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A quick rundown of Ohio child protection news this week
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Weekly Update for October 9, 2017
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Association Updates
Take part in #BigGive
Looking to participate in the #BigGive Oct. 10-11? Join PCSAO tomorrow and Wednesday in helping opiate-addicted parents on their path to recovery. Your donation will be MATCHED for the Ohio START program. You can donate
online
or you can give on the go! Simply text 5800 to 614-230-0347 to connect directly with the Columbus Foundation’s Directory Listing and give no matter where you are. #BigGive #InvestInKids #OhioSTART #opioidcrisis
Behind the success
The 2017 PCSAO Annual Conference was a remarkable success. With this year’s theme, “Everyday Heroes.” the conference was a statewide gathering of over 600 individuals from child protection agencies and partners all over Ohio. The conference offered three days packed full of informative and energizing workshops and dynamic speakers. The success of our conference is the result of the efforts of many, and behind every effort is passion. PCSAO wants to thank our presenters for their time and willingness to share their expertise; this year’s exhibitors and sponsors for their support and partnership; conference planning committee members, staff and volunteers for their countless hours of hard work; county Public Children Services Agencies and their directors for allowing their staff to volunteer and attend the conference; and all of our conference attendees for their enthusiasm to learn and commitment to keep our children safe and strengthen families. To learn more about our award recipients, please visit
http://www.pcsao.org/programs/conference
.
Rules Review Committee teleconference
The PCSAO Rules Review Committee met via teleconference Oct. 5. The agenda included discussion on Adoption Assistance and Adoption Assistance Connections rules currently in clearance. In addition, the committee discussed the implementation of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) and the issue of collateral contacts. The committee next meets Nov. 2. For more information, contact Mary Wachtel,
mary@pcsao.org
.
Rules updates
- 8099, Adoption Assistance Connections (AAC) to Age Twenty-One, are open for comment until Oct. 11. These rules have been written to outline the requirements for the Adoption Assistance Connections (AAC) to Age Twenty-One program, as provided for in HB50, Ohio Fostering Connections.
- 8100, Adoption Assistance rules 5101:2-49-04, 5101:2-49-06 and 5101:2-49-07, are open for comment until Oct. 12. These rules have been revised to reflect the new Adoption Assistance Connections (AAC) to Age Twenty-One program.
Helping Ohio Parent Effectively: HOPE and Succeed
HOPE’s parent engagement efforts have been expanded by partnering with Ohio Family Care Associations’ (OFCA) Succeed program. Succeed groups are primary parent support groups. OFCA has developed these groups in four counties, three of which are HOPE county sites. Succeed is looking to expand to additional agencies in the coming year. Three HOPE Parent Partners were panelists at Succeed’s workshop entitled "Peer Support Groups: providing hope, support, and empowerment to primary parents" at the PCSAO conference Sept. 27. The parents shared their personal lived experience with the children services system and their experience as Succeed group facilitators. Participants were given information regarding how to become a part of the Succeed program.
Community Education Committee meets
Franklin County Children Services hosted the Oct. 6 meeting of the CEC, which featured discussion of levies on the ballot, including services available from Fauver DeMuesy Communications (
www.win-your-levy.com
and
www.fosterneedtoknow.com
), and planning for upcoming stories on Public News Service. FCCS staff presented on holiday event planning. Meeting dates for 2018 were approved (Wear Blue will be April 11). The next meeting will be Nov. 3 and will include election of committee leadership for 2018.
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Announcements and Resources
Competitive RECLAIM helps young people get back on track
With 51 unique projects in 32 counties, Competitive RECLAIM prevents young people from going further into the juvenile justice system, reducing the need for placement in a Department of Youth Services (DYS) facility, Community Corrections Facility (CCF), or other residential placement. The effort supports juvenile courts and local communities in using research-backed services to meet the needs of youth and families. Projects range from diversion to in-home treatment and are unique to each participating county’s needs. Full details for the first round of funded projects, including the initial program overviews, interventions used, outcomes, and success stories from participants, are available on the DYS
website
.
Regional Thanksgiving dinners offered for foster youth, alums
For the past 10 years, Thanksgiving has been a time for Ohio foster care youth, alumni and allies/adult supporters to gather and share their voices, insights, talents, abilities and goals for the future. Join ACTION and OACCA at one of four regional early Thanksgiving dinners in November. Current foster care youth ages 14+ and former foster youth ages 18+ are welcome.
