2013 annual report

Job &

Family S E RV ICE S

PROTECT PRESERVE STRENGTHEN

STARK COUNTY

Annual Report 2013

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SCJFS PROVIDES SUMMER JOBS TO YOUTH

After receiving federal funds to create and expand subsidized summer employment programs in Stark County, SCJFS solicited local organizations that were willing to administer work programs.

More than 300 youth participated.

SCJFS WORKS WITH STATE TO PREPARE FOR AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

Deb Hogan, Training Specialist, Human Services, worked with State groups to prepare for changes brought on by the Affordable Care Act and the new system to evaluate eligibility, Ohio Integrated Eligibility System (OIES)

CHILDREN SERVICES EARNS REACCREDITATION

SCJFS’ Children Services Division earned reaccreditation from the Council on Accreditation (COA).

The agency has been accreditted since 2005.

SCJFS FOSTER YOUTH SPEAK TO LEGISLATURES AT OHIO STATEHOUSE

Shatasha Nelson, Stark County and Ohio Youth Advisory Board treasurer, was invited to the Ohio Statehouse to speak about her experiences in foster care. She spoke to more than 37 Senate and House staff members.

CHILD SUPPORT KICKS OFF RIGHT PATH FOR FATHERHOOD INITIATIVE

The Right Path for Fathers Partnership assists long-term unemployed non-custodial parents to overcome barriers to employment, obtain a job and make consistent, dependable support payments to their children. Program goals also include ensuring child support orders are appropriate, based on current income, as well as helping non-custodial parents develop meaningful relationships with their children.

WENDYS WONDERFUL KIDS PROVIDES HELP WITH FINDING HOMES FOR FOSTER YOUTH SCJFS and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids (WWK) began a partnership to enhance efforts to find forever families for children who have spent years in the foster care system

STAFF VOLUNTEER IN THE COMMUNITY

SCJFS staff committed time and energy to local organizations including, United Way, Stark County Hunger Task Force, Project KARE, and many others.

2013

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SCJFS celebrated the graduation of 15 foster youth at the annual Rising Up...

Moving On event. The event is sponsored

by Project KARE. Terrell Clifford, Supervisor, pictured right with one of the graduates.

The 2014 Adoption Calendar featuring 16 Stark County youth who are hoping to find a permanent family was released in November, National Adoption Month.

During summer months, agency staff volunteered their lunch time to serve meals to attendees of the Salvation Army's Monday lunch. Pictured are SCJFS supervisors, Jennifer Tritt (left) and Freeda Palmer (right).

Hundreds of jobseekers attended the Opportunities Job Fair and Employment Workshops sponsored

by SCJFS, Stark County Library, Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority, SARTA, Mature Services and Turnaround Community Outeach.

The Human Services Division's lobby was closed for one day as Marathon Petroleum Corporation Employees painted the SCJFS Midtown Plaza lobby for United Way's Day of Caring.

SCJFS participated in more than 50 community events. Pictured next to Ronald McDonald at Stark County Safe Kid Coalition's Safe Kids Day is Angela Blatz, Training Supervisor, Child Support Enforcement.

Child Abuse Prevention Month activities included Wear Blue and the agency's first-ever Blues Against Child Abuse concert. The agency partnered with About Magazine and the Canton Museum of Art to present the Brighter Side Band at First Stop, First Friday. SCJFS staff pictured left-right are Chelsea Eberling, Amy Stanley, Stephanie Beleal, Monica Morton and Bill Burgess

Brian Brown, Supervisor, Child Support Enforcement grills hot dogs for Community Fishing Rodeo participants. Hundreds of kids and families participated in the event which was sponsored by Stark Social Workers Network and the Stark County Fatherhood Coalition.

More than 200 foster and SCJFS families showed up for the first-ever Michigan-Ohio College Senior Bowl held at Fawcett Stadium in April.

Families were invited to participate in a number of activities including football drills, a brief history of the NFL, a tour of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the inaugural College Senior Bowl game.

