A quick rundown of Ohio child protection news this week
Weekly Update for August 26, 2019
Association Updates

Conference registration: "Champions for Children and Families"
Registration for the annual PCSAO conference scheduled for Sept. 25-27 is open! Check out the conference registration brochure for the list of workshops, make your selections, and register today . One- and two-day rates are available in addition to the three-day registration fee. Hotel reservations must be made separately.

Gift baskets are a great opportunity to support the conference in a fun and creative way. This is a chance to highlight unique local offerings like desserts, specialty drinks and more. Gift baskets can be brought to the conference location on Sept. 25. This is one of the major highlights of the conference. We thank you for your contributions and participation!
 
To learn more about the various sponsorship and exhibitor packages and to register, click here . If you have any questions or would like more information about these opportunities to support the child welfare community, contact Nitina Francis via email or phone at 614-224-5802. Opportunities for sponsorships and exhibit tables are available on a first-come, first-served basis., so register early, but no later than Sept. 1.

Ohio START seeks program manager
Ohio START has reopened the posting for a full-time program manager who will focus on program development, oversight and technical assistance. Learn more about joining PCSAO's team in this exciting role .

PCSAO welcomes new interns
Join PCSAO in welcoming two new interns for the academic year: Amanda Rosenblatt is an MSW candidate at The Ohio State University, and Brock Smith is an undergraduate majoring in social work at OSU-Marion.

Southwest District holds meeting
The PCSAO Southwest District met Aug. 21 and approved Jewell Good, Montgomery County JFS, to become president as Gina Speaks-Eshler, Clinton County JFS, has taken a position as bureau chief at ODJFS Office of Families and Children. The district elected Julie Gilbert, Butler County JFS, as vice president. The district received updates from ODJFS, OCWTP and PCSAO related to the state budget, FFPSA, kinship care, tiered treatment foster care, Ohio START, and PCSAO’s upcoming annual conference. The meeting concluded with the counties providing updates. The next district meeting is Oct. 16. 

Tiered treatment foster care workgroup advances
Working with a broad-based group that includes the Office of Children Services Transformation and the Office of Families and Children, private providers, PCSAs, foster parents, a foster alum, the Department of Medicaid, behavioral health specialists and more, PCSAO convened the third of five monthly meetings to identify new tiers for treatment foster care Aug. 19. A draft matrix drove multiple conversations around caregiver support, agency responsibilities, payment structure and much more. Detail will be added leading up to the penultimate meeting Sept. 16.

HOPE luncheon approaches
The theme for this year’s annual HOPE Parent Partner recognition luncheon on Oct. 28 is "Primary Parents: The Essential Piece That Brings Us All Together." Stay tuned for more details.

Labor Day notice
PCSAO's office will be closed on Labor Day, Sept. 2, and the next Weekly Update will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 3.
Announcements and Resources

Registration opens for Governor's resiliency summit
Registration for Gov. Mike DeWine's Building Resiliency: A Pediatric Mental Health Summit is open. The summit will be Sept. 26 at the Sinclair Conference Center in Dayton. As a result of Dayton’s tornadoes in the spring and the recent tragic shooting in the Oregon District, DeWine, in conjunction with the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association, will hold the summit as a way to give members of the community tools they need as they work with children dealing with trauma. The hope is that having these tools will give kids the opportunity for a healthy and bright future. The summit is open to adults across the state who touch the lives of children, including parents, coaches, school personnel, counselors, and health care professionals. Attendees will learn how to spot the signs and symptoms of trauma in children and tangible strategies to address it from experts in mental health, health care, education, and other fields. Learn more and register .  

Governor launches Ohio School Safety Center
Gov. Mike DeWine issued an executive order last week creating a specialized division of Ohio Homeland Security (OHS) devoted exclusively to the safety of Ohio’s students and schools. As the new comprehensive, statewide office in Ohio focused exclusively on enhancing the safety of schools, the Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) will assist local schools and law enforcement in preventing, preparing for, and responding to threats and acts of violence, including self-harm, through a holistic, solutions-based approach to improving school safety. The OSSC will be headquartered at the OHS offices within the Ohio Department of Public Safety in Columbus and will continue the current work of OHS staff to annually review approximately 5,500 school emergency management plans and offer free risk and threat assessments to schools throughout the state. OSCC staff will also promote and expand use of the SaferOH Tip Line (1-844-723-3764); proactively scan social media and websites for threats to schools; review emergency management plans and implement threat assessment team trainings; consolidate school safety resources via an enhanced website ; and host an annual school safety summit. Click here to read the full announcement and here to watch the Governor’s announcement on the Ohio Channel. 

