A quick rundown of Ohio child protection news this week
Weekly Update for November 4, 2019
Association Updates

PCSAO announces job openings
PCSAO is currently seeking to fill three full-time positions. Consider joining our team! Link to job descriptions and upload your resume and cover letter for the following positions:
  • Operations Manager — Oversee PCSAO’s fiscal and office management, including federal grants management, vendor and contracts oversight, annual audit, records and system management, and HR; bachelor’s degree in business, finance or related field required with master’s preferred.
  • Communications and Events Manager — Lead PCSAO’s annual conference and other meetings, manage social media and websites, write and design communications materials, support fundraising, and assist with media advocacy; bachelor’s in communications-related field required with master’s preferred.
  • Administrative Assistant — Support general office functions and assist staff in fulfilling organizational mission; high school diploma required with associate’s or bachelor’s preferred.
Support children services levies on Tuesday's ballot
Ten counties will have children services levies on the ballot tomorrow: Allen, Athens, Coshocton, Franklin, Harrison, Medina, Portage, Preble, Stark, and Wayne; Athens' and Stark's are replacement levies, while Medina's is new. Good luck to all!

Southeast District meets
The Southeast district met in Athens Oct. 28. The meeting included ODJFS updates, PCSAO updates, consideration of PCSAO dues proposal, and Directors’ Roundtable. The District elected Amy Frame, Perry County, as a new PCSAO trustee to replace outgoing Trustee Cathy Hill, Athens County.  

Ohio START receives award
In response to the opioid crisis, the Addiction Policy Forum formed nearly five years ago to support families at their worst hour, to translate the science of addiction for widespread public understanding, and to promote innovative responses to addiction. The Innovation Now initiative identifies creative and effective programs working in every state to help those struggling with addiction. On Oct. 31, Ohio START received a 2019 Innovation Now Award from the Forum. Ohio START's director, Fawn Gadel, accepted the award. The program was recognized along with several others included in the Forum's Ohio Innovations to Address Addiction report

Anti-human trafficking update
PCSAO and grant partners were able to provide an all-day human trafficking training to staff and community partners of the Clark County Child Advocacy Center on Oct. 10. On Oct. 30, PCSAO and grant partners trained CASAs, GALs, and other juvenile court personnel in Lucas County. On Oct. 31, PCSAO and grant partners trained Lucas County Children Services and their community partners. If your agency is seeking free human trafficking training, please contact PCSAO’s Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator at bhumika@pcsao.org.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is hosting webinars in November and December about the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act and its mandate for social service agencies to report children missing from foster care to law enforcement and NCMEC.
Interns ride along with caseworkers in Union County
PCSAO had the privilege to send its two interns, Amanda Rosenblatt and Brock Smith, to Union County for a day. They each were able to follow a caseworker throughout the day on home visits, and they were able to see day-to-day operations, such as the screening process. Amanda and Brock both noted the feeling of care and transparency from the staff at Union County. They said, “You can really feel how much they care about those they are working with.” This was a great opportunity for PCSAO interns to get an experience with a local PCSA, and the opportunity is appreciated. 

Rules updates
Pre-Clearance: As of Oct .31, no children services rules were in pre-clearance.

Clearance: A revised new fiscal rule 5101:9-6-24, Multi-system youth (MSY) funding, is in Clearance through Nov. 13; you can review and comment here .

New rule 5101:9-6-23, Children services best practices (CSBP) funding, is in Clearance through Nov. 7; you can review and comment here

Filed with JCARR: Rule 5101:9-6-20 , Foster parent recruitment allocation, was final filed Oct. 28 with an effective date of Nov. 7.
Announcements and Resources

November is National Adoption Month
Governor Mike DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted have issued a proclamation recognizing November as National Adoption Month with the theme, "Youth Voices: Why Family Matters.” More than 1,200 teenagers in Ohio are in need of permanent, caring relationships and meaningful connections to supportive adults. By highlighting the perspectives of older youth who have lived experience with foster care and adoption, National Adoption Month aims to empower agencies and communities to involve teenagers in planning for their own future as they consider all their options—whether it is the decision to pursue adoption or other permanency options. Learn more .

