Current through all regulations passed and filed through March 18, 2024
(A) Independent living services shall be
provided to each youth in the custody of a public children services agency
(PCSA) or private child placing agency (PCPA) who has attained the age of
fourteen to prepare them for the transition from agency custody to
self-sufficiency.
(B) If a PCSA 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 shall inform the local county department of job and
family services (CDJFS) of the PCSA's involvement with the family in order to
ensure coordination of services.
(C) The PCSA or PCPA shall conduct a life
skills assessment on each youth in agency custody, who has reached age
fourteen. The assessment shall 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 shall
establish the need for independent living services identified in paragraph (D)
of this rule. The life skills assessment shall be completed with documented
input from the youth, the youth's caregiver, and the youth's case
manager.
(D) The PCSA or PCPA shall
determine which independent living services are and are not applicable, based
on the assessment required by paragraph (C) of this rule and shall include, but
not be limited to the following:
(1) Academic
support including:
(a) Academic
counseling.
(b) Preparation for a
GED.
(c) Assistance in applying for
or studying for a GED exam.
(d)
Tutoring.
(e) Help with
homework.
(f) Study skills
training.
(g) Literacy
training.
(h) Help accessing
educational resources.
(2) Post secondary educational support
including:
(a) Classes for test
preparation.
(b) Counseling about
college.
(c) Information about
financial aid and scholarships.
(d)
Help completing college or loan applications.
(e) Tutoring while in college.
(3) Career preparation including:
(a) Vocational and career assessment, career
exploration and planning, guidance in setting and assessing vocational and
career interests and skills and help in matching interests and abilities with
vocational goals.
(b) Job seeking
and job placement support, identifying potential employers, writing resumes,
completing job applications, developing interview skills, job shadowing,
receiving job referrals, using career resource libraries, understanding
employee benefits coverage, and securing work permits.
(c) Retention support and job
coaching.
(d) Learning how to work
with employers and other employees.
(e) Understanding workplace values such as
timeliness and appearance.
(f)
Understanding authority and customer relationships.
(4) Employment programs or vocational
training including:
(a) Participation in an
apprenticeship, internship, or summer employment program.
(b) Participation in vocational or trade
programs and the receipt of training in occupational classes for such skills as
cosmetology, auto mechanics, building trades, nursing, computer science, and
other current or emerging employment sectors.
(5) Budget and financial management
including:
(a) Living within a
budget.
(b) Opening and using a
checking or savings account.
(c)
Balancing a checkbook.
(d)
Developing consumer awareness and smart shopping skills.
(e) Accessing information about credit, loans
and taxes.
(f) Filling out tax
forms.
(6) Housing,
education and home management training including:
(a) Assistance or training in locating and
maintaining housing, filling out a rental application and acquiring a lease,
handling security deposits and utilities, understanding practice for keeping a
healthy and safe home, understanding tenants rights and responsibilities, and
handling landlord complaints.
(b)
Lessons in food preparation, laundry, housekeeping, living cooperatively, meal
planning, grocery shopping, basic maintenance and repairs, and driving
instruction.
(7) Health
education and risk prevention including:
(a)
Hygiene, nutrition, fitness and exercise, and first aid information.
(b) Medical and dental care benefits, health
care resources and insurance, prenatal care and maintaining personal medical
records.
(c) Sex education,
abstinence education, and HIV prevention, education and information about
sexual development and sexuality, pregnancy prevention and family planning and
sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS; substance abuse prevention and
intervention, including education and information about the effects and
consequences of substance use (alcohol, drugs, tobacco) and substance avoidance
and intervention.
(8)
Family support and healthy 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 longterm 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. 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. The PCSA or PCPA shall not 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:
(a) Youth under the age of
eighteen.
(b) Young adults that
have reached their twenty first birthday.
(E) The PCSA or PCPA shall develop an
independent living plan
in SACWIS within thirty days of the completion of
the assessment required by paragraph (C) of this rule, to help the youth
achieve self-sufficiency. The plan shall be based upon the assessment, the
developmental age of the child and include input from the youth, the youth's
case manager, the caregiver, and significant others in the youth's life. The
independent living plan shall document the strengths, limitations, and
resources of the youth and outline the services to be provided. A copy of the
plan and any subsequent updates shall be provided to the youth and caregiver
within thirty days of the development of the plan or the update as
applicable.
(F) The PCSA or PCPA
shall include in the independent living plan the contact information containing
the names, addresses and phone numbers of significant others, such as former
foster 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 shall use this information to work with
the youth to develop and achieve meaningful, permanent connections with at
least one caring adult.
(G) The
PCSA or PCPA shall amend the 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.
(H) The
PCSA or PCPA shall review the independent living plan with the youth and
substitute caregiver at least every ninety days until the agency's custody is
terminated. Each review shall 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.
