Russell Nesbitt Services and Watch (a division of RNS)
Contact Information:
Address:
RNS – 431 Fulton St
Wheeling, WV 26003
WATCH – 2600 Main St
Wheeling, WV 26003
Name of Programs Funded through UW: RNS residential transportation services and WATCH vocational transportation services
Contact Name: RNS: Tamika Jones, Executive Director. Watch: Lynn Wallace-Dick
Phone Number: RNS-304-232-0233 WATCH-304-232-1750
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.rns-watch.org
What are Russell Nesbitt Services and WATCH?
Russell Nesbitt Services provides support and services to individuals with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities.
The agency began as a cooperative agreement among parents who wanted to ensure their children got an education. The agency is named after its founder, Mr. Russell G. Nesbitt.
Russell Nesbitt had a son with disabilities who needed educational services. That need prompted Mr. Nesbitt to join with a small group of parents and supporters of children with disabilities to make an initial investment of $200.00 apiece. With this investment, The Ohio County Council for Retarded Children was formed in 1958.
Russell Nesbitt Services has grown from a small school formed by parents to a Behavioral Health Center to offering a variety of supports and services to individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. These services include residential and vocational services, Case Management, Supported Employment, Behavior Support, and social interaction through our Peer Support program.
We provide these services in many settings including, but not limited to, family homes and residential homes provided by our agency.
Our Mission:
To provide life opportunities for people with disabilities and enhance their career growth and potential for those who share their journeys.
Our Vision:
To embrace personal care and quality consumer services while maintaining our financial wellbeing within constraints of the service delivery system, be compassionate are to the needs of the consumers and their families while promoting employee growth.
How does the United Way support RNS and WATCH?
Our Residential program provides safe, affordable housing which includes daily living support, medical supervision, transportation, behavior intervention, and other life skills supports. This service is provided to individuals aged 18 or above.
Our Vocational program provides employment opportunities in a wide range of settings from a sheltered employment site to individualized community placement. In addition, we work closely with our local and State Department of Rehabilitation Services to provide employment opportunities to citizens of the Wheeling area regardless of their disability. Our agency also maintains constant contact with our local Veteran’s association to recruit veterans. In addition, our agency provides transition
services for local high school students with disabilities moving from the education system to the adult world. These transitional services focus on self-advocacy, social skill building, vocational education and exploration, and hands on work experience for students with various support needs.
Our in-home support and case management programs provide much needed clinical assistance as well as linkage and referral to community services. Our case managers assist families with loved ones as young as 3 or 4 up to seniors to access community resources and services. Our agency provides staffing and respite services, as well as behavioral support programming for families in desperate need of guidance to address maladaptive behaviors and to build life skills for their loved ones.
Our Peer Support program provides social activities and opportunities for peer interactions for families in the community free of charge. This program provides opportunities for individuals with disabilities to engage in activities within their community, increasing integration efforts
Russell Nesbitt Services provides transportation services for individuals who receive various services from our agency in addition to our residential program. Transportation is a critical service within the Ohio Valley and is often a barrier to services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We help bridge that gap for the individuals we support.
Check out our other member agencies here!
About the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley
The United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley supports Ohio County, Tyler County, Marshall County, Wetzel County, Brooke County in West Virginia, and Belmont County and Monroe County in Ohio. Donating through your local United Way is the best way to reach the most people in need.
The United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley is an organization that supports nonprofit organizations in our area through annual campaigns, payroll deduction fundraising efforts, and individual donations. These community-minded people combine donations from employees and businesses alike to help assist those who need it most. The support from the annual campaign is then allocated to nonprofit programs through our volunteer allocations panels. We support 40 programs (and counting) in the upper Ohio Valley that tackle the toughest needs in the Ohio Valley. Consider giving to the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley today.