Mission
United Rehabilitation Services (URS) mission is “enhancing the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities or other special needs.”
Vision
URS will be Greater Dayton’s leader in providing specialized programs that enhance the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities or other special needs. Our services will promote independence, community inclusion and support for families.
Values
United Rehabilitation Services (URS) values are Excellence, Customer Focus, Integrity & Continuous Improvement
Watch this video to learn more about United Rehabilitation Services (URS) and the services we provide to local children and adults with disabilities.
History of United Rehabilitation Services
Marge and Jim Bristow embarked on a journey to find treatment options to help their daughter, Mary Carol, who was born with Cerebral Palsy in 1946. They created a strong network of parents who faced the same challenges and were dedicated to advocating for their children. The Bristow’s were instrumental in founding the Dayton Chapter of United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) in 1956 and laid the foundation for what is now United Rehabilitation Services of Greater Dayton (URS). Today, more than six decades later, Mary Carol still attends the Adult Services Program at URS.
For 68 years, URS has remained true to its mission and has grown from humble beginnings of serving a handful of families in a small house on Valley Street to thousands of individuals with developmental and acquired disabilities annually. URS has established a continuum of care with full-day structured programs, offering a variety of goal-centered activities for every stage of life, from infancy through the senior years. We are intent upon addressing the needs and desires of the people we serve and their families. We follow a person-centered approach in all that we do and focus on what is important to, and for, each individual.
Marge Bristow, URS Founder, and her daughter Mary Carol
Reports and Forms
Annual Reports
To request a hardcopy of our current Annual Report, please contact Chief Development Officer, Laura Lafakis, at llafakis@ursdayton.org or call 937-853-5464.
To download our Annual Report, please click the links below:
Forms
Accreditations and Awards
Accredited by CARF
URS is accredited by CARF International (Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities). Download a copy of our accreditation here.
Five Star Rated Center in Step Up to Quality
United Rehabilitation Services is proud to be a Star Rated Center in the Step Up to Quality Program which means that our program has:
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Lower group size in the infant room for birth to 12 months olds; lower ratios in the preschool and schoolage classrooms.
- The administrator, all lead teachers and assistant teachers complete 20 hours of specialized training every two years.
- Provides annual performance evaluations, professional development planning and at least two benefits
- Birth through 5 years use the Early Learning and Development Standards, Kindergarten through age 17 use the Ohio Common Corp Standards
Licensed by Ohio Department of Job & Family Services
Accredited by the Better Business Bureau
URS is accredited by the Better Business Bureau, adhering to the most rigorous “Charitable Giving Standards”. To view our BBB Reliability Report click here.
Certified by Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DoDD)
GetUp Montgomery County Healthy Child Care Award
Only 14 centers out of 42 in the Miami Valley received the award for exceeding standards in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, and screen time in childcare environments.
2024 Board of Directors
Chief Executive Officer
Dennis G. Grant, United Rehabilitation Services
Chairman
Kim Estess, O’Diam & Estess Law Group, Inc.
Vice Chairman
Dr. Ratna Palakodeti, Miami Valley Hospital
Treasurer
Max Kraus, Clark, Schaefer & Hackett
Secretary
Todd Rodden, Aspire ActionCOACH
Immediate Past Chair
Edward Blake, Culmen Real Estate Services
Emeritus Member
Charles Berry, The Charles D Berry Foundation
Members
Gary Auman, Auman, Mahan & Furry
Brian Heitkamp, OnMain
Dr. Edel Jesse, University of Dayton
Charles Kidwell, Dayton Childrens Hospital
Dr. James Lehner, Orthopedic Center for Spinal and Pediatric Care (Dayton Childrens Hospital)
Amy Lei, Fuyao Glass America
Ann Shaw, James Investment Research
Steve Skerl, CareSource
Aaron “AJ” Spencer, Montgomery County
Beth Whelley, Fahlgren Mortine
Ex-Officios
Mary Rita Weissman, The Weissman Group
Leadership Team
Chief Executive Officer
Dennis G. Grant
Chief Operating Officer
Rachel Zidaroff
Chief Financial Officer
James Michaud
Chief Development Officer
Laura Lafakis
Adult Services Manager
Elizabeth Hess
Employment Services Manager
Melinda Baker
Youth Services Manager
Tracy Pohlabel
Partners
Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DoDD), Medicaid Waivers including Individual Options (IO), Level I and Ohio Home Care Waivers- Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (Title XX) Childcare
- Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disability Services
- Miami Valley Child Development Centers, Head Start and Early Head Start Programs
- Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD)
- Private Health insurance and Managed Care Organizations
- Corporate and Private foundations and Individual donations
- Wright-Patterson AFB Exceptional Family Member Program
- Preschool Promise
- Samaritan Behavioral Health
- 4C for Children