PCSAO Weekly Update: May 13, 2024

Weekly Update: May 13, 2024

Association News

OCWTP meets

The Ohio Child Welfare Training Program State Steering Committee met online May 8, welcoming Tina Krueger as the new contract manager and co-chair. Following reports from DCY, PCSAO, Regional Training Centers, and the state training manager OUCCAS, the committee discussed the caregiver coaching program, policy manual revisions, assessor training, and equity approaches. The next meeting will be June 12.

Ohio START

Ohio START adds Cohort 7

Ohio START is excited to announce the expansion of its model to include Adams, Madison, Montgomery and Pike counties, marking the addition of a seventh cohort and bringing the total number of participating counties to 56.

Rules Update

Clearance

The following rule is open for comments until May 15:

Rule 5101:42-18.2 - Kinship support program

The following set of rules is open for comments until May 20:

State Adoption Maintenance Subsidy (SAMS)

Filed with JCARR

As of May 10, there are no children services-related rules filed with JCARR.

Annual Conference

Save the date: 2024 PCSAO Annual Conference Sept. 9-11

The 2024 PCSAO Annual Conference, taking place Sept. 9-11 at the Hilton Columbus at Easton, is an exciting opportunity to share best practices, connect with colleagues, and be inspired to continue this important work. The conference draws more than 500 child protection professionals from around Ohio including caseworkers, supervisors, administrators, clinicians, attorneys, and advocates. In recognition of Child Welfare Worker Appreciation Week, this year's theme is "This Is Us: The Child Protection Team." Visit our conference webpage to learn more. Contact anne@pcsao.org with any questions.

Become a sponsor

The 2024 PCSAO Annual Conference is an exciting opportunity to network with more than 500 children services professionals. Learn more and sign-up as a conference sponsor on our event website.

Sponsors benefit include:

Face-to-face networking and exhibitor table
Organizational logo included in conference materials
On-site sponsorship recognition
Publicity on PCSAO’s website

Resources and Clips

Resources and Opportunities

DCY Tuesday Times

The Ohio Department of Children and Youth shared updates and other pertinent information pertaining to children services and other program areas on April 30. To view this and previous versions of Tuesday Times, click here.

HPIO Equity Evaluation Toolkit

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) has released a new toolkit designed to provide partners with information about how to use evaluation to move toward equity. Each section covers a different element of evaluation, including information on how to tie evaluation into every step of assessment, planning, implementation and continuous quality improvement processes. View the toolkit here.

Call for proposals: NASW 2024 Annual Conference

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) invites professionals, scholars, and practitioners to submit workshop proposals for the upcoming NASW 2024 Annual Conference, scheduled for Nov. 16-17 in Columbus. Learn more and submit a proposal here.

Call for proposals: 2024 Ohio Health Policy Summit

Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) invites submissions for breakout sessions at its inaugural policy summit focused on behavioral health, promotion and prevention, population health equity, and healthcare systems and spending. The summit will be held in-person Oct. 3 in Columbus. Registration information will be available in the coming months. More information can be found here.

Bipartisan Policy Center Webinar

Join the Bipartisan Policy Center on May 15 at 2 p.m. for a webinar discussion about child welfare and the role of government in child protection, highlighting national poll findings by race and ethnicity. Learn more and register here.

OFCA Columbus Regional Conference

Join Ohio Family Care Association (OFCA) on June 29 for a one-day conference dedicated to the theme of "Strengthening Families: Bridging Gaps in Policies and Practices." Delve into the heart of Ohio’s child welfare system- the policies, practices and families. Register here.

TEAM Ohio

Taking Early Action Matters (TEAM) Ohio was developed as a self-service portal that will eventually be used community-wide by mandated reporters to enter non-emergency child abuse and neglect referrals. It will also become the way to streamline and standardize the referral process. The transition is being implemented in phases, first with a pilot that went live in June 2023. Next, in an effort to modernize Ohio SACWIS, the current intake module will be moved from Ohio SACWIS into TEAM Ohio, planning for deployment in late 2024. DCY has scheduled an overview meeting to discuss this information in greater detail on May 14, 8-10 a.m. The overview meeting is intended for Agency Administrators and/or Intake/Hotline management who would like to learn more about TEAM Ohio and its impact on agency processes. Join here.

Child Protection in the News

May 10 – Barberton woman fosters more than 50 children – Akron Beacon Journal

Jennifer Wokojance initially hoped to grow her Barberton family through adoption.

May 10 – Lucas County foster parents recognized – Toledo Blade

Nema Ngur of Sylvania was among the 30 foster parents who were recognized at the Lucas County Children Services’ Appreciation Luncheon at Wildwood Metropark.

May 9 – Allen County Children Services thanks foster families with annual appreciation dinner – Hometown Stations

The annual Foster Parent Appreciation Banquet was held Thursday to give back to those who provide safe and secure homes to kids in tough family situations while they wait for permanent placement.

May 7 – Mueller named peer mentor of the year – Lima News

A peer mentor for Allen County Children Services and Coleman Health Services has been named the Sobriety Treatment and Reducing Trauma 2024 Peer Mentor of the Year. Angela Mueller was awarded Thursday at a ceremony in Columbus.

May 6 – Report: Ohio ranks 27th in the U.S. in terms of drug problem – Mahoning Matters

A recent study showed Ohio is relatively average when it comes to states with the biggest drug problems. A report from WalletHub, a personal finance website, showed Ohio in the middle of the pack in its rankings of states with the biggest drug problems.

May 4 – Fostering fulfills family's dream of big family – The Vindicator

Suzanne and Larry Balestrino always knew they wanted a big family. Every child awaiting adoption or a foster family to call their own is one committed adult away from being a success story.

May 3 – High exposure to trauma might explain why so many Cuyahoga youth, like Nathan, commit serious crimes, get bound over – Cleveland.com

Nathan is one of more than 50 juvenile offenders - referred to by middle name or pseudonym - who spoke to The Plain Dealer/ cleveland.com about their recent experiences within the Cuyahoga County juvenile justice system, which puts more children behind bars than any other county in Ohio.

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