When I think of an ideal system of supports for people with developmental disabilities, I envision one focused first and foremost on the uniqueness of each person supported. The structure, processes, and practices should reflect the active listening and curiosity necessary to tailor, as much as possible, supports based on assessed needs and expressed desires. This starts with a vigorous, person-specific or centered approach. For the first time, through Ohio ISP, we will have a standardized approach to assessing needs and planning for supports no matter where one lives. A consistent process has long been self-evident to me, but consistency alone is not the reason for our efforts. A standardized approach allows us to continually measure how effective we are. We can assess by county, by provider, and by plan writer. It allows us to assess and train continually as well as to target efforts where course correction is needed immediately. Even more importantly, perhaps it will help identify gaps in our support system that we can move to improve. I cannot thank enough those individuals on the Ohio ISP workgroup who helped design the assessment and plan format and those outside of the workgroup who tested them. This work is now complete, and we are moving forward to implementation. Work continues on our state-developed Ohio ISP online application. When finished, this will be where each and every ISP is located. For those that use third-party vendors, we are working with them to ensure they are prepared for implementation and that transmission from their network to our Ohio ISP application is seamless. Internal and external testing of our application will begin very soon. Parties interested in early access can start using the platform this summer, with a complete readiness available to everyone this fall. We know that a transformation of this significance requires tremendous effort and preparation. Not everyone begins from the same starting point. The amount and scope of training required is immense. We are working with multiple parties willing to assist in the design and implementation of all that will be needed. We are grateful for the enthusiastic response from so many who are willing to assist. Some counties and providers are ready and anxious to start. I love that, we are grateful, and we will accommodate! Others may need more time to transition to the new Ohio ISP, and we will support them to do that. The expectation is that between September 2021, and September of 2022, all counties and all providers will begin transitioning to Ohio ISP. By September of 2023, all assessments and plans must have transitioned to Ohio ISP. We are developing a public scorecard to track progress. Today, I would also like to share a couple of videos with you. One introducing the new Ohio ISP Logo, which shows the foundation of the planning process, and how Ohio ISP has been developed with the person at the center of the process. The next video is an overview of the new platform. Ohio ISP overview presentations are also available on YouTube (Part 1 and Part 2) for anyone to watch. Service and Support Administrators (SSAs) and qualified intellectual disability professionals (QIDPs) should use the training on DODD My Learning to receive continuing professional development (CPD) units and meet the needed training requirements. All information about the Ohio ISP, the workgroup’s progress, and other updates can be found on the Ohio ISP webpage. Thank you, ? Director Jeff Davis |