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A quick rundown of Ohio child protection news this week |
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Weekly Update for September 8, 2020 |
State updates
The following are state updates for this week:
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To kick off Workforce Development Month, Gov. Mike DeWine released a video recognizing the children services workforce for the critical efforts made in support of Ohio children and families. Read more.
- Gov. DeWine announced details for Ohio's COVID reporting requirements for K-12 schools. Beginning Sept. 8, parents or guardians and school staff should notify their school within 24 hours of receiving a positive test or a clinical diagnosis. Within 24 hours of that notification, the school should notify other parents and guardians about that case in writing, providing as much information as possible without releasing protected health information. The school must also notify the local health department within 24 hours.
- Beginning Sept. 15, local health departments will report the number of newly reported and cumulative cases to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) weekly. ODH will publish this data by school or school district, including a breakdown by students and staff, each Thursday. Each school district or school must identify a COVID-19 coordinator to facilitate the reporting of case information, and upon request, schools or buildings are required to provide the local health department a copy of their pandemic plan.
- Lt. Gov. Jon Husted announced that over 900 grant requests have been approved for the K-12 Broadband Connectivity Grant for hotspots and Internet-enabled devices. This makes it possible for 121,000 students to gain high-speed Internet in their homes. In areas where there are barriers to take-home devices, the grant will also support the creation of new public Wi-Fi and mobile Wi-Fi spaces to help students connect to the Internet.
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Lt. Gov. Husted also provided an update on Ohio’s telehealth pilot project at Switzerland of Ohio School District in Monroe County. The goal is to connect the school district with behavioral health services. Districts interested in developing telehealth services can now review the Telehealth in Schools Blueprint, which provides a better understanding of lessons learned through the pilot project.
PCSAO Board of Trustees meets
The PCSAO Board of Trustees met on Sept. 2. Board actions included approval of the August meeting minutes, July 2020 financial report, and the 2019 audit report conducted by Clark, Schaeffer Hackett. The audit report found PCSAO’s financials to be favorable with no material findings. The board discussed a request for proposals that will be released soon to secure bids for the next three-year auditing period. It also discussed 2021 membership dues and reconfirmed the board’s decision-making process. Finally, the board approved cancelling in-person meetings for the rest of the year scheduled at Nationwide Conference Center. The board also received updates from:
- Kara Wente and Kristi Burre from ODJFS
- PCSAO’s Legislative Committee and Rules Review Committee
- Ohio Department of Medicaid’s new behavioral health program for children with complex needs.
The board will meet next on Oct. 7.
PCSAO welcomes Karalyn Wright
Karalyn Wright joined PCSAO as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the Ohio START program and related PCSAO projects in September 2020. Karalyn recently graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a minor in communication studies. She also interned at a political action committee. Read more about Karalyn here.
Rules Committee meets
The PCSAO Rules Review Committee met via Zoom on Sept. 3. The committee discussed rules currently in pre-clearance and the upcoming process for development and review of prevention services rules. The committee next meets on Oct. 1. Contact mary@pcsao.org for more information.
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Registration closes Friday!
PCSAO is pleased to offer an exciting schedule of workshops for our "Partners in Progress" Virtual Conference Sept. 16-17. Thanks to support from our generous sponsors, including our 40th Anniversary Sponsor, UnitedHealthcare, our conference is open to all at a modest daily registration fee, with special discounts for PCSAO members and University Partnership Program affiliates. Continuing education training credit is available to licensed social workers, attorneys, and E-Track users. The two-day conference is structured with a welcome and keynote each morning (no credit) followed by a 15-minute break and then a series of concurrent workshops throughout each day. Visit our 2020 Conference Registration page for more information, or download our schedule at a glance. Registration closes this Friday, Sept. 11.
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Pre-Clearance: The following rules are in pre-clearance to prepare for five-year review. They are open for comments until Sept. 10:
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Rule 5101:2-5-11 - Complaint handling.
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Rule 5101:2-33-03 - Procedure for complaints of alleged discriminatory acts, policies or practices in the foster care or adoption process that involve race, color, or national origin.
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Rule 5101:2-33-11 - Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA) agency administrative requirements.
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Rule 5101:2-33-13 - Administrative procedures for falsification in adoption.
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Rule 5101:2-33-70 - Statewide automated child welfare information system (SACWIS) access.
The following rule is in pre-clearance to prepare for five-year review. It is open for comments until Sept. 15:
Clearance: As of Sept. 4, there are no children services-related rules in clearance.
Filed with JCARR: As of Sept. 4, no children services-related rules have been filed with JCARR.
