II. Transitional Housing_______________________



I. Outreach and Policy_________________________The OHIO Youth Advisory Board will:Ensure youth voice is included in statewide discussions of policy and practice.Facilitate youth voice on statewide discussions to explore the possibility of extending foster care support to youth between ages 18 – 21.Focus on outreach, in order to promote the establishment of local and county youth advisory board. Create outreach materials so that youth advisory boards can be promoted during each of Ohio’s youth conferences throughout the year.Project Lead: OHIO YAB President Allissa Mitchell, Stark CountyRecent Updates: The OHIO YAB President has been chosen to participate on the Ohio Fostering Connections taskforce, and was recently featured in a Columbus Dispatch article.The OHIO YAB President is currently helping to plan the 2014 “Teening Up for Success” conference in NE Ohio. This conference will be hosted by Stark County, with attendees including additional youth from Ashtabula, Columbiana, Geauga, Mahoning, Portage and Trumbull counties.The OHIO YAB President participated in a conference call with the ODJFS Deputy Director about promotional methods for the Foster Youth Rights Handbook, in order to ensure that foster youth have access to this information – including youth in group homes, residential facilities and crossover youth in the juvenile justice system.During the April OHIO YAB Meeting, the Board President assisted in facilitating and sharing youth feedback about Mind Matters materials, designed to inform foster youth about their medical rights, and how to access medical and mental health needs post-emancipation. Youth observations and recommendations were as follows:More focus on youth. Oftentimes therapists and foster parents take behavior out of context.Confidentiality is incredibly important.Youth can be invited to prepare for sessions by keeping a journal. “Counselors focus on my history and my parents, instead of on me!”Counselors need to be direct and honest.Therapist’s suggestions are sometimes unrealistic, given the context of foster care.Doctors and therapists: Don’t be so quick to diagnose, and try not to make premature assumptions.Go beyond the symptoms. Work on coping skills, not pills. Not everything can be solved with meds.Foster youth should have the right of refusal on medication.Youth suggested that Mind Matters add a column to their educational materials to reflect: “What to do if the meds go wrong?” II. Transitional Housing_______________________The OHIO Youth Advisory Board will:Keep apprised of and promote Best Practices in Youth Housing throughout the state. Advocate for additional transitional housing options, and youth awareness of existing resources. Raise awareness regarding eligibility barriers for foster youth who need housing assistance.Project Lead: OHIO YAB Vice President Dominique Jefferson, Cuyahoga CountyRecent Updates:The OHIO Youth Advisory Board recently assisted in facilitating the kick-off of the Youth and Alumni Taskforce to End Youth Homelessness in Cincinnati.The OHIO YAB Vice President has been working on a resource map of transitional housing resources in her county. The OHIO YAB Vice President is currently partnering with the Project Director of A Place 4 Me, in efforts to create a plan to prevent and end youth homeless in Cuyahoga County, utilizing the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative. This plan will unite existing local community assets to improve outcomes for at-risk youth in foster-care, youth aging out of foster care and homeless young adults who were formerly in foster care.During Three Days on the Hill, the Director of the National Center on Housing and Child Welfare, and two representatives from HUD, shared information about the continuum of resources for housing support that might be utilized for youth “aging out” of the Ohio foster care system.During the January OHIO Youth Advisory Board meeting, participating youth requested the materials listed below. The OHIO Youth Advisory Board welcomes assistance from our allies in gathering and organizing this information.Tools requested by Ohio foster youth during the January meeting:An up-to-date list of transitional housing options that exist for foster youth currently in the state of Ohio, including eligibility requirements.An outline of funding options for housing foster youth ages 18+ A printed overview of income-based housing that includes information about HUD, Section 8, Metropolitan Housing Authorities, FUP vouchers, etc.A list of resources to assist with furnishing apartments/dorms after foster care, such as “Fill This House” in Cleveland, the Furniture Bank and United Way.A list of resources for apartment searching, and tips on finding and maintaining housing.Youth also requested earlier and more thorough preparation of youth for future housing, during middle and high school years. During the April meeting of the OHIO Youth Advisory Board, youth participants shared the following housing challenges that they had experienced:Not having a cosigner to sign for their apartmentNot receiving stipends to save up for housingNot having furnitureNot having transitional housing in their county / regionIs transitional housing really transitional, or just a shelter?Only getting a week to find housing before emancipationNot having money for utilities and depositDifficulties in trying to relocate out-of-state after “aging out” of foster careOpportunities that participating youth wanted to explore were:Preference points with AMHAA guide to finding housing for rentSeeking experienced subject matter experts on renting housesEstablishing a statewide expert on housing options for transition-age youthCreating incentives for landlords to want to rent to former foster youthYouth felt that, ideally, every county in Ohio should have transitional housing resources for youth “aging out” of foster care. III. EducationThe OHIO Youth Advisory Board will:Assist in the development of training materials for Ohio Reach Regional Campus Liaison Trainings. Promote and advocate for the implementation of Best Practices in Higher Education, particularly those having to do with retention, resource knowledge and availability of support.Promote Best Practices for custodial agencies to support foster care youth and alumni’s educational success.Expand educational advocacy focus to include middle and high school professionals, including at least one pilot project.Project Lead: OHIO YAB Media Spokeperson, Charles Scott, Franklin CountyRecent Updates: The OHIO YAB Media Spokesperson facilitated a brainstorming session during the January OHIO Youth Advisory Board meeting to explore challenges experienced by youth when it comes to enrolling in and succeeding in higher education.This discussion generated concrete suggestions for Ohio Reach Campus Liaison training and for custodial agencies to improve educational outcomes for the youth in their care. The OHIO YAB Media Spokesperson continues to partner with Will Murray of PCSAO to develop a new website for Ohio Reach, a statewide initiative to improve post-secondary outcomes for foster care youth and alumni through advocacy, leadership, networking and empowerment. Youth recommendations to improve educational outcomes:Please treat high school transcripts with the same