SIDNEY — In 2016, the Northern Area Office of Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley provided assistance to meet the needs of over 2000 residents in Shelby County and surrounding areas. According to Kathy Sell, Director of the Northern Area Office, “In keeping with the CSSMV mission of strengthening individuals and families through actions of faith, service, and charity, the agency focused on counseling, senior services, transportation, and early childhood and parenting support.”
Elaine Schweller-Snyder, marketing/development coordinator for CSSMV Northern Area Office, has submitted the following report:
With the Sidney location as its base, the Northern Office of CSSMV provided vital services to residents of all faiths in Auglaize, Champaign, Darke, Logan, Miami, Mercer, Preble and Shelby counties. Services impacted all ages from preschool to the elderly.
CSSMV has found that one of the barriers to connecting individuals to services that can enhance the quality of life in rural communities is finding adequate transportation. Thanks to a grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation, CSSMV rolled out a new program in 2016 called RideLink, a call center devoted to educating consumers on transportation options available in their communities that meet their mobility needs. Our mobility manager has also conducted driver training programs for area agencies that provide transportation for seniors or disabled individuals.
CSSMV offered professional mental health counseling services to individuals, families, and groups. Licensed, experienced counselors helped clients deal with a wide range of issues including relationships, stress, grief and loss, and depression. By empowering clients to resolve these issues, CSSMV helped individuals and in turn, stabilized area families.
Counselors working in the CSSMV Early Childhood Program promoted healthy social and emotional development in young children, both as individuals and in group settings. We are now expanding educational services for parents and teachers working with young children. Our educational specialist, who holds Masters Degrees in Education and Special Education, and an Educational Specialist Degree in Administration, Curriculum and Supervision, has started providing educational workshops for parents and specialized classes for pre-school to schoolage teachers, with a special emphasis on trauma informed care training.
Since 1984, the Northern Area office of CSSMV has continued to collaborate with the Ohio Department of Aging to administer the PASSPORT waiver program, matching individuals with long term services and support.
In the past year, CSSMV Northern County continued to collaborate with the Shelby County United Way, PSA-2 Area Agency on Aging, and other local community agencies to provide services to Shelby County seniors. Licensed social workers and registered nurses at CSSMV coordinated community resources and educated families on available options for long term home and community based services through care management.
The director and staff at CSSMV have made it a priority to keep abreast of the programs and policy changes at the state and national level that are affecting community based long term services for all populations. CSSMV is committed to expanding its services as necessary to meet the long term needs of residents in area communities in the years to come.
Thanks to community support from the United Way and generous donors, Catholic Social Services looks forward to another year of serving the residents of Shelby County and the surrounding areas.
