Government Agencies

The Area Agency on Aging 3 offers a variety of services in the following areas:

• Health and Wellness

• Home and Living

• Nutrition

• Transportation

• HEAP

• Medicare

For further detaiils and applications go to their website at aaa3.org

Services provided:

• Provides service coordination for multi-need youth ages 0-18 (up to age 21 if physically or mentally handicapped) who are abused, neglected, dependent, unruly, delinquent, or voluntarily seeking services.

• Provides coordination of services for youth with county agencies, organizations and parents

• Mediation services available to families to resolve conflicts

• Resources available for respite care for qualifying families

• Parenting Education opportunities for parents of children from birth to 18 years of age

Thinking about work?

Working bring important benefits like:

• increased income

• independence

• interaction with new people

• greater access to medical benefits

We can help. We understand that some people have disabilities that may make it hard to get or keep a job. We can assist you in finding a job that works for you.

Commit to the Process. If you have a disability, want to work and are ready to commit to the process, the next step to getting a job is ours. Go to OODWORKS.com

Services offered include:

• Children: The Putnam County Board of DD provides early intervention services to ensure the children in our county develop the skills they need. With support from other community agencies like Ohio Early Intervention, we work to develop a plan for each eligible child and provide support and education for parents and caregivers.

  • Early Intervention for children birth to age three years. Services are centered on what families want and expect. Services vary for each family depending on what is needed to help the child grow and develop.

    • Visit Putnam County Educational Service Center - Help Me Grow putnamhelpmegrow.wixsite.com/helpmegrow to learn more.

    • Visit Ohio Early Intervention (ohioearlyintervention.org) to learn more.

• Community Support: Our Adult Services provide community support with a range of options for individuals with a goal to enhance quality of life for adults and seniors in our community.

  • Our Adult Services provide community support with a range of options for individuals. Our goal is to help individuals live independently, have opportunities for social development, and participate in community and recreational activities and events.

    • Residential Services: With our residential services, we can create living environments that meet the needs of independent adults. To help individuals prepare for living in their own residence, we develop skills and find suitable homes with the necessary adaptations. Services vary based on need and choice.

    • Intermediate Care Facilities: An Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) is a place where someone with a disability can choose to live and get the services that help them live their life. These facilities have staff and aides who work there 24 hours a day. The provider is responsible for all aspects of care for the people being served, including financial matters, transportation, habilitation and medical needs.

  • Special Olympics: The Special Olympics promotes athleticism and healthy competition

    • The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for adults with developmental disabilities. The Special Olympics gives them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, the opportunity to demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

      • Events include:

        • Basketball

        • Bowling

        • Swimming

        • Track and Field

• Service and Support Administration:

  • Family Support Services: Assisting families who are caring for a family member with a disability. The Service and Support Administration Department assists individuals and their families to identify needs and obtain the supports necessary to meet those needs based on the available resources. SSAs serve as the primary point of coordination and work closely with the individual, their family, and other staff to develop and implement services that will enable the individual to acquire new skills as they need and prefer.

    • Visit putnamcountydd.com/service-support-administration to learn more about services including residential and intermediate care facilities and waiver programs.

• Employment Navigation: The Putnam County Board of DD is committed to helping job seekers with developmental disabilties (DD) explore community employment options.

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) is the State of Ohio agency that partners with Ohioans with disabilities to achieve quality employment and independence, and makes determinations on Social Security disability.

• To learn more, visit Opportunities for Ohioan with Disabilities website. www/ood/ohio.gov

• Additionally, Ohio Means Jobs assists in helping individuals with a disability find employment. Visit Ohio Means Accessibility to search for a job, or learn more about your rights and benefits at jobseeker.ohiomeansjobs.monster.com/ODEI/Index.aspx.

Services include:

• Aging in Place Home Assessments: Aging in Place simply means to be able to remain in your home as you grow older and your needs and abilities change. Staying in your home may mean making simple home modifications that can help you live more comfortably and safely. Our Certified Aging in Place Specialist can conduct a home assessment of common areas in the home such as entry ways, living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, etc., and make recommendations on how to make your home more usable for current and future needs. A written report with recommendations and pictures is given to all home assessments clients. The Council on Aging Chore Program can also help make some of the recommended changes, if it falls within their skill level. The decision to make any changes in the home is completely up to the client.