Dear Friends: I am pleased to present our 2013 Annual Report. The statistics in this report reflect the number of individuals in this community who we serve. As you will see, we touch the lives of many individuals. We strive to “Protect, Preserve and Strengthen” Stark County’s most vulnerable citizens.

The concept of “Protect, Preserve and Strengthen” derives from our mission statement and is deep-rooted in our culture. Our staff takes great pride in being part of a great safety net of services and programs throughout Stark County. What they do during the work day is their job.

However, many of our staff devote time and energy beyond those work hours to help those in need. Before coming to Stark County, I heard great things about this agency. Now I understand why there has been so much success. I can see the dedication and determination to make Stark County a better place.

What we do, we do not do alone. There are many local service providers that enhance our services and better the lives of our customers. Let me take this opportunity to thank these organizations for making Stark County a better place.

In 2014 we will continue to add to our many initiatives and partnerships.

We will Protect, Preserve and Strengthen Stark County. I look forward to the rest of the year. I am excited to lead this agency and to continue to meet our community partners and customers.

Sincerely, Deborah Forkas, M.Ed Executive Director

Mission

To partner with our customers, community and other service providers to protect children and vulnerable adults, stabilize and strengthen families, and encourage self sufficiency and personal responsibility.

STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Tom Bernabei Janet Weir Creighton Richard Regula

SCJFS EXECUTIVE TEAM Deborah Forkas, M.Ed Executive Director

Susan Lenigar Deputy Director, Human Services Division Rob Pierson Deputy Director, Child Support Enforcement Division Nedra Petro, M.P.A., L.S.W. Deputy Director, Children Services Division Jane Bethel, C.P.A. Deputy Director, Finance and Interim Deputy Director, Human Resources & Support Services

CONTACT INFORMATION Children Services Division

300 Market Ave. North Canton, OH 44702 Child Abuse/Neglect Report Line: 330-455-KIDS Foster/Adopt 330-451-8789

Child Support Enforcement Division 122 Cleveland Ave. N.W. P.O. Box 21337 Canton, OH 44701 Customer Service 330-451-8930

Human Services Division

221 3rd Street S.E. Canton, OH 44702 Cash, Food & Medical Assistance Customer Service Call Center 330-451-8861 Customer Service e-mail: stark_csc@odjfs.state.oh.us New Applications 330-451-8500 Directory Assistance 330-452-4661 JOBS/Child Care 330-452-4661

www.starkjfs.org

SCJFS 2012 Annual report is a publication of Stark County Job & Family Services. If you have questions or comments, contact Bill Burgess at (330)451-8869 or e-mail burgew@odjfs.state.oh.us.

STARK COUNTY FAMILY SERVICES PLANNING COMMITTEE The Stark County Family Services Planning Committee provides recommendations to Stark County Job and Family Services for the most effective and efficient delivery of services. The committee is presently comprised of 19 members who represent the agency, professionals from the community and the general public.

R. Scott White Chairperson

Deborah Forkas SCJFS Executive Director

Sherri McKinney-Frantz Vice-Chairperson

Members Mary Ann Abel Amanda Anderson Patricia Croskey Ann Durkin Patrice Fetzer

Mary Lou Sekula Secretary

Michael Flood Eric Henderson Rebecca A. Marchino Laura C. McIntyre Evelyn Moore John Petit Diane C. Thompson Daphne E. Thomson Erica Wilson-Domer

www.starkjfs.org

Children Services

6,345 calls to the Report Line resulted in 3,135 reports of child abuse and/or neglect. neglect

Nedra Petro, Deputy Director

44.7% 33.7%

physical abuse sexual abuse

18.7%

emotional maltreatment

2.9%

391 Additional calls to the report line resulted in assistance to families.

291 were calls of families in need of services.

100 were calls about children who were determined to be dependent

ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE Alternative Response (AR) is an approach that

provides for a second or alternative pathway of response to reports of alleged abuse/neglect.

2,829 cases were screened in.

357 or 16.8% were responded to using the AR approach.

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The Children Services Division also recruits and trains foster and adoptive families, prepares children for adoption, arranges for postadoption services to families, and provides training in independent living skills for older teens.

