Yavian shares her insights

On Friday, April 26, 2024, OHIO YAB Youth Ambassador Yavian Webster participated on a PACT panel, hosted by PCSAO.  

2024 April OHIO YAB Statewide Quarterly Meeting

Link to more photos.

OHIO YAB presentation for the Ohio Department of Mental Health

On Friday, April 12, 2024 at 10 am, OHIO YAB Ambassador Aaron Brown participated in a virtual meeting with Janel Pequignot and Milan Karna of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. 

This presentation echoed concerns shared during the Friday Feb. 16th presentation for the Ohio Department of Children and Youth. 

The top three asks were: 

a.) Additional State Funding to Support QRTP Placements (and Avoid Youth Spending Nights in Buildings Due to Lack of Available Placements) 
b.) Youth Voice in QRTP Training
c.) Establishment of a Medical Ombudsman (and/or some type of Statewide Technical Assistance to Avoid and Address Misdiagnosis and Overmedication of Foster Youth) 

Aaron shared that the importance, vitality and nature of the OHIO YAB is youth led. He thanked Janel and Milan for listening, and said that, "We are talking about mental health, and we are also talking about morality, when it comes to abrupt diagnosis and overmedication. Ohio foster care youth have the right to trauma-informed care.  It is no small feat to share on behalf of all youth about what they experience in residential placements."

Aaron quoted from his previous written testimony to share that:

• Just as the state of Ohio now has a Youth Ombudsman Office, it would deeply benefit from a Medical Ombudsman as well. So that foster care youth who are overmedicated and misdiagnosed would have recourse, and a resource to go to for a second opinion. Through the brokenness of the system, I have learned that we all deserve quality care in every aspect our lives – especially healthcare.

• The medical treatment that was afforded to me as a minor adolescent in the system can be equated to the experimentation of a guinea pig, due to the excess of illinformed prescriptions that these licensed and certified physicians and therapists were testing out on me. Those who have not experienced overmedication cannot understand the splitting of the mind and the honeycombing of my brain that I experienced as a byproduct of being forced on certain medication regimens at such a young age. Nor can they understand the fortitude that it takes to recover from this experience. 

 Janel shared that help with QRTP at the beginning for agencies came from federal funds. There were two rounds of funding and a discussion of a third, but she isn't sure that the third one happened. She said that this was a joint effort between ODJFS and the Ohio Department of Mental Health, and that they tried to provide both flexibility and accountability, and invited the providers to provide plans on how they would adapt to QRTP standards. She doesn’t know if there are plans for additional funding supports for agencies to support them in becoming qualified residential treatment programs.
 

Janel shared that she and Milan interested in the three OHIO YAB Asks, and routing our requests up.  There is a renewed commitment by the administration to get more things accomplished by the end of the Governor’s term.

Creating a Medical Ombudsman will require a deeper discussion, because it's difficult for a medical professional to have authority over another. Technical assistance and support might be a first step in that direction. This might provide a venue for youth and those who care about them to get a second opinion. 

Aaron thanked Janel and Milan for listening and for looking into solutions: "Thank you for your proactivity vs. reactivity. I felt seen and heard today; I love the transparency. I’m praying to the heavens that we’ve done the youth justice - and we hope that our conviction has sparked your resolve.”

OHIO YAB Youth Ambassador Aryunna Hill in the Dayton Daily News

Local child abuse, neglect investigations down 10%: Former foster kid’s story highlights need

Reporter Sydney Dawes, Dayton Daily News, April 8, 2024

 Montgomery County Children Services saw a 10% drop in child abuse and neglect investigations, and county officials are pointing to the need for vigilance to prevent harm against local children.

The county’s children services agency on Friday released annual 2023 data showing 3,370 total investigations for the year. So far in 2024, the children services agency has opened 861 cases. It receives an average of 500-1,000 calls or referrals monthly.

April is nationally recognized as Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month.

“As a community, it is our collective responsibility to remain vigilant in protecting our children,” said Montgomery County Commission President Debbie Lieberman. “If a child trusts you enough to tell you something’s wrong, please believe them and call for help.”

