Strategic Planning for the Muskingum County Board of Development Disabilities

The Muskingum County Board of Developmental Disabilities has released its strategic plan for the next five years.

Superintendent of Starlight Programs, John Hill, met with the county commissioners Monday to discuss the plan. It aims at increasing aid to the people the County Board assists. And it also looks to improve self-advocacy.

“Some of the main things that we want to look at are self-advocacy.  Self-advocacy is important,” Hill said. “It allows our people that we support to have a voice in funding and the services that they receive and also integration. Community integration and employment integration is a big thing right now, and we want to help support our folks in achieving integration within the community.”

The board also helps people get engaged with jobs. Right now around 25 percent of the people involved with Starlight are employed. But Hill wants to see that number double.

“We’re doing maybe better than other parts of the state, we’re doing pretty well, but we want to achieve that 50 percent community employment in the next five years,” Hill said.

The plan to do this involves working with stakeholders throughout the county to help place individuals in jobs. It will also continue to expand on its transportation goals so that people can get to work.