RideConnect Volunteer Driver Program
RideConnect is a pilot program funded in part by the Ohio Department of Transportation to expand transportation options in Auglaize, Champaign, Darke, Logan, Mercer, Preble and Shelby Counties. One of the goals is to eliminate gaps in transportation that exist because of the lack of cross-county and region-to-region transport.
This volunteer driving program is focused on transporting individuals to medical and non-medical appointments and to employment. Priority will be given to older adults and individuals with disabilities as well as low-income populations who do not have access to other options. The program will allow access for individuals who need transportation outside of traditional transit hours and cannot afford the high cost of private providers.
The initial phase of implementation is the recruitment and training of volunteer drivers who will provide curb-to-curb transportation for passengers who need rides to medical and non-medical destinations. Drivers will use their personal vehicles to transport within their county and adjoining counties. Drivers will be expected to safely operate their vehicles according to State of Ohio driving laws and fill out reporting forms.
Drivers will be thoroughly trained and vetted, including a required background check. They must hold valid Ohio driver’s licenses with no more than three points accrued, and must be able to read maps and follow directions.
Each volunteer driver will be provided with training that includes specialized drive training, VIRTUS/Safe Parish training, Defensive Driving, incident management and reporting expectations, and Assisted Rides software training. Training in CPR/First Aid is available but optional.
Each driver accepted into the program will be encouraged to volunteer for at least two round-trip assignments per month. Although the position is volunteer, there will be some compensation to account for gas allowances, insurance costs, and vehicle depreciation.
Chums Program
The Chums program helps seniors (age 50 and older) with diagnosed mental illnesses to learn skills to help maintain independence and take back control of their lives. Life Essentials staff facilitate the program by combining the practices of education, networking and behavioral activation services. The program enhances the quality of life for program members by equipping them with tools that promote self-management of their mental illness. Participants learn common themes that contribute to their recovery including diet, exercise, goal setting, stress management and much more. They also get the opportunity to bond with people who are in similar situations.
Guardianship Services
Dayton Nonprofit Life Essentials Merges with Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley
Dayton, Ohio (April 1, 2020) – Dayton-based nonprofits Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley and Life Essentials have completed the final steps of a merger that will mean new resources for both organizations.
Life Essentials started in 1987 as a volunteer-driven agency called Chums and Choices. More than 30 years later, Life Essentials provides advocacy services in Montgomery and Greene Counties that enable seniors and people living with mental illness to have a greater quality of life. (During the current COVID-19 crisis, services are continuing via telehealth, to maintain safe social distancing for both staff and clients.)
When Life Essentials’ Executive Director Linda Roepken announced her retirement to her Board of Directors, they decided to take a strategic look at the organization’s future. With the help of a consultant, they concluded that the best option would be to identify a partner organization that would be a good mission fit.
“We were one of several agencies approached by Life Essentials to discuss the possibility of a merger,” said Catholic Social Services CEO Laura Roesch. “Once we had that conversation, it quickly became apparent that there was an obvious fit. We already serve more than a thousand low-income seniors every year to help them age in place, so adding guardianship and advocacy is well within our mission and service model. With Life Essentials’ Chums program, our agency will also be adding a new focus on those age 50 or older who are living with mental illness.”
“I couldn’t be happier that Life Essentials is merging with Catholic Social Services,” said Linda Roepken. “As a small nonprofit, we’ve been facing some challenges that are better addressed by an organization with greater capacity. With this merger, there should be no interruption in services for our clients, and there will be an opportunity for Life Essentials to have greater stability and perhaps even future growth.”
As of April 1, 2020, Life Essentials has officially become a program of Catholic Social Services. All staff are staying on board, with the exception of Roepken and one other individual who also retired. The Life Essentials office will remain at its existing location, 40 S. Perry Street in downtown Dayton.
Life Essentials cannot accept referrals from individuals such as family members or neighbors; the program only takes referrals from providers. Persons seeking to get an individual into guardianship are referred on to the Probate Court or to the Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) or to the Dayton Bar Association for information and assistance. Life Essentials cannot provide legal advice, nor can we escort applicants to court. For a guardianship referral to be warranted, the individual must be incapacitated and unable to manage his or her own financial resources and/or unable to make informed medical decisions. A referral form must be completed and there must be a Statement of Expert Evaluation signed by the proposed ward’s doctor or psychiatrist. Life Essentials staff and trained volunteers take on the critical role as guardian, working with their clients to ensure that each individual has the best possible life and lives in the least restrictive environment. Guardians become the advocate and voice for those who are unable to speak for themselves. In addition to fulfilling the role of guardian, the Life Essentials guardianship program provides support to family members and/or friends who are willing and capable of becoming the guardian for a loved one.
