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HAMILTON — Connex Group Inc. has dropped its vocational services for the mentally disabled one week after deciding to discontinue its in-home support services.

Though the Fairfield-based nonprofit is all but defunct, the change for its more than 300 mentally disabled clients means the same faces — just under a new company name.

Faced with financial problems and an inability to pay its employees, Connex's board agreed Monday night to allow Cincinnati-based Jewish Vocational Service to begin operating its programs that provide jobs — such as packaging and envelope stuffing at its two employment centers — for those with mental disabilities, according to the Butler County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, which contracted Connex for the service.

Connex's 35 employees who worked in its vocational service division are now employed by JVS.

"It should be a seamless transition," said Wendy Planicka, Butler County MRDD spokeswoman. "The consumers shouldn't know that anything happened with Connex. They are going to continue seeing the people they always have."

JVS Chief Executive and President Peter Bloch said in a statement that JVS was "stepping into Connex's shoes." Tuesday morning, employees answered the phones with the greeting "JVS/Connex."

The deal was reached quickly after JVS officials met over the weekend and then toured Connex's operations Monday, Planicka said. The county MRDD board met in a special meeting Tuesday afternoon to switch the contract to JVS, a nonprofit that has run vocational and educational programs for the disabled for 65 years.

"We are pleased that Jewish Vocational Service has agreed to operate these programs," said Christina Hurr, superintendent of the Butler County MRDD. "They have a long history and an impressive reputation."

Connex officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

During the past week, families have scrambled to get new residential care for their 65 mentally disabled relatives who were served by Connex. Those families learned last Wednesday they needed a new provider for cleaning, medication administration and other services by that Friday. Once a provider was chosen, most of the 65 home care workers were able to transfer their employment to the new provider to avoid undue disruption for the client, Planicka said.

Though most uncertainties that faced Connex's clients and employees are resolved, Planicka said the process has been "frustrating." The agency had no control over Connex's operations, but needed to quickly mobilize staff to assist with the transition, she said. A provider fair was held Friday with two days notice, she said, because law mandates that consumers have the right to choose their provider.

"We basically have no say over what goes on until something goes wrong," she said.

Ohio MRDD officials have said they will review the impact of such short-notice situations and what could prevent them.

Also, a parent of one of Connex's former clients plans to request in a court hearing Friday a protection order that would provide oversight during the switching of clients to ensure their safety and avoid any lapse in service.