December 2024

Newsletter

Ohio START wishes you a wonderful holiday season! We are proud of all we have accomplished this year, including expanding the START model to a 7th cohort and the difference that START has made for countless families across Ohio.

“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.” —Brad Paisley

From the Field: County Highlights

Save the Date!

The 2024 Ohio START Summit will take place May 13-14 at Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center near Columbus. This event brings together more than 200 caseworkers, supervisors, behavioral health providers, and family peer mentors for networking and learning how best to serve Ohio's families struggling with co-occurring child maltreatment and substance use disorder. Registration is anticipated to open in March.

Call for Presenters

Ohio START is seeking proposals for unique and energizing workshops targeted towards child protection, peer support, and substance use treatment professionals. We are especially interested in workshops featuring local presenters and panel discussions. Workshops that can be offered for CEUs are preferred. The deadline to apply is Feb. 3. Apply here.

Ohio START Summit Planning Committee Holds First Meeting

The Ohio START Summit Planning Committee held its first meeting Nov. 19 to review committee duties and finalize the 2025 meeting schedule. The committee discussed workshop topics for the 2025 Ohio START Summit. The committee will meet next on Dec. 10. If interested in joining the committee, please email anne@pcsao.org.

Ohio START held its fourth and final Quarterly Consortium Meeting of 2024 on Nov. 22. A big thank you to Lucas, Summit, Montgomery, and Ross counties for hosting this in-person event—it was a wonderful opportunity to connect and learn together. The meeting included a presentation by Donald Weatherwax on Oxford House, which are self-run, self-supported homes for individuals in recovery from Substance Use Disorder. A panel of Ohio START teams also shared strategies for engaging families, creating a platform for collaboration and shared learning. Special thanks to Ohio START Technical Assistants Kathi Kurtz and Carston Mesnick for their insightful presentation, "How MI Skills Elevate the START Pitch." We also appreciated the opportunity to hear from Jen McClellan and the Ohio START University evaluation team. Thank you to everyone who attended and made this meeting so impactful!

If you attended and have not already, please complete the feedback form.

First Step Home highlighted it's partnership with the Hamilton County START team in a recent newsletter featuring quotes from START caseworker Melissa and FPM Amanda. Read the newsletter here.

Sandusky County Graduation

Congratulations to this recent Sandusky County START graduate! Pictured are START supervisor Meagan and FPM Rachel with the mom.

Share your success story to be featured in the next newsletter here.

Nominate an Ohio START staff member to be spotlighted here.

Did you know families involved with Ohio START face significantly higher levels of trauma than the general population? See here for a breakdown of the numbers. Through a trauma-informed approach, Ohio START provides comprehensive support to children and families, helping them navigate complex challenges and paving the way for long-term stability.