Weekly Update: September 19, 2022
Association News
Conference starts today!
PCSAO's 37th Annual Conference begins today and runs through Wednesday! If you have not downloaded the Webex App and signed up for workshops yet, check in at the Help Desk after registering.

PCSAO's office will be closed this week, and staff will not be readily available. Reach out by cell if you have an urgent request -- or, better yet, track us down in the conference area. We look forward to seeing everyone.

The Sept. 26 edition of the Weekly Update will be a special post-conference issue.
Ohio START
Ohio START visits Muskingum County
Last week the Ohio START team visited Muskingum County and facilitated a community presentation. The presentation aimed to engage community stakeholders and child protection professionals in a discussion about the START model and how it serves parents affected by substance use disorder and child maltreatment.
Rules Update
Clearance: The following rule is open for comment until Sept. 15:
  • Rule 5101:2-9-11 - Admissions and Admissions Log sets forth guidance for residential facilities to have a written admissions policy. The amendment to this rule adds Residential Infant Care Center as a facility type allowed to admit children under the age of six years. 

Filed with JCARR: The following rules were original-filed on Aug. 26 with a hearing date of Sept. 29:
  • Rule 5101:2-5-28 - Cause for denial of initial certification, denial of recertification or revocation of a foster home certificate.
  • Rule 5101:2-5-33 - Foster caregiver preplacement and continuing training.
  • Rule 5101:2-5-38 - Payment of foster caregiver training stipends; reimbursement of training allowances to recommending agencies.
Annual Conference
Conference starts today!
Don't forget to sign up for workshops on the Webex App. More instructions are below. We're excited to see you!

How to sign up for workshops:
  1. Follow this link.
  2. Select the correct app download button for your device and download the app, or select Web App to join from your laptop or desktop computer.
  3. Open the app and enter the email address you used to register for the event, or use one of the social sign-in options. If you use social sign-in, the social account you use must match the email address you registered with.
  4. If you entered an email, create a password and click Sign Up.
  5. Fill in your networking profile and click Continue. Your profile information will help you connect with other people during the event!
  6. Now, browse for "2022 PCSAO Annual Conference: As Our World Turns" or use the search bar to find it. Once you've found it, tap on it.

About the 2022 conference
PCSAO is holding its 37th annual conference Monday through Wednesday, Sept. 19-21 at the Hilton Easton. Our theme, “As Our World Turns,” recognizes that the children services field is in the midst of many changes and it can feel like we are spinning so fast, we can’t slow down. At the same time, the theme employs lighthearted humor around soap operas. Thank you to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services for serving as our first-ever conference partner. Read about the conference agenda, keynote speakers, awards, sponsors, and more on our conference webpage.

Thanks to our World Champion Sponsor


Thanks to ODJFS for being our Conference Partner!


Thanks to The Buckeye Ranch for sponsoring the conference!
Resources and Clips
Resources and Opportunities
Attend one of two symposia for homeless, former foster youth
On Sept. 22 at 2 p.m., organizations and nonprofits serving youth experiencing homelessness and/or formerly in foster care are invited to attend a symposium to learn more about changes in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) that now make working youths 18 years or older potentially eligible for this valuable credit. Register for the symposium using this link. A similar event will be held Sept. 29 at 2 p.m. designed specifically for working youth 18 years and older who are experiencing uncertainty with housing and/or aging out of the foster care system. Information regarding IRS employment and volunteer opportunities will also be shared. Register for the symposium using this link. A recording of each symposium will be available, but you have to be registered for the session to access the recording.

A new webi­nar from the Annie E. Casey Foun­da­tion shares lessons and find­ings from a col­lege-readi­ness effort focus­ing on youth in fos­ter care. Watch the webinar here.

Sep­tem­ber is Kin­ship Care Month, a time to high­light the ben­e­fits of main­tain­ing famil­ial bonds for the esti­mat­ed 2.7 mil­lion chil­dren in Amer­i­ca whose care­givers are their grand­par­ents and oth­er relatives. Three kin­ship resources offer best prac­tices for agen­cies and case­work­ers who want to strength­en ser­vices for kin­ship fam­i­lies. They include:
Find more information here.

