Weekly Update: March 21, 2022 |
|
Holtzman named director in Summit County
Congratulations to Cassandra Holtzmann, who has been named the new executive director of Summit County Children Services. Holtzmann is currently serving as the director of Crawford County Job and Family Services. She also serves as the secretary for the PCSAO Board of Trustees. Holtzmann begins her new role April 18; read more in the newspaper article below. She succeeds Julie Barnes, who is retiring as Summit's executive director at the end of April. Barnes also served as board secretary on the PCSAO Board of Trustees until her term expired in December. Congratulations on her retirement.
Shank retires, Lavender to take over in Meigs County
Meigs County Job and Family Services Director Christopher Shank is retiring effective April 8. He was named the Ohio Job and Family Services Directors Association Director of the Year this month. Congratulations to Director Shank on his retirement. Theresa Lavender has been named to succeed him. She has been with the agency for over 20 years and is well positioned for her new role. Congratulations to incoming Director Lavender. We look forward to working with her.
Metro counties talk workforce, placement issues
PCSAO's metro counties met March 17 and shared information about workforce challenges in their agencies, the placement crisis, and Family First and OhioRISE implementation. The metro counties meet next on April 14.
Rules Committee meets
The PCSAO Rules Review Committee met March 10. The committee discussed proposed changes to 5101:2-36-12, PCSA requirements for cross-referring reports, and heard an overview of ODJFS plans for the state and federal Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KGAP) that will be implemented by January 2023. The committee next meets on April 7.
Southwest District meets
The Southwest District met March 16 in Warren County to hear a presentation from Brigid's Path, a crisis nursery for substance-exposed infants, and the ODJFS training unit and regional training centers. Other discussion included trustee and PCSAO updates and county updates. The district next meets May 18.
|
|
Pre-Clearance: The following rule is open for comments until March 29:
-
Rule 5101:2-47-04 - Intercounty and interstate case management responsibility for foster care maintenance.
Clearance: As of March 18, there are no children services-related rules in clearance.
Filed with JCARR: The following rules were original-filed on March 16 with a hearing on April 21:
-
Rule 5101:2-33-55 - Education and in-service training requirements for PCSA caseworkers.
-
Rule 5101:2-33-56 - In-service training requirements for PCSA supervisors.
-
Rule 5101:2-44-13 - Administration of the post adoption special services subsidy (PASSS) program.
-
Rule 5101:2-44-13.1 - Eligibility and application process for the post adoption special services subsidy (PASSS) program.
The following rule was original-filed on March 14 with a hearing on April 21:
-
Rule 5101:2-42-12.1 - Assessment for a child when a non-qualified residential treatment program meets qualified residential treatment program certification requirements.
The following rule was original-filed on March 14 with a hearing on April 19:
The following rule was final-filed on March 11 with an effective date of March 21:
-
Rule 5101:2-47-21 - Title IV-E foster care maintenance (FCM) reimbursement for a child placed into a qualified residential treatment program (QRTP).
|
|
Resources and Opportunities |
Eastern Ohio Leadership Conference: Last day to register
The 28th Annual Eastern Ohio Leadership Conference, “Back and Better Than Ever,” will be held at the Carlisle Inn in Sugarcreek March 30-April 1. Find the conference brochure here (refresh your browser if the link will not open). Register no later than today, March 21. There is no registration fee, nor are participants required to attend all three days. Contact ECORTC staff with questions.
Kinnect opens second round of SEEK trainings
Kinnect has launched the second round of Search Engage Explore Kinnect (SEEK) trainings. SEEK focuses on intensive family search and engagement. The first round of trainings included 38 sessions with close to 300 participants. The second round of opportunities for in-person and virtual sessions was just released. Registration is limited for in-person sessions, which will be held at various locations throughout Ohio. Find more information, including dates, locations and registration here.
OACBHA offers Workforce Challenge webinar March 2
The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA), in partnership with the Great Lakes Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (GL MHTTC), is offering a webinar called “Evaluating the Broader Workforce Challenge Through Your Workplace Lens" webinar on March 25 from 9 a.m.-12 noon. The webinar will host a productive discussion about current workforce dynamics and will explore how individual organizations can promote an attractive and productive workplace culture. Participants will be challenged to think about how culture impacts recruitment and retention, and they will leave with key takeaways to consider for their own organization. CE application has been submitted for 2.75 hours for Counselors, Social Workers, and Chemical Dependency Professionals. Register here.