Funding available from Ohio Commission on Fatherhood
The Ohio Commission on Fatherhood (OCF) has posted a new Request for Grant Applications . OCF seeks to award funding to organizations to implement a comprehensive county-wide approach to promoting responsible fatherhood. Applicants must have at least one year of experience providing services to fathers. OCF seeks to award at least five organizations $75,000 each per year for two years (total of $150,000) starting Oct. 31 through June 30, 2021. Applications are due Sept. 30 by 3 p.m.

Social work conference approaches
NASW Ohio’s 2019 annual conference will be Nov. 14-15 at the Quest Conference Center in Columbus. As the only conference specific to social work in Ohio, it attracts 450 attendees and 55 exhibitors. Register here .

NCWWI schedules national workforce appreciation virtual event
Join the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute and the Children’s Bureau for a one-hour inspirational live recognition event Sept. 10 at 3 p.m. Participants will hear from child welfare leaders expressing their appreciation for all that the child welfare workforce does. Reserve meeting space ahead of time for colleagues and teams to watch the presentation together. Ask staff to reserve this hour on their calendar. Register to receive additional details. 

Registration opens for crime victims conference in Akron
The Fourth Annual Conference Responding to the Needs of Victims will be Sept. 20 at the Hilton Akron. The conference features nationally recognized experts Anne Munch, Esq. and Kim Case. Participants will learn effective victim advocacy as well as strategies to challenge stereotypes that can cripple responses to victims, investigations, and prosecution efforts in sexual assault cases. Topics include the role of alcohol and drugs on the question of consent, how to corroborate criminal intent, and more. The cost is $35, with breakfast and lunch provided. CEUs and CLEs will be available. Register here .

Glenn Forum registration opens
The Glenn College Leadership Forum will be Oct. 25 at OSU's Ohio Union. The forum is the state’s premier conference designed for individuals working in the public sector. In breakout sessions and in keynote talks, experts in the public policy arena provide insights into emerging trends in policy, administration and leadership. Learn more and register .

Third Annual FASD Forum: “Working Together for Ohio’s Families” scheduled
September is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness and Prevention Month. To mark the observance, the Ohio FASD Steering Committee will host its third annual FASD Forum “ Working Together for Ohio’s Families ” from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sept. 20 in Columbus. Participants will learn about the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure on the cognitive and behavioral development of children, evidence-based interventions to treat individuals with FASD, and how to energize the community to tackle these important issues. Internationally renowned pediatrician Ira Chasnoff, M.D., of the Children’s Research Triangle in Chicago, will provide keynote remarks. Registration is $20, which includes a continental breakfast and lunch. CEs have been applied for. For more information, contact fgerbig@preventionactionalliance.org .   
Child Protection in the News

Drugmakers Endo International and Allergan reached tentative agreements to pay a combined $15 million to settle claims in lawsuits filed by Cuyahoga and Summit counties over the opioid epidemic, ahead of a trial set to begin in October.

Opioids have taken a terrible toll on individuals and families across our country, but it's no secret that Ohio has been hit particularly hard. Each year, about 5,000 Ohioans die from an opioid overdose, a death rate more than twice the national average. Franklin County had 520 overdose deaths in 2017, a 54% increase from 2016. And sadly, 70% of the infants in Ohio child welfare programs have opioid-involved parents.
Upcoming Events

Sept. 4 | Board of Trustees Meeting
Sept. 4 | JFS Human Resources Association Meeting
Sept. 5 | Rules Review 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 .
Quote of the Week

"Students will not learn if their minds and hearts are filled with trauma and anxiety. Show them you care. Show them they matter and watch them learn." - Travis Jordan
Public Children Services Association of Ohio | 614-224-5802 | www.pcsao.org
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