State Accredits Ross County Board of MR/DD

COLUMBUS—The Ross County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Pioneer Center, has been accredited by the state for the quality services and supports the Board provides to people with disabilities.

A  Five Year Accreditation Certificate, the longest state accreditation award the state grants, was  issued to the Ross board by the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities on April 24, 2008.

Only a handful of counties in Ohio have achieved this level of accreditation. The accreditation review is very rigorous and thorough and took nearly six months to complete. A team of surveyors from the Department of MR/DD reviewed all areas of county board operations, including personnel administration, services and supports, and the general efficiency and effectiveness of the Ross County board.

The results of this review found Pioneer Center achieved substantial compliance with minimum standards. In addition, the granting of the 5 year award includes a “best practices” endorsement  by the State Department of MR/DD for certain practices that are determined to exceed normal expectations and are considered exemplary for the state of Ohio.

The preparation of an accreditation review requires many staff hours and a great deal of coordination between departments and programs. Included in this review are the agencies which cooperate with the Ross County board in fulfilling its mission, such as First Capital Enterprises, Easter Seals, Frontier Community Services, Frontier Development Corporation, Goodwill , the Southern Ohio Council (COG)and the Chillicothe Transit System.