Ohio START Foundations 1: Creating a Collaborative Governance Structure, Presented by Children and Family Futures (6 hours)
Training components specific to this strategy included: using universal screening tools for substance use and trauma screening, developing protocols for quick access to treatment, and information sharing with treatment partners and courts.
Ohio START Foundations 2: Family Peer Mentors, Presented by Children and Family Futures (6 hours)
The training focused specifically on the family peer mentor recovery support process along with hands-on examination of the structure and support that needs to be in place for recruitment, hiring, training and preparation of the family peer mentor, including: clarifying the family peer mentor function and role, preparing the way for working with team members, and providing supervision and support. The training provided Ohio START teams an opportunity to assess their implementation and receive hands-on technical support to develop an action plan for moving their program forward.
Ohio START Foundations 3: Behavioral Health Treatment Provider Strategies, Presented by Children and Family Futures (6 hours)
Partnerships between child welfare and treatment providers, both substance use and mental health, are key to the success of the START model. START local teams will have the opportunity to discuss how the strategies will be implemented in their community. This is a one day training focusing on treatment provider strategies within START that support behavioral health treatment and child welfare outcomes. This training is REQUIRED for PCSA START Supervisor and Administrators, BH administrators, BH Supervisors/service coordinators, and Hiring BH Agency Supervisor (if applicable), and suggested for PCSA START Workers.
Ohio START Foundations 4: Case Management, Presented by Children and Family Futures (6 hours)
This interactive workshop will explore the “nuts and bolts” of START practice throughout the life of a case. Outcomes for families in START have shown higher rates of parental sobriety, less reliance on foster care and a decreased incidence of repeat child maltreatment and return to out-of-home care compared to non-START families. The START model achieves these positive outcomes by using a variety of best practice strategies found to be effective with families with co- occurring substance use and child maltreatment. This training will review these key practices, including the cross-system collaboration necessary to deliver comprehensive family-centered services, increased oversight and monitoring, shared decision-making, and strategic information sharing.
Introduction to START for New Staff (2 hours)
This introductory course provides staff new to the Ohio START program with the basics necessary to begin working with families. It includes a brief review of key aspects of START including eligibility, timelines, roles and responsibilities, and engaging clients and family serving agencies. Staff will also need to complete the full day Foundations 4 training when next available. This is not intended for anyone that has already attended Foundations 4.
Introduction to START for Behavioral Health Providers (2.5 hours)
Ohio START utilizes an innovative approach to serving families who are affected by child maltreatment and caregiver substance use disorder (SUD). This child protection model requires cross-system collaboration to achieve effective outcomes of increased sobriety and reduced out of home care. In this training, participants will learn how Ohio START provides child protection services to families who are experiencing caregiver SUD. Key components of the Ohio START model will be reviewed, focusing on the intersection of child protection and behavioral health systems. The training will provide an overview of the safety risks and treatment needs of families served by Ohio START. Additionally, strategies to develop and maintain effective cross-system partnerships will discussed.
Supervisor Professional Learning Community (1 hour)
SUPERVISORS ONLY: Professional Learning Community for supervisors will meet monthly. Supervisors who attend will be asked to practice the new skills and return to future sessions to learn, share and continue to hone their skills. This is open to both PCSA and BH supervisors participating in Ohio START.
Introduction to Motivational Interviewing (6 hours)
Motivational Interviewing is a guided style of communication child welfare professionals can utilize to assist parents or caregivers in identifying reasons to and pathways toward change. Motivational Interviewing attends closely to engagement, and is well-matched to working with families involved with the child welfare system. There is a required prerequisite prior to attending this course. The link to this can be found on the training descriptions page. This six-hour virtual training builds on an existing introductory level of familiarity with Motivational Interviewing. This course is a requirement for Ohio START caseworkers and family peer mentors and is suggested for all supervisors.
Motivational Interviewing Refresher (3 hours) &
Motivational Interviewing Practical Application Practice (1 hour)
This follow-up to the Ohio START Introduction to Motivational Interviewing training is formatted as part-refresher and part-learning community, designed to guide practical application ideas and skills about incorporating MI into your professional skillsets.
