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A quick rundown of Ohio child protection news this week
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Weekly Update for January 9, 2017
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Association Updates
Board of Trustees holds first meeting of the year
The PCSAO Board of Trustees kicked off the new year holding its meeting on Jan. 4. The Board approved Dec. 1 and Dec. 22 meeting minutes, the December Treasurer’s report, the 2017 budget, four new Mission Champions, and Vorys Health Care Advisors’ 2017 contract; discussed the status of Advocates for Ohio’s Future and forming a Dues Committee; and reviewed January’s Executive Director and Legislative Committee’s reports. The Board will hold its next meeting on Feb. 1.
PCSAO Legislative Committee meeting
The PCSAO Legislative Committee met on Dec. 19 for the annual holiday luncheon and year-end meeting. The agenda included PCSAO legislative and policy updates, ODJFS updates, and a discussion of priorities heading into 2017. The committee next meets on Jan. 23. For more information, contact Mary Wachtel.
PCSAO Rules Committee meeting
PCSAO Rules Committee held its first meeting of 2017 on Jan. 5 via teleconference. Rick Tvaroch, Trumbull County, was recognized as outgoing committee chair, and Erica Sabados, Cuyahoga County, was welcomed as the new chair. ODJFS provided a brief update on rules recently in clearance, and the committee discussed ways to maximize participation and input. The next meeting is Feb. 2, 2017.
Community Education Committee conference call
On the first call of the New Year on Friday, the Community Education Committee selected Julie Schoenlein of Lorain CCS, Kim Bushek of Portage CJFS, and Robin Webb of Athens CCS as tri-chairs for 2017. Plans are being made for the annual Wear Blue event (April 12 this year). The next conference call, on Feb. 3, will feature a presentation on foster caregiver recruitment.
2016 lame-duck session overview
Curious what happened in the recent lame-duck legislative session? Click here for a summary of action on child protection-related bills and others.
Primary parent profile of the month: Rhonda and Jeffrey Mays
Rhonda Ezell Mays and Jeffrey Mays are advocates, mentors and trainers for Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services (formerly DCFS). Their path to working with the agency began with personal experience in the system. Their three children were placed in foster care due to their addiction to drugs and alcohol. At the time, more than a decade ago, Jeff was virtually ignored during the reunification process, receiving only those services he was able to find for himself. The couple was ultimately reunified with their children and maintained their marriage during the recovery process. Learn more about Rhonda and Jeffrey.
2017 Mission Champions of PCSAO
The Board of Trustees is proud to announce four new Mission Champions for 2017. Molina Healthcare of Ohio will become a Champion for Supportive Communities; New Beginnings Residential Treatment Center will become a Champion for Stable Families; Northwoods will become a Champion for Safe Children; and Steven R. Howe and Associates will become a Champion for Safe Children. There is still time to apply to become a PCSAO 2017 Mission Champion where benefits include significant presence at PCSAO’s Annual Conference, an advertisement in PCSAO’s biennial Factbook, sponsoring a youth award, website promotion, participation in distance learning series, and much more! To check out the 2017 Mission Champion sponsorship program, click here.
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Executive Updates
New Director for Warren County Children Services
Please join us in welcoming Susan Walther as the new Director for Warren County Children Services.
Two leaders pass away during holidays
PCSAO mourns the passing of Jerome Kearns, former Butler County JFS director, and of Louise Brown, child welfare administrator for Medina County JFS. Although Jerome had moved to a workforce position in the county, he led Butler through a challenging transition and temporarily hosted the Southwest Regional Training Center. Louise was a longtime advocate for children and co-president of PCSAO's Northeast District. Both will be missed.
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Announcements and Resources
ODJFS evaluates the CPOE & MEPA rview processes
The ODJFS Office of Families and Children (OFC) is currently evaluating the Child Protection Oversight and Evaluation (CPOE) and Multi-Ethnic Placement Act (MEPA) review processes as a component of our continuous quality improvement process to ensure that our review system continues to support the improvement of outcomes for children and families; increase substantial conformity with federal performance expectations and Ohio Administrative Code compliance; and enhance opportunities to provide ongoing technical assistance and support to our public and private partners. OFC is requesting you share your experiences and recommendations by completing a brief survey by Wednesday, Jan. 11. Please feel free to share this survey link with others in your agency as needed. Your input is invaluable to OFC in improving these processes and ensuring we meet your needs.
Updated inventory of Ohio's Human Services Programming now available
The State of Ohio currently provides a variety of programs that assist Ohioans in preparing for life and the dignity of work. These programs are available at various stages of life when individuals need them most, from ensuring infants are born healthy to providing safety and security in retirement. The Governor's Office of Health Transformation compiled a list of these programs in 2013, and updated the inventory in December 2016. View inventory.
Truama and Child Welfare
The Chadwick Center for Children & Families at Rady Children's Hospital San Diego has just released a set of trauma-informed guidelines with concrete strategies for approaching secondary traumatic stress (STS). While these guidelines were created for intended use within child welfare systems, they may be easily adapted into other child- and family-serving organizations. These guidelines were created as part of the Chadwick Trauma-Informed Systems Dissemination and Implementation Project (CTISP-DI), supported by funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The guidelines highlight strategies and approaches to STS throughout 4 phases in the life of a child welfare worker (or other child- and family-serving professional), including the hiring phase, first 3 months on the job, the cumulative effect over time, and critical incidents.
