DD board approves $663,000 in purchased services for 2019

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities approved up to $663,570 in vendor and service contracts for 2019 during a meeting at the Leonard Kirtz School along Woodridge Avenue.

The amounts of the three largest of those vendor contracts remain unchanged from last year, DD Superintendent Bill Whitacre, said Monday: Easter Seals’ physical therapy services in the early intervention program, not to exceed $116,000; Help Network for guardianship and legal services not to exceed $103,000; and the Mahoning County Educational Service Center for occupational therapy services for the early-intervention program, not to exceed $80,000.

Officials also approved up to $120,000 reimbursement in 2019 for DD board clients who aren’t enrolled in Medicaid waivers to Mahoning Adult Services Co., or MASCO, which will operate the board’s Meshel Workshop for adults along Marwood Circle in Boardman.

Since the board approved its private-provider agreement with MASCO in September, it budgeted up to $30,000 for those clients until the end of the year, Whitacre said.

The board approved up to $41,000 for Siffrin Inc. for transportation services, which will become an annual payment now that DD boards across the state are not allowed to provide services for which they also collect Medicaid payments.

Two vendor costs are up this year: a book club funded with up to $12,000 and a recreation program, including bingo and dancing, funded with up to $10,000, both of which saw an increase in participation, Whitacre said.

In other business, board members had two closed sessions – the first for more than an hour – for discussions including complaints or charges against a DD board employee, but did not take official action on those matters.

Also, area contractors are scheduled to visit Leonard Kirtz School this week to review potential renovations that were unspecified Monday.