Current through all regulations passed and filed through December 16, 2024
(A) Independent living services
are to
be provided to each youth in the custody of a public children services agency
(PCSA) or private child placing agency (PCPA) as
developmentally appropriate, no later than the age of fourteen for normalcy and
practical skills
to prepare them for the transition from agency custody to
self-sufficiency.
(B)
The PCSA or PCPA is to provide and explain the JFS
01677 "Foster Youth Rights Handbook" pursuant to paragraph (A) of this rule and
paragraph (Q) in rule
5101:2-42-90 of the
Administrative Code.
(C) If a PCSA
or PCPA is providing independent living services
to an eligible unmarried minor female who is pregnant or has a child and is
part of an "Ohio Works First" (OWF) assistance group, the PCSA
or PCPA is to
inform the local county department of job and
family services (CDJFS) of the PCSA or PCPA's
involvement with the family in order to ensure coordination of
services.
(D) The PCSA or PCPA
is to
conduct a life skills assessment on each youth in agency custody
no later
than age fourteen. The
assessment is to be completed no later than sixty days after
the youth's fourteenth birthday or sixty days after the youth enters agency
custody, if the youth is fourteen or older. A life skills assessment
is to
establish the need for independent living services identified in paragraph
(E) of
this rule. The life skills assessment is
to be completed with documented
input from the youth, the youth's caregiver, and the youth's
caseworker.
(E) The PCSA or PCPA
is to
determine which independent living services are applicable, or not needed based
on the assessment referenced in paragraph
(D) of this
rule and may include, but not be limited to the following:
(2)
Post secondary educational support.
(4) Employment programs or vocational
training.
(5) Budget and financial
management.
(6)
Housing, education and home management training.
(7) Health education and risk
prevention.
(8) Family support and healthy
relationship and marriage education including
education and information about safe and stable families, healthy marriages,
spousal communication, parenting, responsible fatherhood, childcare skills,
teen parenting and domestic and family violence prevention.
(9) Mentoring including being matched with a
screened and trained adult for a one-on-one relationship that involves the two
meeting on a regular basis. Mentoring can be short-term, but may also support
the development of a long-term relationship.
(10) Supervision services for a youth placed
in a supervised independent living arrangement including a youth who is living
independently under a supervised arrangement paid for or provided by the county
agency.
(11) Room and board
financial assistance for rent, deposits,
utilities, and other household start-up expenses in
accordance with all of the following:
(a)
The PCSA may only
use up to thirty per cent of the Chafee federal independent living allocation
for room and board pursuant to rule
5101:9-6-35 of the
Administrative Code which may include, but is not limited, to assistance with
rent and initial rental deposit pursuant to
42U.S.C.
677,(2018).
(b)
The PCSA is not
to use the Chafee allocation or TANF independent living funds for room and
board pursuant to rules
5101:9-6-35 and
5101:9-6-08.6 of the
Administrative Code for youth under the age of eighteen and young adults that
have reached their twenty-first birthday.
(12)
Financial
assistance including direct cash assistance, or other payments made or provided
by the county agency to help the youth gain independence.
(F)
To help the youth achieve self-sufficiency, the PCSA or
PCPA is to develop an independent living plan in Ohio statewide automated child
welfare information system (Ohio SACWIS) in accordance with all of the
following:
(1)
Complete within thirty days of the completion of the
assessment outlined in paragraph (D) of this rule.
(2)
Be based upon the
assessment and the developmental age of the youth.
(3)
Be youth driven
and include input from the youth's caseworker, the resource caregiver, and two
adult supporters as identified in rule
5101:2-38-05 of the
Administrative Code.
(4)
Document the strengths, limitations, and resources of
the youth and outline the services to be provided.
(5)
Update the plan
with any changes of the youth's strengths, limitations, or
goals.
(6)
Provide a copy of the plan and any subsequent updated
plans to the youth and resource caregiver within thirty days of the development
or update.
(G) The PCSA or PCPA
is to
include in the independent living plan the contact information containing the
names, addresses and phone numbers of significant others, such as
current or former resource caregivers, two adult
supporters, parents, friends, mentors, child's attorney, guardian ad
litem (GAL) or court appointed special advocates (CASA) and extended family
members as provided by the youth. The PCSA or PCPA is
to use this information to work
with the youth to develop and achieve meaningful, permanent connections with at
least one caring adult.
(H) The PCSA or PCPA
is to update the family case plan and submit it to the
court within seven days following the completion of the initial independent
living plan pursuant to rules
5101:2-38-05 and
5101:2-38-07 of the
Administrative Code.
(I) The PCSA or PCPA
is to complete a readiness review in Ohio SACWIS of the
independent living plan
with the youth and resource
caregiver at least every one hundred
eighty days until the agency's
custody is terminated. Each review is to include:
(1)
Progress on current independent living goals and the opportunity to add new
independent living goals, as necessary.
(2) Review of youth's contacts including the
development of meaningful, permanent connections.
(3) Details regarding youth's access to and
participation in age or developmentally appropriate activities, positive youth
development and experiential learning similar to non-custodial youth.
(J) The PCSA or PCPA
is to
provide independent living services training opportunities to caregivers caring
for adolescents.
(K) For each youth in
the custody of the PCSA or PCPA no later than the age of fourteen, the PCSA or
PCPA is to request a credit report from each of the three major credit
reporting agencies (CRA) each year until the youth is
discharged from substitute care. This may be completed simultaneously or
separately throughout the year.
