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Ohio Children's Alliance News JANUARY 2021

Connections News

January 7, 2021

 

 

CareSource and Child & Family Health Collaborative of Ohio begin Statewide Respite Program

The Child & Family Health Collaborative of Ohio, together with CareSource, has developed a statewide Respite Program that will offer therapeutic relief and time-limited breaks for families and caregivers of CareSource members (ages 0-21) by arranging for temporary in-home or out-of-home care to be delivered by the Collaborative's network of respite practitioners and caregivers. 

Our respite care practitioners will be available to assist CareSource Members with normal activities of daily life in order to meet the needs of the primary caregiver as well as the child. The Respite Program goal is to improve child and family outcomes and reduce health care costs. The program will formally begin on February 1st.

For more information on the Respite Program, contact [email protected]

Click HERE to read more about current Collaborative initiatives, including our clinically integrated network, the Bridges program, value based care, and our community partners.

 

Americorps Peer Mentorship Program Launches in January

     

The Ohio Children’s Alliance is excited to announce the launch of our Peer Mentorship Program in January 2021. We are partnering with AmeriCorps and former foster youth to help mentor current youth who are about to or have recently emancipated. Peer mentors will support foster youth to ensure they are as successful as possible by providing connection to resources, guidance toward self-sufficiency, and emotional support from someone with a similar lived experience.

  • Any foster youth in the state of Ohio who will emancipate within the next year or who has recently emancipated is eligible to be contacted by a peer mentor. 
  • The youth or the worker on behalf of the youth can fill out the referral form to be contacted by a peer mentor. 
  • Mentors will begin reaching out to youth at the end of January! 

Please email [email protected] with any questions.

 

Save the Date for the Eighth Annual Trauma-Informed Care Virtual Summit

Save the Date for the Eighth Annual Trauma-Informed Care Virtual Summit, hosted by OhioMHAS and DODD, and coordinated by Ohio Children's Alliance.  

Watch for the Call for Workshop Proposals COMING SOON!

 

DODD Creates Support Rate Add-on for Intensive Behavioral Support

The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) has created the Intensive Behavioral Support Rate Add-On (IBSRAO) rule, which allows for enhanced reimbursement for providing short-term, intensive behavioral support to youth ages 10 through 17 with a dual diagnosis of mental illness and intellectual disability, violent and aggressive behaviors toward self and others, and a history of significant trauma.

DODD has announced that ViaQuest Healthcare Central, LLC has been approved for the IBSRAO. ViaQuest plans to open a new Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICFIID) which will be used to serve youth from across the state. The facility plans to open early next year in Franklin County.

Read the full news release HERE.

 

Governor Announces Release of State Opiate Response Grants

    

Recently, Governor Mike DeWine joined with OhioMHAS Director Lori Criss and others to announce grants totaling $76,534,000 for new strategic efforts combatting Ohio’s drug crisis in local communities.

The grants, which represent a portion of Ohio’s overall share of $96 million in federal State Opioid Response (SOR) 2.0 funding, come at a time when many communities are seeing a spike in demand for behavioral health services amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. OhioMHAS will grant $58,884,000 directly to local county alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services boards and their community partners. 

Read full news release HERE.

 

Bill Increasing Kinship Support Passes Ohio Legislature        

 

In 2017, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals determined in D.O. vs. Glisson that children placed with approved, unlicensed relatives were eligible for federal foster payments on the same basis as children placed in licensed foster homes. The Sixth Circuit has jurisdiction over six states of which Ohio is included. As we have reported, since the ruling, Ohio has not come into compliance and a new kinship lawsuit was filed against the state in November.

When a child must be removed from his or her home, caseworkers first try to place the child with a family member or close family friend. However, once that placement is made, the child becomes ineligible for foster care payments. According to a recent factsheet from ODJFS, "it is estimated that nearly 9 percent of all children in Ohio are being raised by kinship caregivers."

Read full news release HERE . 

 

Congress Reaches Deal on New COVID-19 Relief Package

      

On December 21, Congress finally reached a deal on COVID-19 relief and the annual federal budget. The Ohio Children’s Alliance has been advocating for our network’s priorities since the spring passage of the CARES Act, pushing for additional relief for children and family organizations and supports for our community members who are struggling due to the impact of the pandemic and economic crisis.

We can now confirm that the measures in the bill include:

  • The “Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act”, which includes $350 million for the Chafee program, which is funding that supports independent living services for foster youth and alumni, and flows through to public children's service agencies. It also provides $50 million for ETV vouchers which assists foster care alumni, including Bridges participants, with costs of attending higher education
  • $284 billion to the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) for first and second PPP forgivable small business loans
  • $20 billion to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Grants to businesses in low-income communities.

Read the full news release HERE.

