October 2021
Newsletter
Director's Corner

Happy October! We're excited about the cool fall weather and leaves. What are you excited about this October?

We wrapped up September with a successful PCSAO conference, and we're jumped into October with our quarterly coaching calls on engaging non-custodial parents.
Fawn
From the Field:
County Spotlights
Coshocton
The Coshocton County START Team has hired their caseworker and family peer mentor. They're in the process of onboarding the dyad and are eager to start serving families!
Clinton
The Clinton County START Team has hired their new family peer mentor, Holly Maples!
Guernsey
The Guernsey County has hired all members of their START team and are getting ready to start serving families!
PCSAO's 2021 Annual Conference
PCSAO held a successful hybrid conference with over 300 in person attendees and many others attending online. Amongst the 40+ workshops, Marla Himmeger and Bhumika Patel led a workshop on the Ohio START model which included a panel. Panel participants included Marina Pico-Herritt, Debra Lewis, and Kimberly Stevens from Pickaway County and Beth Smyntek, Erin Mills, and Colleen Harris from Summit. Sarah Lynn Hayden from Warren County was honored as PCSAO's Child Advocate of the year.

Read more about the conference HERE.
Family Peer Mentor Honored
Erin Mills was celebrated as a top honoree at the Goodwill 20th Annual Employee of Distinction Awards Luncheon. Erin is a shining star and was recognized as a top five honoree out of more than 100 nominations in Summit County for her work as an Ohio START Family Peer Mentor. Erin was nominated by her supervisor, Colleen Harris, for her tremendous support, not only to the Family Preservation/Ohio START unit, but also for the support and resources she provides to others outside of her unit. Erin is able to use her own story to have very honest and open discussions with client families that helps educate others about addiction and recovery.
Ohio START at the Ohio CASA Conference
Fawn Gadel and Marla Himmeger presented about Ohio START at the 2021 Celebrate Kids! Conference hosted by Ohio CASA. Heather Evans and Chase Spencer from Ross County joined Marina Pico-Herritt and Debra Lewis for a panel discussion about their work as START caseworkers and family peer mentors.

Toxicology Resource Guide
The Toxicology Resource Guide is a virtual tool designed to help caseworkers understand the needs of families with substance use disorders. Developed in Colorado, this tool defines key terms, contains information about types of toxicology tests, neonatal testing and testing children and adults. It breaks down the signs of substance use and misuse by substance–but it also acknowledges that toxicology test results don’t give us the whole picture.
ACEs, PACEs, and Addiction Summit

Franklin County Public Health is hosting a free, virtual ACEs, PACEs and Addiction Summit on Oct. 19 from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. The Summit will explore the influence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the development of addiction, as well as protective and compensatory experiences (PACEs) that can ameliorate the effects of childhood trauma in children and adults. Dr. Roy Wade Jr., M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.S.H.P., a pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, will provide keynote remarks. Click the link for more information and to register.

New App for Individuals in Recovery

 Policy Addiction Forum partnered with HereNOW to develop a free smartphone app for individuals in recovery. The app includes educational content, goal setting & tracking, community message boards, and connections to counselors and peers. Learn more about the app here.
Needs Portal Training
The Needs Portal Team's next live training on the Needs Portal with be on Monday, October 18 from 11am-1pm. We encourage all new caseworkers, FPMs, and behavioral health partners to attend. We also encourage you to attend if you could use a refresher or if you have any outstanding questions to troubleshoot.

Needs Portal trainings will be provided on the 3rd Monday of the month from 11am-1pm. If you're not able to attend on October 18, training has also been scheduled for November 15 and December 20.

Please use the link below to register and as always, feel free to email the Needs Portal Team at needsportal@osu.edu with any questions or concerns.
Ohio START is a program of PCSAO
Our Mission: We approach Substance Use Disorders with compassion, understanding and hope for recovery. We work as a team, supporting and holding each other accountable. We believe in family, love and redemption.