Weekly Update: August 9, 2021
Association News
Board meets, wears green for child support
PCSAO's Board of Trustees met for its monthly meeting Aug. 4, with both in-person and virtual attendees wearing green to mark Child Support Awareness Month. The board approved June meeting minutes, May and June financial reports, the annual 990 tax form, investment policy amendments, and personnel policy updates. Legislative and rules-related recommendations were voted on, and updates were shared by staff. The board meets next on Sept. 1 (virtual only).

Community Education Committee examines recruitment options
The Community Education Committee met Aug. 6 to hear a presentation about Ashtabula County Children Services' experience with a foster parent recruitment service, AttractMoreFosterParents.com. Fauver-DeMuesy Communications shared its marketing strategy for filling seats at the county's spring preservice training. Other topics included Family First implementation, the annual conference, and county updates. The committee's next meeting was moved to Oct. 8 so as not to conflict with the conference.
Ohio START
Come work with us!
Ohio START is seeking a regional manager to assist with management and implementation of our program, focused on the development and oversight of technical assistance in a specified region of the state. Read more and apply here.
PCSAO Annual Conference
Become a conference sponsor!
PCSAO is planning its 36th annual conference, "Facing the Future Together: Our World, Our Commitment," for Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the DoubleTree Worthington.
The conference is an opportunity to reach more than 500 children services professionals across the state. The audience includes child protection caseworkers, supervisors, administrators, attorneys, directors, students and advocates. As a sponsor, you will benefit from face-to-face networking, organization logo included in conference material, on-site sponsorship recognition and publicity on PCSAO’s website. Exhibitor tables may be limited in number depending on health measures in effect at the time of the conference. Become a sponsor here. If you have questions, contact Cassandra Freeland.

Thanks to our World Champion Sponsors
Annual conference keynote speakers
Molly Tierney will be our keynote speaker on Wednesday, Sept. 29. Molly is a Managing Director and the Child Welfare Industry Lead in Accenture’s North America Public Sector Practice, where she leverages her 25+ years of expertise to enable states and cities to improve outcomes for vulnerable citizens. Prior to joining Accenture, Molly spent 10 years as the director of the Baltimore City Department of Social Services where she managed the city’s child welfare and public assistance programs. During that time, she developed a reputation as a passionate reformer of foster care. In five years, the number of children in foster care declined 60 percent, while adoptions increased 60 percent.
Dr. Rachel Mitchum Elahee will be our keynote speaker on Thursday, Sept. 30. Dr. Rachel is a leadership expert who challenges audiences to choose the habits, actions and mindset necessary to achieve life satisfaction, professional productivity, and peace of mind. Dr. Rachel’s presentations, speaking engagements, and workshops have inspired a wide range of audiences, and her down-to-earth humor compels audiences to laugh while they learn. People love her practical strategies that they can apply personally and professionally. She is a licensed psychologist, certified executive coach, and author of the book “Choose You! Reignite Your Passion For Life.” Dr. Rachel earned her PhD from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.
Rules Update
Pre-Clearance: The following rules are open for comments until Sept. 4:
  • Rule 5101:2-38-01 - Requirements for PCSA family case plan for in-home supportive services without court order.
  • Rule 5101:2-38-05 - PCSA family case plan for children in custody or under protective supervision.
  • Rule 5101:2-38-07 - PCPA family case plan for children in custody or under court-ordered protective supervision.
 
Clearance: The following rules are open for comments until Aug. 11:
 
The following rules are open for comments until Aug. 12:
 
The following rules are open for comments until Aug. 16:
  • Rule 5101:9-5-01 - Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) fiscal agent responsibilities for the comprehensive case management employment program (CCMEP).
  • Rule 5101:9-5-02 - Comprehensive case management employment (CCMEP) Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) youth and youth administration allocations.
  • Rule 5101:9-5-03 - Comprehensive case management and employment program (CCMEP) temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) regular allocation.
  • Rule 5101:9-5-04 - Comprehensive case management and employment program (CCMEP) temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) administration allocation.
 
The following rule is open for comments until Aug. 19:
  • Rule 5101:2-33-27 - Agreement for Title IV-E Agencies for the Provision of Non-Placement Services.
 
Filed with JCARR: The following rule was revise-filed on July 30 with a hearing date of Aug. 11:
  • Rule 5101:2-38-05.1 - PCSA requirements for completing a family case plan and review when a child is placed in a qualified residential treatment program (QRTP).
 
