Summary
- A detailed financial report and a proposal of donated equipment of an unspecified dollar amount were presented to and accepted by the voting board of the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (Cuyahoga DD).
- A description of activities and programs that supported individuals during March and April was reported at this meeting.
- A report about a new assessment tool to determine the best way to support individuals with disabilities was presented.
- The new Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court forensic liaison was introduced.
- The board gave Cuyahoga DD the OK to request that Cuyahoga County Council put a 2.25-mill, additional 10-year tax levy on the November 2026 ballot.
Follow-up questions
- What is the level of interest for creating a Kelsey-like urban community center in a Cleveland neighborhood?
- Are there plans to hire additional forensic liaisons to support disabled incarcerated juveniles?
- Will the change in language and sentence structure of the interRAI Assessment inadvertently result in a loss of support and services to individuals who need them?
What is the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities?
The Cuyahoga DD voting board consists of seven volunteers who oversee the agency’s work. Each board member serves a four-year term and can be reappointed two times for a total of 12 years. Two members are appointed by the Cuyahoga County Probate Court judge. One member must be a family member of a child or adult eligible for services. The Cuyahoga County Executive, with approval from the Cuyahoga County Council, appoints the other five members. One of these members must be a family member of a child receiving services, and another must be a family member of an adult receiving services.
Board members
- Stephen Scheidt, president
- Allison Frazier, vice president
- Dennis Roberts
- Alaina McCruel
- Cynthia Schulz
- Sara Steimle
- Derek Topola
The meeting was called to order by the board president at 5:32 p.m. People could attend in person at the Michael A. Donzella Administration Building or via Zoom. The roll call was taken, and all board members were present except McCruel, who was excused from the meeting. Roberts attended the meeting via Zoom and experienced audio difficulties. Although he could be seen by the other board members, he could not be heard. Roberts recorded his votes in the Zoom chat.
The minutes for the March 26 meeting were approved without discussion.
Equipment donations accepted
The board voted to accept seven equipment donations for an unspecified dollar amount that will be utilized for physical and occupational therapy.
Expenditures report (presented by Rachel Sielski, chief business officer for Cuyahoga DD)
- Under budget for residential services and contracts because there were fewer capital projects.
- Over budget for administrative expenditures, largely because of the Cuyahoga County Treasurer’s delinquent tax collection fee.
- Over budget for technology services, one reason being that a payment was made for the agency’s timekeeping system earlier than expected.
The board voted to accept the financial report, which you can listen to in full beginning at the 13:55-minute mark of the audio recorded by Documenter Julia Brookover.
Activities highlights
Cuyahoga DD CEO and Superintendent Amber Gibbs then described programs and activities from March and April.
- On March 27, the Rockets (Special Olympics state champions) defeated Sharks (an employee team) in the Hoops for Hunger game. The score was 56-47. All proceeds benefit the Harvest for Hunger campaign and the Rockets.
- On April 8, the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted an autism awareness night to promote learning about autism. The Cavs have a sensory room to improve the game experience of fans with autism.
- April 10-12, 300 participants and 200 educators participated in the Dru Joyce Classic at the IX Center. The Special Olympics program was included in this Unified Sports program.
- On April 11 and 18, moviegoers with disabilities attended relaxed screenings at the Cleveland International Film Festival. Volunteers received training that would better prepare them to provide support to moviegoers.
Kelsey Civic Center
Earlier this week, Gibbs and Cuyahoga DD Chief Program Officer Melanie Rak traveled to San Francisco to learn more about the Kelsey Civic Center, an urban community that offers housing for people with and without disabilities. This is what they learned:
- The units are designed to accomodate folks with disabilities.
- Every unit is built to be adaptable.
- The community is truly inclusive.
- This model includes two inclusion specialists who work with occupants who need their support.
- Affordable housing is available in this community.
- This community is not disability specific.
Join the movement for transparency
Civic power can start with you! We train and pay Documenters to take notes at local government meetings and share them here. Learn more about becoming a Documenter.
Cuyahoga DD recently purchased a new home in Walton Hills to provide respite care for children — a purchase that Gibbs said the board approved at the end of 2025. The house is 3,000 square feet and includes an in-law apartment, a Cuyahoga DD staff member added.
New assessment tool
Ohio’s interRAI Assessment is a new tool for people using Individual Option Waivers, Level One Waivers, and Self Empowered Life Funding Waivers. This assessment will be used to determine what supports individuals with disabilities need and to ensure that those supports and services are provided. This assessment would replace the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Profile and the Acuity Assessment Instrument, Gibbs said. She added they are in the pilot phase of using this new tool.
WKYC’s Red, White and You Series, which celebrates people for lifting up others, featured Tasha Wilburn and her daughter, Rayne. who was born with brachial plexus injury. Wilburn discussed their journey with Cuyahoga DD and the support that was provided to Rayne. This prompted her to write a children’s book — “Rayne Climbs Up” — to let families know that they are not alone when struggling to care for their children with disabilities.
New juvenile court liaison
Missy Kuhn, behavioral health supervisor at Cuyahoga DD, introduced Aveion Fields, Cuyahoga DD’s new juvenile court forensic liaison. Fields recounted a success story of a 14-year-old boy serving time in the juvenile detention center. A social worker had expressed concern about the care he was receiving in the detention center. With Fields’ assistance — which uncovered competency concerns, an ADHD diagnosis, and a traumatic brain injury resulting from pre-detention abuse — his cases were dismissed. After 192 days in the detention center, he now resides with a foster family in Shaker Heights and attends school and therapy.
The board gave Cuyahoga DD the OK to request that Cuyahoga County Council put a 2.25-mill, additional 10-year tax levy on the November 2026 ballot. [Editor’s note: CEO of Cuyahoga County developmental disabilities agency raises property tax concerns].
There were no public comments.
The board adjourned to executive session to consider the employment of a public employee at 6:34 p.m.
These notes are by Documenter Gayle Gadison. Audio recorded by Documenter Julia Brookover.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalcleveland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