level of importance given to medical transcripts, and transfer them in a timely manner.Custodial agencies should be willing to invest in paying for extra-curricular activities for youth.Please create more efficient mechanisms, in order to overcome the barrier of multiple layers of permission required for youth to participate in extra-curricular events. The current risk is that, by the time that permission is processed, the deadline for that particular opportunity has passed.Youth recommendations to improve educational outcomes (continued):Please clarify whether or not foster parents are “allowed” by their county or private agency to give permission for foster youth to participate in extra-curricular events. This has been a matter of some confusion.Custodial agencies should support youth’s desire to participate in college tours, to see what options are available to them, including trade schools.An upfront investment in training a foster youth for a future trade, for example, an STNA class, has the potential to create positive outcomes in the long-term. The more hands-on, and the longer duration, the better.Desire of youth to connect firsthand with key educational figures in their life that have the potential to help them succeed; to know them by name and how to contact them, in order to ask them direct questions.Inconsistency was reported in county/agency willingness to pay senior fees, school fees, and Prom. During the April OHIO Youth Advisory Board meeting, the OHIO YAB Media Spokesperson and the paid staff person for Ohio Reach worked together to invite youth feedback and ideas for the joint Ohio Reach and Connecting the Dots conference, scheduled to take place on October 17, 2014.IV. Youth Voice in Court________________________The OHIO Youth Advisory Board will:Continue to promote and support the existing Pilot of the Youth-Developed Discharge Plan, as spearheaded by the Ohio Supreme CourtPromote youth voice in court during upcoming opportunitiesAssist in planning and preparation for the 2015 Legal SymposiumProject Lead: OHIO YAB Parliamentarian, Dorothy Dodson, Lorain CountyRecent Updates: The OHIO YAB Parliamentarian has met with her former judge and Guardian ad Litem. As a result, she has been invited to mentor local foster care youth regarding youth voice in court. She is also scheduled to lead a class for Guardians at Litem in December of 2014.The OHIO YAB Parliamentarian and her former GAL are currently working on a glossary of court language for foster youth, which they plan to distribute in pamphlet form.The OHIO YAB Parliamentarian facilitated a brainstorming session on “Youth Voice in Court” during the January OHIO Youth Advisory Board meeting. Concerns expressed by youth included not attending, or even knowing about, their termination hearing.When it comes to the rights of Ohio foster care youth, the OHIO YAB Parliamentarian is taking time to consider the needs of all Ohio foster care youth, including youth who experience developmental disabilities, mental health challenges, residential placements, and those who “cross-over” to the juvenile justice system.She also cares deeply about the rights of LGBTQ youth in care, and has recently returned from the Time to Thrive conference. This conference promotes the safety, inclusion and well-being of LGBTQ youth throughout the nation. V. Independent Living____________________________The OHIO Youth Advisory Board will:Advocate for the creation of a statewide independent living curriculum with hands-on activities that counties and private agencies can customize according to the needs of their youth. Advocate for the creation of an online Independent Living Clearinghouse to share resources to help foster care youth during their transition into young pile and share youth feedback about Independent Living: Challenges, Best Practices and Recommendations for the Future.Project Lead: OHIO YAB Secretary, Jessika Cowart, Allen CountyRecent Updates: The OHIO YAB Secretary facilitated a brainstorming session during the January OHIO Youth Advisory Board meeting to invite youth input regarding independent living preparation. Factors that were mentioned as having an impact when it comes to independent living preparation included the following:Youth voice in planning: Youth should be involved in planning independent living activities, including suggesting some of the topics.Timing of training: Youth expressed concerns that independent living preparation should have started earlier Frequency of meetings: Rather than a crash course, youth expressed the desire to build up a personal knowledge base over time.Discussing a topic more than once: Youth requested that trainers stay on a topic for more than just one day.Method of training: Developmentally appropriate, with hands-on activities.Location of training: Moving beyond the classroom in order to participate in some real-life experiences.Barriers to independent living preparation:Not having a bank accountNot being allowed to cookTransportation barriersNot all counties have assigned Independent Living CoordinatorsSpecific tools requested by Ohio foster care youth: County handbook of local, statewide and national resourcesChecklist before emancipation (including vital documents, etc.)Transition plan (required by federal law six months prior to emancipation, but there is no standardized form in SACWIS) Youth also expressed the need to have a transition coach/mentor in their lives, matched up based on gender and similar interests. They suggested that mentors could come from the local community, and include foster care alumni. They wanted to maintain the same mentor, even if they changed placements.VI. Workforce Development____________________The OHIO Youth Advisory Board will:Learn more about, and support the Connecting the Dots initiative.Explore the possibility of Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) as a resource for emancipating foster youth.Seek to overcome barriers for teens in foster care in establishing a savings account.Project Lead: OHIO YAB Officers are working on this subject area as a team.Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) are matched savings accounts that help people with modest means to save towards the purchase of an asset, such as housing.The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative makes the following recommendation:Make Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) available to all youth currently or formerly in foster care ages 14-24, with developmentally appropriate financial literacy training and asset purchases such as vehicles and security deposits on housing.The OHIO Youth Advisory Baord is hoping to reach out to Lucas County to ask for more details about their IDA program, in the hope that other counties might be inspired by their example.During the April meeting of the OHIO YAB, a representative of the Office of Families and Children’ Bureau of Fiscal Accountability partnered with the OHIO YAB Secretary to facilitate youth discussion of available funding for independent living and aftercare…Youth expressed the desire to establish a savings account, combined with being unable to cash and save stipends and gift cards. They also requested additional training on how to create and maintain a personal budget. ................
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