Screening and Intervention of Substance Use Disorders (UNCOPE) (6 hours)
This workshop will assist participants with how to use the evidence-based screening tool (UNCOPE), interpret the results, provide feedback to the parent and offer recommendations to seek further assessment for treatment services. Participants will also become familiar with the assessment process, treatment levels of care, Medication-Assisted Treatment and realistic expectations for aftercare, relapse and/or recovery. This training is required for Ohio START caseworkers, family peer mentors, non-START CW staff responsible for administering the UNCOPE, suggested for CW supervisors and optional for CW administrators, BH administrators, supervisors/service coordinators.
Trauma and Resilience: Identifying Children, Parents and Families at Risk (6 hours)
Children Services caseworkers must be able to systematically identify trauma exposure in children, as well as be able to identify the associated behaviors that may be present for the children they serve. This training includes an overview of the trauma screen tool that was selected as part of the OhioSTART initiative, the Children’s Trauma Assessment Center Trauma Screening Checklist (CTAC). We will also look at how to assess the trauma exposure of their parents, using the Adverse Childhood Experience survey (ACE). Although we know that we are often working with multi-generational trauma, we struggle with how to recognize and deal with the impact that the parents’ trauma has on their parenting skills and their attachment with their children. This workshop will explore the ways in which generational trauma effects parenting, how trauma interferes with healthy attachment, and what trauma informed behavior management looks like. Use of these tools will allow caseworkers, peers, and other service providers to develop a better understanding of how trauma affects children and their families.
Trauma-Informed Resiliency-Oriented Supervision (3 hours)
This session will address the supervisory relationship as a parallel process of promoting resilience, providing both support to the supervisees and a roadmap for the relationship that the supervisee has with the family. We will also address supervisory strategies to monitor and prevent SES symptoms related to resilience promotion. Small group breakouts will be used to promote and model reflective discussions around resiliency components and promotion. Intended for Supervisors and administrators only.
Trauma Informed Family Engagement: Understanding the impact of implicit bias and structural racism (6 hours)
Explore what it means to be trauma informed in our engagement of families. Together we will explore the cultural and historical context of trauma, learn about structural racism and our own implicit bias. We will unpack the potential impact of those issues on our engagement with families. Participants will identify the six guiding principles to trauma informed care, the importance of authentic family engagement as well as strategies for the implementation of trauma informed family engagement practices.
Family Team Meetings (6 hours)
One of the key ingredients in the Ohio START program is Family Team Meetings (FTMs). The purpose of the FTM is to involve the family, extended family, informal and formal services and support providers in the development of the least restrictive plan for family stability and youth permanency. Engaging families and their extended support systems in a shared-decision-making process is a core aspect of the FTM process. The FTM is neutrally facilitated and utilizes a guided format for identifying strengths, needs, and for plan development. System mandates and other legal limitations are discussed up front with the family. This training will describe the core principles, components, and skills needed to successfully facilitate FTMs.
Family Team Meetings: Facilitator Skills (3 hours)
One of the key ingredients in the Ohio START program is Family Team Meetings (FTMs). This workshop is designed to provide and rehearse the skills needed to successfully facilitate the FTMs. The FTM should be neutrally facilitated, engage all participants, and provide a guided format for identifying strengths, needs, and develop an action plan. This training will review the core principles, components, and skills needed to successfully facilitate FTMs. We will utilize break out rooms for groups to simulate the FTM process with opportunities to rehearse their own facilitation. This skill building session is intended for anyone that currently or will be responsible to facilitate a FTM. Participants must have already attended a full day Ohio START FTM training prior to attending this session.
Substance Use Disorders 101 (3 hours)
This training provides an opportunity to learn information regarding substance use, definitions and classes of different substances and medications utilized for stabilization and support recovery. It will provide an overview of the impact on the brain, family roles and recovery process.
Assessing Safety and Safety Planning in SUD Cases (6 hours)
This training is designed to enhance knowledge and skills in the areas of assessing safety and safety planning in cases involved substance use and abuse. It will include a framework for best practice in bias informed client engagement, assessing safety, and safety planning in these complex cases.
So Done! Polyvagal Strategies When It Just Won’t End (3 hours)
This highly interactive workshop will begin by reviewing burnout, compassion fatigue and secondary stress. Participants will receive the Professional Quality of Life tool to complete PRIOR to attending the session and will have an opportunity to share results and discuss strategies in small groups. The training explores boundaries, guardrails and expands emotional language to support a healthy workforce. The training discusses the Polyvagal Theory to frame the exploration of practices to calm and strengthen our nervous systems.