Review the dates and locations
, and then register
online
. Registration is free but required. Public and private foster care agencies and foster parents are encouraged to transport young people so that they may attend.
Opioid State Targeted Response technical assistance calls
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) will facilitate a series of statewide technical assistance calls to discuss projects and topics related to the State Targeted Response (STR) to the opioid crisis grant through the 21st Century CURES Act. Each call will cover different subject areas such as the Maternal Opiate Medical Supports (MOMS) Program, Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), Telehealth, American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Criteria, Quick-Response Teams and more. Calls will include about 10 minutes of content presentation, while the remaining time will be utilized for participant questions and open discussion. Click
here
for a calendar of upcoming calls.
JDAI Conference
The Ohio Department of Youth Services is hosting the first Ohio Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative Conference (JDAI) Nov. 1-2. The conference will provide the opportunity to interact with national, state and local JDAI experts committed to improving practices and outcomes for youth and families in Ohio. Participants will choose from multiple workshop series, all of which will provide in-depth information on many of the fundamental JDAI core strategies. CEUs and CLEs have been requested. Registration for the conference is free! Registration is limited to 300 attendees, so secure your spot early. The registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 16. The registration link can be found
here
.
Cincinnati Children's Conference
Registration for the Nov. 17 multi-disciplinary conference “Changing the Future for Children of Addicted Parents”is now open. Please join Cincinnati Children's Hospital for this important topic as national and regional experts address the issues affecting children exposed to opioids in utero or living with the chaos of being the child of a parent with a substance abuse disorder. See the conference
website
for the full conference agenda, speakers, objectives and continuing education credits.
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Child Protection in the News
A two million dollar facility specializing in the treatment of drug- addicted babies opened Monday morning in Kettering.
September is both Kinship Care Month and Recovery Month, which this year is a timely coincidence in light of the high numbers of children in the child welfare system due to the opioid epidemic.
Ohio START (Sobriety, Treatment, and Reducing Trauma) connects county Public Children Services Agencies (PCSAs), behavioral health providers and juvenile/family courts to provide specialized services, such as intensive trauma counseling for children and drug treatment for parents.
Despite the many challenges of working in children services, Olvera-Caito is proud of the work she has been able to accomplish within the community, and she plans to continue to do so until she retires from children’s services.
In recent years, Richland County has seen the number of children coming into agency care more than double, a rise in large part due to the opioid epidemic gripping the community. As of Sept. 25, there were 103 children in agency custody, compared to just 41 in 2011. As the need for foster care grows, it makes Kinship Care even more critical.
Harless, the Richland County Children Services community outreach/programming director, was nominated for the award by Patty Harrelson, the agency’s executive director, and also the staff members he supervises.
On Monday, the Ohio Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Brian and Kelly Anderson of Celina in the case of "Maddy" a child who was the center of a custody dispute between the Andersons and Allen County Children's Services. Kelly Anderson reacts to the court's ruling.
A first-of-its-kind regional judicial effort by states to combat the opioid epidemic is receiving a $1 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative (RJOI) was formed a year ago to explore ways that state leaders within a region devastated by opioid abuse could work more effectively and collaboratively across disciplines to confront this problem.
An increased need for children mental health services has led Dayton Children's Hospital to develop its first inpatient mental health unit at its main campus, helping fill a resource gap for local families who sometimes go to Columbus or Kentucky when there aren't hospital beds available in the region.
Daily Record
Earlier this year, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced plans to institute a pilot program to help families impacted by parental opioid addiction. While DeWine's pilot program only consists of 14 counties in the southern region of Ohio, his plea for families to become foster parents was heard throughout the state, especially in Wayne County.
Sesame is better known for teaching preschoolers letters and numbers. But those familiar furry characters are also taking on tougher topics, says Jeanette Betancourt of Sesame Workshop. In the past two years, Sesame in Communities has addressed the incarceration of a parent and bereavement, partnering with local organizations to share directly with families affected.
The Ohio Supreme Court will administer a “first-of-its-kind,” $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance benefiting eight regional states in the battle against the opioid epidemic.
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Oct. 12 | Fostering Pathways to Success Conference
Oct. 13 | Metro District Strategy Meeting
Oct. 16 | Legislative Committee Meeting
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“No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop
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Public Children Services Association of Ohio | 614-224-5802 |
www.pcsao.org
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