The Life Essentials guardianship program provides support for seniors who have been deemed mentally incompetent and who do not have family willing or capable of making sound decisions for them.
Guardianship Forms
Long-Term Tornado Recovery Case Management
Numerous area organizations have been working together to provide long-term recovery services to those impacted by the Memorial Day tornadoes of 2019. The Federal Emergency Management Agency — FEMA — estimates that more than 850 area households may benefit from long-term case management services over a two to three year period. Because of Catholic Social Services’ strength and competence in the area of case management, along with having an existing service area that mirrors the impacted counties, we were asked and agreed to coordinate the local Long Term Recovery (“LTR”) Case Management group. Recovery will take time, but our LTR case navigators are here to help along the way. Navigators can assist with a variety of tornado-related challenges and needs, including:
Long Term Recovery Disaster Case Management is a time-limited process by which a skilled Navigator/Case Manager partners with a disaster affected individual or family in order to plan for and achieve realistic goals of recovery following a disaster.
— National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD)
Other Resources & Information for Seniors
Resources by County
Champaign County
Job & Family Services: 1-800-837-4290 or 937-484-1500
Social Security Office:
- Springfield: 1-877-405-1451
- Piqua: 1-866-931-2520
Darke County
Job & Family Services: 1800-501-5635 or 937-548-4132
Social Security Office:
- Piqua: 1-866-931-2520
- Richmond Ind.: 1-866-446-6190
Logan County
Job & Family Services: 937-599-5165
Social Security Office:
- Lima: 1-800-223-0288
- Marian: 1-888-475-0296
Miami County
Job & Family Services: 937-440-3471
Social Security Office:
- Piqua: 1-866-931-2520
Preble County
Job & Family Services: 937-456-6205
Social Security Office:
- Richmond Ind.: 1-866-446-6190
- Cincinnati: 1-800-772-1213
Shelby County
Job & Family Services: 937-498-4981
Social Security Office:
- Piqua: 1-866-931-2520
Contact for Ombudsmen:
- 1-800-395-8267
- 937-223-4613
Medicaid Hotline:
- 1-800-324-8680
- 614-466-6742
Other Resources:
Ohio Department on Aging – https://www.aging.ohio.gov/
Ohio Long Term Care information – https://ltc.age.ohio.gov/
To search for Facilities – https://ltc.age.ohio.gov/FacilitySearch
Survey information – https://aging.ohio.gov/ombudsman/familysurvey
Home and Community Based Services – https://ltc.age.ohio.gov/Home-CommServices
Ohio Long Term Care – Nursing Homes – https://ltc.age.ohio.gov/NursingHomes
Assisted Living Residential Care Facilities – https://ltc.age.ohio.gov/AssistedLiving
Medicare website – https://www.medicare.gov/homehealthcompare/search.html
Ohio Dept. of Medicaid Provider Search – https://portal.ohmits.com/public/public%20information/search%20provider%20directory/tabId/61/default.aspx
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 at our Counseling Centers.
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 and Medicare. 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 office. For our Dayton office, call (937) 296-1007 and speak with our office administrator, Shelia Wright-Davis, at extension 2136. To make an appointment at our Sidney office, call (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.
Information for Providers
Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley contracts with a number of providers for PASSPORT and Assisted Living services. To ensure quality service and client provider choice, these providers are continually monitored by our Quality Assurance Process.
PASSPORT and Assisted Living providers are monitored through a systematic program that measures safety and effectiveness. The PASSPORT Quality Assurance Process is based on guarantees made by the State of Ohio to obtain the PASSPORT Medicaid Waiver. These guarantees include safeguards for the client’s health and welfare and provider procurement and monitoring systems. PASSPORT rules that are used to evaluate each provider’s service quality are part of the Ohio Administrative Code.
For more information about being a PASSPORT provider, call Kathy Geise at CSSMV at (937) 498-4593 or (833) 289-0227, ext. 1122
To become a certified service provider, you must go through an application process with the Ohio Department of Aging. For information and to start the process, CLICK HERE.Become a Service Provider
Sandata EVV 1:1
Providers can have a personal one-on-one training with a Sandata EVV trainer to go over their specific issues. Register at https://go.oncehub.com/ODMEVVHelp
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.
Eckerle Administration Center
922 West Riverview Avenue
Dayton, OH 45402
(937) 223-7217 or (800) 300-2937
General email: cssmv@cssmv.org