OCECD Info Share
In partnership with OCALI, ElevateDD is looking for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) over the age of 18 to complete a brief survey about their interest in improving their reading skills as an adult (post high school). The survey can be completed independently by the person with IDD or with support from a family member or other support person.
Those completing the survey who provide their contact information will be entered into a drawing for one of 20 Walmart gift cards, valued at $25 and provided by ElevateDD. The deadline to participate is May 24.
Please click the link below to share your voice.
Supreme Court Asked To Consider Whether Parents Can Record IEP Meetings
The U.S. Supreme Court is being asked to take up a case centering on whether parents have the right to record meetings with their child’s school district about special education services.
Virtual Conference - Spotlight on Dyslexia
Unlocking student potential is a core mission for educators, and it’s essential to cultivate a mindset that challenges preconceptions about what students with dyslexia can achieve. I hope you’ll join me at our 9th annual Spotlight on Dyslexia conference where we will learn together and discover how to unleash student potential!
We offer free access to our keynote sessions, presented by renowned speakers Jason Yeatman and Pamela Snow, plus access to a dozen short pre-recorded EdTalk sessions for two weeks. You’ll be able to connect with educators all over the world to learn more about the latest research, developments, and tools to enhance your support for dyslexic learners. Register today!
…or Full-Access Gold Ticket! $99 $79 using code SPOD24TRANSFORM
Governor DeWine Signs Bill Requiring Ohio Schools to Create Cell Phone Policies
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 250 today at Karrer Middle School in Dublin. The new law will require every school district in Ohio to establish an official policy governing cell phone usage during school hours and aims to minimize student use of cell phones in K-12 schools.
“Our school children currently face countless distractions every day from the devices in their pockets,” said Governor DeWine. “By limiting these distractions, we will reestablish the opportunity for students across Ohio to immerse themselves in their classwork, learn from their teachers, and create lifelong memories with their closest friends.”
Sponsored by former Rep. Jessica Miranda (D-Forest Park) and Rep. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville), and with the cell phone provision championed by Sen. Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware), HB 250 requires that all districts place an emphasis on limiting cell phone use and reducing cell phone-related distractions in classrooms. It also includes exceptions for students who require a cell phone to monitor a health concern or for student learning as determined by school officials.
As a result of the new law, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce will soon publish a model policy regarding cell phones that schools across the state can utilize as they create their cell phone policies.
Schools will be required to adopt their cell phone policies no later than July 2025, ahead of the 2025-2026 school year.
Appalachian Ohio Child and Family Health Dashboard
The Appalachian Children Coalition (ACC) has released a new Appalachian Ohio Child and Family Dashboard. Developed with funding from OhioMHAS and in partnership with Ohio University's Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, this one-stop data source consists of over 200 community indicators on health and well-being across Appalachian Ohio. Health care practitioners, health departments, ADAMH boards, school districts, social service agencies, policymakers, local leaders, researchers, and community members can utilize these tools and data to better understand root causes of inequities and improve outcomes for our children and families.
The Dashboard includes data for the entire 32-county Appalachian Ohio region, as well as separate data summaries for each of those 32 counties. In the coming weeks, ACC will continue to add indicators to this list, as those data are made available to us. We will also be regularly updating the Dashboard so you will know you are accessing the most current data available.
Informational Webinar
For those who may be interested in learning more about the Dashboard, the Coalition will be holding a webinar on June 6 from noon-1:00 p.m. to provide guidance on how to use it and to highlight its features. Click HERE to register for the webinar.
ODM Authorizing $10 Million to Help At-Risk Youth in Ohio
Grants will help create and expand mental health service in 59 Ohio counties
The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM), in partnership with the State of Ohio’s Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Center of Excellence at Case Western Reserve University, (COE), is helping to launch and expand access to a critical mental health service in 59 counties, which results in 76 out of the 88 counties in Ohio having access to Intensive Home-Based Treatment (IHBT). ODM announced Tuesday that it authorized $10 million to support this service.
IHBT is an intensive, time-limited mental health service for youth with serious emotional disabilities and their families, provided in the home, school, and community where the youth live, with the goal of safely maintaining the youth in the least restrictive, most normative environment. IHBT involves an individual clinician or team of providers delivering a comprehensive set of clinical and rehabilitative services that are designed to intensively treat the young person’s mental health conditions that significantly impair their functioning – often kids who need IHBT face significant challenges in multiple areas of their lives, including school, home, and the community. Some young people who need IHBT are involved with or at risk of being involved with the juvenile justice and child protection systems.
Access to IHBT services is one element of a comprehensive and robust system of care, and is also one of the core services included in OhioRISE, the state’s transformative program aimed at helping children and youth with the most complex behavioral health challenges.
Each of the IHBT providers receiving grant funds have either already received IHBT certification or will work toward obtaining their IHBT certification through the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. A full list of awardees is available on the Center of Excellence’s website. The COE will provide training, technical assistance, consultation, program implementation support, fidelity monitoring, and evaluating the new services.
ProMedica Nearly Doubles Inpatient Pediatric Psychiatric Unit Capacity With $17M State-Funded Expansion Project
Last week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony of the newly renovated Pediatric Psychiatric Unit at ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital in Toledo. He was joined by Tia Marcel Moretti, Chief Advisor and Deputy Director of the Office of Community & Family Resiliency at OhioMHAS.
With the aid of a $17 million grant from OhioMHAS, the hospital has nearly doubled the capacity of its inpatient pediatric psychiatric unit. The hospital now has the ability to treat about 1,300 children each year with severe mental health problems.
Funding for the project is part of the $84 million Pediatric Behavioral Health Initiative Governor DeWine announced in 2022 to increase access to care and expand capacity across the state so kids and their families can get services and supports for their behavioral health needs in or near their communities. Of the $17 million set aside for the hospital, about $5 million was used for the inpatient upgrades and the other $12 million will go toward enhancements at ProMedica for outpatient pediatric psychiatric services, according to a local news report. The outpatient center is set to open in January 2025.