ONGOING SUPPORTIVE SERVICES In an average month, 338 families received case management and supportive services.

TRANSITIONAL YOUTH SERVICES

88 youth received independent living services.

50 previously emancipated youth received services.

CUSTODY

Children who could not remain safely in their own homes were provided placement services average children/month:

111 Kinship or

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The Children Services Division is legally responsible for taking reports of child abuse, neglect and dependency; investigating reports; and acting to protect children at risk of harm.

197

 53

licensed foster families (average/month)

finalized adoptions

Relative Home

Group Home Care

17

Residential Placement

108

Purchased Foster Care

184

Agency Foster Care

ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES

SCJFS contracts with Coleman Professional Services to investigate suspected elder abuse/ neglect and to provide support.

328 new cases of elder abuse/neglect or exploitation

$63,176,687 Collections for the year 33,724 Average number of cases monthly

PERFORMANCE INCENTIVES

Paternity Establishment: 97.70% of cases needing paternity Support Orders Established: 86.91% of cases needing support established Collections on Current Support: 71.61% of current support owed - Ranked first among Ohio’s metro counties Collections on Arrearages: 68.21% of cases owed arrearages

ESTABLISHING PATERNITY 455 Paternity Cases scheduled for DNA testing

1,122 Cases referred for Support Establishment

LEGAL  3,403 Department

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Court Hearings scheduled/attended by Legal

CUSTOMERS

72,797 Phone Calls Received by Customer Service; monthly average of 6,066 calls

12,325 Customers served in the CSEA Lobby; monthly average of 1,027 customers

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRB $16.45 R $1.00 In FFY 2013 the Child Support Division was one of the top ten counties in Ohio (6th) for cost effectiveness. Stark County collected $16.45 for every administrative dollar spent, and among Metro Counties was 2nd for cost effectiveness.

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Child Support Enforcement

Rob Pierson, Deputy Director

The Child Support Enforcement Division is committed to providing quality child support services, including: • Establishing paternity and support • Issuing orders for medical support • Modifying support orders • Enforcing support orders • Monitoring collections • Disbursement of support payments.

• Termination of current support when a child emancipates.

WARRANT AMNESTY DAY

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For the past several years, SCJFS has teamed up with Stark County Family Court, Stark County Fatherhood Coalition, and the Interdenominational Ministerial Association of Stark County to offer individuals the opportunity to resolve child support bench warrants. In 2013,

51 Non-Custodial Parents Participated

30 Warrants Canceled for 27 Non-Custodial Parents

21 Non-Custodial Parents had their Driver’s License Reinstated

MONEY INTO OUR COMMUNITY

Human Services

Susan Lenigar, Deputy Director In 2013, it is estimated that Human Services Division programs The Human Services Division injected more than $700 million into the Stark County provides Ohio Works First community. Local grocers, hospitals, clinics and retailers cash assistance; medical benefit from funds distributed through these programs: assistance; food assistance;

and job-related services Medicaid including subsidized child care to eligible individuals $529,450,894* and families in Stark County.

Food Assistance $90,304,836 OWF Cash Assistance $8,980,176 Disability Assistance The following are monthly averages. $539,788 Food Assistance Program Child Care Assistance 60,283 individuals received food assistance. $10,584,785

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PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS

*Estimated amounts based on the average of actual amounts from Jan. to Oct. 2013.

POPULATION RECEIVING ASSISTANCE Stark County Population Food Assistance 16% Medicaid 20%

Cash Assistance 1% Child Care 1%

HUMAN SERVICES CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER 4,766 processed e-mails

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209,395 

12,514 individuals received ABD Medicaid 50,739 individuals received Covered Family and Children’s Medicaid

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calls taken

Medicaid A total of 75,902 individuals received Medicaid assistance. These programs include Age, Blind, & Disabled (ABD) Medicaid and family Medicaid programs such as Healthy Start/Healthy Families.

1,122 individuals received Medicaid through Foster Care Adoption Assistance 3822 received Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) or Special Low Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB). These programs are federal Medicare Savings Programs which help low income elders and younger Medicare beneficiaries access Medicare benefits.

