Ohio START Newsletter June 2024

June 2024

Newsletter

Director's Corner

During National Reunification Month and every month, Ohio START strives to keep families safely together. When met with compassion and access to the right supports, families struggling with SUD can (and do!) recover.

“If we want to make a difference, we really need to center our approach around the families’ needs and let them be the authors of their own stories.” – Angela Cochran, Ohio START Caseworker in Trumbull County

From the Field: County Highlights

Mercer

Mercer County START parents with children placed outside of the home generally have 3 to 4 family-time connections per week.

Licking

Licking welcomes Michele Kennedy and Evan Cockrell to their START team!

Hamilton

Hamilton successfully completed Fidelity Review and will begin the Self-Assessment process in June.

OACBHA Conference Highlights Ohio START

Ohio START thanks the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) for providing scholarships to START workers to attend their Mental Health & Addiction Conference on June 3-4. Ohio START proudly supported the conference as an exhibitor, and used the opportunity to share information about the model with attendees.

During a panel discussing innovative support for behavioral health programs, Ohio Department of Children and Youth Director Kara Wente highlighted Ohio START for improving outcomes for both parents and children affected by child maltreatment and SUD.

START Worker Shares Lessons Learned

Angela Cochran, an Ohio START caseworker in Trumbull County, and Mike Kenney of PCSAO sat down with Lotus Yu with the Full Frame Initiative to discuss lessons learned during the development and implementation of PACT, Ohio's Children Services Shared Practice Model, and its alignment with FFI’s work centering community and well-being. The interview is available on video and as a blog post.

Trumbull START Team Supports Local Initiative

The Trumbull County START team had an in-person TA meeting at a local coffee shop. Not only does Cadence Coffeehouse offer a perfect meeting space, but the company is also a social enterprise providing opportunities for vulnerable youth to develop employment and life skills. What a great opportunity to support a local initiative!

Ohio START Presents at National Conference

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) All Network Conference (ANC) was held May 14-16 in Bethesda, Maryland with over 600 network participants in attendance. The theme of the ANC was “Growing the Field Together: People, Communities, and Cultures Shaping the Future of Trauma Prevention and Healing.”

Marla Himmeger, Ohio START Training Program Manager, presented a workshop titled “Transformative Approaches to Working with Young Children in Families Impacted by Parental Substance Use” with Susan O’Donnell, Director of A Bright Approach, Institute for Health and Recovery.

Celebrate Your START Team!

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?

Did you know over 86% of START kids are with their parents at case closure? Based on data collected since 2017, Ohio START is helping families remain safely together on their journey towards recovery.

Resources and Events

Please Share Upon Completion of Ohio START

You can now participate in a phone interview study about your experience. If you participate in an interview from Ohio University or Ohio State University, you will receive a $75 gift card.

If you are co-parenting, each parent that completes Ohio START can participate and receive a gift card. Your participation is voluntary. Interviews can be over the phone or via video conference call.

To schedule an interview text or call: 740-486-0065

Each interview will last approximately 45 minutes.

Or email: OhioSTART.parentinterview@gmail.com

IRB Number: 19-F-40

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.

National START Treatment Provider Affinity Group | June 12, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Mark your calendars for the next convening of the inter-state affinity group for START treatment providers. This role-specific peer learning opportunity is designed for networking, shared learning, and quality improvement planning while building a nationwide community of practice to support improved outcomes for children and families affected by parental substance use disorders. The topic for this meeting will be client placement criteria and START. Register here.

PCSAO Award Nominations

Each year, PCSAO recognizes and celebrates the achievements of our youth and families who have been served by Ohio’s public children services agencies, as well as the achievements of our child protection professionals who have served them. The 2024 PCSAO award winners will be announced during the 2024 PCSAO Annual Conference, Sept. 9-11. Learn more about the awards and complete the nomination here. Nominations are due July 2.

Peer Supporter Survey

Work is underway to transition peer support certification management from OhioMHAS to the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board. As part of that transition, the organizations want to hear from individuals currently working in peer support roles. Please take a few moments to complete this survey.

Podcast Examines Hidden Side of Opioid Epidemic

The podcast Freakonomics Radio explores the hidden side of everyday things and recently featured a series of episodes examining the opioid epidemic. The podcast host, Stephen J. Dubner, speaks with physicians, researchers, pharmaceutical executives, and individuals with SUD during this 5 episode series. Visit the Freakonomics website to listen.

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.

Metro/Large call: July 17, Oct. 16
Medium: Aug. 21, Nov. 20
Small: June 20, Sept. 18, Dec. 18

Supervisors

Calls will occur bi-monthly on the third Thursday of the month from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. The dates are as follows: July 18, and Sept. 19. Here is the Zoom link.

Administrators

Calls will occur quarterly on the third Thursday of the month from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. The final meeting is Aug.15. Here is the Zoom link.

Behavioral health workers

Calls will occur quarterly on the third Thursday of the month from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. The dates are as follows: July 18, and Oct. 17. Here is the Zoom link.

Family peer mentors

Calls will occur monthly on the last Wednesday of the month from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. The dates are as follows: June 26, July 31, Aug. 28, Sept. 25, Oct. 30, and Nov. 27. Here is the Zoom link.

Training

Visit the training calendar below to register

Motivational Interviewing: Applied Skills

June 7 from 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Language of Recovery

June 12 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Screening and Intervention of Substance Use Disorders (UNCOPE)

June 14 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Double Jeopardy: Dual Diagnosis

June 21 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Child Welfare and Intimate Partner Violence

June 24 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 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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