Virtual learning session April 8: "Engaging Youth to Create Positive Change"
Ohio Adult Allies and the Ohio Youth-Led Prevention Network will host a statewide regional learning collaborative session, “Engaging Youth to Create Positive Change,” on April 8 from 8:30-10 a.m. This session will explore the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) and how to engage young people in every step of the process. Networking activities will provide opportunities to learn and share creative and innovative ways to build relationships. Register here.
Youth Voice offers April 23 webinar on how to write an op-ed
Youth Voice is offering a webinar April 23 at 2 p.m. for current or former foster youth enrolled in higher education to learn how to brainstorm, write and publish an op-ed that amplifies youth voices and empowers others with lived experience. Workshop participants will see their op-ed published in The Imprint. Register here.
OCDA offers virtual spring symposium April 25-26
The Ohio Child Support Enforcement Agency Director’s Association is offering a virtual spring symposium April 25-26 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tracks will include legal, supervisor and case manager. Keynote speaker Kate Wurmfeld will talk about the complexities and context surrounding Intimate Partner Violence and how it may play out in the child support context. Find more information and register here.
ODJFSDA conference registration opens
Registration is open for the Ohio Job and Family Services Directors’ Association’s 2022 Annual Conference May 18-19. In addition to educational and networking opportunities, attendees will be treated to a keynote entitled “Living Life in 3D” by two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin. Find more information and register here.
Kaleidoscope offers new training
Kaleidoscope Youth Center is offering “Demystifying the LGBTQIA+ Spectrum,” an online 101-type course on the foundations of gender and sexuality. It reviews components of gender, breaks down the LGBTQIA+ acronym, talks about words to avoid, and explores pronouns. Learn more here.
|
|
Groundwork launches Early Childhood Dashboard
Groundwork Ohio is developing an Early Childhood Dashboard to examine the factors and outcomes required to achieve equity and lay a strong foundation for young children. The preview is available here now. It is a precursor to the full dashboard that will be released in 2023.
Spread the word: Parents of 2021 babies may be eligible for payment
Parents of a child born in 2021 – or parents and guardians who added a new qualifying child to their family in 2021 – did not receive a third-round Economic Impact Payment for that child and may be eligible to receive up to $1,400 for the child by claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit. Find more information here.
Foster Care Month materials available
The Child Welfare Information Gateway unveiled its newly redesigned website for National Foster Care Month. The theme this year is “Relative and Kin Connections: Keeping Families Strong.” The website features articles, statistics, stories, and a toolkit for raising awareness. Visit the website here.
|
|
Child Protection in the News |
|
With more than 1,750 Lucas County children confirmed to have been victims of child abuse or neglect in Lucas County last year, Lucas County Children Services is once again calling on the community at large to help raise awareness of this problem by holding events that shed light on its impact.
The new executive director of Summit County Children Services will be Cassandra Holtzmann, the executive director of Crawford County Job and Family Services.
Trumbull County Children Services will host a “Meet and Greet” at 5:30 p.m. March 23 at the agency’s office, 2282 Reeves Road NE, Warren. The event invites anyone considering becoming a foster caregiver or mentor to hear about the experiences of an experienced foster caregiver, a foster child who has been adopted, a foster caregiver mentor, as well as caseworker.
Sandusky County is one of four counties to be accepted into the Ohio Sobriety Treatment and Reducing Trauma (START) program, as the county looks to better assist children and families dealing with parental substance use, addiction and child mistreatment issues.
An already short-staffed position prior to the pandemic, the demand for social workers has been growing in recent years as stress and widespread labor shortages put a strain on the field. A scarcity of qualified social workers, particularly in rural areas, is inspiring Kent State University to offer a new Bachelor of Social Work degree.
The officer who fatally shot 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant last year was cleared of wrongdoing after a grand jury dropped all charges against him. The grand jury did not find probable cause that Columbus police officer Nicholas Reardon committed a crime, according to ABC 6.
It’s a tireless job that takes a special person who dedicates themselves to helping people in Allen County. March has been designated as Professional Social Workers Month and the Allen County Commissioners took time to thank the more than 100 social workers that work for the county.
|
|
Calendar and Job Postings |
|
 |
March 21 | Legislative Committee Meeting
April 6 | Board of Trustees Meeting
April 7 | Rules Review Committee Meeting
Note: Some meetings are being held via web and others in-person.
|
|
|
|
Looking for a career in child protection? Or a new position to challenge yourself?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
