The mission of the Mahoning County Mental Retardation & Developmental Disabilities Board is to

The mission of the Mahoning County Mental Retardation & Developmental Disabilities Board is to provide programs, services and support to assist eligible individuals in choosing and achieving a life of increasing capability to live and work in the community and to reach their full potential as members of society.

Programs under the COUNTY MRDD umbrella

Leonard Kirtz School, 4801 Woodridge Drive, Austintown: A chartered public school that provides comprehensive programs and education for school-age children with MRDD. In addition to classroom programs, school-age students receive instruction weekly from certified instructors in adaptive physical education, swimming, music and horticulture. Kirtz serves 14 school districts.

Adult Services: Provides habilitation and vocational services for adults with MRDD in a variety of settings, including sheltered workshops, supported employment, and a retirement (seniors) program for clients 55 and older.

MASCO (Mahoning Adult Services Co.): A nonprofit company that operates as the business entity for the sheltered workshops under contract with the MRDD board. It employs adults in a variety of subcontract work procured from the local business community. Services are coordinated with other agencies that serve people with disabilities, such as the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation. MASCO Inc. employees are paid in accordance with U.S. Department of Labor Standards for sheltered workshop settings.

Adult Services Supported Employment: Available to clients who have an interest in working in the community rather than in a sheltered workshop. The Supported Employment Department secures employment for adults with MRDD in Mahoning County and facilitate the individuals’ integration, acceptance and satisfaction in that employment.

Adult Services Retirement Program: A day program, located at the Centre at Javit Court in Austintown, geared to serve the individual needs of older adults with developmental disabilities. The program emphasizes recreation, arts, leisure activities, and socialization for adults who are 55 and older. The seniors may also participate in various activities available within the school-age departments, such as homemaking, industrial technology, physical education and swimming.

Transportation: The board provides door-to-door transportation for clients to and from the school, workshops, retirement program and supportive employment. The department has a fleet of 35 buses and 15 other vehicles that travel about 800,000 miles a year.

Community Support Services: These include: Information about the board’s services or services provided by other agencies; help finding the right school, job or the right place to live; help accessing services from other agencies; crisis intervention; major unusual incident investigation/reporting; and service monitoring to ensure that a person with M/DD is getting the help they need.

Source: Mahoning County MRDD Board Web site