The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, in partnership with the Supreme Court of Ohio, is conducting a pilot of Alternative Response. Alternative Response is a formal response to child abuse and/or neglect that assesses needs of the child or family without requiring a determination that maltreatment has occurred. The Alternative Response pilot will allow public children services agencies (PCSA) to be able to provide families the option of providing a non-investigative, family-friendly assessment as opposed to the traditional assessment/investigation, and utilize a less structured, more family driven approach to delivery of services. The pilot begins July 1, 2008.

Ten PCSAs are participating in this pilot. These PCSAs are Clark County Department of Job and Family Services, Fairfield County Department of Job and Family Services, Franklin County Children Services Board, Greene County Children Services Board, Guernsey County Children Services Board, Licking County Department of Job and Family Services, Lucas County Children Services Board, Ross County Department of Job and Family Services, Trumbull County Children Services Board, and Tuscawaras County Department of Job and Family Services.

The purpose of the pilot is to evaluate an alternative response approach that encourages family engagement in response to accepted child abuse and neglect reports. The following principles form the foundation for Ohio's alternative response:

• Provide families the opportunity to make an informed decision to participate in alternative response pathway or be served by the traditional pathway.
• Assess child safety through practices that are child-centered and family-focused.
• Engage families in a partnership where the labels of perpetrators and victims have been removed.
• Identify families' strengths and needs by emphasizing the engagement of families.
• Develop creative solutions, including informal supports and formal services, by emphasizing the engagement of families while attending to underlying conditions and contributing factors which interfere with child safety.

This letter transmits new rules 5101:9-14-03 and 5101:9-14-04 to implement the Alternative Response pilot. The rules are effective July 1, 2008.

Rule 5101:9-14-03, entitled Implementation of pilot protocols for public children services agencies participating in the alternative response pilot program outlines the purpose and principals of Alternative Response. It also provides the requirements regarding pathway assignment and the guidance for adherence to Administrative Code rules.

Rule 5101:9-14-04, entitled PCSA requirements for alternative response to child abuse and/or neglect outlines the specific requirements deemed necessary for the effective administration of the Alternative Response pilot.

The following forms and their instructions have been developed as part of the implementation of the Alternative Response pilot:

• JFS 01417 (7/2008) and JFS 01417-I, Alternative Response Family Services Plan Review
• JFS 01418 (7/2008) and JFS 01418-I, Alternative Response Family Services Plan
• JFS 01419 (7/2008) and JFS 01419-I, Alternative Response Family Assessment
• JFS 01422 (7/2008) and JFS 01422-I, Alternative Response Case Closure
• JFS 01423 (7/2008) and JFS 01423-I, Alternative Response Ongoing Case Assessment

Instructions:

The following chart depicts what materials are to be inserted in the Administrative Procedure Manual.