Brookhill will change name Friday with a celebration

OTTAWA This Friday, the full name of Brookhill Center will undergo a change.

It is a milestone among many that has occurred at the two buildings located at the corner of State Routes 15 and 108.

When the center first opened in the late 1970’s, it had moved the school from its’ former location on Locust Street in Ottawa. One building was primarily used as classrooms for school age children with developmental disabilities. The other building was a workshop for adults with special needs.

Today, the buildings still remain, but the activity inside has undergone many changes.

The workshop continues to serve as a workshop for many adults. It also houses an activity room for adults. Currently there are 135 individuals in the program.

“We try to balance work and recreation,” said Superintendent Bill Clifford. He has served as the superintendant at Brookhill Center since March. Most of the work at the workshop is sub-assembly type work. The adults working in the workshop are paid every two weeks.

“I’ve worked in many counties and this place does a great job of bringing in jobs to meet the needs of those working at the center,” Clifford said.

The activity room in the workshop center is also often filled with adults with special needs.

“We are finding we need a bigger room for our activities,” Clifford admitted. “We are considering using some of the space in the other building.

There is also a cafeteria inside the workshop center. Clifford said they have sometimes used this space for activities. “But that doesn’t always work when an activity is underway and it is time for a meal,” he said.

The building that formerly housed school age children has seen the biggest change in consumer usage. Children attending the school at Brookhill Center were gradually mainstreamed into various classes located at public schools.

“They found that families often wanted their children mainstreamed, so the rules changed,” Clifford said.

Now the classrooms are occupied by a wide variety of classes for different ages.

Brookhill Center has an early intervention class for children ages birth to two who are at risk or developmentally delayed.

“They are here to receive needed services such as physical, occupational or speech therapy,” Clifford said. “We find the parents are very involved with their children.”

There are also three classes for special needs adults housed inside the building.

“Once a child graduates from the public schools at 18-22 they may remain eligible for our services,” Clifford said.

He said although many adults work at the workshop, some adults do not have the capacity to work at a meaningful level. Classes and activities for these adults are held in the former school building.

Deanna Ward, the service support administration manager, said they have three types of classes. This includes Developmental 1 and Developmental 11 classes and a senior’s class.

“The developmental classes provide more intensive services and are very sensory in nature,” Clifford said. “We want to make their days meaningful on a day to day basis. We create different stimuli for those in the class.”

The senior’s class provides daily activities such as discussing what is in the newspaper, making meals and shopping.

“Brookhill had the foresight years ago to create programs and classes to enhance lives,” Clifford said. He said they average around 25 individuals taking part in the seniors and developmental classes.

Housing for residents attending classes or working at the workshop is provided in many ways.

“We do not own any group homes or housing for our consumers,” Clifford said. “We do contract for this type of service though.” Brookhill Center has contracts for services of group homes in Ottoville and Pandora. Services for the rest care onsite at Brookhill are also contracted. “We don’t own those either,” Clifford explained. This site provides housing for 20 individuals with high needs.” Many times the individuals attending classes or working at Brookhill Center live with their families or in apartments contracted by Brookhill.

One of the most visible activities at Brookhill Center is their Special Olympics.

“Our biggest Special Olympic programs are our basketball and track and field,” Clifford said. “Everyone is excited about that. The adults and their families are all excited. It’s a very spirited competition.”

Brookhill Center has 40 employees. “This includes some administrative, but primarily service-oriented employees,” Clifford said. “It also includes our bus drivers for five bus routes.”

Funding for Brookhill Center comes from three sources. There is a continuing 2 mill local property tax that was approved by Putnam County voters. The county also has a half mill property tax that requires voter approval every ten years.

State funding is also provided for the Center and federal funding in the form of Medicaid dollars. “As we receive more federal dollars there is heavy duty requirements in the form of compliance and fiscal responsibility,” Clifford admitted. “The biggest change I have seen is in the real focus for the individuals. It’s no longer okay just to have custodian care for the consumers. Now the focus is on providing individualized services.” HE said the state has also mandated more services and more standards that have to be met.

The center is governed by a seven-member board. Five members are appointed by the Putnam County Commissioners. Two members are appointed by the probate judge.

Two of the members appointed by the commissioners and one appointed by the judge have to be family members of clients at Brookhill Center. The board members serve four-year terms and can be appointed for up to three terms.

Clifford is excited about the future at Brookhill Center. This includes possibly more community employment for clients and more services for the individuals. “Ultimately it’s all about services,” Clifford said. “Yes we have to remain fiscally prudent, but we have to keep our focus on services.”

The Putnam County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities will be celebrating a milestone Friday when the term “mental retardation” is removed from its name. This means the board will now be “The Putnam County Board of Developmental Disabilities”. The name change does not affect the State of Ohio’s criteria for eligibility or the services provided to the residents of Putnam County with developmental disabilities.

To commemorate this occasion, an Open House is planned for Friday, September 25 from 10:00 to 2:00. At NOON, the official signs will be changed by persons served by the Board, signifying a positive future which focuses on abilities and similarities and is free from degrading labels. .

Guided tours of the workshop and day programs will be available from 10:00-2:00. The center will also be having a barbeque lunch, which will consist of hamburgers, baked beans, chips and dessert. There will be music and activities for all to enjoy.