Community Health Navigators

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Family Wellness Community Health Navigator Program

Helping our babies reach their first birthday

Our Community Health Navigators work with women who are pregnant or have a baby under the age of one. We also aim to reach and engage those individuals who are statistically the most at-risk for low birth weight and infant mortality.

Did you know?

  • In Ohio, African American infants are more than 2.5 times more likely to die in their first year of life compared to white infants.
  • Prematurity is the leading cause of low birth weight and infant mortality.
  • Mothers who are not able to receive proper nutrition, support, and prenatal care are more susceptible to pregnancy complications and preterm birth.

What do the Community Health Navigators do?

  • Increase education and awareness of low birth weight and infant mortality and their impact in the African American community.
  • Work to establish and build trusting relationships with individuals and families through general support and encouragement.
  • Work to reduce stressors related to racial disparities in the African American community.
  • Provide prenatal, parenting, and health information and education.
  • Connect individuals and families with quality community resources, services, programs, and baby items such as diapers and car seats.
  • Network in the community to build partnering relationships.


The Family Wellness Community Health Navigator Program is made possible through a partnership with:



Why is low birth weight a concern? It increases the risk of health complications. The baby’s tiny body is not as strong, and he or she may have a harder time eating, gaining weight, and fighting infection.


INFANT MORTALITY is defined as the death of a live-born baby before his or her first birthday.




Quick facts about infant mortality:

  • Low birth weight babies (less than 5.5 pounds) are at higher risk.
  • Less stress during pregnancy reduces the chances of low birth weight and infant mortality.
  • Early prenatal care helps prevent low birth weight and infant mortality.
  • Breastfeeding in the first six months to one year gives babies an extra healthy start.
  • The ABCs of safe sleep help keep babies safe in their first year…
    • A – Place babies Alone
    • B – on their Backs
    • C – in their Cribs.

Eligibility


This program serves residents of Montgomery County.

Contact


For more information, call (937) 299-LINK.

Location


Our Community Health Navigators are primarily based at our Center for Families in Dayton, 1046 Brown Street.

Kinship & Adoption Navigators

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OhioKAN

Kinship & Adoption Navigator Program

Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley is thrilled to partner with OhioKAN, a new statewide flexible and responsive kinship and adoption navigator program designed to assist children, caregivers, and families.

The program is designed to assist those who have adopted children as well as those who are providing kinship care.

The first step to access the program is to call 1-844-OHIO-KAN to connect with a navigator who will talk with you to understand your situation and needs. If you and the navigator decide together that we can help you navigate and access important resources, we’ll walk through the OhioKAN BASICS overview to make sure we completely understand your family situation and can start making a plan together.

We’ll use the OhioKAN Information Hub to review more than 8,000 records to find, analyze, and organize all of the resources available to you based on your exact situation, location, and needs. Based on our conversation and resource review, we’ll create a Personalized Resource Plan. This document becomes the action plan for navigating and accessing all of the local and statewide resources that fit your situation.


With the support of dedicated site navigators here at CSSMV, OhioKAN’s 100% free services will help kinship and adoptive families in Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, and Shelby Counties navigate and connect with all of the resources available locally and statewide.

For more information and helpful resources, as well as a directory of other regional partners serving other areas of Ohio, you can visit the OhioKAN website at https://ohiokan.jfs.ohio.gov.

To connect with a navigator from ANYWHERE in Ohio, call 1-844-OHIO-KAN.



WHAT IS KINSHIP CARE?

Eligibility


While CSSMV’s Kinship Navigators serve the specific counties listed above, OhioKAN is a 100% free program available to all kinship and adoptive families in Ohio.

Contact


Call 1-844-OHIO-KAN (1-844-644-6526) to talk one-on-one with an OhioKAN Navigator. Phone lines are open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Location


CSSMV’s OhioKAN Navigators are based at our Center for Families on Brown Street in Dayton.

College Degree Support

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Next Steps

Reducing barriers between you and your college degree

Sometimes, the path to a college degree isn’t as simple as a line from A to Z. Challenges not related to academics can make it difficult to complete your education as quickly as you had planned, or even force you to drop out entirely.

The Next Steps program works with students who are enrolled at Sinclair Community College and helps them reduce barriers to completing their education. Barriers may include things like housing instability, underemployment, lack of child care, healthcare concerns, and unexpected financial challenges.

As a participant in Next Steps, you will have individualized, one-on-one meetings with a Success Navigator who will work with you and your Academic Coach to support your goal of completing your degree. Your Navigator will provide connections and referrals to resources that can help address your non-academic barriers. You’ll be able to apply for direct financial assistance grants to address emergency financial challenges that create barriers to  your school attendance. And you will have peer support opportunities with other Next Steps program participants who have similar goals.

If you would like to learn more about this program and find out if you meet eligibility requirements, please submit the inquiry form on this page.