• Transportation for medical appointments and personal business: Our courteous and professional drivers provide transportation services for medical appointments and personal business in 7 agency-owned wheelchair accessible vans and 3 cars/SUV's. Medical transportation is priority and is available anywhere within Putnam County and to the adjoining counties of Allen, Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Paulding, and Van Wert. Transportation for personal business is available within Putnam County and includes trips to social service organizations, beauty salons, banks, pharmacies, grocery stores, and other essential errands. Hours of operations are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

• Chore Assistance: Our skilled chore workers are available to offer help to older adults so they can rmain safe and secure in theri own home by providing assistance with seasonal needs, minor home

• Outreach Services: Our professional and knowledgeable outreach staff are available to provide personalized help to link older adults to community resources in order to maintain their independence. The Outreach Specialist can help in navigating life changes, completing paperwork and "cutting the red tape: for Medicare, community referrals, fuel assistance programs, home delivered meals, filling out forms, interpreting hospital bills and so much more.

• Loan closet for medical equipment: If a hospital stay, recent injury or just coming of age as a senior presented a need for small durable medical equipment, call our agency to see if we have what you need. Items available to loan include: canes, walkers, raised toilet seats, shower chairs, wheelchairs, stationary commodes and so much more. Items are available to loan for a few days, a few weeks or a few months. Call to check for availability.

• Telephone Reassurance and Friendly Visitor Program: Maintaining social relationships can become more difficult as we age. To insure continued well-being of older adults who are isolated or homebound, our professional staff and volunteers provide regular telephone calls and/or a home visit to help older adults stay connected to their community and engaged in meaningful relationships.

• Information and Referral: Our knowledgeable staff are available to connect older adults, their families and caregivers to community resources to help them meet their needs.

• Matter of Balance: Falling is not a normal part of aging! Our trained staff and volunteers offer this 8-week, evidence-based program, which is designed to help older adults reduce their fear of falling and help increase activity levels by promoting exercise to enhance balance, strength and flexibility.

• We Thrive Together: The Council on Aging partners with We Thrive Together to offer virtual programs to Putnam County older adults. This is a great way to talk, laugh, play, sweat, and connect from the comfort of home. Programming includes games, cards, bingo, exercise classes, virtual trips, trivia, and so much more. Visit www.wethrivetogether.org to learn more.

Branches:

Columbus Grove Branch: 317 North Main Street, Columbus Grove, Ohio 45830 419-659-2355

Continental Branch: 301 South Sixth Street, Continental, Ohio 45831 419-596-3727

Fort Jennings Branch: 655 North Water Street, Fort Jennings, Ohio 45844 419-286-2351

Kalida Branch: 301 Third Street, Kalida, Ohio 45853 419-532-2129

Leipsic Branch: 305 West Main Street, Leipsic, Ohio 45856 419-943-2604

Ottawa Branch: 136 Putnam Parkway, Ottawa, Ohio 45875 419-523-3477

Ottoville Branch: 349 Wayne Street, Ottoville, Ohio 45876 419-453-2111

Pandora Branch: 118 East Main Street, Pandora, Ohio 45877 419-384-3232

Services offered include:

• • • • Immunizations: The Putnam County Health Department is an insurance provider for most major medical insurances. Check with your insurance company to verify coverage. Reduced pricing vaccine is available for those with Medicaid, are uninsured or underinsured through 18 years of age. Adult Immunizations also available. Call 419-523-5608 for details and to schedule an appointment

        • Clinic Hours:

          • Tuesdays 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

          • Extended hours on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month until 6:00 p.m.

          • Fourth Wednesday of each month: 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Bilingual translators available)

      • School Nursing: Trained Public Health Nurses perform screenings for vision at all Putnam County Schools. Vision testing is completed in grades Kindergarten, 1,3,5,7,9 and 11. Screening does not replace an examination by a doctor. When the screening is not passed, a referral letter is sent home to parents recommending their child be seen by a physician or health care professional.

      • Birth/death records: The Putnam County Health Department can provide a birth record (certificate) for anyone born anywhere in Ohio, regardless of the county in which he/she was born. Certified death certificates are available for any person who died in Putnam County beginning in 1909. At this time, we are unable to access death certificates if the death occurred outside of Putnam County. Certified copies of Birth and Death are $27.00 each.

