The Miami County Board of Developmental Disabilities (commonly known as Riverside) recently received the “PAR’tnering Award” at the PAR annual meeting in Columbus. Established in 1968, PAR (Professionals, Advocates, Resources) is a professional association for individuals working in the field of developmental disabilities in Ohio. The PAR’tnering Award was given for Riverside’s long-term support and recent efforts in the area of self-advocacy for people with developmental disabilities.

“It was an honor to be recognized for our county’s efforts at such a large conference,” said Brian Green, superintendent at Riverside. “We put a lot of energy into helping the people we serve obtain the necessary skills to advocate for themselves. Some of our recent accomplishments in this area have been sponsoring scholarships for our individuals to attend self-advocacy training, actively engaging individuals served in our strategic planning activities, and recruiting participants to attend and provide input during our board meetings.”

Riverside also serves as a meeting location for the Miami County chapter of People First, a national self-advocacy organization for people with developmental disabilities. The meetings take place the third Wednesday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m., and are open to anyone with developmental disabilities.  
This is the second award Riverside has received in recent months. The agency received an award in July 2015 for its efforts in supporting people who have a mental health diagnosis in addition to a developmental disability.

Riverside Developmental Disabilities is Miami County’s local board of developmental disabilities. Riverside’s mission is to empower people with developmental disabilities to live, work and play as full members of our community. Riverside’s vision is to build a community that supports and values people of all abilities. The organization offers services such as case management, early intervention services, physical occupational and speech therapies, recreational activities, Special Olympics programs, community housing coordination, community employment training and placement, adult day services, transportation and other valuable services to people of all ages who have developmental disabilities. For more information about Riverside, visit riversidedd.org.