Ohio YAB Mid Year Retreat

Saturday, May 28, 2016at OACCA

Retreat Agenda1.) Welcome, Introductions, and Icebreaker: “Build a Bridge” Activity

2.) Oath of Office for OYAB Officers • OHIO Youth Advisory Board Mission • Roles and Responsibilities of Each Officer• Review and Update OHIO YAB Constitution (Elections and Back-Up Officers)• Review and Update OHIO YAB Code of Conduct• Developing a Media Protocol

Noon – 1:00 pm Lunch

3.) 2016 OHIO YAB Strategic Plan: Charting progress and moving forward

4.) Advocating Tips and Tools (including updates re: YAB Toolkits) • Role-Plays (Strategic Sharing and Advocating Without Alienating)• Developing Future Training Modules to Support Youth Voice

3:00 pm Departure

• We exist to be the knowledgeable statewide voice that influences policies and practices that effect all youth who have or will experience out of home care.

OHIO YAB Mission

Oath of Office

• I (STATE YOUR NAME), hereby on my own accord and conscience am prepared to take the oath of office for the OHIO Youth Advisory Board.

• I pledge and/or promise to uphold the constitution, bylaws and governing rules of the Ohio Youth Advisory Board until such time that I am no longer an officer of the board.

• I pledge and/or promise to fulfill the duties of the office of (STATE YOUR OFFICE) to the best of my ability.

• I also pledge/or promise, to the best of my ability, to advocate, defend, and promote the ideals and general welfare of all foster, transition, and independent youth for the State of OHIO.

• Constitution hasn’t been updated since 2006• Code of Conduct was last updated in 2010, when we added

the Internet Policy

Updating OHIO YAB documents

• We want to safeguard our officers against being exploited by reporters.

• We want our officers to feel prepared, and not to be overwhelmed.

• Communication is key to making sure that this happens.

Developing a Media Protocol

2016 OHIO YAB Strategic Plan: Outreach and Policy

1. Work to ensure that youth voice is included in all stages of statewide discussions of policy and practice.

2. Promote the establishment and ongoing development of local and county youth advisory boards.

3. Continued development and promotion of OHIO YAB toolkits and outreach materials.

2016 OHIO YAB Strategic Plan: Housing

1. Raise awareness of the “Foster Care to Homelessness” pipeline

2. Promote the establishment of additional transitional housing options for former foster youth.

3. Continued partnership with local, statewide and national housing advocates and experts.

2016 OHIO YAB Strategic Plan: Education

1. Raise awareness of the impact of school changes when it comes to credit loss, extra-curricular opportunities, and post-secondary preparation

2. Advocate for normalcy and least-restrictive school placements, particularly for young people who are currently placed in group homes and residential settings.

3. Research and promote Educational Best Practices on a local, statewide and national level

2016 OHIO YAB Strategic Plan: Youth Voice in Court

1. Ensure youth voice on statewide judicial roundtables

2. Seek methods and tools to inform and empower youth to understand and navigate the court system.

3. Identify and promote local, regional and statewide allies that youth can contact with their court-related questions.

2016 OHIO YAB Strategic Plan: Independent Living, Part 1

1. Ensure youth voice throughout the development process of Ohio’s future statewide independent living curriculum to ensure that it (a.) includes hands-on activities, (b.) begins with a pilot, (c.) includes youth feedback throughout the process, including youth evaluation forms, (d.) allows public and private agencies to customize the order in which the material is provided according to the immediate needs of their youth.

2016 OHIO YAB Strategic Plan: Independent Living, Part 2

2. Seek partners to assist in the creation of an online Independent Living Clearinghouse to share resources to help youth during their transition to adulthood.

3. Advocate for a review of how training related to IL is delivered to foster parents and caseworkers and experienced by youth.

2016 OHIO YAB Strategic Plan: Workforce

1. Ensure that youth voice is included in Ohio implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

2. Advocate for one or more Ohio pilots of Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) as a resource for emancipating foster youth.

3. Seek to overcome barriers for teens in foster care in establishing a savings account.

2016 OHIO YAB Strategic Plan: Ohio YAB Initiatives

1. Seek opportunities for youth voice in pre-service training for foster parents, in order to increase the number and expertise of foster parents for teens

2. Work on OHIO YAB website and messaging3. Explore the possibility of college internships and

community partnerships to promote the sustainability of county and regional youth advisory boards

4. Encourage one or more Ohio counties to pilot the three-tiered mentoring model.

5. Seek partners to continue to develop the Ohio Pride initiative.

• Advocating Without Alienating• Toolkits• Developing Training Modules, to share throughout the state

to support youth voice

OHIO YAB Tips and Tools