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A quick rundown of Ohio child protection news this week
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Weekly Update for October 28, 2019
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Association Updates
PCSAO announces job openings
PCSAO is currently seeking to fill three full-time positions. Consider joining our team! Link to job descriptions and upload your resume and cover letter for the following positions:
- Operations Manager — Oversee PCSAO’s fiscal and office management, including federal grants management, vendor and contracts oversight, annual audit, records and system management, and HR; bachelor’s degree in business, finance or related field required with master’s preferred.
- Communications and Events Manager — Lead PCSAO’s annual conference and other meetings, manage social media and websites, write and design communications materials, support fundraising, and assist with media advocacy; bachelor’s in communications-related field required with master’s preferred.
- Administrative Assistant — Support general office functions and assist staff in fulfilling organizational mission; high school diploma required with associate’s or bachelor’s preferred.
Ohio START Cohort 3 Kickoff
On Oct. 24, Ohio START held the Cohort 3 kickoff event. Constituents from 14 Cohort 3 counties joined PCSAO and Children and Family Futures (CFF) to celebrate the launch of the third cohort. CFF presented on the essential elements of the model and assisted the counties in beginning to plan implementation of their local program. Cohort 3 counties will continue to work over the next few months to build their programs and begin serving families in April 2020. For more information about Ohio START,
contact Fawn Gadel
.
Lucas County aims to reduce children in care, focuses on racial equity
Lucas County Children Services has unveiled its strategic plan in a great video. The plan calls for a 75 percent reduction in the number of children in care and pledges to focus on racial disproportionality in the system. Check out
this two-minute video
.
HOPE workshop evaluations positive
The evaluations are in! HOPE’s workshop “Tell Me Something Good,” presented at the PCSAO conference, received high ratings from participants. Beyond the ratings, comments made included: “The mother speaking helped me understand what areas in the process parents may find difficult and how workers can help” and “This was my favorite class - LOVED having a parent there to discuss her life and involvement. Ms Danica, the primary parent present, gave great information. She made the information relevant and helped give insight through her own experiences. Well done and thank you!”
Multi-System Youth Program and rules updates
As reported in the
Oct. 14 edition
, the Administration has announced the program and funding plan for the multi-system youth provisions that were included in the 2020-2021 biennial budget bill. Currently, new fiscal rule 5101:9-6-24, Multi-system youth (MSY) funding, is in Clearance through Nov. 8. You can review and comment
here
. PCSAO and OJFSDA are reviewing this rule to ensure it aligns with 5101:2-54-01, Multi-system youth (the new MSY program rule that was in Clearance through Oct. 24) and will submit comments.
Children Services Best Practices Funding: Am. Sub. HB 166 (the budget bill) included $10 million per year for PCSAs, to be distributed via the State Child Protection Allocation methodology (ORC Section 5101.14), to support best practices to be determined in partnership with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Based on discussion among ODJFS and the associations (PCSAO, ODJFS, CCAO), the approach for these funds has been agreed upon and articulated in new rule 5101:9-6-23, Children services best practices (CSBP) funding. The rule is in Clearance through Nov. 8; you can review and comment
here
. The funding is designed to be flexible and as free of administrative burden as possible to support the following areas:
- FFPSA Preparation
- Kinship Supports
- Foster Care Recruitment/Retention
- Workforce Supports
- Training Incentives
- Data and Reporting
- Equipment and Technology
Rules updates
Pre-Clearance: As of Oct. 25, no children services rules were in pre-clearance.
Clearance: See above for children services-related rules currently in clearance.
Filed with JCARR: The following rules pertaining to adoption assistance connections (extended adoption assistance available for certain youth who meet eligibility requirements similar to the extension of IV-E services through the Bridges program) were original-filed on Oct 24. A public hearing is scheduled for Nov. 25. For more information, follow the links below:
- 5101:2-51-01, Administration of the adoption assistance connections to age twenty-one
- 5101:2-51-02, Eligibility for the adoption assistance connections to age twenty-one
- 5101:2-51-03, Payments for the adoption assistance connections to age twenty-one
The PCSAO Rules Committee met via teleconference Oct. 23 to review and discuss proposed revisions to the Ch. 37 Assessment Rules, based on work done through the recent Microburst on Reviewing Rules and Program Hearing (MORRPH) process and prior Rules Committee meetings. ODJFS plans to post the revised draft rules to pre-clearance (
ohiorulereview.org
) for a one- to two-week period to gather further feedback and will notify all MORRPH attendees when that occurs.
ODJFS is planning a new round of MORRPH sessions, likely in November, focusing on Rule 5101:2-33-21, Confidentiality and dissemination of child welfare information. Look for an announcement of dates/locations and guidance on what agency staff to send soon.