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Announcements and Resources
Systems of Care series in September
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office is offering a Linking Systems of Care for Ohio’s Youth Virtual Research Series throughout September. Each week will showcase two of the symposium presentations, highlighting innovative work across Ohio that bridges the gap between research and practice. Presentations will last 45 minutes, followed by 15 minutes for Q&A with the presenters. Sessions include:
- Sept. 10, Noon-1 p.m.: Leveraging Linked Data to Maximize Healthcare Delivery for Foster Youth
- Sept. 15, 1-2 p.m.: The Needs Portal: A Resource Referral and Management Information System
- Sept. 22, 1-2 p.m.: Promoting Racial Equity in Child Welfare CQI and Evaluation
- Sept. 24, 1-2 p.m.: Public-Private Collaboration to Transform Child Welfare Systems for LGBTQ+ Youth
- Sept. 29, 1-2 p.m.: Focusing on Services, Gaps and Needs for Ohio’s Traumatized Youth and Crime Victims
NCWWI and Children’s Bureau to offer worker recognition event
The National Child Welfare Workforce Institute and the Children’s Bureau will offer a one-hour virtual recognition event Sept. 15 at 3 p.m. designed to get people inspired and refocused on "the heart work." Hear from child welfare leaders and service recipients expressing their appreciation for how children services systems have adjusted their practice to serve families and children under unprecedented and challenging conditions.
National Adoption Month webinar
The Child Welfare Information Gateway and AdoptUSKids are holding a National Adoption Month webinar on “Engage Youth: Listen and Learn” Sept. 30 from 2-3:30 p.m. Register here. During the webinar, professionals and young people who have experienced foster care will:
- Share insights on how to successfully engage and partner with youth.
- Take youth engagement from abstract to concrete and describe how to incorporate youth voice into practice.
- Discuss how to authentically listen to and engage young people.
- Provide information about resources and materials available from Child Welfare Information Gateway, AdoptUSKids, and Children’s Bureau grantees.
Back-to-school toolkit available
As the school year begins, Mental Health America (MHA) recently unveiled its 2020 Back-to-School Toolkit, meant to help students, parents, and school personnel navigate the uncharted territory of COVID-19. Given the climate, MHA said it's particularly important this year for parents, caregivers, and school personnel to know the signs that a young person is struggling with their mental health as well as for adults to take care of their own mental health needs. Download the toolkit here.
Racial disparity, social justice, opioid crisis series offered
The Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine is offering a free webinar series on racial disparity, social justice, and the opioid crisis this fall. The events are free to the public, but registration is required. Register here for an event and see all the upcoming webinars, which run through November.
Webinar on multi-system youth with autism Sept. 25
The Ohio Interagency Work Group on Autism is hosting a webinar on "Multi-System Youth with Autism" on Sept. 25. The webinar will feature a panel of state officials to discuss challenges faced by Ohio’s families and the ongoing efforts to make change. Register here.
Ready, Set, Soar Ohio relaunches
On Sept. 23 from 10-11 a.m the Ready, Set, Soar Ohio campaign will host a virtual relaunch. Coalition members have worked through the pandemic to realign the campaign’s priorities in light of the challenges families with infants and toddlers continue to face. Check the website for more information.
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Child Protection in the News
“Over the weekend U.S. Marshals rescued dozens of missing children across Ohio, many of whom were being trafficked.” Gov. Mike DeWine said during a Tuesday news conference.
“Operation Safety Net" is still in its first two weeks and is ongoing, according to the Marshals Service. It's being carried out in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies around northern Ohio.
Days after the U.S. Marshals Service announced the rescue of 39 endangered children in Georgia, similar operations are ongoing in two other states as authorities target missing kids who may be victims of sex trafficking.
“Montgomery County deeply appreciates the years of skilled leadership Jewell Good has provided to our agency,” County Administrator Michael Colbert said. “Leading a children services agency for a metro county is a 24/7 job with its fair share of difficulties, yet Jewell has met each new challenge with poise and professionalism.”
Right now in Cleveland, many pregnant teens and young mothers in foster care are in urgent need of a safe place to call home. Those with the Pressley Ridge Parent Child Foster Care program in Cleveland said placing pregnant teens or young moms is already a challenge, but like many other things it's become that much harder because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Profiles of Hope and Courage
Jordan: 'The whole reason you get involved is you've got a heart to see people improve their situation'
Jordan has been a caseworker with Delaware County Department of Job and Family Services for two and a half years. Working from home during the pandemic is challenging, but with creativity and scheduling, he maintains his productivity.
PCSAO is collecting stories from the front lines of child protection to raise awareness of the challenges our children services professionals, and the families they serve, are facing during this pandemic.
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Sept. 16-17 | PCSAO "Partners in Progress" Annual Conference
Sept. 21 | PCSAO Legislative Committee Meeting
Note: Meetings will be held via web meeting for the foreseeable future.
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Public Children Services Association of Ohio | 614-224-5802 | www.pcsao.org
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