As we countdown to the end of 2022, I want to take a moment to thank all of our employees, our provider and community partners, and the people we support and their families for a wonderful year. Thanks to all of you, we’ve seen significant achievement and success over the past 12 months.
A personal highlight for me was my first agency-wide all-staff event. Feeling the energy in the room that comes with being surrounded by such a passionate team was a wonderful experience. That event provided a great opportunity to reflect on the meaning of our work, including its importance and real-world impact for so many in our community. We help children and adults with disabilities feel valued, grow and develop skills, and lead more fulfilling lives. We support families and empower them to help their loved ones. We strengthen our community, making it more inclusive and vibrant. I recognize the immense privilege we have to be part of something like this. I’m grateful for the talent and dedication our employees bring to their roles, and I’m proud to work alongside all of them and all of you to make a difference for people in our county.
Although there are too many accomplishments to name them all, I want to highlight several significant achievements from 2022:
- Kicking off our 2022-2024 Strategic Plan
- Establishing an Office of Early Intervention and bringing the service coordination and service provision teams together to better support the babies and toddlers we serve
- Creating the support navigator position to provide a more flexible option for people and families who need a different level of support
- Continuing to provide excellent services to students in our schools while navigating ongoing challenges with pandemic-related precautions
- Adding parent representatives and new members to our Family and Children First Council
- Hosting additional vaccine clinics offering COVID-19 boosters and flu shots
- Focusing on recruitment, retention, and recognition efforts so we can acknowledge the value of our current employees and continue to attract talented people to our team
- Beginning work with a consultant to ensure we are using our facility space in the way that best aligns with our mission and makes sense financially
- Funding much-needed support initiatives for our providers, as well as advocating to state legislators for the 6.5% county-board funded payment to help with provider staff retention and advocating for long term rate increases in the upcoming state budget
- Expanding distribution of My Life magazine and adding three paid contributors with disabilities
I know we saw many more successes, both large and small throughout the year. I look back on the past year with a sense of pride and accomplishment for our team at Hamilton County DD Services. I’m also grateful for the commitment and collaboration from so many of our partners. I hope you’re able to spend time resting, celebrating, and enjoying time with family and friends this holiday season. I’m looking forward to continuing our work together in 2023 and truly can’t wait to see what is ahead!
