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Welcome to the First Edition of Community Connections
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Welcome to the first edition of Child Welfare Community Connections. As many of you know, the Child Welfare Division Vision for Transformation was released last year and reflects our commitment to our mission, our core beliefs and our values. It is a roadmap to transform our work including how we work with our community partners. The Vision for Transformation emphasizes that our work is centered on supporting, preserving and strengthening families. This transformation will not happen overnight and can only be successful when everyone works together. As part of this work, we want to create spaces and connection for our community to learn from each other and share opportunities to support Oregon's children and families. This bi-monthly newsletter is one way we hope to facilitate this, as well as a series of conversations that we are launching. Please sign up and join us for the first virtual Community Connection event today, July 14, from 3:30-4:30.
Thank you for your work and your care to build a connected and thriving future for Oregon's families.
Warmly,
Rebecca Jones Gaston, Child Welfare Director
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Each month, a public report detailing specific measures of progress of the prior month is sent to Governor Kate Brown and posted online. For the month of May, some key data includes:
The Behavioral Health Treatment Foster Care pilot launched in May. This is a new type of care piloted through funding from the 2019 legislative session. This service will leverage Behavioral and Rehabilitative Services and Intensive In-Home Behavioral Health through the Oregon Health Authority and Coordinated Care Organizations. This initiative is intended to provide whole-child care for children with psychiatric needs within a family setting. This pilot anticipates a total capacity gain of 59 beds by February 2023. Lessons learned through the pilot will be analyzed in consideration of a long-term strategy for a new permanent type of care.
Available resource (foster) homes for children in care increased, while the downward trend of children coming into care continues (5,838 in care on May 1).
The pilot project, Foster Care Crisis Stabilization, began in the Portland metro area. This 24-hour crisis team is available for resource families needing immediate support and assistance, as well as helping secure services for children to increase placement stabilization and timely permanency.
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“Having this would be a game changer,” Mateo* told his ODHS caseworker. When COVID-19 hit, Mateo lost his job. While thinking about what he could do for work, he got creative and began to teach himself how to fix electronics. However, to sustain and grow his business he needed a soldering iron. After talking to his caseworker, he submitted a WISH to Project Lemonade, a nonprofit in Portland. Project Lemonade’s mission is to inspire self-esteem in children and young adults in foster care, serving over 2,000 a year with clothing, jobs, and opportunities. Project Lemonade’s WISH program, What Inspires Students’ Hearts, provides funding for youth to pursue an education or enrichment goal.
“When I spoke to Mateo about Project Lemonade's WISH program, he lit up instantly and became very emotionally overwhelmed,” said Katie Goldin, Mateo’s caseworker.
Like so many caseworkers, Katie works hard to make connections for the young people she supports works to stay informed on community services. In her request for Mateo, Katie wrote, ”I am Mateo’s caseworker and am happy to coordinate all aspects of this WISH. I truly feel WISH will change Mateo’s life and his opportunity to thrive during a time he does not have a full-time job.”
At Project Lemonade, we are honored every day to work with ODHS to provide opportunities and life-changing possibilities to young people in care. In addition to the WISH program, Project Lemonade operates a full retail clothing store and a paid internship program for children and young adults in foster care. Did you know youth in foster care over the age 5 can shop twice per year at the Project Lemonade store in Portland? On each shopping trip, they are welcomed by friendly staff and volunteers and are empowered to shop for new clothes, shoes and accessories, all for free. To learn more about Project Lemonade, visit www.projectlemonadepdx.org.
*Thanks to Project Lemonade for submitting this Community Voice spot! If you would like to submit a piece for community voice, please email ChildWelfare.Director@dhsoha.state.or.us
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Paid opportunity to help connect young people to resources: The state of Oregon has received funding to provide supports to assist older youth in and from foster care to sustain themselves through the pandemic. FosterClub is hiring and training five Peer Navigators to assist young people access these funds. If you have lived experience in foster care, reside in Oregon, and can work 20 hours a week through September 2021, find out more about this paid opportunity!
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Serve on a Child Welfare/community advisory team: The Oregon Child Abuse Hotline (ORCAH) has begun work with a contracted partner, Evident Change, in the development and implementation of Structured Decision Making (SDM), which is a evidence-based screening assessment tool to support staff in making consistent, accurate, and equitable decisions throughout their work with families. Additionally, the SDM® approach allows an organization to better understand its data, manage limited resources, and direct resources to families most in need. To join us in developing and designing the screening tool, we are looking for representatives from law enforcement, education, Tribal Nations, mental health, health care, and adults and youth with lived experience of the child welfare system to ensure accurate representation of the communities served and impacted by Oregon Child Welfare. If you are interested, please contact ORCAH manager, Kristen Khamnohack at KRISTEN.N.KHAMNOHACK@dhsoha.state.or.us by July 22.
Help ODHS Child Welfare design a better website: The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) is upgrading its website. We are hosting opportunities to collect feedback from people who use the Child Welfare website. You can take an online survey which should take about 5 minutes. Or, join an in-person feedback group, representing young people who experienced foster care or are in care now, general public interested in learning about foster care, families touched by child welfare, and resource families. These groups will be scheduled based on availability of participants and take between 30-60 minutes . A gift card will be provided in gratitude. If you would like to take part, please email: Communications.DHS@dhsoha.state.or.us
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As we grow this newsletter, we are looking for ideas, feedback and collaboration opportunities for the next issues. Please email ChildWelfare.Director@dhsoha.state.or.us. |
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