Aryunna Hill, 19, said her neighbors calling the police nearly 15 years ago may have saved her life.

She and her sibling were left home alone for three days while their mother was away. Hill was only 4 years old at the time.

She said that her placement in foster care removed her from a potentially dangerous situation. She recently graduated high school and is working to pursue her dream of becoming a phlebotomist.

“I’m not that scared, helpless little girl anymore,” she said.

She said if adults see something that causes alarm or concern, they should take action by making a call.

2024 NW Ohio Youth Leadership Retreat

Link to more photos.

On Saturday, March 30, 2024, the OHIO YAB and ACTION Ohio partnered with The Ohana Project, Lucas County Children Services, Allen County Children Services and the Bridges NW Regional Coordinator to plan and facilitate a Northwest Ohio Youth Leadership Retreat for current and former foster youth (ages 14-24).

The event took place in Toledo at Brookwood Park. 

 Activities included:

• An introductory skit
• Sharing the History of the Foster Care Youth and Alumni Movement 
• Strategic Sharing activity with laminated traffic lights
• Discussing the Value of Youth Advisory Boards
• A hands-on nonverbal communication exercise
• Icebreaker Balls to recap morning learning
• Youth working on their Youth Advocate Profile
• A Leadership Styles activity
• A Conflict Resolution activity

2024 OHIO YAB Promotional Video Project ~ Filming

 

Link to more photos. 

On Friday, March 22, 2024, OHIO YAB Youth Ambassadors participated in filming for an OHIO YAB promotional video. Videographer Shalonda Swanson, of Yemoja Speaks, is a former foster youth herself. Youth participants included Yavian Webster, Miatta Joe, Aaron Brown, Erik Ezekiel and Jahmie Woods. 

The OHIO YAB is grateful to Ann Bischoff for providing the video location, and to Deric Cobb, Yvonne Williams and Kim Eckhart for providing transportation.

Youth recommendations for future video projects, based on their experience with this one are:

1. Provide food and beverages.
2. Make sure young adult participants have the specific questions ahead of time, as they did for this opportunity.
3. Less is more when it comes to questions: Fewer questions; shorter questions.
4. It mattered who asked the questions and how well they knew that person.
5. Importance of doing something silly and fun afterwards, with adult supporters.

Buckeye Ranch Brainstorming Meeting

On Friday, February 23, 2024, OHIO YAB Youth Ambassador Karimah Addison Bolding came to Buckeye Ranch in person to discuss ways that community members can support current and former foster youth. She was supported by foster care alumni Lisa Dickson and Ruth-Ann Jones-Thompson. 

During the meeting, we shared a menu of ways that community members can help improve outcomes for the foster care population, which was created previously by members of the OHIO YAB.

Karimah shared a powerful and insightful quote: "The system isn't broken; it's just disconnected."

Future connections that could be made and opportunities that could be pursued include:

1.) Mentoring:

• In Cleveland, they have transformed the Open Table approach into a Community of Hope to support current and former foster youth.
  
  
• In Cincinnati, there was a previous Higher Education Mentoring Initiative (HEMI) that drastically improved outcomes for foster youth participants. The program started in ninth grade, lasted throughout post-secondary education and mentors received ongoing trainings. Hamilton County foster care youth and alumni were deeply saddened by the sunsetting of this program. 

2.) Sibling Outings: 

• A Camp to Belong is one of the only programs in the United States designed specifically to address the relational needs of siblings who are separated by foster care. Sadly, they do not yet have a camp here in Ohio. 

• The OHIO YAB and ACTION Ohio hosted our 2023 Self Care Summit for Current and Former Foster Youth at the Hope Valley Retreat Center in Newark. This might be a great site to pilot a future sibling connections retreat. 

3.) Workforce Connections:

• CCMEP stands for Comprehensive Case Management and Employment Program. Each county has a designated lead agency responsible for managing CCMEP. Sadly, current and former foster youth don't always know which agency is facilitating the program in their area.