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A quick rundown of Ohio child protection news this week
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Weekly Update for February 19, 2019
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Association Updates
Ohio START Steering Committee meets
The Steering Committee for Ohio START met Feb. 12 for a quarterly meeting at PCSAO. Attendees received updates from program director Fawn Gadel regarding VOCA and SOR funding, program expansion, and upcoming meetings and visits from Children and Family Futures. Members also received training updates from IHS, and OSU provided information on continued program evaluation. The Steering Committee will be expanding for future meetings and adding members from cohort 2 counties; it meets next on May 14.
Conference Planning Committee meets
The 2019 Conference Planning Committee met Feb. 8. The theme for this year’s conference has been confirmed and will be “Champions for Children and Families.” The committee will now begin the search for keynote speakers to provide a dynamic voice to the conference.
Upcoming Child Welfare-EDMS Webinar features pilot counties
The Child Welfare-EDMS Webinar on Feb. 21 from 3-4 p.m. will include an open question and answer session with a panel of the pilot team members and directors from the Child Welfare – EDMS pilot counties (Athens, Auglaize, Butler, Carroll, Summit). If you have not registered, please do so by clicking
here
. The remaining scheduled webinars will be March 21 and April 18.
Anti-human trafficking update
The 10
th
Annual Ohio Human Trafficking Awareness Day, sponsored by State Senator Teresa Fedor and State Representative Tavia Galonski, will be Feb. 28 at 9 a.m. at the Ohio Statehouse; learn more and
register here
.
The Freedom Network Training Institute is hosting an online technical assistance session Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. on how anti-human trafficking organizations can collaborate effectively with local continuums of care; learn more and
register here
.
Helping Ohio Parent Effectively (HOPE) update
Plans for the Building a Better Future Training of Trainers is well underway. There are currently eight partner parents registered and three staff from four counties. A few spaces remain if others are interested in participating. For more information, call or email Renay Sanders at
[email protected]
or 330-212-1131.
2019 Fostering Pathways to Success Conference
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Ohio Reach and JOURNEY to Successful Living are partnering this year to bring you another dynamic Fostering Pathways to Success Conference. The conference will be April 3 at the Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High Street, Columbus. The keynote presenter will be LaToya Logan, a former foster youth and founder of Project LIFT Behavioral Health Services, a nonprofit organization that targets the needs of transition-aged males who are court involved and provides them with supportive services to assist them with community re-entry, educational, employment and housing successes.
We are excited to introduce foster youth and young adults to a unique and interactive experience in the afternoon:
Independence City
will offer foster youth and young adults (ages 14 -21) with a fun yet challenging life simulation that will give participants a glimpse into real-life scenarios. This conference is a statewide event for youth in foster care ages 14-18 and young adults formerly in foster care ages 19-21. We also encourage Independent Living coordinators, ongoing case managers, agency administrators, workforce professionals and others working with foster youth to attend. We offer an array of workshops geared toward youth self-sufficiency and independence as they prepare to leave the foster care system. Caseworkers and adult supporters can earn continuing professional education credits while attending instructional and helpful learning sessions.
Rules update
The PCSAO Rules Review Committee met Feb. 7 in Columbus. Rules discussed included Title XX, ICPC, and Chapters 5101:2-5 and 9. In addition, the committee reviewed upcoming rules and priorities.
Rules in clearance:
Amendments to Children Services Licensing Rules in Chapters 5101:2-5 and 5101:2-9. This package contains 22 amended rules regarding foster care updates as a result of the five-year review. You can read about the proposed changes and provide comments
here
. Comments are due by Feb. 21.
Rules that have been filed:
- Chapter 5101:6, State Hearings rules were original-filed with JCARR on Feb. 5, with an effective date of March 1.
In addition, the following set of rules from Chapter 5101:2-7, Foster Care, were original-filed with JCARR on Feb. 7, with an effective date of April 1.
