County START team presents at state summit

Seneca County's START – Sobriety, Treatment and Reducing Trauma – team was selected to present at the Ohio START annual summit May 1 to caseworkers, supervisors, behavioral health providers and family peer mentors. Attendees at the summit at Fawcett Event Center at Ohio State University in Columbus learned how best to serve families struggling with co-occurring child maltreatment and substance use disorder. Jill Gosche, Seneca County's START coordinator, and Jennifer Schumacher, Protective Services administrator for Seneca County Department of Job and Family Services, co-presented with assistance from Adam Gonzales, family peer mentor; Katelin Logan, caseworker; and Desiree Adkins, START supervisor. "I am so proud of our team, who has worked incredibly hard, with dedication and perseverance to assist families. They are incredibly talented. We appreciate our partners who support and assist us. We are blessed to work with incredible families," said Kathy Oliver, director of Seneca County DJFS. The presentation was titled "Small things are big things in START: The value of connection and collaboration." It sought to inform through shared experience how to begin or enhance a START program, focusing on the micro-level and the value of connection and collaboration, in order to reach the macro-level outcome. The presentation shared initiatives that have helped the Seneca County START team with serving families in their recovery journeys and encouraged discussion about what has worked for other counties serving START families. In Seneca County, START is a collaboration between Seneca County DJFS and Seneca County Family and Children First Council, with support from Sandusky Artisans Recovery Community Center, Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wyandot Counties, Firelands Counseling and Recovery Services, Lutheran Social Services, Serenity Christian Counseling, Highlife Recovery and others. Seneca County START has served 11 families and continues to grow. Many community partners have collaborated to support START families during the recovery process by providing beds, household items, school supplies, children's clothing, bicycles, Christmas gifts, gym membership and family photography sessions. START, which is a children services-led initiative, works with families with co-occurring substance use disorder and child maltreatment. Participation in START is voluntary, with families choosing this alternative to the traditional children services involvement. The team – which includes a family peer mentor, caseworker, coordinator, supervisors and behavioral health providers – works with families to assist them in achieving six months of sobriety on the journey of addiction-free lives. Ohio START has served 3,558 Ohioans and 2,001 children.