Having convened for its final two scheduled meetings earlier this month, the Speaker’s Task Force on Education and Poverty (STFEP) will soon present its findings and recommendations for closing Ohio’s educational achievement gap in a report to the General Assembly. Over the past five months, The Center for Community Solutions has followed the deliberations of...
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Who Do Survivors of Sexual Assault Trust?
The Center for Community Solutions recently had the opportunity to conduct a needs assessment for Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (CRCC). One goal of the assessment was to learn more about how residents of Cuyahoga County get connected to services. Where do survivors of sexual assault or rape turn for help? Who do people trust to...
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Why Profiles? 3 Good Reasons
In the past year and a half, I have managed the creation of 303 different community data profiles. You’ve probably seen them–they are one-page fact sheets that contain data about different geographies. We’ve released them for each county in Ohio, each state and federal legislative district in Ohio, each neighborhood in Cleveland, and most recently,...
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Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee: Behavioral Health Redesign Beta Testing Part II
On November 16, the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee (JMOC) met to revisit the topic of beta testing Ohio’s Behavioral Health Redesign. This time, in addition to a presentation by Medicaid Director Barbara Sears and other Kasich administration staff, JMOC heard from the Ohio Association of Health Plans (OAHP), The Ohio Council of Behavioral Health &...
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Mayoral Senior Forum at Eliza Bryant draws more than 60 attendees
On October 25, 2017, the Council On Older Persons (COOP), in collaboration with Eliza Bryant Village, hosted the Senior Forum with Cleveland’s mayoral candidates: incumbent Mayor Frank G. Jackson and challenger City Councilman Zack Reed. The event was held at Eliza Bryant Village, the oldest senior living facility for African Americans in the country. (Eliza...
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Federal, State, and Local Budgeting Matters: Takeaways from the Celebration of Human Services’ Panel of Budget Experts
As Ohio Budget Director Tim Keen began addressing a room full of Northeast Ohio human services professionals, he remarked that the drive from Columbus to Cleveland always bears reminders of the impacts of state investments. Cleveland landmarks like Progressive Field, the “Q,” and Playhouse Square all serve as tangible, brick and mortar evidence of the...
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Collaboration: “Not for the Faint of Heart”
Health and social issues are so complex that no single agency can expect to solve them alone. Limited resources required nonprofits, government, and funders alike to be creative in stretching dollars to make an impact. Collaboration is often regarded as a solution to both the complexity problem, and the resources problem. But as panelists at...
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Exploring How to Ride the Age Wave
At the Celebration of Human Services held on October 20, 2017, three experts on Aging joined the “Riding the Age Wave” panel to discuss the past, present and future needs of older adults and services available. Mary McNamara, Director of the Cleveland Department of Aging, Toni Gelsomino, Director of Lakewood Health and Human Services and...
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Several Local Health Experts Explored Harm Reduction Strategies
The Center for Community Solutions’ annual Celebration of Human Services featured a breakout session entitled Harm Reduction Strategies in NEO. Terry Allan, Health Commissioner of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, moderated a panel of local experts discussing their harm reduction programs and impact in our region. Mr. Allan started the session defining harm reduction...
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The New Rules of Waivers and State Plan Amendments
On Tuesday November 7th, the federal Department of Health and Human Services outlined its new criteria for reviewing states’ efforts to experiment with their Medicaid programs. In a press release sent out by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Director Seema Verma outlined her “vision” for the Medicaid program, which includes a new...
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