Fact Sheet

1. Ohio’s UPP was established in 2002 as collaboration among the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), the Institute for Human Services (IHS), the Public Children Services Association of Ohio (PCSAO), and the school of social work at the participating universities.
2. The program is funded by Title IV-E training dollars
3. Ohio’s program follows the design put in place in several states to address the following types of challenges for public child welfare;
   • Need to professionalize workforce
   • Difficulties in recruiting and retention
   • Need to reduce turnover
   • Minimize expenditures in time and dollars in training new workers.

1. BSW and MSW students may apply for admission to the program.
2. Among the requirements, all UPP students must successfully complete specially designed child welfare college courses that cover Ohio’s Caseworker Core training for caseworker (except for the Legal Module). Students must also complete a Field Practicum in an Ohio public children service agency (PCSA).
3. After successfully earning their degrees, graduates seek employment in an Ohio PCSA within a six (6) month target period. Once hired by a PCSA:
   • The student will receive a $5,000 incentive for each year of successfully completed UPP participation up to a maximum of two (2) years.
   • For each payment of $5,000 received, the graduate must commit to one year of employment in an Ohio PCSA
   • The processing of payments (and collections if needed) is handled by the participating universities and ODJFS.
4. UPP is currently available to the following universities;
   • University of Akron Bthomas@uakron.edu Becky Thomas, Coordinator
   • University of Cincinnati boonexn@ucmail.ucedu Xan Boone, Coordinator
   • Cleveland State University l.f.crowell@csuohio.edu Linda Crowell, Coordinator
   • The Ohio State helm.28@osu.edu Linda Helm, Coordinator
   • Ohio University pritchar@ohio.edu Tracy Pritchard, Coordinator
   • University of Toledo George.thompson@utoledo.edu George Thompson, Coordinator
   • Wright State University paula.long@wright.edu Paula Long, Coordinator
   • Youngstown State University pjjohnson@ysu.edu Phyllis Johnson, Coordinator
5. Each university employs a Campus Coordinator to serve as mentor and advisor for the student and liaison between the school and the PCSAs in the region. Most Campus Coordinators and the university instructors who teach the child welfare courses have had direct experience in public child welfare work.

1. Ohio’s UPP program continues to grow stronger year by year. Recent developments have included positive evaluation outcomes, more standardization of the classes offered through the universities and student participation in SACWIS Learning Labs.
2. Ohio’s UPP has developed the following resources to help counties and students implement UPP: Introduction to The Ohio Child Welfare University Partnership Program; Recommended Practices in Field Instruction, A Guide for Field Education Sites; and Child Welfare Field Practicum Resource Handbook for Students. Contact the State UPP Coordinator for any of these resources.
3. Each year, between 50 and 60 UPP students successfully complete the program and a large majority of these graduates seek PCSA employment.
4. Ohio’s PCSAs are the prime beneficiaries of UPP. Through this program, universities are offering to play a key role in the recruitment, training and early professional development of the next wave of casework staff. These services are provided with no direct fee for the PCSA, but with the opportunity for considerable input in to how UPP operates in every region and across the state.

Kelly Lynch
UPP State Coordinator
dlynch8@roadrunner.com
740-630-5041