A quick rundown of Ohio child protection news this week
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Weekly Update for November 19, 2018
Association Updates
 
PCSAO seeks full-time Manager of Operations
Jeed Jitprasert will be leaving PCSAO at the end of the year, closing out an 18-year career here at our office. While Jeed can’t be replaced, PCSAO is seeking a Manager of Operations, an experienced, energetic administrator to manage the organization’s office operations, finances, grants and events planning. View the employment listing here and the full job description here. This is a full-time, Columbus-based position with benefits. Professionals who meet the qualifications must submit a cover letter and resume by Nov. 30.

Show support for Ohio START this #GivingTuesday
Nov. 27 is an inspiring day of generosity across the globe known as #GivingTuesday, and we hope you’ll support your favorite nonprofit organizations like PCSAO and the Ohio START program. The Ohio START (Sobriety, Treatment and Reducing Trauma) program has recently expanded to 34 counties and has helped over 100 families on the path to recovery with a focus on reducing trauma and keeping families together. The successful impact the START program is making with families and children is why PCSAO is supporting Ohio START this #GivingTuesday. Donations will go to assist the Ohio START counties in serving families. Learn more about Ohio START here . Consider making a donation to here .

We are also partnering with The Columbus Foundation to help you give AND receive! On #GivingTuesday, when you give to PCSAO and one or more other nonprofits through the Foundation’s Giving Store , you’ll receive a $20 Charitable Gift Card as part of the “Give Two on #GivingTuesday” promotion. Learn more about #GivingTuesday here .

FFPSA Leadership Advisory Committee meets  
The ODJFS convened the first meeting of the Family First Prevention Services Act Leadership Advisory Committee on Nov. 15. PCSA representation on this Committee includes: Butler Cuyahoga, Erie, Guernsey, Montgomery, Richland, South Central, OJFSDA, and PCSAO. The Committee selected Carla Carpenter, ODJFS Office of Families and Children Deputy Director, as its chair. Much of the meeting was focused on finalizing the Committee’s charter. Ohio is fortunate to have consultants from Casey Family Programs providing facilitation for the meetings as well as national expertise as the Committee begins to consider recommendations for the state’s implementation plan. The committee will meet next on Dec. 5.

Anti-Human Trafficking update
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is live streaming a Health and Human Trafficking Symposium on Nov. 28-29; learn more here . The National Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking of Children and Youth in the United States will be having their next public meeting on Dec. 10; to learn more and register for the live stream, please visit: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/otip/news/nac1218 .

Helping Ohio Parent Effectively (HOPE) celebrates good work
H.O.P.E. held the second annual Parent Partner Appreciation banquet on Nov. 6. There were over 50 people in attendance representing parents serving in a variety of programs such as mentors and advocates, HOPE representatives from the seven HOPE counties, administrators from ODJFS and county public children services agencies. ODJFS Director, Cynthia Dungey, ODJFS OFC Deputy Director, Carla Carpenter, and OFCA Director, Wendi Turner, all spoke to the essential aspects of peer support work. Jennifer Alberts, a HOPE parent partner and foster care alum, was the keynote speaker. Parent advocates from both the HOPE and Succeed programs were awarded for their hard work and leadership in the parent peer support movement.

Announcements and Resources

Ohio's 2019 Opiate Conference: Call for Presentations
The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities Foundation, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, will host Ohio’s 2019 Opiate Conference: Promoting Solutions for Substance Use Disorders Across Ohio on June 10-11, 2019. This will be Ohio’s tenth annual opiate conference taking place at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus, Ohio. The conference will bring in approximately 1,200 attendees from throughout Ohio. This two-day conference will focus on opiate and other substance use disorders, specifically on efforts related to prevention, education, intervention, treatment, recovery, family supports, community engagement, and more. The Call for Presentations for Ohio’s 2019 Opiate Conference is now open . OACBHA is requesting presentations from all categories of professionals, individuals in recovery, and family members. Please submit your presentation ideas by January 11, 2019.

Outstanding Young Leader Award Nomination
FosterClub wants to recognize current and former foster youth who deserve to be celebrated for their leadership, success, and achievements through our Outstanding Young Leader Award. Applications due Dec. 7, 2018. For more information, to nominate or apply, please visit: www.fosterclub.com/OYL .
Child Protection in the News

... in custody on any given day in Ohio this year than we did just five years ago,” said Scott Britton of The Public Children Services Association of Ohio.
 
Richland County Children Services foster and/or adopt homes represent a minuscule proportion of Richland County (approximately 0.04 percent ...
 
Nov. 12 - Clark County families encouraged to adopt - Springfield News Sun 
There are 24 children in Clark County wanting to be adopted and leaders are working to make sure each finds a forever family.

Nov. 13 – Path to Adulthood Paved with Obstacles for Foster Youth – Public News Services
New research uncovers the instability faced by Ohio youth in foster care, and the resulting negative outcomes experienced during their transition to adulthood.

... to place with foster parents, which can cause further trauma, said Scott Britton, assistant director of the Public Children Services Association of Ohio.
 
New research uncovers the instability faced by Ohio youth in foster care, and the resulting negative outcomes experienced during their transition to adulthood. According to the data, 43 percent of Ohio foster youths obtain a high school diploma or GED, compared with 76 percent nationally. And about half of the U.S. foster-care population is employed, while in Ohio it's only 36 percent.


A program designed to help families experiencing the effects from a loved one's substance addiction has expanded to include 17 counties. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Director Mark Hurst, announced that funding from their offices will help the Ohio Sobriety, Treatment and Reducing Trauma (START) Program expand to 17 new counties.
 
To mark his new movie "Instant Family," which debuts this week, actor Mark Wahlberg and his business partner Jay Feldman are donating $20,000 to the Buckeye Ranch in Ohio.
Upcoming Events
Nov. 29 | Executive Membership Meeting
Nov. 29 | Board of Trustees Meeting
Nov. 30 | Executive Membership Meeting
Dec. 5 | Human Resources/Safety Committee Meeting

Employment Opportunities

Looking for a career in child protection? Or a new position to challenge yourself? Check out the latest job openings in child protection.

UPP graduates seeking employment at a PCSA are listed on our website.
Quote of the Week
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Public Children Services Association of Ohio | 614-224-5802 | www.pcsao.org
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