inc. overseeing all programmatic services provided to both individuals with developmental disabilities as well to all special populations being served by the agency. Prior to this, Deb worked for the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities as a developmental center superintendent and an assistant deputy director overseeing all developmental centers in Ohio. As an advocate for individuals with disabilities, Deb has worked on a local, state and national level to promote policy change to benefit those with developmental disabilities.
Deb was past president of the Fairfield County Board of DD, the past president of the Ohio Community Corrections Association and a former board member for Advocacy & Protective Services, Inc. (APSI).
In recent years, Deb received the Self-Advocacy Hero Award from the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council and the Ron Kozlowski Advocacy Award from Advocacy and Protective Services for her work in supporting statewide advocacy efforts.
Highland County has benefited from her guidance and leadership over the past nine years. Deb’s passion for the field and ensuring individuals have the highest quality of care and supports shine through her work every day. Thank you, Deb, for your dedication and impact on so many over the years.
Preschool Grant information
Preschool Grant information
2023-2024 Preschool Families,
Our facility has been awarded grant funding from the Ohio Department of Education for 4-year-old students of families who meet the qualifying income guidelines. If your child qualifies and their application is accepted, their tuition would be paid for through the grant. This would cover all tuition cost for the 2023-2024 school year. Below you will see the requirements to qualify for the grant. If you feel you meet these requirements, please reach out to our preschool office.
•Child must be four years of age by October 1, 2022
•The program must have a copy of the child’s birth certificate and social security card on file.
•Parents must provide proof of income or no income to keep on file at the program.
•Family income must fall at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The household includes anyone living in the home.
oFollow the link below to determine federal poverty level
We have a limited number of spots available. Those spots will be filled in the order that we receive eligible applications. Please email the preschool office at nhaines@highdd.org if you have any questions or would like to request an application. More information is available by following the link below.
2022 Annual Report
2022 Annual Report
We are pleased to share our annual report for 2022. To read the report, visit the about us tab and click on annual reports. Enjoy!
Community First earns three-year CARF accrediation
Community First earns three-year CARF accrediation
In January of this year, the Community First Department went through the CARF accreditation review. We are pleased to report that they received a three-year accreditation in the area of Community Services: Job Development and Transition Services. For further information, please review the accreditation report under the Community First tab.
Job Posting - FULL TIME OR PT CONTRACT OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
Job Posting - FULL TIME OR PT CONTRACT OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
The Highland County Board of Developmental Disabilities (HCBDD) and Fayette County Board of Developmental Disabilities (FCBDD) are currently recruiting for an Ohio licensed Occupational Therapist (OT). For more information, visit the Human Resources tab. Posted 9/27/22
Exciting Community First News!
Exciting Community First News!
This summer the Community First Department provided the Summer Youth Work Experience, which was a wonderful opportunity for transition students to get out in the community and experience several types of jobs. We had fifteen students complete the program and two that were hired on after finishing the program. We would like to thank the following businesses for giving these students this experience: the Hillsboro Elks Golf Course, Four Seasons Boarding, Grooming, and Training; Star Cinemas, Highland County Family YMCA, and Ponderosa. Without the support of these businesses this would not have been possible. THANK YOU!! We would also like to thank the students and families of those who participated. Without the families support and students’ willingness to learn new things this program would not have been the success that it was. THANK YOU!! All the students walked away from the program with new skills, such as: how to do a variety of maintenance work, being a dishwasher, being a cashier, and working in customer service. They also gained the knowledge of working together as a team and how it feels to be working young adults.
HCBDD is a provider for Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) through our Community First Department and recently OOD provided us with a scorecard of our Job Development Services. We received high scores for providing excellent services to job seekers. Successful job closures and retention was at 88%, which is much higher than the statewide score of 55%. Through OOD we provide Pre-Employment Services, Summer Youth Work Experience, and Job Development Services. All of the services aid in developing transition students in our county to be successful in job placement.
2022 Innovation Series Highlights Technology
2022 Innovation Series Highlights Technology
The Heidt Center of Excellence in Cincinnati is a specialized school that serves middle and high school students on the spectrum as well as innovative transition and work readiness programs for young adults who have graduated high school. One aspect of transition they are now focusing on is informed by Technology First. They have created an in-school, one-bedroom-apartment equipped with a variety of tech supports so students can access and use them as they learn. Families are also able to see supportive tech in action, a win-win. For more information, hit control and then click the link below to view the video.
https://ohioemploymentfirst.org/view.php?nav_id=580
Job Posting - Early Intervention Speech Pathologist
Job Posting - Early Intervention Speech Pathologist
HCBDD is currently accepting applications for an Early Intervention Speech Pathologist. To view the posting and the application, visit the human resources tab. Posted 2/16/22
Want to become an Independent Provider?
Want to become an Independent Provider?
The Highland County Board of DD (HCBDD) provides coordination, oversight, and funding to eligible individuals with developmental disabilities. Providers are selected through an interview process from an agency or can be an independent provider. An Independent Provider (IP) is a self-employed person who provides services to individuals with developmental disabilities. For more information, please click on the resources tab, then visit the provider information folder. Details about how to become an IP are listed there. You may also reach out to us if you have additional questions or need assistance.
STABLE Accounts
STABLE Accounts
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The STABLE Account provides people living with disabilities the financial independence they hope to obtain.
