Northern Counties Services
In keeping with the mission of Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley, our Northern Counties Office is committed to caring for the elderly and disabled in the communities we serve. Our services include PASSPORT (Medicaid Waiver), Care Coordination and Assisted Living (waiver) in Champaign, Darke, Logan, Miami, Preble and Shelby Counties, as well as offering volunteer-based Senior Outreach services. We also provide counseling for individuals and families, helping them deal with a wide range of situations and stressors. Our professional, licensed counselors are guides who provide direction to people in search of solutions, ultimately empowering them to resolve their problems. CSSMV serves all faiths; you do not have to be Catholic. We offer our programs to people in need regardless of religion, ethnic background, or socioeconomic condition. All services involving a fee are provided on a sliding scale based on income.
Northern Counties Advisory Council
Donald L. Grieshop (CHAIR)
Todd Dammeyer
John Dunlap
Rev. Doug Klinsing
Kathy Nichols
Norm Shearer
Dianne Sielschott
Karen Wendeln
Northern Counties Office
100 S. Main Avenue, Suite 101
Sidney, Ohio 45365
(937) 498-4593 or (833) 289-0227
Professional Counseling
Are you going through interpersonal or emotional challenges that make your daily life more difficult? Our professional counseling team is here to help. Our counselors can help you deal with depression, anxiety, trauma, behavior issues, relationship problems, attachment issues, grief, domestic violence, adjustment to illness, post-adoption emotions, and many other issues. We offer professional counseling for individuals, couples and families, and we work with children age 5 and up.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does therapy entail?
The counseling process begins with a short period of assessment that may take up to 2-4 visits. In this time the therapist is becoming familiar with you and your goals and the barriers you are encountering. After this, you and the therapist work together to develop a treatment plan that outlines your goals and the steps we will take to achieve these. In other words, we are asking, “What do you want? And how will we know when you achieve that?” The treatment process may be brief (6-10 sessions), or extend longer if you feel that more work is needed to resolve your problems to your satisfaction.
How long are counseling sessions?
Generally, sessions are held weekly or twice a month, and each session lasts about 50 minutes.
Many people resolve their concerns in a few sessions. Most treatment is short-term with 10 or fewer sessions.
Is this religious-based counseling?
No. Our professional, licensed counselors provide the same type of counseling you would receive at a non-Catholic facility. You do not need to be Catholic — or even Christian — to receive services.
We offer assistance to people in need regardless of religion or ethnic background; we do not proselytize. If your faith is important to you, it’s certainly something we can talk about in your counseling sessions, but we won’t bring up the subject unless you do.
Do you accept my insurance?
We accept most private insurance as well as Medicaid. Please talk with our office staff to see if your plan is accepted. Please check with your insurance provider for the specific details of your plan’s coverage.
What if I don’t have insurance for mental health care?
We use a sliding scale to make treatment more affordable for those who don’t have insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover mental health services.
How do I schedule an appointment?
If you are interested in pursuing counseling at Catholic Social Services, the next step is to call our Sidney office at 937.498.4593.
Assisted Living
Assisted Living combines a home-like setting with personal support services to provide a safer and more monitored environment than what’s available through home care services. Assisted living facilities provide older adults with a less-restrictive alternative to a nursing facility. Individuals who meet level-of-care needs and meet established financial criteria may be eligible for Ohio’s Assisted Living Waiver Program.
The Assisted Living option is best for individuals who need some services but are still fairly independent. Residential assisted living facilities provide environments that are designed to keep seniors active but safe. Assisted Living promotes aging in place by supporting a consumer’s desire for independence, choice, and privacy. The services help preserve the dignity of the individual, as well as maintaining ties to family and friends.
Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley can help you determine whether you’re eligible for the waiver program, make sure the assisted living facility you’ve chosen is appropriately licensed and certified, and complete the enrollment process.
Prescription Drug Cost Savings
MEDICARE SAVINGS PROGRAM (MSP)
& LOW INCOME SUBSIDY (LIS)
Consumers receiving Medicare who have limited income and assets may qualify for Extra Help with the cost of their prescription drugs. The Social Security Administration (SSA) and Medicare work together to provide this extra help through the Low Income Subsidy (LIS) — also known as the Extra Help program.
Prescription drug costs continue to increase. The insurance maze of tiers, generic vs. non-generic, co-pays and donut holes can be confusing. Some consumers skip doses or just stop taking the medicines that their doctors recommend because they simply cannot afford them. Not taking a prescribed medicine or not taking it as directed can lead to additional health problems.
The Medicare Savings Program (MSP) and Low Income Subsidy (LIS) may be the answer for some struggling seniors.
Those who are eligible for the low income subsidy will get help paying for 75% or more of their monthly Part D premium, yearly deductible, and prescription co-payments. They will also have no gap in coverage = No Donut Hole.
Our agency can assist individuals with the application process. The application is completed electronically with the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Contact our Northern Counties office at (937) 498-4593 or (833) 289-0227 for more information.
Free Classes & Info Sessions
Our Family Stabilization & Support (FSS) staff coordinate an ongoing series of classes and informational sessions that are free for anyone to attend.