 

Ohio COVID-19 Vaccine Plan Unveiled

On December 14th, the Governor reported that local health departments in Ohio that registered as vaccine providers are expected to begin receiving vaccines next week and will start distributing them to Group 1A, which includes residential facility patients and staff, and other essential health care workers.

According to a news release from the Governor's office, local health departments are going to coordinate the vaccinations of congregate care residents and staff, such as those at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. This includes people with developmental disabilities and those with mental health disorders, including substance use disorders, who live in group homes, residential facilities, or centers, as well as staff.

Read the full news release HERE.

 

Foster Home Recertification and Adoption Timelines Extended a Second Time

At the beginning of the pandemic, the Ohio Legislature House Bill 197 included language to allow extension of foster home recertification and adoption updates through December 1, 2020. Now, a new piece of legislation would extend certification and update timelines even further.

Sub HB 404, passed just before Thanksgiving, includes language to allow ODJFS to further extend all foster home recertification and adoption updates. Pursuant to HB 404, ODJFS will be extending all foster care recertification and adoption updates scheduled to expire by April 1, 2021. 

Read the full news release HERE.

 

Mental Health Parity Legislation Passes Ohio Legislature

 

Recently, Ohio Senate concurred with the House of Representatives’ amendments to Senate Bill 284, which now includes Senate Bill 254, a bipartisan bill sponsored by State Senator Teresa Gavarone and State Senator Sean O’Brien.

Senate Bill 254 would better ensure access to mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Read the full news release HERE.

 

Molina Now Offers Non-Emergent Transportation Services to Food Resources

  

Molina recognizes that COVID-19 has created challenges for everyone, adding layers of complexity to routine tasks, such as getting food. As the health plan continues to focus on social determinants of health for our member’s overall health and wellbeing, is offering transportation to food resources.

Transportation to Food Resources Include: 

  • Food Bank or Pantry
  • Grocery Store with a prescheduled food order (curbside pick-up) 
  • Grocery Delivery with a prescheduled order
  • Grocery Store Drop off and Pick Up

Read the full news release HERE.

 

Equity in the Center Training Opportunities

    

Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture Open Enrollment Sessions:

Intersectional Allyship for Racial Justice: A Workshop for White Allies | February 23 & 24 from 1:00-4:00 pm ET. Register here.

Intersectional Allyship for Racial Justice: A Workshop for People of Color | February 16 & 17 from 1:00-4:00 pm ET. Register here.

More Than Fragility: A Deep Dive into Understanding & Dismantling Whiteness | February 2 & March 2 from 12:00-3:00 pm ET. Register here.

Read the latest on the Woke@Work Blog

 

  Alliance JOB Board

 

See recent jobs posted below, and Read more about the Alliance Job Board HERE

  • Administrative Support Specialist, Ohio Children's Alliance, Full-Time, Columbus, OH
  • Program Manager, Ohio Children's Alliance, Full-Time, Columbus, OH
  • Chief Advocacy Officer, Ohio Children's Alliance, Full-Time, Columbus, OH
  • Clinical Supervisor, LISW-S or LPCC-S, Wellmore Centre, Full-Time, New Philadelphia, OH 
  • CEO, Daybreak, Full-Time, Dayton, OH
  • See more Job Opportunities or Post your Job HERE (Free job posting for Alliance Member Organizations)
 

More NEWS

 

Upcoming Events

  • Youth Services Virtual Training Series for Youth with Sexual Behaviors that Harm with Dr. Tyffani Monford Dent | More Info and Registration Details HERE
    • Family Reunification & the Juvenile Sex Offender | Jan 7 | 10AM-12PM
    • Vicarious Trauma: Staying Health in an Unhealthy Environment | Jan 21 | 10AM-12PM
  • Introduction to TF-CBT Virtual Training with Kristine Buffington | 2021: Jan 13-15 (filled) | Mar 10-12 (filled) | More Training Info HERE
  • Eighth Annual Trauma Informed Care Virtual Summit | May 18-19 | Mark your Calendar | Workshop Proposal Information COMING SOON
 

Members Only

  • Leadership Roundtable Discussion (CEOs-Senior Leaders) | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | 10-11AM
  • Board of Directors Meeting | Jan 29
  • Behavioral Health Committee | Jan NO MEETING | Feb 11
  • Day Treatment Learning Community | Jan NO MEETING | Feb 9
  • Family Search and Engagement for Residential Care | Jan 20 | Feb 10 | Feb 24
  • Foster Care & Adoption Committee | Jan NO MEETING | Feb 9
  • Home Visiting Learning Community | Jan NO MEETING | Feb TBA
  • Residential Center & Group Home Committee | Jan NO MEETING | Feb 11

Click below and login to your Member Corner for FULL 2021 Committee Calendar information, including each month's meeting link: