Agenda | Ohio Children's Alliance Symposium

Symposium Agenda:

Dive into a day of purposeful collaboration at Ohio Children’s Alliance’s groundbreaking 2025 Symposium: Enhancing Our System of Care: Addressing Key Issues in Children’s Services. Our Symposium is thoughtfully designed for decision-makers and leaders across foster care, community behavioral health, and children’s healthcare—providing a space for collaborative dialogue and actionable insights.

What to Expect:

Opening Keynote by nationally respected consultant and Ohio native Tom Woll, whose expertise in strategic foresight and organizational leadership will guide us through the "transformation imperative" needed for Ohio’s family-serving organizations.

Morning and Afternoon Workshops, featuring four engaging breakout sessions focused on topics like mobile crisis services (MRSS), integration with foster care, and systemic alignment—all designed to foster both reflection and practical learning. Afternoon sessions are repeats of the morning to reinforce understanding.

Closing Keynote delivered by Lisette Burton, J.D., Chief Policy & Practice Advisor at the Association of Children’s Residential & Community Services (ACRC). Her plenary will wrap up the day with policy-forward, practice-grounded insights aimed at enhancing outcomes for children and systems alike

The tentative schedule for the symposium is:

8:30am

Check in and breakfast

9:10am - 9:30am

Opening Alliance remarks

9:30am -10:30am

Opening Keynote Presentation - plenary - Tom Woll, Strategic Change Initiative

10:30am - 10:45am

Break

10:45am – 12:15pm

Morning breakout session (4 simultaneous workshops)

12:15pm -1:15pm

Luncheon

1:20pm - 2:50pm

Afternoon breakout session (4 simultaneous workshops repeated from morning)

2:55pm - 3:55pm

Closing Keynote Presentation - plenary - Lisette Burton, J.D., Chief Policy & Practice Advisor, Association of Children's Residential & Community Services (ACRC)

3:55pm - 4:15pm

Closing Remarks

Registration is NOW CLOSED

Agenda Details
Sessions will be repeated to support learning and retention.

9:30am -10:30am

Opening Keynote Presentation: The Power of Three: Building Enduring Partnerships with Clients, Funders, and Staff

The future of child- and family-serving agencies depends on their ability to build and sustain three essential partnerships: with clients, with funders, and—most critically—with staff. Drawing on national research and hundreds of interviews with direct care professionals, this session will explore how aligning an agency’s mission, strategy, and culture can foster authentic staff engagement and retention. Participants will examine the key drivers of job satisfaction—including onboarding, supervision, team-building, and appreciation—and learn how to minimize common dissatisfiers such as burnout, unrealistic expectations, and lack of communication. This session offers a practical roadmap for leaders committed to creating a workplace where staff feel valued, supported, and inspired to stay.

10:45am -12:15pm and 1:20pm - 2:50pm

Crisis Services in Motion: Aligning MRSS with Foster Care and Community Mental Health

Ohio’s statewide Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) program is reshaping how crisis care is delivered to youth and families. This session will feature state leaders and provider agencies—including Coleman Health Services and Ravenwood Health—who are pioneering MRSS integration into foster care and community mental health. Attendees will gain practical strategies for accessing MRSS, aligning it with existing services, and navigating funding and workforce challenges

Tia Cokes, MA

MRSS Statewide Program Administrator

Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services

Keri Deyling

Senior Chief Officer of Mental Health

Coleman Health Services

Casandra Zouhary

Director of Engagement & Crisis Intervention Services

Ravenwood Health

Mikenna Miller

MRSS Program Coordinator

Ravenwood Health

10:45am -12:15pm and 1:20pm - 2:50pm

Learning Networks in Practice: Advancing Population Health for Multi-System Youth

OhioRISE is driving population health forward through a series of innovative, collaborative projects designed to improve outcomes for multi-system youth. Central to these efforts is the OAK Learning Network—a partnership among Managed Care Entities (MCEs) and Children’s Hospitals—focused on sharing best practices and accelerating systemwide learning. Additional initiatives include targeted strategies to reduce out-of-home placements, strengthen identification and connection with natural supports, and increase engagement with care coordination. This cross-sector panel—including Aetna OhioRISE's Jason Barkey, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center's Jeff Steller —will share practical approaches for data sharing, cross-system collaboration, and overcoming implementation challenges. Attendees will leave with actionable tools and insights to drive improved outcomes and sustainability for youth and families served by OhioRISE.

Jason Barkey

Director, Quality Improvement - OhioRISE

Aetna

Jeff Steller

Population Health Consultant

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

10:45am -12:15pm and 1:20pm - 2:50pm

Out-of-Home Placement in Crisis: Systemic Gaps, Regulatory Pressures, and Emerging Solutions

With placement options shrinking and demand rising, Ohio’s out-of-home care system is under unprecedented strain. This panel brings together voices from PCSAs, state regulators, and payors—including Stevie Romano from DCY and representatives from OhioMHAS—to examine the root causes of the crisis and discuss policy and practice shifts underway. Participants will engage in a candid dialogue about capacity, licensing, and the future of congregate and family-based care.

Melissa Bacon

Deputy Director, Office of Behavioral Health Policy

Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services

Stevie Romano

Deputy Director, Regulatory Compliance

Ohio Department of Children and Youth

Adam DiCristofaro, M.Ed.

Director of Quality Assurance and Compliance

Trumbull County Children Services

10:45am -12:15pm and 1:20pm - 2:50pm

Reimagining Respite: Best Practices and Policy Innovations in Ohio and Beyond

Families raising youth with behavioral health challenges face stressors that strain well-being, stability, and caregiving capacity. Behavioral health respite care, temporary relief for caregivers, reduces burnout, enhances family cohesion, and prevents the need for higher cost treatment interventions, including emergency department utilization, inpatient hospitalization, and out-of-home placements. Yet, it remains underutilized, misunderstood, and inconsistently available.

This session will draw from the newly released white paper Best Practices in Community Behavioral Health Respite Care for Children and Families, developed by the Ohio Children’s Alliance in partnership with researchers from The Ohio State University College of Nursing. Attendees will gain insights into the current landscape of behavioral health respite, barriers to access, and innovative, replicable solutions. Attendees will leave with a roadmap for improving behavioral health respite care access and effectiveness.

Susan Ballard

Senior Director, Programs

Ohio Children's Alliance

Kayla Herbell

Associate Professor

Ohio State University College of Nursing

Sophie Berger, BA

Research Associate

Ohio State University College of Nursing

Sessions will be repeated to support learning and retention.

2:55pm - 3:55pm

Closing Keynote Presentation: Navigating Federal Policy Crossroads: Opportunities and Threats for Child & Family Service Providers

Join Lisette Burton, Chief Policy & Practice Advisor at the Association of Children’s Residential & Community Services, for a timely and strategic briefing on the evolving federal public policy landscape impacting child and family service providers. This session will explore key developments in Medicaid, liability insurance, foster care, and children’s mental health, highlighting both emerging threats and actionable opportunities. Attendees will gain insight into how shifting federal priorities and funding dynamics may affect service delivery, compliance, and sustainability. With a focus on practical implications and strategic foresight, Lisette will equip leaders with the knowledge needed to advocate effectively and adapt confidently in a changing policy environment.