Board of Directors

2023

Robert Whiting

Chairperson

An electronic engineer by profession, Bob had his own electronics technology business for fifteen years. Bob was later involved in church activities, ministered to others, and completed advanced courses in lay-speaking ministry within the United Methodist church. At Lancaster Bible college, Bob enrolled himself in the Plus 20 program and qualified for the LBC plus 20 program,s and completed his 20-month degree program there. Bob served on the Board of Center for Social Change, a non-profit serving people with developmental disabilities for over 20 years, prior to ACIDD; became director of Evangelism and Discipleship for another nonprofit, Neighborhood Revitalization Solutions, Inc. that works closely with churches to revitalize neighborhoods. He also served as a “Mission Disciple” for a small church, assisting the Pastor in growing, serving, and revitalizing physical building as well as church attitude.

The Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church assigned Bob to pastor several churches, especially as senior Pastor of Mt. Zion UMC, Finksburg, MD from July of 2000 through June of 2008. He also served as a volunteer Hospice Chaplain for Carroll County for three years.Since retirement, Bob continued various classes including Masters Degree classes at St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute in Baltimore. Bob has interest in various health subjects especially mental health and spiritual endeavors.

Joseph Mathew, Ph.D

President and CEO

Dr. Mathew is the Founder of ACIDD, an all-inclusive social enterprise providing mental health and developmental disabilities support services.

During the 90s, Dr. Mathew took an interest in people with intellectual/developmental disabilities in Maryland for the first time. He worked as a Clinical Specialist at LIFE, Inc., a non-profit organization supporting people with disabilities. In 1992, he founded the Center for Social Change, Inc, (CSC), and served as its president and CEO for 20 years until he voluntarily left the organization for personal reasons. CSC became a CARF international accredited organization in 2009 and grew as a reputed organization under Dr. Mathew’s leadership. However, he could not compromise his values and principles with certain persons and groups within the organization and left the organization in September 2012 to form ACIDD.

ACIDD  emphasizes the mental health of all persons in the community.  ACIDD primarily operates in Maryland and Florida. “Awaiyr”, a 5101(c)3 subsidiary of ACIDD is the international operation of ACIDD in Africa and Asia, especially during the post-pandemic, Dr. Mathew continues to take leadership in these organizations as his philosophy continues to be the same in CSC, and ACIDD. Today, he has shifted his focus to building mental health of people, especially those with co-occurring Intellectual Disabilities and Mental Disorders with a social mission.

ACIDD in Maryland continues to be a social enterprise that offers Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program (PRP) and Mental Health Vocational Program (MHVP) services to people with severe and persistent mental illness and individuals that have Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities with co-occurring Mental Disorders. ACIDD in  Florida had suspended its operation during the pandemic but resumed work in 2023.

Dr. Mathew taught Sociology part-time at Howard Community College, Columbia, Maryland for several years while ACIDD was operating one of its offices in Columbia. After his research and teaching career as a professor of Church and Society/theology at Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, IA in 1989-90, he also worked as a part-time professor at St. Mary’s University, Baltimore, MD in 1990-1991. Later, he took the interest in people with intellectual/developmental disabilities in Maryland and internationally.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Mathew writes and publishes various articles and books. He can be contacted at jmathew@acidd.us.