The following rules were revise-filed on July 30 with a hearing date of Aug. 18:
  • Rule 5101:2-9-42 - Qualified residential treatment program (QRTP)
  • Rule 5101:2-42-12 - Assessment to determine child's placement into a qualified residential treatment program.
Resources and Clips
Resources and Announcements
Kinship lawsuit dismissed
On July 29, the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, Western Division issued its opinion in H.C. v Governor of the State of Ohio, et al. The case followed on a 2017 decision in the Sixth District (referred to as the Glisson decision) applying to Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee. In Glisson, the court ruled that the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act gives caregivers a privately enforceable right to foster care maintenance payments. The H.C. lawsuit sought to secure such payments for kin caregivers in Ohio, but the district judge dismissed and closed the case. ordering as follows:
  • The Court granted Defendant DeWine’s Motion to Dismiss, citing that he is entitled to 11th Amendment immunity. 
  • The Court granted Defendant Damschroder’s Motion to Dismiss as Plaintiffs failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Some of the findings that led to the dismissal are:
  • A review of Ohio’s regulatory requirements for licensure as a foster caregiver and approval of placement of a foster child with a relative caregiver revealed that licensed foster caregivers and unlicensed relative foster caregivers are subject to different standards before a foster child can be placed in their respective homes; and
  • Plaintiffs who are relative caregivers are not licensed foster caregivers under Ohio law and Title IV-E requires a caregiver to be fully licensed by the state before a caregiver is eligible for foster care maintenance payments.  
The decision is subject to appeal to the same circuit court that ruled in Glisson. Read more in AP article below.

Survey on use of funds for behavioral health, Medicaid waivers
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) gives states enhanced federal funding that can be invested to enhance, expand or strengthen home- and community-based services. This includes behavioral health, Medicaid waivers for those with intellectual or other developmental disabilities or those who are elderly or otherwise disabled, and other similar community services; and includes families, children or adults. The Ohio Department of Medicaid, Ohio Department of Aging, Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities and Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services are working together to gather ideas for how to strengthen supports and services for those in need of home or community services. They have created a survey. Find it here. Responses are requested by Aug. 19.

HPIO offers webinar on behavioral health access
The Health Policy Institute of Ohio will offer an online forum to explore the current behavioral healthcare access landscape in Ohio and highlight innovations that can improve behavioral health and reduce disparities in access to services on Aug. 26 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Register here.

ODJFS offers IV-E master contract training
ODJFS OFC staff will be conducting a IV-E Master Contract Training on Sept. 1 from 1-4 p.m. via a MS Teams Live Event. The training will cover the Agreement for Title IV-E Agencies and Providers for the Provision of Child Placement, Agreement for Title IV-E Agencies for the Provision of Non-Placement Services, rate information Schedule A and B as well as Office of Fiscal and Monitoring Services (OFMS) will explain monitoring of the “Agreement”, Addenda, Rates and ICCA compliance. The training is intended for staff who are responsible for contracting for placement and non-placement services in their agency. It will be recorded for those who are unable to join live. Register here. Upon submission of the registration a pop-up message containing the link to join the event will appear. Registrants should copy and paste the information from the confirmation pop-up into an appointment on the attendee’s calendar for their use. Contact Deanna Robb with questions.

Animal abuse cross-reporting webinar
The Animal Welfare Institute and the National Link Coalition, with the support of the Ohio Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW Ohio) and the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, are offering a virtual workshop called “Better Together: Cross-Reporting for Humane and Human Services” on Sept. 21 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. A new Ohio law requires social workers, counselors and veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse, and dog wardens, animal control officers and law enforcement to report suspected child abuse. The law is important because of the links between animal cruelty and neglect and domestic violence, child abuse, child sexual abuse, and elder abuse. NASW Ohio will be providing 5.75 CEUs for social workers. Register here. Contact Vicki Deisner for more information.
Child Protection in the News
Even though it was a moment Michele Murphy had prepared for extensively – she'd had her foster care license for more than 18 months – she still panicked when she received her first placement in February.  

School bells will soon ring, and Ohio county Children Services agencies are doing what they can to make the transition back to classrooms a little easier for vulnerable children.

 There's a new push to get more people vaccinated in the community and it's by a group called "100 Sistas Against COVID-19."

“This is not a game,” a voice reminds me through my headset. The virtual-reality simulation I am in, with its title card and floating lime-green options, would feel very much like a game — albeit an immersive, hyper-realistic one — if I didn’t know the stakes.

The difference in foster care payments between licensed caregivers and relatives stepping in to help “is neither ideal nor even satisfactory,” a federal judge said as he dismissed a lawsuit seeking to close that gap.

Fathers play such an important role in our lives. But it's not an easy job. Robert Harris has children from ages 6 to 16 and he says it's been a learning curve.

"When a child has to come into our system and be removed from their family, our number one focus is trying to find relatives of that child, so we do family search and engagement," Angela Sausser, executive director of the Public Children Services Association of Ohio, said.
Calendar and Job Postings
Aug. 10 | Ohio START Summit
Aug. 18 | Southwest District Meeting
Aug. 27 | Conference Committee Meeting

Note: Some meetings will be held via web and others in-person.
View the full calendar for details.
Looking for a career in child protection? Or a new position to challenge yourself?