Eligibility


To be eligible for this program, you must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours of classes at Sinclair Community College, and be experiencing life challenges outside of school that are making it difficult to pursue your education. For a more complete assessment of your eligibility, please complete and submit the inquiry form on this page.

Contact


For more information about the program, please submit the form on this page or send an email to nextsteps @ cssmv.org.

Location


Program management is based at:

Eckerle Administration Center
922 W. Riverview Avenue
Dayton, Ohio 45402

RideConnect Volunteer Driver Program

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RideConnect

Volunteer Driver Program

RideConnect is a volunteer driver program funded in part by the Ohio Department of Transportation to expand transportation options in Auglaize, Champaign, Darke, Logan, Mercer, Preble and Shelby Counties. We are also in the process of expanding the service into Miami, Montgomery, Greene, and Clark 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 is given to older adults and individuals with disabilities as well as low-income populations who do not have access to other options. The program allows access for individuals who need transportation outside of traditional transit hours and cannot afford the high cost of private providers. RideConnect program availability is dependent on volunteer availability.

Volunteer Drivers Needed

We are recruiting and training volunteer drivers who can then provide curb-to-curb transportation for passengers who need rides to medical and non-medical destinations. Drivers use their personal vehicles to transport within their county and adjoining counties. This opportunity is flexible, as volunteers have the ability to accept and decline requests based on their geographic area and time they are available. Drivers are expected to safely operate their vehicles according to State of Ohio driving laws and fill out reporting forms.

Drivers are 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.

Driver Training & Onboarding

Catholic Social Services covers all fees associated with required screenings and trainings

  • SafeParish training – available online
  • Catholic Social Services volunteer onboarding & RideConnect training
  • Background check
  • Drug & alcohol screen and non-DOT physical
  • Defensive Driving Training – scheduled after volunteer starts
  • Optional/not required: CPR & First Aid

Each driver accepted into the program is encouraged to volunteer for at least two round-trip assignments per month. Catholic Social Services provides mileage reimbursement to volunteer drivers for approved program trips.

Ready to make a difference? Complete our online volunteer application or call 1.833.238.0227 ext. 1195 for more information.

Eligibility


At this time, we are in the process of recruiting and training additional volunteer drivers. If you are interested in learning more about becoming one of our drivers, please contact Michelle Caserta-Bixler or Heather Robison at 1.833.289.0227 ext.1195.

Contact


For more information about this program, please contact Michelle Caserta-Bixler or Heather Robison at 1.833.289.0227 ext.1195.

Location


Our Mobility Management team is headquartered at our Northern Counties Office:

100 S. Main Avenue, Suite 101
Sidney, Ohio 45365

Chums Program

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Chums Program

for older adults with diagnosed mental illness

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.


Eligibility


Those age 50 and older with diagnosed mental illness may be eligible to participate.

This program serves residents of Montgomery and Greene Counties.

Contact


For more information, call (937) 586-0545.

Location


Program staff are based at:

922 W. Riverview Avenue
Dayton, Ohio 45402

Guardianship Services

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Life Essentials

Guardianship Services

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.

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.


Guardianship Forms


Eligibility


Potential clients must have resided in Montgomery or Greene County for at least six months, and must be deemed mentally incompetent by the Probate Court Judge or Magistrate. Life Essentials cannot accept referrals from individuals such as family members or neighbors; the program only takes referrals from providers.

Unfortunately, this program cannot serve those who have assets (home, car, bank account) and need a Guardian of Estate.

Contact


For more information, call (937) 586-0545.

Location


922 W. Riverview Avenue
Dayton, Ohio 45402

Resources for Older Adults

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Resources for Older Adults

  • Ohio Department of Aging

    As the federally designated State Unit on Aging, the Department of Aging serves as the sole state agency to coordinate Older Americans Act programs and services, as well as other services to meet the needs of Ohio’s elders.

  • STEADY U Ohio

    This statewide collaborative falls prevention initiative is supported by Ohio government and state business partners to ensure that every county, every community and every Ohioan knows how they can prevent falls, one step at a time. This website is the source in Ohio for falls prevention information, tools and other resources.


Contact for Ombudsmen: 

  • 1-800-395-8267
  • 937-223-4613

Medicaid Hotline: 

  • 1-800-324-8680
  • 614-466-6742

Other Resources:

News


ODA Launches Free Check-in Service for Older Citizens

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The Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) announced a free, daily check-in by phone service for Ohio’s older residents to ensure their well-being amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency and beyond.

Read more

Life Essentials Merges with Catholic Social Services

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“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,” said CSSMV CEO Laura Roesch.

Read more

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

Free, Daily Check-in By Phone

The Ohio Department of Aging has a free, daily check-in by phone service for Ohio’s older residents to ensure their well-being amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency and beyond. The “Staying Connected” service is open to Ohio residents age 60 or older who have a valid phone number. Those living alone in the community are encouraged to consider enrolling. Learn more or sign up at  www.aging.ohio.gov/stayingconnected.

Information for Providers

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