New programs for adults with developmental disabilities in Mahoning County
.jpg "Since 2015, staff at TLM Residential Services have provided support and care to adults with disabilities in northeast Ohio.")
Since 2015, staff at TLM Residential Services have provided support and care to adults with disabilities in northeast Ohio.
Owner Toni Mitchell has spent over 40 years working with individuals with disabilities.
Mitchell and staff are expanding services in 2025 by offering a new adult day program and vocational habilitation at their facility located at 4199 Kirk Road in Austintown.
“I have worked with this very special population for 44 years and I absolutely love what I do,” Mitchell said.
TLM offers 24-hour residential services and non-medical transportation for adults with disabilities.
The new adult day program will offer a range of services to promote personal growth, person-centered recreation, leisure activities, community inclusion and socialization, according to Mitchell.
TLM will start offering vocational habilitation services soon, which helps individuals build job skills while integrating into their local community and volunteering at local businesses.
“Adults with disabilities are much smarter than people give them credit for. This is the biggest misconception,” Mitchell said. “Most people think that because they are mentally challenged that they can’t learn. They just learn differently. The key is that you must have patience.”
Developing these skills is essential for adults with disabilities, according to Mitchell.
“It’s important for the same reason that it is important for you and I. It gives us our own identity, self-worth, confidence, the opportunity to earn money and it allows the adults with disabilities to be an active part of their local community,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell’s inspiration to start TLM Residential Services comes from family, particularly her grandmother.
“I grew up living with and learning from my grandmother,” Mitchell said. “She instilled in me ‘respect for all people’. Her gift was taking care of and loving people. With that respect for all people, I began working with people with disabilities and it is my passion.”