Governor announces $15 million for children services workforce
At PCSAO's Executive Membership meeting June 24, Gov. Mike DeWine's Director of Cabinet Affairs LeeAnne Cornyn announced $15 million for county children services agencies to recruit and retain frontline workers. Funding is being made available by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Read the news release from ODJFS. PCSAO is grateful to the Governor and ODJFS for this significant investment in children services workers. More information will be available soon.
Membership meeting hosts state department directors, new ombudsman officers
Also during the June 23-24 membership meeting, members heard updates on Family First prevention services, learned about new supports for recruiting and approving resource homes, met Youth Ombudsman Jenny Stotts and Family Ombudsman Jennifer Sheriff, learned about new and screening guidelines. Leaders from the Ohio Department of Medicaid, Aetna Better Health, and Ohio Family and Children First engaged in discussion about the nuts and bolts of OhioRISE, set to launch July 1, followed by an distinguished panel including Cornyn (see above), ODJFS Director Matt Damschroder, Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran, OhioMHAS Director Lori Criss, and leaders from the department of Youth Services and Developmental Disabilities to problem-solve Ohio's placement crisis. PCSAO thanks all who presented at and attended this solutions-focused meeting.