Behavioral health stakeholder regional listening sessions
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) is convening five in-person regional listening and discussion sessions and three virtual sessions to allow for local input and perspective on issues that the 340 Workgroup has been considering. The goal for these meetings is to facilitate roundtable conversations with representatives of local ADAMH boards, providers, county officials, community leaders, and Ohioans with lived experience and their families that allow OhioMHAS and members of the workgroup to listen and gather feedback around the delivery of behavioral health services in Ohio’s communities. Anyone interested in participating in the roundtable discussions, in-person or virtual, must RSVP to 340ReviewWorkgroup@mha.ohio.gov no later than one week in advance of the meeting date. RSVPs should include full name, organization (if applicable), and county of residence; please also indicate if any special accommodation is needed. The meetings are open to the public, and a public comment period will be part of each of these sessions. The dates and times of these meetings are below.
 
In-person sessions organized regionally by OhioMHAS Regional Psychiatric Hospital catchment areas:
  • Central Ohio: Sept. 19, 2-4 p.m., State Library of Ohio, 274 E. First Ave., Columbus. RSVP by Sept. 12.
  • Northeast Ohio: Oct. 13, 2-4 p.m., Akron-Summit County Public Library, 60 S. High St., Akron. RSVP by Oct. 6.
  • Appalachia/Southeast Ohio: Oct. 27 (location to be confirmed). RSVP by Oct. 20.
  • Southwest Ohio: Nov. 7, 2-4 p.m., Warren County Educational Service Center, 1879 Deerfield Rd., Lebanon. RSVP by Oct. 31.
  • Northwest Ohio: Nov. 14, 2-4 p.m., Wood County Educational Service Center, 1867 Research Dr., Bowling Green. RSVP by Nov. 7.
 
Virtual Sessions: To receive a link to these sessions, register by sending an email to 340ReviewWorkgroup@mha.ohio.gov no later than one week in advance of the meeting date.
  • Oct. 24, 6-8 p.m. RSVP by Oct. 17.
  • Nov. 1, 6-8 p.m. This session is reserved specifically for peers and organizations run by peers. RSVP by Oct. 25.
  • Nov. 9, 10 a.m.-12 noon. RSVP by Nov. 2.

Resources for National Recovery Month
September is #RecoveryMonth, dedicated to supporting recovery for every person, family, and community. Learn more: samhsa.gov/find-help/recovery

Resources for National Kinship Month
This link provides resources for kinship caregivers and outlines where relatives can go to find the support they need to be successful. Resources include handbooks and information about legal, financial, and other issues common to kinship families. The link also provides guidance on changing family dynamics and establishing permanency.
Child Protection in the News
In an effort to keep her family together, a Lima woman stepped up to take care of her cousin's children.

Employees from Buckeye Broadband teamed up with Lucas County Children Services and Habitat for Humanity to build five playhouses for foster families served through LCCS.

September is National Recovery Month, and a program in Ohio is showing success in healing families who have struggled with addiction. Ohio START (Sobriety, Treatment and Reducing Trauma) is an evidence-informed children services-led intervention model that helps public children services agencies (PCSAs) bring together caseworkers, behavioral health providers, and family peer mentors into teams dedicated to helping families struggling with co-occurring child maltreatment and substance use disorder.

Teens denied by residential living facilities because of their mental challenges will soon be able to spend the night somewhere secure, instead of the county's office building. An emergency contract approved by Cuyahoga County provides half a million dollars to The Centers for Family and Children to accept up to eight children who are awaiting permanent.
Calendar and Job Postings
Sept. 19-21 | Annual Conference
Oct. 5 | Board of Trustees Meeting
Oct. 7 | Rule Review Committee Meeting
Oct. 17 | Legislative Committee Meeting

Note: Some meetings are being held via web and others in-person.
View the full calendar for details.
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