Making Historic Reforms to the Nation’s Children’s Services System  

The federal Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First) was adopted on February 9, 2018 and will be implemented nationwide by October 1, 2021. Family First places emphasis on the use of evidence based prevention services to alleviate the need for placement of children in foster care, and ensuring appropriate settings are used for children in foster care.

The name of the law reflects its VISION:
A family first for children and teens through quality prevention services.
QUESTIONS? Email us at FamilyFirst@jfs.ohio.gov

Read the full Act or summaries of the Act.

These Resources help to outline the Implementation planning:  

• Overview of Family First Planning PowerPoint
• Roadmap to Implementation Document - This document details the work of the leadership committee and next steps for Implementation.
• Roadmap to Implementation Executive Summary
• Framework for Implementation Planning - This provides the framework for how the work of the Leadership committee Translates to the Implementation Teams
• Family First Overview and Rules and Tools - This presentation provides an overview of Family First and draft Prevention Services rules - October 1, 2020
• Family First Overview Power Point - This presentation can be used to provide an overview of FFPSA to stakeholders - January 2021
• Communities of Support Grant Webinar Presentation - January 13, 2021
  Communities of Support Grant Webinar Recording - January 13, 2021 - If you need an accommodation for accessibility in reference to this video, please contact 614-644-2703.
• Center of Excellence Webinar Recording - April 7, 2021
• Center of Excellence Webinar Slides
• Center of Excellence Webinar Questions and Answers
• Prevention Services Case Flow Overview
• Family First Prevention Services Act Eligibility
• Prevention Services Funding Overview
• Prevention Services Funding Flow
• Prevention Services Overview Recording 
• Community Stakeholder Guide to Prevention Services
• Implementation Strategies for Prevention Services
• Family First Prevention Services Rack Card 

Family First Communication

• FFPSA FAQs - February 10, 2022 - click link for documents
• Qualified Individual Waiver - Approved
• Ohio's Title IV-E Prevention Services Plan - Approved

Ohio CANS Assessment

• Ohio Brief CANS Rating Sheet
• Ohio Brief CANS Reference Guide
• Ohio Comprehensive CANS Rating Sheet
• Ohio Comprehensive CANS Reference Guide
• Ohio CANS Decision Support Model
• Ohio Brief CANS Fillable Form 

FAMILY FIRST PREVENTION SERVICES ACT (FFPSA) TRAINING

• FFPSA Overview Recording 
• FFPSA Overview Slides
• CANS and QRTP Webinar Recording – August 9, 2021
• CANS and QRTP Webinar Slides
• QRTP Casework Policy and SACWIS Training – August 18, 2021 
• QRTP Casework Policy and SACWIS Training Slides
• QRTP FCM Rules/Reimbursability and SACWIS Training
• QRTP FCM Rules/Reimbursability and SACWIS Training Slides
• QRTP Overview Recording
• QRTP Process Flowchart
• Family First Prevention Services (FFPS) EligibilityReimbursability Training Ohio SACWIS Webinar - September 15, 2021
• Prevention Services: Caseworker Preparation PreventionServices Webinar - September 15, 2021
• Ohio Children’s Alliance Payment Process for MST and FFT Webinar
• Ohio Children’s Alliance Payment Process for MST and FFT Slides
• Ohio Department of Health HFA and PAT OverviewWebinar
• Ohio Department of Health HFA and PAT Overview Slides 

QUALIFIED RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAMS (QRTP)

The QRTP Subcommittee began meeting in March 2019 and solidified all recommendations in September 2019. The Subcommittee’s goal was to examine the Family First QRTP requirements and discuss how Ohio’s residential facilities can comply with those requirements. In addition to engaging multiple facilities in the conversation around requirements of Family First, the subcommittee and workgroups focused on the readiness of agencies to implement QRTP requirements. Although the subcommittee’s goal was the “what” of QRTP planning, the subcommittee and workgroups kept in mind the implementation planning that needs to happen as a result of these changes.

The QRTP subcommittee engaged several workgroups to really focus in on particular areas of QRTP planning; Accreditation, Agency Readiness, Court Oversight, Level of Care, Licensing and Contracting, and Treatment Model.

All QRTP Recommendations (Excerpt from the Roadmap Document)
  
QRTP Compliance Checklist
QRTP Training Videos - OCALM Community User Page

Trauma Informed Treatment Model:

• Trauma Requirement Flow Chart
• Trauma Training Directory
• Treatment Model Infosheet
• Trauma Training Competencies
• Trauma Models 
• Trauma Model Application
• QRTP Infosheet Issue One - Foundations of a Trauma Informed Approach
• QRTP Infosheet Issue Two - Trauma Treatment 
• QRTP Infosheet Issue Three - Trauma Screening and Assessment 
• QRTP Infosheet Issue Four - A Culturally Responsive Trauma-Informed Care Approach
• QRTP Infosheet Issue Five - Trauma and Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities
• QRTP Infosheet Issue Six - Trauma and Families/Caregivers 

Accreditation:
 

• Accreditation Statewide Forum Powerpoint (April 22, 2020)  

Nursing and Clinical Support:  

RESOURCES

QRTP Reimbursement Workflow - FCCS

Kinship and Adoption Navigator Resources:

• OhioKAN Update Presentation - October 17, 2019
• OhioKAN Presentation - From August 15th Leadership Committee Meeting
• Ohio Kinship Adoption Navigator (OhioKAN) Website  
• OhioKAN Timeline & Implementation Framework - June 2019
• Kinship and Adoption Navigator (OhioKAN) Overview PowerPoint - May 2019
• Current ORC Language regarding Kinship Navigator
• Proposed ORC Language Changes in Budget Bill HB166
• Social Security Act Kinship Navigator Requirements

Model Standards:

• Model Standards Updates - July 2019
• National Model Foster Family Home Licensing Standards - ACYF-CB-IM-19-01 - February 2019
• Model Standards - Ohio Crosswalk - February 2019

Communications and Resources:

• National Family First Act Website
• Ohio Specific Communications FFPSA Talking Points
• Youth & Alumni Priorities Statement from the National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council (Adopted: October 2019)
• April Youth Advisory Board Meeting Notes from Ohio youth on Family First Questions April - June 2019
• Federal Resource Core Messaging for Family First Prevention Services Act
• Executive Summary: Interventions with Special Relevance for the FFPSA
• Safe Strong Supportive PowerPoint - Casey Family Programs January 2019
• Interventions with Special Relevance for FFPSA - Catalog from Casey Family Programs November 10, 2018
• Courts - The Role of the Courts in Implementing FFPSA  
• Executive Summary: Interventions with Special Relevance for the FFPSA

Other Resources:

• Tiered Treatment Foster Care Presentation given to the Leadership Committee on December 16, 2019 - Presentation by Gretchen Clark Hammond (Mighty Crow) and Scott Britton (PCSAO)
• Family First Transition and Support Act of 2019 Senator Sherrod Brown and Debbie Stabenow - posted by Child Welfare League of America (CWLA)
• FFPSA_EvaluationPlanACYF-CB-IM-19-04  
• Administration for Children and Families - July 9, 2018
• Regional Program Managers Children's Bureau Listing
• Certification of Required Legislation - Attachment B
• Request for Delay - Attachment C
• Agency Plan for Title IV-E of the Social Security Act - Attachment D
• Administration for Children and Families (ACYF-CB-PI-18-09) - November 30,2018
• State Plan for Title IV-E of the Social Security Act: Prevention Services and Programs - Attachment B
• HHS Initial Practice Criteria and First List of Services and Program Selected for Review - Attachment C

You can also view historical information on Family First.