Cash Assistance 4,220 individuals received Ohio Works First (OWF) cash assistance.

353 individuals received Disability Financial Assistance (DFA). DFA is a cash assistance program intended for individuals who have pending applications for SSI/SSDI, but have been determined to be disabled by the State.

Child Care 4,087 children were cared for through publicly funded child care.

JOBS There were 17 Work Experience Program (WEP) participants hired through program assignments in 2013.

88 Job Club attendees employed within 30 days of Job Club.

30 Job Club attendees employed within 60 days of Job Club.

12 Job Club attendees employed within 90 days of Job Club.

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A total of 130 hired out of Job Club for the year 2013.

TOTAL AGENCY EXPENDITURES

$43,757,545

Finance

Jane Bethel, Deputy Director Child Support Enforcement Division TOTAL EXPENDITURES $4,836,855 Operating Expenses $1,220,565 (22%)

Wages & Benefits $4,245,919 (78%)

Children Services Division TOTAL EXPENDITURES $23,162,280 Program Costs $9,879,879 (43%)

Wages & Benefits $9,627,750 (41%)

Human Services Division TOTAL EXPENDITURES $15,758,410

Operating Expenses $2,447,907 (15%)

Operating Expenses $3,654,651 (16%)

Wages & Benefits $10,842,771 (69%)

Program Costs $2,467,732 (16%)

State and federal governments are re-evaluating priorities and trying to balance their budgets.

Local government funding is changing rapidly based on the changes made by the state and federal governments. The Finance Department is responsible for projecting how changes will impact the agency’s budget.

SCJFS’ Executive Team relies on quick and effective communication of these projections in order to make decisions on how the agency delivers services to its customers, currently and in the future.

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Most benefits are paid directly to our customers through federal and state funding and are not included in our financial statements. Our costs are primarily operational costs to administer the programs.

SUPPORT SERVICES  COMMUNITY EDUCATION/SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

We take every opportunity to educate the community on our many programs and services. If you are holding a community event or need a speaker, call 330-451-8869. These are some of the events we attend in 2013: • Canton Salvation Army • Massillon Middle School Community Fair • Canton Charge HEROES Night • Plain Local Kindergarten Fair • Stark State College Community Resource Fair (spring & fall) • Stark County Fair (week-long) • First Fridays (May-October) • Madge Youtz Pre-Kindergarten Fair • Mercy Medical Center Health Fair • SCCAA Head Start Kickoff Fair • Waco Community Fair • Special Needs Expo at RG Drage • Safe Kids Coalition’s “Safe Kids Day” • Five local YMCA’s “Healthy Kids Day” • Helping Hands, Hard Times Fair at Stark County Library • Healthy Women's Expo at Kent State Stark Campus • Massillon FunFest • Malone University Health Fair • Project Homeless Connect • Stark County Library Preschool Fair • Back to School Fair (Canton) • Fall Open House at Brown Mackie College • Health & Wellness Fair , Walsh University • Kent State Family Fitness • Vision Awareness Fair • Hartville Migrant Camp • Plain Rotary • Canton South Rotary • St. Barbara’s (Massillon) • Ohio Benefit Bank

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

These are some of the events/organizations that we parterned with in 2013: • Leadership Stark County’s “TANF Town Simulation” • Point-in-Time Homeless Count • Stark County Fatherhood Coalition • Participated in 7 local job fairs • Project KARE’s 2013 Rising Up...Moving On • Foster Parent Recognition Banquet • Junior Achievement • Wear Blue • Senior Citizens Forum • Project Homeless Connect • Timken High School’s Career Day, “Dress for Success”

STAYING GREEN

877

Besides moving many of our publications, like this annual report, to a digital platform, we saved 877 trees through recycling paper in 2013 through our contract with Shred-It.

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WE'VE GOT MAIL

371,095

Pieces of mail were sent through our mailroom.

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SOCIAL MEDIA SCJFS uses Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and the Vine to post information about programs, services, workshops, upcoming events and current job listings.

Find Us @

facebook.com/SCJFS

@StarkCountyJFS

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