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Announcements and Resources
OCWTP seeks foster parent rep
The Ohio Child Welfare Training Program is looking for a foster parent representative to serve on the OCWTP Statewide Steering Committee. OCWTP provides training for staff, managers, adoptive families, and foster families in Ohio’s county Public Children Services Agencies (PCSAs). The OCWTP Steering Committee guides the work of OCWTP, and input from its members is integral to the development, review, and implementation of state child welfare training. Candidates should be currently licensed foster parents through a PCSA and be in good standing with training requirements.The person selected to fill this opening will have a valuable opportunity to represent the perspective of foster parents and assist the committee in identifying related training needs and implementation strategies that will benefit Ohio families and the public system in general as a voting member of the OCWTP Steering Committee. If selected, advocacy and participation on the Steering Committee would be strictly voluntary. There is no compensation available for travel, time, or other expenses related to involvement in the OCWTP. Representatives should be willing to travel to Columbus (or participate remotely) for monthly meetings. OCWTP would like the diversity of the two foster parent representatives to reflect the diversity of the children and families served. Interested foster parents can
email Kelley Gruber
for more information no later than Nov. 15.
Champions for multi-system youth recognized
On Oct. 21, the Ohio Family and Children First Coordinators Association presented Gayle Channing Tenenbaum, Jerry Freewalt, and Mark Butler with the “2019 Champion of Children Award” for their multi-system youth advocacy efforts. The recognition came during OFCFCA's annual conference in Columbus, which had the theme “Year of the Parent.” All three recipients expressed gratitude for the work and efforts of the MSY Coalition, parents, partners, and legislative champions.
Register: Briefing on Ohio’s SUD 1115 Demonstration Waiver
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Ohio Department of Medicaid will sponsor a stakeholder briefing Nov. 6, 8:30-10:30 a.m., in Columbus regarding Ohio’s recently approved Medicaid demonstration waiver supporting a comprehensive continuum of services for Medicaid-enrolled individuals with substance use disorders.
Learn more
and
register to attend in person
(no more than two per organizaton) or
via webinar
.
Register: NASW conference
The National Association of Social Workers Ohio Chapter 2019 Conference will be Nov. 14-16 in Columbus.
Learn more and register
.
Ohio Fatherhood Summit scheduled for 2020
The Ohio Commission on Fatherhood and partners have scheduled 2020 State Fatherhood Summit for May 20-21 in Columbus. In addition, OCF will be offering two trainings on evidence-based fatherhood curricula free of charge in Columbus. Interested organizations simply have to purchase the curriculum kits prior to the training. Registration is required and space is limited. Learn more and reserve space today:
"24/7 Dads" Oct. 28-29
and
"On My Shoulders" Nov. 13-15
. Participants must attend all days of each training in order to receive a curriculum certification.
Register: Podcast on legal representation for families
Family Voices United is hosting a podcast on "Legal Representation for Families" Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. The event will share how constituents are taking action, getting involved, and building a movement by supporting relative caregivers. The session will be turned into a podcast that can be shared and downloaded. Constituent leaders (birth parents, kinship/relative caregivers as well as youth and alumni) will share their perspective and accomplishments with fellow campaign members. Direct Take-Action tools will be provided to assist with advocacy.
Register here
.
Thanksgiving dinners scheduled for current, former foster youth
ACTION Ohio has announced its four regional early Thanksgivings for foster care teens (ages 14+) and alumni (ages 18+):
1) NE Ohio Thanksgiving in Cleveland:
Nov. 2, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Saint Ignatius High School, 1911 West 30th St., Cleveland, OH 44113
*Parking is available next to the Breen Center on Lorain Ave.
2) SW Ohio Thanksgiving in Cincinnati:
Nov. 16, 1 – 3 p.m.
Junior League of Cincinnati’s Columbia Center, 3500 Columbia Pkwy, Cincinnati, OH 45226
*Street parking and parking lot nearby
3) SE Ohio Thanksgiving in Athens:
Nov. 17, 1 – 4 p.m.
Ohio University, Grover Center
*There are parking meters and a large parking lot nearby
4) Central Ohio Thanksgiving in Columbus:
Nov. 24, 1 – 4 p.m.
eStem Academy, 8579 Summit Road, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
*Lots of free parking on-site. Look for the balloons to find the right entrance.
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Child Protection in the News
Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday that he’s optimistic following large-scale talks held earlier in the day at the Governor’s Mansion among representatives of the Ohio communities taking part in the opioid litigation.
Emily McIntyre is eight-and-a-half months pregnant with her third child. Her other two were taken away by child services because of her drug use. McIntyre is currently enrolled in a court-ordered program called START/QIC designed to get her clean and eventually reunite her with her children. Programs such as the one McIntyre is enrolled in could get a boost nationwide following the court settlements of a series of lawsuits facing the major drug companies.
Enter Ohio Bridges, which aims to quell those uncertainties. ... Erie County's children services workers take an aggressive, hands-on approach to find ...
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Nov. 6 | Board of Trustees Meeting
Nov. 7 | Rules Review Committee Meeting
Nov. 8 | Community Education Committee Meeting
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Public Children Services Association of Ohio | 614-224-5802 |
www.pcsao.org
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