Ohio START Newsletter November 2024

November 2024

Newsletter

Director's Corner

Ohio START is committed to helping families stay safely together while working towards recovery. Together, we have served more than 4,300 Ohioans in need of support, compassion, and healing.

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”

—William James

From the Field: County Highlights

Pickaway & Allen

Pickaway & Allen counties have begun the self-assessment process towards certification.

Fairfield

Caseworker Katie Kessler and FPMs Hannah Ott and Sarah Sells joined the Fairfield County START team.

Lorain

Lorain County is maintaining a full caseload and adding a second dyad.

Summit

Summit County completed their one-year certification review.

Trumbull

Trumbull County will kick off the certification process this month.

Perry

Perry county has accepted their first case.

Morris Promoted to Ohio START Regional Manager

PCSAO is excited to announce that Christine Morris has been promoted to Ohio START Regional Manager. In this role, Morris will help lead technical assistance for counties implementing Ohio START, as well as manage Ohio START grants and review evaluation data to ensure Ohio START continues to meet state-level certification and Family First requirements for prevention services while meeting the needs of Ohio START counties. Read the news release.

Join the Ohio START Summit Planning Committee

Ohio START is seeking individuals interested in joining the first ever Ohio START Summit Planning Committee. The Ohio START Annual Summit is expanding to a 2-day event offering more speakers, more training, more networking, and more fun! To make this growth possible, we need your help. Attend monthly virtual meetings to contribute ideas and help make this event a successful learning experience for START professionals around Ohio.

See the flyer for more information. If interested, please email anne@pcsao.org. The first meeting will be held in Nov. 19, 11a.m.-12 p.m.

Ohio START Success Stories

Lorain County Success Story

Lorain County START has had three mothers complete the START program in the past year. Family Peer Mentor Jessica Crossland shared that she occasionally encounters one of the mothers at her work and in recovery meetings, and this mother is thriving. Jessica has seen the other two mothers a handful of times since their cases closed, and both report living meaningful lives in recovery with their children.

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?

Four New Counties Join Pre-implementation

Ohio START added four new counties to the pre-implementation track in October. Welcome Darke, Scioto, Jefferson and Washington counties!

Resources and Events

Ohio START Job Postings

Do you have an open Ohio START position? Please send the details of your open positions to christine@pcsao.org to post on the Ohio START website.

Alumni Support Group

Ohio START graduates are invited to participate in an Ohio START Alumni Group to connect with fellow alumni and celebrate successes. See the flyer to learn more. Email cartson@pcsao.org for more information.

Podcast Shares Uplifting Stories

Join PCSAO Director of Strategic Initiatives Mike Kenney and Brown County START Caseworker Ashley Roy as they share uplifting stories on their new podcast titled 3,000 Good Things. The podcast is being distributed through PCSAO's PACT LAB Weekly Update and is also available on Spotify at 3,000 Good Things. Click here to learn more about PACT. Subscribe to receive PACT Lab Weekly Updates.

Reframe & Reclaim: Shaping the Future of Recovery Stories Docuseries

Watch this new docuseries from Braeburn, a company committed to transforming the management of opioid use disorder and empowering people on their journey to recovery. "Reframe & Reclaim: Shaping the Future of Recovery Stories" consists of 3 short videos featuring advocates as they persist in their efforts to support the opioid use disorder community. Learn more and watch the docuseries here.

Election Wellness Toolkit

Local and national elections can be an exciting yet stressful time. Mobilize Recovery developed an Election Wellness Toolkit with helpful tips for protecting personal wellbeing while staying connected during this election season.

Free Webinar: The Neurobiology of Addiction

The Ohio State University is hosting a free 1-hour webinar focusing on the major changes in brain functioning that develop with addiction and the role of treatment in supporting patients with these changes. This session offers CEUs for Ohio counselors, social workers, and chemical dependency professionals. Register here.

Learning Community Discussions 2024 Schedule

Here are the 2024 dates for Learning Community Calls for caseworkers, supervisors, administrators, behavioral health workers, and family peer mentors. Please note that future dates are subject to change.

Caseworkers

Calls will occur on the third Wednesday of the month at 10:00 a.m. Here is the Zoom link. Calls will be based on county size, divided into the following three groups: Metro/Large, Medium, and Small. The final Medium county call will be Nov. 20, and the final small county call will be Dec. 18.

Family peer mentors

Calls will occur monthly on the last Wednesday of the month from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. The final call is Nov. 27. Here is the Zoom link.

Training

Visit the training calendar below to register

Trauma & Resilience: Identifying Children, Parents and Families at Risk

Nov. 6-7 from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Ohio START In-Person Consortium Meeting at Lucas County

Nov. 8 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Ohio START In-Person Consortium Meeting at Summit County

Nov. 12 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Ohio START In-Person Consortium Meeting at Montgomery County

Nov. 13 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Screening and Intervention of Substance Use Disorders (UNCOPE)

Nov. 20-21 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Introduction to START for New Staff

Nov. 21 from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Ohio START In-Person Consortium Meeting at Ross County

Nov. 22 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Training Calendar

Ohio START is a program of PCSAO and an affiliate of the National START Model

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, equity, and redemption.

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