Alliance Member Agencies Share Expertise @ the 44th Annual Conference

Tuesday, Oct 6th, Wellmore Centre presents Working with the Homeless - A Model for Systematic Change. Individuals who find themselves as residents in a homeless shelter represent a diverse group but a group who also share some things in common. Mental illness and substance use disorders are common but often left unaddressed due to issues with effective client engagement as well as service gaps that exist within our system of care. This one-hour workshop will provide an overview of a model that is being successfully implemented through effective community partnerships in Tuscarawas County. The clinical service model and population challenges will be discussed as well as the positive impact of this type of program.

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Wednesday, Oct 7th, The Buckeye Ranch presents Creating a Kin Culture Across a Large Organization. In this session, we will examine the benefits of youth remaining in kinship care. The Buckeye Ranch is a large multi-program organization continually trying to improve best practices for the youth and families in our communities. Kinship care is an area in which agencies need to understand the benefits to families on a long-term basis. We will discuss how we are moving toward a kin culture in all programs including child welfare, residential, foster care and community-based.

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Wednesday, Oct 7th, Presidents & CEOs from three organizations, Beech Acres Parenting Center, The Village Network, and Beech Brook will present Calling Recently Appointed and Aspiring CEOs: Lessons Learned from Seasoned Veterans.

This panel will provide a combination of lessons learned (including painful ones!) from 3 experienced CEOs on typical challenges we all face in the role, with opportunities for personal reflection on common themes.

The aim is that you will walk away with some specific next steps to address issues most on your mind.

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Thursday, Oct 8th, Lighthouse Youth & Family Services teams with University of Cincinnati Institute for Policy Research to present Watch Me Rise: Integrating Peer Supports and Care Coordination in Services for Homeless Youth with a Child Welfare History. Youth who have a child welfare history are at high risk of homelessness, as their transition to adulthood often includes unstable housing and limited supportive connections. Participants will learn about the Watch Me Rise (WMR) intervention and how High Fidelity Wraparound was implemented with homeless young adults (ages 18-24) with a child welfare history in order to prevent recurring homelessness. WMR was developed by Lighthouse Youth and Family Services over six years through two competitive grant cycles sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families—Children’s Bureau in order to reduce homelessness among youth involved in child welfare. Lighthouse has been recognized for their innovative use of a youth peer supports in the delivery of care coordination as a key component of the intervention. The workshop will share how the care coordinator and peer support roles were integrated throughout service delivery and share key findings from the comprehensive evaluation of WMR.