(I) The PCSA or PCPA shall provide
independent living services training opportunities to caregivers caring for
adolescents.
(J) For each child in
the custody of the PCSA or PCPA who has attained the age of fourteen, the PCSA
or PCPA shall request a credit report from each of the three major credit
reporting agencies (CRA) each year until the child is discharged from
substitute care. This may be completed simultaneously or separately throughout
the year.
(1) A request shall be submitted to
at least one CRA by the first semi-annual review (SAR) held after the child
attains the age of fourteen.
(2)
The PCSA or PCPA shall ensure each child in agency custody who has attained the
age of fourteen or older until emancipation, annually receives all copies of
their consumer credit report. The PCSA or PCPA shall assist the youth in
interpreting the credit reports.
(3) The PCSA or PCPA shall assist youth in
the resolution of any inaccuracies reported on any of the credit reports by
working with the Ohio attorney general's office.
(K) A PCSA shall ensure the following
information is entered into statewide automated child welfare information
system (SACWIS) and a PCPA shall ensure that the information is documented in
the case record each work day or as information becomes available in accordance
with rule
5101:2-33-70
of the Administrative Code:
(1) All services
provided to youth as indicated in paragraph (D) of this rule.
(2) Youth characteristics including:
(a) Education levels.
(b) Tribal membership.
(c) Delinquency adjudication.
(d) Special education.
(e) Medical conditions.
(3) Basic demographics of the youth
including:
(a) Gender.
(b) Race.
(c) Ethnicity.
(L) The PCSA shall enter in SACWIS
and the PCPA shall document in the case record the date the independent living
assessment and the independent living plan were completed. All review dates of
the independent living plan shall be entered in SACWIS, in accordance with rule
5101:2-33-70
of the Administrative Code. The PCPA shall document all review dates in the
case record.
(M) The PCSA or PCPA
shall provide the youth information on 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) At least one hundred eighty days
prior to the youth's eighteenth birthday, the PCSA or PCPA shall determine if
one of the following eligibility criteria can be met for the youth to be
enrolled in the bridges program upon the youth emancipating from care.
(a) Youth is completing secondary education
or a program leading to an equivalent credential.
(b) Youth is enrolled in an institution that
provides post-secondary or vocation education.
(c) Youth is participating in a program or
activity designed to remove barriers to employment.
(d) Youth is employed for at least eighty
hours per month.
(e) Youth is
incapable of doing any of the activities described in paragraphs (M)(1)(a) to
(M)(1)(d) of this rule due to a medical condition, and incapacity is supported
by regular documentation from a qualified practitioner.
(2) At least ninety days prior to the youth's
emancipation if it is determined the youth is interested and meets at least one
of the eligibility criteria described in paragraphs (M)(1)(a) to (M)(1)(e) of
this rule, the PCSA or PCPA shall:
(a) Refer
the youth to the bridges program.
(b) Assign the bridges representative to the
ongoing case within 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 shall ensure
the youth has all documentation required to enroll in the bridges
program.
(N) At least
ninety days prior to the youth's emancipation from the agency's custody, the
PCSA or PCPA shall work with the youth to develop a final transition plan. The
plan shall be youth-driven and as detailed as the youth chooses. The PCSA shall
complete the plan in SACWIS. For youth who have been referred to the bridges
program, the final transition plan shall be shared with the bridges
representative. The plan shall include information regarding:
(1) The youth's option to receive post
emancipation services identified in rule 5101:2-42-19.2 of the Administrative
Code, provided or arranged by the PCSA or PCPA from which the youth
emancipated.
(2) Health care
including:
(a) Health insurance.
(b) Health care power of attorney.
(c) Youth's option to execute power of
attorney.
(3) Employment
services.
(4) Secondary and post
secondary education and training.
(5) Obtaining and paying for
housing.
(6) Budgeting for
necessary living expenses.
(7)
Obtaining a credit report.
(8)
Registering for selective service.
(9) Information on obtaining a driver's
license.
(10) Information on any
existing court fees associated with the youth's name prior to
emancipation.
(11) Information on
any existing benefits the youth receives, such as but not limited to social
security benefits. If necessary, the PCSA or PCPA shall review with the youth
instructions on how to apply for continuation of those benefits.
(O) Prior to the youth's
emancipation from the agency's custody, the PCSA or PCPA shall coordinate with
the following agencies, to obtain necessary documents:
(1) The department of health, office of vital
statistics, to ensure the youth obtains an original birth
certificate.
(2) The social
security administration, to ensure the youth obtains an original social
security card.
(3) The bureau of
motor vehicles, to ensure the youth obtains a current state identification card
and information on obtaining a driver's license.
(P) The PCSA or PCPA shall 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.
(Q) The PCSA shall document in SACWIS the
date the agency provided the information in paragraphs (E), (M) and (N) to (P)
of this rule. The PCPA shall document the information in the case
record.