Join us in welcoming the newest members of the Summit DD team! Be on the lookout for future job openings on our Careers page. Read More ›
Category Archives: News
3 Simple Tips: Protect yourself from phishing emails
We conduct a lot of our lives online. Digital platforms offer us more options to connect and do business. They also open us up to cyber criminals. Email phishing schemes have been on the rise. But there are some things you can do to protect yourself. Summit DD’s Director of IT offers some helpful email safety tips to help you avoid becoming a victim. Read More ›
Return to the Community Driven by Individual Choice
A Message from Superintendent John Trunk
Over the past 15 months, Summit DD has been supporting individuals and families in new and innovative ways. We’ve connected to you in your homes virtually, stayed in touch over the phone, and helped support health and safety efforts with PPE and vaccines.
Summit DD will keep our Mission of supporting your needs, one person at a time, as more and more people return to the community.
What to Expect from Summit DD Staff
As vaccine rates increase and community spread of COVID-19 decreases, our staff are ready to resume in-person visits for individuals and families. If you would prefer to keep the visits virtual, we will respect your choices. We also will respect your wishes for masking. We have provided safety guidelines to our team, consistent with recommendations from the CDC, to ensure your health and safety. Your Summit DD point of contact will ask you about your preferences when scheduling visits. We have asked our staff to reschedule meetings if they are not feeling well and ask you to do the same to keep everyone safe.
Our staff have also been supporting providers, schools, camps, and employers as more organizations slowly open to full capacity. There are more opportunities for those we serve to fully engage in the community and we encourage you to talk with your Summit DD point of contact about your wishes to return to community-based activities.
We are also excited about the progress on renovations to our Barberton and Cuyahoga Falls location and can’t wait to welcome you there when they open later this year.
What to Expect from Service Providers
Each service provider will set their own guidelines that follow CDC guidance, including social distancing and masking, to keep you safe. Providers approaches may vary, we encourage you to talk with your team about the approach your provider is taking to ensure it meets your needs.
Over the next few months programs will slowly work towards opening at full capacity. The same staffing issues that impact many businesses right now also impact the provider community. Summit DD continues to support providers and is working to help them with the reopening.
If you have not yet been vaccinated and want to, we are here to help connect you to a provider.
As always, talk to your Developmental Specialist, RSS or SSA about your needs and desires so we can help build a circle of support that meets your individual needs.
Sneak Peek: Summit DD Facilities Renovation Progress
Pardon our Dust!
Renovations are underway at both the Barberton and Cuyahoga Falls facilities. As we shared in December 2020, Summit DD sold its 29-acre Tallmadge campus and is renovating our Barberton and Cuyahoga Falls buildings to provide staff greater access to all of the communities of Summit County.
On May 6, 2021, Summit DD officially broke ground on the Cuyahoga Falls Center renovations. We celebrated by hosting a ceremony with many partners and community leaders, including Mayor Don Walters and County Executive Ilene Shapiro.
Progress at both locations is moving along nicely, with the expected reopening of the Barberton location to happen in late September and Cuyahoga Falls in December of 2021. We can’t wait!
“We all know at Summit DD that we cannot achieve our goal of helping create a welcoming community without our partners,” commented Summit DD Superintendent, John Trunk. “The ongoing support that we receive allows Summit DD to carry out our mission of helping more than 5,000 individuals with developmental disabilities achieve their fullest life potential one person at a time.”
See our Progress
Check out the progress below. And be sure to check back for updated pictures throughout the summer.
