About RHDD

Built on a foundation of compassion and integrity, RHDD is dedicated to supporting individuals
with a disability, to live and work in their community. Safe in a family environment, individuals
are empowered to achieve personal and professional goals, knowing they will be encouraged
and assisted throughout their journey.

Building on a foundation of compassion and cooperation, RHDD will continue to make a difference. Our future lies in the combined effort of all within the organization, as each member is an integral component to our success.

In order to assist the individuals we serve to accomplish their goals in life, RHDD will provide trained staff that is in compliance with the individual’s ISP and with all guidelines set forth by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD). RHDD will not only be a service provider to the individuals we serve, we will be available for whatever the expressed needs may be or assist the individual to find the necessary services to the best of our ability.

Finally, RHDD is not only a service provider to the individuals we serve, we are also extended families and friends as a result of the long relationships we enjoy over the course of life. We help individuals become more independent through the philosophy that “We work WITH the individual not FOR the individual”.

Shortly after the original group home in Conesville was made operational, a second group home was developed. Today, most of the original individuals in the Conesville group home have progressed to living in their own apartments, designed for their own specific needs, with assistance supplied by RHDD.

In the mid-eighties, RHDD participated in a pilot project now known as “Supported Living”. This project was completely new to the State of Ohio and was geared toward aiding people with developmental disabilities to live independently in their local communities with assistance from paid staff.

The Supported Living project was a great success and became operational Statewide. This afforded RHDD the opportunity to branch into Counties outside of our original scope. Being a Coshocton based organization, this was a big step. Our first move was to Holmes County. Followed shortly thereafter by Muskingum County then Athens, Washington and Morgan Counties.

Supported Living was found to be less than an economical system and was soon to be largely replaced by the Medicaid Waiver System which is still operational today. The original Medicaid Waiver that RHDD was certified to provide, was the “OBRA” Waiver. This was initiated in the late eighties and early nineties. The “Individual Options” or IO Waiver replaced the OBRA waiver and is still operational today.

The introduction of the Medicaid waiver system offered several advantages to enrollees that would otherwise be unavailable through Supported Living alone. Participants were offered Adult Day Services, transportation, respite opportunities and a wide variety of other ancillary services that truly enhanced their quality of life.

In true RHDD fashion, we were a forerunner in becoming certified to provide services outside the typical scope of a residential provider. This type of forward thinking sets RHDD apart. Because of our ability to remain on the cutting edge of the developmental disabilities field, RHDD shall continue to be successful well into our future for generations to come.

RHDD Code of Ethics

Commitment to Persons Served

• RHDD staff members shall provide the people we serve with professional services in a non-discriminatory manner and in accordance with accepted best practices.
• RHDD staff members shall respect the rights of all people we serve.
• RHDD staff members shall take reasonable measures to protect the health, safety, and emotional well-being of the people we serve.
• RHDD staff members shall not permit the use of professional relationships or authority for personal advantage.
• RHDD staff members shall keep in confidence information about the people we serve, which has been obtained in the course of professional service, unless disclosure serves professional purposes or is required by law.
• RHDD staff members shall not make malicious statements about the people we serve or colleagues.
• RHDD staff members shall refrain from subjecting people we serve to embarrassment.
• RHDD staff members shall treat people we serve with respect and dignity regardless of disability and other potential deficit areas.

Commitment from Staff Members

• I will do my best to see that RHDD meets the needs of the people we serve.
• I will respect the value and dignity of all people.
• I will do my best to create/maintain a climate of loyalty, trust, and mutual respect.
• I will support a work atmosphere where the work of each person is respected as important.
• I will recognize, support, and comply with the sexual and unlawful harassment policy and will report any such instances.
• I will recognize excellent work done by other staff and persons served.
• I will strive to speak to everyone in a friendly, positive, enthusiastic, and courteous way.
• I will support a work atmosphere that is open and non-secretive while being mindful of the need for confidentiality.
• I will abide by the decisions of management. I may state my position. Ultimately, staff must follow management’s decision.
• I will be loyal to the organization. I will refrain from doing anything that might bring discredit to the organization.
• I will uphold all applicable laws and regulations, going beyond the letter of the law to protect and/or enhance RHDD’s ability to meet its mission.
• I will not act as a witness to documents such as Power of Attorney, guardianship, advance directives, and/or agency contracts without the expressed written approval of the Executive Director.
• I will not falsify documents.
• I will be a responsible steward of RHDD’s resources.
• I will strive for personal and professional growth to improve my effectiveness.
• I will carefully consider the public perception of my personal and professional actions and the effect my actions could have on RHDD’s reputation in my community and elsewhere.
• I will endeavor to understand community cultures and diverse home environments of people we serve.
• I will distinguish between personal views and the views of the organization.
• I will not use organizational privileges for private gain, for the promotion of political candidates, or for partisan political activities, or for private solicitation or fundraising.
• I will not accept gratuities, gifts, or favors that might impair professional judgment, and shall not offer any of these to obtain special advantage.
• I will not engage in any type of social networking with people we serve which may breech the boundaries of professional conduct.

Commitment from Board of Directors and Volunteers

• I will do my best to see that RHDD is operated in a manner that upholds the organization’s integrity and merits the trust and support of the public.
• I will strive to uphold all applicable laws and regulations, going beyond the letter of the law to protect and/or enhance services.
• I will treat others with respect, doing for and to others as I would have done for and to me in similar circumstances.
• I will be a responsible steward of RHDD’s resources.
• I will take no actions that could benefit me personally at the unwarranted expense of RHDD, avoiding even the appearance of a conflict of interest.
• I will carefully consider the public perception of my personal and professional actions and the effect my actions could have, positively or negatively, on RHDD’s reputation in my community and elsewhere.
• I will strive for personal and professional growth to improve my effectiveness as a RHDD Board Member.
• I will refrain from unwarranted intrusion into the responsibilities of RHDD’s operational management.

Commitment Governing Business and Marketing Practices

• All financial practices of RHDD shall be handled in accordance with the applicable federal, state, and local laws.
• All financial matters shall be conducted within the standards of commonly accepted, sound financial management practices.
• Marketing activities will uphold the integrity of RHDD so as to merit the continued support and trust of the public.
• Marketing activities/efforts shall always respect the dignity and privacy rights of those served.
• Marketing activities will never knowingly mislead/misinform the public or misrepresent RHDD.
• All actions of human resources shall be handled in a professional manner with respect to hiring, discipline, dismissal, and benefits for employees.

Training shall be provided to employees as dictated by job position, fundraising, and regulatory entities.