2017 CCAI Foster Youth Internship Program
CCAI's Foster Youth Internship (FYI) Program® is a highly esteemed congressional internship for young adults who spent time in the foster care system. The CCAI FYI Program is a competitive congressional internship for young adults who spent (1) at least 24 consecutive months and/or (2) at least a total of 36 months in the U.S. foster care system. All applicants must have completed at least four semesters of schooling at an accredited institution of higher learning, such as a college, university, or vocational school. Participants will be placed in the Washington, D.C., offices of Members of Congress. The dates for the FYI Program are May 30-July 28, 2017, and the candidate must be available for the entirety of the program to qualify. Interns receive a weekly stipend and housing during their assignment in Washington, D.C. Click for more information about the program and to access the application form.
Finding Words Ohio: A ChildFirst Course on interviewing and preparing children for court
Finding Words Ohio: A ChildFirst Course on Interviewing and Preparing Children for Court training is designed to enhance the participant’s ability to speak to and for abused children. The trainings are provided by the Ohio Attorney General's Office in coordination with the Gunderson National Child Protection Training Center. Each course is limited to 30 students, so apply early to increase your chance of enrollment. Click for more information.
Workshop proposals - 4th Annual Trauma-Informed Care Summit
The Ohio departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) and Developmental Disabilities (DODD) are accepting proposals for the Fourth Annual Trauma-Informed Care Summit scheduled for May 1-2, 2017. This two-day event will focus on trauma-competent care on day one and secondary or vicarious trauma on day two. For details on submitting a proposal to present at the Summit, please view the Call for Proposals.
Ohio local governments lost $1 billion since 2010
Ohio could improve the quality of life in communities and boost statewide competitiveness by restoring funding for local services, according to a new issue brief from research institute Policy Matters Ohio. Learn more.
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Child Protection in the News
- 1/5/2017 – Gov. John Kasich's plans to 'Uber-ize' state government includes deep data mining – Another project involves the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, which aims to use advanced analytics to determine risk scores in child welfare cases.
- 1/5/2017 – Kasich signs 28 bills into Ohio law – Sub. SB 332 (Jones, Tavares) provides for the implementation of recommendations made by the Commission on Infant Mortality, authorizes pharmacists to administer by injection certain prescribed drugs, makes changes to the law permitting controlled desertion of a child not older than thirty days.
- 1/4/2017 – Education bills target virtual learning, student debt, loopholes in Virginia’s financial aid system – The McAuliffe administration rolled out a package of higher education bills Wednesday, including one to lift a partial state embargo on financial aid to non-traditional students.
- 1/3/2017 – New Year, New Format for Foster Care and Adoption Training (Press release) – Lucas County Children Services (LCCS) is responding to requests for more flexible foster care and adoption training by offering a new and unique configuration of classes in January 2017, in addition to its traditional schedule of Saturday training classes starting in February.
- 1/3/2017 – New Commissioner Lays Out Goals For Her First Year – Denise Driehaus starts her new job as Hamilton County Commissioner today. "We have some issues with child protective services that concern me. We have not so many case workers for what is an increased volume of kids going into the system, primarily because of the drug epidemic that we face.
- 12/30/2016 – An addiction crisis along 'the backbone of America' – The young woman sat on a city bench in Athens, Ohio, smoking a Marlboro. She told me her name is Keri, she’s 29, and she has a 10-year-old daughter and a history of drug addiction and mood disorders. She’d just been to a court hearing to get custody of her child. Bad as things are for her, they used to be worse, she said.
- 12/25/2016 – Opioid epidemic leads to foster care crisis in many states –... executive director of the Public Children Services Association of Ohio, a coalition of public child safety agencies in the state, told the Pew Charitable ...
- 12/24/2016 – More children available for adoption in Montgomery County – A larger share of children in the care of Montgomery County Children Services are in the state's permanent custody, making them legally free for adoption. Local officials say the trend reflects changes in strategies and state law that seek to prevent children getting stuck in out-of-home-type settings, like group homes, foster care and residential centers.
- 12/22/2016 – Funding available for child abuse prevention programs - Southeast Ohio organizations with programs aimed at strengthening families and promoting healthy child development are invited to apply for a grant from the Southeast Ohio Regional Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Council and the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund.
- 12/21/2016 – State to mine government data for answers to tough issues – Ohio is making plans to restructure its vast stores of government data so they can be mined for possible solutions to the state's most complex problems, an initiative experts say would be among the most sweeping of its kind by any U.S. state.
- 12/18/2016 – Children Services sees rise in drug-related foster cases – As Athens County and the rest of Ohio work to combat the heroin and opioid epidemic plaguing the state, children are not immune to its lasting effects.
- 12/17/2016 – Homeless students pose unique challenge – Going to school while homeless isn't easy. But helping these students is tricky too. How can guidance counselors gain their trust? Which community organization is the most appropriate one to provide a certain resource? The answers aren't always clear.
- 12/17/2016 – Opiate epidemic squeezes Children Services – As it heads into the new year, the Summit County Children Services Board finds itself in a budget squeeze created by a sharp increase in children ...
- 12/15/2016 – The Children of the Opioid Crisis – Left behind by addict parents, tens of thousands of youngsters flood the nation’s foster-care system; grandparents become moms and dads again.
- 11/28/2016 – Opioids send Ohio foster care into costly overdrive – It happened twice in Ohio in September. You may have seen the photo, circulating virally online: a man and a woman, passed out in the front seat of an SUV, with the woman’s 4-year-old grandson in the back.
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Jan. 13 I Conference Planning Committee Meeting
Jan. 18 I Southwest District Meeting
Jan. 20 I East Central District Meeting
View the full calendar
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“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Public Children Services Association of Ohio | 614-224-5802 |
www.pcsao.org
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