Regional IL meetings scheduled
ODJFS has scheduled Regional Independent Living & Transition Age Youth meetings in November and December. Questions can be directed to ODJFS Transition Age Youth program staff at JFS Transitional-Youth-Programs . Register here .  

Kinnect to host Family Finding Convening
Kinnect is honored and excited to host the Fifth Annual Family Finding Convening in Columbus Dec. 3. This year's theme, "EVERYONE," is focused on broadening participation and engaging in a conversation about advancing practice throughout all 88 counties in Ohio. Register online .

Fatherhood webinar scheduled
The Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin is hosting a webinar, "Strengthening Relationships Between Noncustodial Fathers and the Mothers of their Children," Nov. 20 at noon. Tova Walsh, School of Social Work, UW–Madison and Darryl Davidson, Director of the Men’s Health Unit, City of Milwaukee Health Department, will present. Register here .

Virtual training for child welfare
Offered free by HHS, this virtual, on-demand learning experience features child welfare professionals from federal, state, and local government and organizations across the country. They discuss evidence-based policy-making and practice and their experiences evaluating the effectiveness of services and programs. They explore how to engage agency staff at all levels in understanding and applying data and findings to improve practice. The five modules and additional resources are here .

Child welfare, substance use toolkit available
The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare has created a Child Welfare Training Toolkit . The toolkit provides guidance to child welfare professionals about substance use and co-occurring disorders within families involved in the child welfare system. The toolkit comprises 10 modules that build knowledge to support an understanding of substance use, identify when substance use is a factor in child welfare cases, offer strategies for parental engagement, acknowledge the effects of substance use on children and caregivers, and present steps on how to build collaborations for a system of care.
Child Protection in the News

Nov. 1 - Children Services releases Administrative Action Plan - Portsmouth Daily Times
An Administrative Action Plan has been authorized by Scioto County Children Services board for Lowell Howard, Acting Director of SCCS to carry out.

Anthony Cardenas spends his workdays piecing together family trees that branch out to at least 80 members.

Gadel says one key aspect of the program are Family Peer Mentors, recovering users who have personal experience with addiction. Sarah Rapp, a mentor in Pickaway County, notes addiction drives people to behave poorly and make bad decisions.

Money won't bring back the more than 1,000 local lives lost since 2013. Nor will it immediately ease the pain of addiction in the lives of countless others and their loved ones. It's way too late for quick fixes. But the $326.6 million in settlement agreements recently reached in U.S. District Court by Summit and Cuyahoga counties in the so-called bellwether case against the manufacturers and distributors of addictive opioids should make a significant difference.

Settlements are beginning to take shape in massive lawsuits aimed at holding drugmakers and distributors accountable for the widespread wreckage wrought by the opioid crisis. States, counties and municipalities face bottomless need for funds to help those still addicted, prevent future addiction and help people rebuild shattered lives.

According to Summit County Children Services, as of Oct. 9, 161 children ... O'Brien provides the law as follows: “Ohio Revised Code 3107.06 states ...

A new state initiative will provide financial relief for Ohio-based parents who can't afford to keep their at-risk ... Currently, Erie County children services is working with 15 applicable youth who meet this criteria.

Ohio plans to increase payments to approved relatives caring for children who were taken from their parents even when the family members aren't licensed caregivers, as more kids are being removed from their homes amid the opioid crisis. The increased payments, ordered by a court and expected to start in the next few months, are meant to eliminate a disparity between licensed foster care providers and relatives such as grandparents or aunts and uncles who have been unexpectedly asked to care for kids they're related to.
Upcoming Events

Nov. 6 | Board of Trustees Meeting
Nov. 7 | Rules Review Committee Meeting
Nov. 8 | Community Education 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 .
Public Children Services Association of Ohio | 614-224-5802 | www.pcsao.org
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