The Putnam County Legislature earlier this month voted unanimously to create a full-time position in its Department of Social Services and Mental Health (DSS/MH) called the Coordinator for the Office of Individuals with Disabilities.

The Coordinator will be responsible for helping connect individuals with I/DD and their families with services available to them, as well as be a community liaison to the various organizations that exist to help and advocate for families and individuals with I/DD.

It’s part of Putnam County’s pledge to ThinkDIFFERENTLY. The initiative, which reportedly started in Duchess County in 2015, is a call to action to change the way individuals, governments, businesses, and communities think about and interact with those of different abilities.

Photo: Putnam County Courthouse via Wikimedia Commons