Service and Support Administration
What is a Service and Support Administrator (SSA)?
An SSA serves as the point of contact to assist the individual with developmental disabilities in coordinating all the services they may need to meet their health, safety, and welfare needs. An SSA is certified by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities and has completed at least an undergraduate degree with training and experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities.
What are some of the services they provide?
Assessment
After an individual is determined eligible all individuals, who are active with SSA services, have their needs evaluated annually. Based on needs found on the assessment, the SSA is responsible to present options for services to the individual and their family which then are used to guide skill development and opportunity growth through each year.
Monitoring
The SSA is responsible to monitor the implementation of the ISP and desired outcomes of the individual and family. The SSA has team meetings, reviews reports to identify trends and patterns of unusual incidents, performs follow up from quality assurance review, and maintains regular contact with the individual/guardian/family to maintain satisfaction with services.
Residential Options
SSA’s assist individuals with accessing supports that are needed in their home. This may include administering the Ohio Assessment for Immediate Need or Current Need and placement on the waiting list for waiver supports. SSA’s are also available to assist individuals with accessing other local resources and supports. The SSA Director manages the allocation of waivers that have been approved for Sandusky County by the Ohio Department of DD. Waivers are assigned to individuals based on the priority criteria developed by the state and availability of waivers and local funding to provide for the matching funds needed to support each waiver.
Created to help people understand their options around waiver services and intermediate care facilities, the Residential Options Counseling Pamphlet provides county boards with information to share with individuals and their families when responding to inquiries about residential services. The Residential Options Counseling Pamphlet also meets the requirement for annual planning for residents of intermediate care facilities, transition planning for residents of licensed residential facilities, and information to be used by county boards for pre-admission counseling. For more information please see the following Ohio Codes : ORC 5124.69, OAC 5123:2-3-03, ORC 5124.68, and ORC 5126.047.
Funding Options
Based on the individual’s needs the SSA will assist with finding available resources to maintain health, safety, and personal well-being while respecting their personal rights. An SSA will assist families to access other community resources to meet the needs of the individual such as Medicaid and Supplemental Social Security Income. The SSA department implements the Level One, SELF, and Individual Options Waivers for individuals who have received these Medicaid funded options. The SSA is solely responsible to administer the Ohio Developmental Profile (ODDP) to all individuals receiving waiver services. It is the responsibility of the SSA to develop services that meet an individual’s health and safety needs within the funding range determined by the ODDP. Other programs that may assist families with the care of an individual may be the family support services program or supported living funds. SSAs are able to assist eligible individuals to access funds to meet their special needs.
Individual Service Plan (ISP)
Intake Coordination:
Assist individuals that have a disability that occurred before their twenty second birthday in determining eligibility for services. The program can only serve individuals with disabilities who have a disability that is expected to continue indefinitely; is not related solely to a mental health diagnosis; and results in the need for services to assist them with substantial functional limitations. The program is available to serve individuals from birth, pre-school, school age, transition students though their adult years as well as senior programming.
Crisis Assistance
SSA is responsible to provide assistance when the health and safety for individual is in jeopardy or there is an allegation of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and misappropriation involving an individual who is suspected or is known to have a developmental disability. The SSA Department is available to individuals and family that have emergencies 24 hours per day via crisis cell phone. The SSA Department is also the contact for reporting all Major Unusual Incidents when they occur and will coordinate immediate and ongoing prevention planning to prevent further risks to the health and safety of individuals with developmental disabilities.
Provider Selection
SSA is responsible to assist the individual/guardian/family to select providers of services of the individuals’ choosing from the list of providers certified by the Ohio Department of DD. Information is shared about options and interviews scheduled as requested by the individuals and their family so they are free to select the provider they feel will best meet their needs.
IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT ABUSE OR NEGLECT INVOLVING A PERSON WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES PLEASE CALL YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE OR THE CRISIS PHONE NUMBER LISTED BELOW:
FOR CRISIS ASSISTANCE PLEASE CALL:
(419) 307-0562
Contact Information:
Mandy Camden
Director of Service and Support Administration
Phone: 419-332-9296, ext. 125
Email: acamden@scbdd.org
SSA Brochure
Alphabet Soup: A Guide to Disability Related Acronyms
Individuals and their family members hear and read many acronyms that are used by professionals in the disability community. “Alphabet Soup” provides a glossary of disability-related acronyms and their meanings. (Revised August 2022)