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Announcements and Resources
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25
th
Annual Eastern Ohio Leadership Conference
Attention PCSA and JFS directors, managers, and supervisors: The 25
th
Annual Eastern Ohio Leadership Conference is approaching. The East Central and Southeast Ohio Regional Training Centers, together with the ODJFS Akron Field Office, will be presenting the Eastern Ohio Leadership Conference on March 20-22 at the Carlisle Inn in Sugarcreek. This conference will focus on the current issues and challenges that face the leaders of today. More information can be found in the
conference brochure,
and refer to page 10 of the brochure for information on the room block which will be held until Wednesday, Feb. 20. Register no later than Monday, March 11. There is no registration fee to attend this conference. Contact Darla Zajack with questions at
[email protected]
or 740-432-2355, Ext. 252.
Mission Possible: HR for the Front Line Supervisor Conference
The Job & Family Services Human Resources Association (JFSHRA) invites you to attend
the annual JFSHRA Supervisor's Conference. Attendees will gain access to critical HR skills to help employees succeed. Key training sessions include data-based decision making, FMLA & ADA, affirmations, professional development, compassion fatigue, employee performance, and implicit bias. The conference will take place March 7 from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Quest Conference Center in Columbus. To learn more information about different breakout sessions and presenters, visit the conference
registration page
.
OCTF seeks nominations for 2019 Everyday Ohio Heroes
The Ohio Children's Trust Fund (OCTF) seeks nomination(s) for the 2019 Everyday Ohio Heroes contest. This year’s April National Child Abuse Prevention Month campaign inspires a call to action that prompts individuals to “Be a Hero in the Eyes of a Child – one simple act of encouragement at a time.” In recognition of adults throughout Ohio who are “Everyday Heroes,” the OCTF established the Everyday Ohio Hero Awards to honor individuals who dedicate their time, efforts or lives to preventing child abuse and child neglect. An Everyday Ohio Hero is an individual or group who has made a significant impact on child abuse and child neglect prevention through their everyday acts. For more information about this contest, the
Artistic Expressions Youth Art Contest
, and other April events and information, visit the
Ohio Children’s Trust Fund website.
Nominations are due by Feb. 28.
States respond to increased antipsychotic use in children
OCWTP Distance Learning Opportunity announcement
The Ohio Child Welfare Training Program (OCWTP) has scheduled the next webinar in its Lunchtime Live series. The topic for this webinar will be Protective Strategies for First Responders Exposed to Illicit Substances and will include discussion on overdose deaths involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogues that have raised concerns about potential for exposure to illicit drugs among child welfare caseworkers and other first responders (law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel). The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has issued guidance for protecting first responders from fentanyl and its analogues. This webinar offers an opportunity to interact with national experts from NIOSH while learning about potential risks and protective safety strategies. The webinar is scheduled for March 22 from noon-1 p.m. For more information, visit the
OCWTP webinar page
or
register here
.
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Child Protection in the News
Cuyahoga County’s Division of Children and Family Services will hold a series of meetings in 2019 that are intended to spread the word about the division’s services and engage with local residents.
In the nation’s opioid epidemic, the carnage is far from over.
Montgomery County Children Services and the Public Children Services Association of Ohio say their systems are in crisis.
In a 2015 survey by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio, 5
0 perce
nt of children taken into custody had parental drug use, and 28 percent
of children taken into custody had parents who were using opiates, including heroin, at time of removal. These children spend a median of 240 days in custody.
Many foster care kids have already experienced unthinkable trauma. And, to make matters worse, there are so many kids in foster care within Ohio that some counties are sending them out of state.
Scott Ferris, 52, said he is retiring from the post he’s held for five years. The retirement comes after Ferris has spent more than 30 years working in five different counties across the state.
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Feb. 22 |
Permanency Roundtables Advisory Council
Feb. 25 | Legislative Committee Meeting
Mar. 1 | Community Education Committee Meeting
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“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”
-Abraham Lincoln
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Public Children Services Association of Ohio | 614-224-5802 |
www.pcsao.org
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