(1) A request
is to be
submitted to at least one CRA by the first semi-annual review (SAR) held after
the youth attains the age of fourteen.
(2)
The PCSA or PCPA
is to ensure each youth receives a copy and is provided interpretation of their
consumer credit report annually until emancipation.
(3) The PCSA or PCPA is to assist
youth in the resolution of any inaccuracies reported on any of the credit
reports by working with the Ohio attorney general's office.
(L) A PCSA
or PCPA is to ensure the following information is entered
into Ohio SACWIS in accordance
with rule
5101:2-33-70 of the
Administrative Code:
(1) All services provided
to youth as indicated in paragraph (E) of this rule.
(2) Youth characteristics including:
(a)
Current and
historical school information and education levels.
(c) Delinquency adjudication.
(e)
Current and
historical medical conditions, medications and medical provider
information.
(3)
Basic demographics of the youth including:
(M) The PCSA
or PCPA is to enter in Ohio
SACWIS the date the independent living assessment and the independent
living plan were completed. All readiness review
dates of the independent living plan are
to be entered in
Ohio SACWIS, in accordance with rule
5101:2-33-70 of the
Administrative Code.
(N)
The PCSA or PCPA
is to assist the youth in completing the national youth in transition database
(NYTD) survey in accordance with
45 C.F.R.
1356.82 (a)(2) (2008). The
PCSA may utilize independent living allocation to provide youth with incentives
to complete the survey.
(O)
At least one
hundred eighty days prior to the youth's eighteenth birthday, the PCSA or
PCPA is to provide the youth information on
final transition planning and post emancipation
services in accordance with rule
5101:2-42-19.2 of the
Administrative Code and eligibility criteria to enroll in bridges in accordance
with Chapter 5101:2-50 of the Administrative Code.
(1)
The PCSA or PCPA is to document efforts
in the readiness review to assist youth with meeting eligibility for bridges as
outlined in rule 5101: 2-50-02 of the Administrative Code.
(2) At least ninety days prior to the youth's
emancipation, if it is determined the youth is
interested,
the PCSA or PCPA is
to:
(a) Refer the youth to the bridges
program.
(b) Assign the bridges
representative to the ongoing case within Ohio
SACWIS.
(c) Introduce the youth to
the bridges representative.
(d)
Collaborate with the bridges representative until the youth reaches
emancipation and custody has been terminated.
(3) At least fourteen days prior to the
youth's emancipation, the PCSA or PCPA is
to ensure the youth has all
documentation required to enroll in the bridges program.
(P)
If the youth is
expected to remain in care after their eighteenth birthday, documentation is to
be added to the readiness review at least ninety days prior to their eighteenth
birthday to include information regarding the anticipated emancipation date.
The PCSA or PCPA is to continue to document ongoing discussions regarding the
final transition plan and emancipation date within the readiness review until
the final transition plan, referenced in paragraph (Q) of this rule, is
created.
(Q) At least ninety
days prior to the youth's emancipation from the agency's custody, the PCSA or
PCPA is to work with the youth to develop a final
transition plan.
(1)
The final transition plan is to be:
(b)
Reviewed with the youth during monthly visits pursuant
to rule 5101: 2-42-65 of the Administrative Code until youth emancipates from
agency's custody.
(c)
Entered into Ohio SACWIS.
(d)
Shared with the
bridges representative for youth that have been referred to the bridges
program.
(2)
The final
transition plan is to address the following:
(a)
The youth's
option to receive young adult services identified in rule
5101:2-42-19.2 of the
Administrative Code.
(b)
Health care including:
(i)
Information
regarding Medicaid eligibility for former foster youth until the age of
twenty-six. The PCSA or PCPA is to submit the ODM 01958 "Referral for Medicaid
Continuing Eligibility Review" to the county in which the youth will reside
upon emancipation. It is to be explained to the youth that medicaid is to be
renewed annually in the county they reside.
(ii)
Health care
power of attorney.
(iii)
Youth's option to execute power of
attorney.
(iv)
Establish ongoing services with medical and behavioral
health providers where the youth will reside upon emancipation.
(d)
Secondary and
post-secondary education and training.
(e)
Obtaining and
paying for safe and stable housing where the young adult will reside upon
emancipation.
(f)
Budgeting for necessary living
expenses.
(g)
Obtaining a credit report.
(h)
Registering for
selective service.
(i)
Information on obtaining a driver's
license.
(j)
Information on any existing court fees associated with
the youth's name prior to emancipation.
(k)
Information on
any existing benefits the youth receives, such as but not limited to social
security benefits. If necessary, the PCSA or PCPA review with the youth
instructions on how to apply for continuation of those benefits.
(R) Prior to the
youth's emancipation from the agency's custody, the PCSA or PCPA is to secure
and provide to the youth the following documents:
(1) An original birth certificate.
(2) An original social security
card.
(3) A current state
identification card or driver's license.
(S) The PCSA or PCPA
is to
provide a copy of the final transition plan to the youth when custody is
terminated due to reaching the age of emancipation, along with the following:
(1) A copy of the youth's health and
education records.
(2) A letter
verifying that the youth emancipated from agency custody.
(T)
The PCSA or PCPA is to document in Ohio SACWIS the date the agency provided the
information in paragraphs (B), (F), (K), (O) and (Q) to
(S) of this rule
.