De-escalation with Compassion (3 hours)
This training is a unique, compassionate approach to addressing challenging situations. De-escalation with compassion is a way to engage with someone in a high-stress situation. It moves beyond tone of voice or posture to full self-reflection and awareness. It includes assessing our own emotional state and bias, not just the other person. It means seeing someone’s behavior as a reaction to fear or suffering, instead of acting aggressive or scary. It allows workers to connect with others as a human being even in escalated situations.
Family Toolkit: Genograms, ecomaps, and more! (3 hours)
Participants will obtain useful information in terms of assessment tools and techniques that promote engagement, build rapport, and gather information critical to understanding of both individual and familial experience within the family system and as part of the larger culture. Participants will learn how to effectively engage individuals and families with experiential activities using genograms, ecomaps and other tools.
Supporting LGBTQIA+ Families (6 hours)
This training will begin by introducing the concept of queer theory and exploring how privilege and prejudice effect the queer community. Participants will learn current terminology while exploring LGBT+ history and the developmental processes of queer youth. Case examples, clinical tools, and resources will be reviewed. We will focus on how to create an affirming environment and review The Family Acceptance Project, which is an evidence-based intervention that focuses on reducing family rejection. We will also explore ways to assist LGBT youth and review current federal and state rights. Finally, we will review research on LGBT+ parenting.
Understanding the Culture of Poverty (6 hours)
All individuals exist in a cultural context, and as service providers, we need to be able to understand how to recognize and address those various cultures in our work. Unfortunately, the culture of poverty is frequently not addressed. This training will explore the culture of poverty experientially. Participants will examine the hidden rules among classes, the differences between generational and situational poverty, and how these factors can shift and inform the therapeutic relationship. Finally, we will identify strategies to apply this knowledge with our clients and their families.
Nurturing Parenting Facilitator Training (3 days – 18 hours)
The three days will focus on incorporating the philosophy, skills and strategies of nurturing parenting. How to use program materials, videos, assessment tools, program activities, family home practice assignments, and seven steps of fidelity. This training includes lecture presentation, videos, written material and trainee participation. The Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery program will be highlighted and is built on relational development. The impact of substance use, mental illness and trauma on parenting, the parent-child relationship and children can be devastating. The Nurturing Programs are designed to promote a high level of participant initiative through active, participant-directed exercises and discussion topics. The Nurturing Programs use these exercises and topics to support, promote and enhance nurturing in participants’ lives and relationships.
Nurturing Parenting: Appropriate Expectations & Family Roles (1 hour)
Attendees will review the constructs of Appropriate Expectations and Family roles, examine interventions related, and discuss questions on this construct. Prerequisite to attend this training is to have attended and completed the 3 day Nurturing Parenting Facilitator Training presented by Ohio Guidestone.
Nurturing Parenting: Empathy & Personal Power (1 hour)
Attendees will review the constructs of Empathy and Personal Power, examine interventions related, and discuss questions on this construct. Prerequisite to attend this training is to have attended and completed the 3 day Nurturing Parenting Facilitator Training presented by Ohio Guidestone.
Nurturing Parenting: Discipline (1 hour)
Attendees will review the construct of Discipline, examine interventions related, and discuss questions on this construct. Prerequisite to attend this training is to have attended and completed the 3 day Nurturing Parenting Facilitator Training presented by Ohio Guidestone.
Nurturing Parenting: Nurturing Self (1 hour)
Attendees will review Nurturing Self, examine interventions to aid clients in nurturing themselves, and discuss questions regarding the implementation of Nurturing Self. Prerequisite to attend this training is to have attended and completed the 3 day Nurturing Parenting Facilitator Training presented by Ohio Guidestone.
Joyful Together (3 hours + 6 monthly 1 hour consultation sessions)
The Joyful Together training is a half-day, 3-hour training. Joyful Together® is an attachment, play-based model that seeks to build resiliency in children, caregivers and families by infusing joy throughout everyday activities. Joyful Together is an applied trauma and toxic stress informed intervention. Each attendee will receive a Joyful Together® practitioner manual, and each participating agency will receive five copies of a Joyful Together® parent edition to add to their libraries. To complement the half day training, the two training session cohorts will each receive six monthly consultation sessions that includes reflective supervision and coaching as key mechanisms to facilitate continued learning and successful implementation to fidelity into a program, practice, or intervention. Participants will receive continuing education credits (CEUs)- three CEUs for the basic three-hour training and nine CEUs for staff who also participate in consultation.
Other Optional Online Training
OMHAS Opioid Online Learning Series