      • Car Seat Program: Children who qualify for WIC or Medicaid are eligible to receive one car seat per child provided by the Ohio Buckles Buckeyes program. Funding also provided by Baby Needs for families referred by that program. Through an injury prevention grant in 2019, if a citation is given by law enforcement for not having a child properly restrained in the car, the person can come to the Putnam County Health Department , participate in an education program and receive an appropriate car seat for their child and learn how to properly install it. After completion of the program the ticket cost may be reduced or eliminated.

      • Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps (BCMH):

        • Services provided:

• Diagnostic program provides a comprehensive medical assessment to rule out or verify a suspected medically handicapping condition; to diagnose the handicap; or to develop a plan of treatment

• Treatment program provides definitive medical or surgical treatment for an eligible medically handicapping condition, based on recognized standards.

• Financial eligibility required

• Service Coordination program is available on a limited basis. Contact nursing consultant for information.

Programs:

• Prevention, Retention and Contingency (PRC): which can assist low-income families in a crisis situation with nonrecurring urgent needs

• Ohio Works First (OWF): is part of Ohio's Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) to provide time-limited cash assistance to eligible families. The OWF program provides case benefits to eligible needy families for up to 36 months if they fulfill all of the requirements in the Self-Sufficiency Plan and Contract.

• SNAP program: helps people with low income obtain nutritious food. Eligibility is based on federal guidelines including income, resources and household size.

• Medicaid: is a state and federally funded health care coverag3e plan for low-income and medically vulnerable people of all ages. Medicaid provides health coverage to a number of different groups of people who meet financial requirements, including the two major groups of Family and Children, and people who are AGed, Blind or Disabled. Contact the agency at 567-376-3777 to inquired about eligibility. Medicaid coverage includes: The Basic Health Plan, The Long-Term Care Health Plan, Medicaid Premium Assistance, The Hospital Care Assurance Program and The Disability Assistance Program.

Child Support Enforcement: 567-376-3780

Services provided:

• Paternity and Support Establishment

• Support Modification

• Child Support Enforcement

Social Services: This unit is made up of a Prevention Unit as well as Protection Unit.

• The Protection unit includes social workers who receive reports of possible child abuse or neglect. Anyone who knows or suspects that a child under 18 years of age, or a physically or mentally handicapped child under 21 years of age, is at risk of child abuse, or has suffered child abuse/neglect can report to this department at 567-376-3777 or after hours and on the weekend to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at 419-523-3208. This unit is responsible for investigation of the reports as well as on-going services to families found to be in need. The unit also supervises and monitors the placement of abuse/neglected children while working with the family for reunification. Both the Protection and Prevention units can provide community education in a formal or informal setting upon request.

• The Prevention unit services include Child Care assistance, Prevention, Retention and Contingency (PRC) which is a program designed to assist low-income families with nonrecurring urgent needs, and the Child Safe Program which is presented in the local schools for first, third and fifth grades regarding good/bad/secret touches. Prevention Services also offers information and referral services and case management services to families in need on a voluntary basis.

Emergency Management Agency

• Haz Mat: The Putnam County Hazardous Materials Rsponse Team responds, upon request, to hazardous material spills and releases in Putnam County. Based out of Ottawa, the team is comprised of men and women from Putnam County's Fire and EMS departments.

• Local Emergency Planning Committee: The LEPC is responsible for receiving and processing information regarding hazardous material releases, including the reporting responsibilities in accordance with the Community Right To Know Act.

EMS

• Heavy Rescue: Putnam County EMS partners with Ottawa and Kalida Fire Departments, 108 and Rescue 78 respectively, to provide heavy rescue services to Putnam County. These units respond to requests for services that include motor vehicle accidents with reports of entrapment, structural collapses, industrial accidents, and other incidences that may require the use of specialized rescue equipment.

• Continuing Education: In an effort to provide continuing education opportunities to its personnel, PCEMS hosts monthly CE at its office. In addition to classroom learning, PCEMS offers instructional videos through the internet.

The program improves pregnancy outcomes by providing or referring to support services necessary for full-term pregnancies; reduces infant mortality by reducing the incidence of low birth weight (infants under 5 ½ pounds are at greater risk of breathing problems, brain injuries and physical abnormalities), and provides infants and children with a healthy start in life by improving poor or inadequate diets.

WIC provides

• nutrition education,

• breastfeeding education and support;

• supplemental,

• highly nutritious foods such as cereal, eggs, milk, whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables, and iron-fortified infant formula; and referral to prenatal and pediatric health care and other maternal and child health and human service programs.