January 2021 Newsletter
Director's corner

Happy New Year, Ohio START! As I look at the upcoming year, I am excited about the opportunities to come. Over the course of 2021, we will add another cohort of counties implementing Ohio START, undergo state and county certification by Children and Family Futures and integrate as a prevention program for Family First. This is in addition to our continued provision of training and technical assistance to cohorts 1-3. It is a wonderful time to be part of this program and I look forward to working with everyone over the course of the year!  
Fawn
Cohort 4 Application Now Live!
Apply by Jan. 8
Ohio START program will add 14 more counties to the program in early 2021. PCSAs interested in joining Ohio START should complete the cohort 4 application here. The link to the application can also be found on the Ohio START website.

Applications are due Jan. 8, and PCSAs will be notified of acceptance by Jan. 15. Contact Fawn Gadel with questions.
From the Field
Mercer County
Mercer County successfully closed the very first START case they had opened. Through START, the family was provided with the much needed support to reach this success!
Ashtabula County
Ashtabula County successfully closed two cases at the end of December. Both moms had been sober for 11 months and had kept their kids with them throughout their time in START.
Warren County
Warren County hired a new Family Peer Mentor and now has two complete dyads to serve more families!
START Approved for Prevention Services
The national START program has been approved for inclusion in the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse as a promising practice. The clearinghouse is a registry that helps to identify and share information about evidence-based practices that support children and families and prevent foster care placements. Evidence-based practices are those with empirical research that show their effectiveness.

The Family First Act is federal law designed to support struggling families with evidence-based interventions so that children at risk of abuse or neglect can remain safely at home. Ohio must implement it by October of 2021.

“The Ohio START team is pleased that the national START model has been included in the prevention services clearinghouse and we are thankful to our partners at Children and Family Futures for their hard work to ensure the program has reached this milestone. This means that Ohio can continue to move forward with our plan to implement START as one of Ohio’s five Family First prevention programs,” said Ohio START Director Fawn Gadel.
We want to hear from YOU!
The START team at PCSAO wants to hear more from our counties about successes with your families! Whether it be a child reunification, a graduation from the START program, or simply positively engaging with a family – we want to hear about it!

Send your success stories so we can share them with the START community!

Email your stories to Karalyn@pcsao.org
PEER Online Symposium
Topic: Self Care and Compassion Fatigue
The PEER Center, with support from OhioMHAS, has announced a series of online “Compassion Fatigue and Self-Care: For Peer Recovery Supporters, Families, and Allies” symposiums for 2021. The goal of the symposium is provide understanding, tools, and resources needed to engage in culturally responsive, trauma-informed peer support relationships with anyone, especially those with lived experiences with trauma. Sessions will take place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. All trainings on the topic will be the same, so there is no need to schedule for multiple dates. The symposium will be offered on: Jan. 13, Feb. 17, March 17, April 14, May 12, and June 16. Click HERE for more information and to select a date.
Training & TA
All trainings have moved to a virtual platform due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Trauma Informed Family Engagement: Understanding the Impact of Implicit Bias and Structural Racism
Jan. 25th from 9 a.m. - 4p.m.
Secondary Traumatic Stress and Provider Resilience
Jan. 27th from 9 a.m. - 4p.m.

Ohio START is a program of PCSAO
Our Mission: We approach Substance Use Disorders with compassion, understanding and hope for recovery. We work as a team, supporting and holding each other accountable. We believe in family, love and redemption.