In Ohio’s last budget bill, HB 64 a joint legislative committee was created to address the issue of the requirement for parents to have to relinquish custody of their children to protective children services to receive behavioral health and developmental services they require. Members on the Committee are Chairman Senator Randy Gardner, Vice Chairwoman Representative Sara LaTourette, Senator Peggy Lehner, Senator Kris Jordan, Senator Cecil Thomas, Senator Mike Skindell, Representative Jeffrey Rezabek, Representative Dorothy Pelanda, Representative Denise Driehaus, and Representative Janine Boyd. Specifically, the Committee was tasked with the following: charge:
- Identify the services currently provided to multi-system youths and the costs and outcomes of those services;
- Identify existing best practices to eliminate custody relinquishment as a means of gaining access to services for multi-system youths;
- Identify the best methods for person-centered care coordination related to behavioral health, developmental disabilities, juvenile justice, and employment;
- Build a system of accountability to monitor the progress of the multi-system youths in residential placement; and
- Recommend an equitable, adequate, sustainable funding and service delivery system to meet the needs of all multi-system youths.