Most sessions focus on wellness and stress management, financial empowerment, health and nutrition. Some are led by CSSMV staff, while others have guest presenters from the Ohio State University Extension Office, Day Air Credit Union, and other community partners. The selection of topics is driven by the interest level of our clients and community members.
Attendance is not limited to CSSMV clients. Other agencies are welcome to share our event schedules with their own clients, and anyone from the general public is welcome to attend any session that’s of interest. We only ask that those planning to attend RSVP in advance so we can plan accordingly, and so that we can notify them of any unexpected changes in the class date or time.
Classes offered by other programs within CSSMV, such as Parenting, are also included in our class listings when they are free and open to the public.
Post-Adoption Support Services
Adoption is a life-long process and each adoption is unique and special. Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley offers post-adoption services and general adoption information, support for adoptees, and specialized support for adoptive families through our Safe Counseling program.
Whether you’re an adoptee looking for information on your birth family, you’re looking for information about how to adopt a child, or your family includes an adopted child, we have expertise to assist you. The CSSMV professional counseling program is available to adult and child adoptees and their families, and also offers special expertise in the area of attachment disorders.
Long Term Support Services
“Having observed most facets of the CSSMV ministry in Greenville and Darke County, I have become especially appreciative of the work of PASSPORT and other senior-centered programs which provide quality care and dignity to so many seniors in our region … I have been so impressed with the level of expertise and care their staff provide clients. As a Protestant pastor it has been refreshing to see how CSSMV has been willing and able to cross religious boundaries, assisting with needs regardless of faith or creed.”
PASSPORT (Pre-Admission Screening System Providing Options and Resources Today) is a home-care Medicaid waiver program that provides long-term care services to assist people in maintaining their independence. The program is provided at no cost to Medicaid-eligible individuals 60 years of age or older.
Individuals at risk of nursing home placement can often remain in their own homes with the supportive services of the PASSPORT program. Licensed, professional PASSPORT staff members assess clients’ needs, make recommendations, and arrange for services which are provided in-home through contracted agencies.
PASSPORT services can include personal care assistance, homemaking, home-delivered meals, emergency response systems, adult day care, home medical equipment, minor home modification, medical transportation, chore services, and social work counseling.
An assessment at no cost can be completed for anyone interested in home care services, regardless of program eligibility. Even if you don’t think you would qualify for Medicaid, you may qualify for PASSPORT Financial eligibility is determined by the Ohio Department of Medicaid.
What if I’m not eligible for PASSPORT?
Care Coordination provides services such as case management, personal care aides, adult day services, adult day service transportation, home-delivered meals, emergency response systems and more for those who are financially ineligible for PASSPORT.
For more information and to determine your eligibility, call our Northern Counties office at (937) 498-4593 or (833) 289-0227 and request a free assessment.
Pregnancy & Parenting Support
Discovering that you’re pregnant can be one of the most joyful moments of a person’s life. But even the most enthusiastic new parents may be unprepared — emotionally, financially, and educationally — for the joy, challenges, and occasional heartbreak of parenthood.
This is why Catholic Social Services is committed to providing a continuum of exceptional programs to support mothers and fathers throughout their experience. CSSMV’s programs can help young, first-time, or struggling parents successfully make the journey from pregnancy to a healthy birth to effective parenting. We also provide support for adoptive parents and kinship caregivers, to assist with the special challenges these situations can present.
Family Stabilization & Support
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you accept walk-ins?
We only accept walk-ins on Mondays between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon, on a first-come, first-served basis.
We do NOT accept walk-ins for utility assistance; CLICK HERE for more information.
In general, we recommend that you make an appointment so that a case manager can have ample time to spend with you and help you with your needs. This also allows the case manager to plan ahead for your visit, and have relevant information and materials ready for you when you arrive.
Do you provide financial assistance?
The only financial assistance we are able to provide is limited utility assistance through our Neighbors Helping Neighbors program. (CLICK HERE for more information.)
Can you help me create a household budget?
Yes! We believe that financial empowerment is an incredibly important goal for our FSS clients. This may or may not be one of the first steps in your case management plan, depending on your unique situation.
The goal of our Family Stabilization & Support (FSS) program is to help our clients escape the vicious cycle of poverty by building on their own strengths and their aspirations for themselves and their families. Many of the people we serve struggle with unemployment or underemployment, lack of education and job skills, poor health and nutrition, lack of access to transportation, and unstable housing situations. Some have a background of multi-generational poverty, while others have experienced a series of life events that have taken their lives in the wrong direction. Our job is to help them identify and set realistic goals that will allow them to take positive steps toward making a better life for themselves and their families. Clients who choose to work one-on-one with our FSS case managers might receive help identifying the next steps to improve their employment or housing situation, continuing their education, or learning to set and follow a budget. Our case managers also utilize the Ohio Benefit Bank to connect families and individuals to benefits for which they are eligible. Sometimes for a person who is feeling overwhelmed by problems and challenges, the first step is simply figuring out where to start.
Resources offered through FSS include:
Eckerle Administration Center
922 West Riverview Avenue
Dayton, OH 45402
(937) 223-7217 or (800) 300-2937
General email: cssmv@cssmv.org