SIDNEY — In 2017, the Northern Area Office of Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley provided assistance to meet the needs of roughly 1,200 residents a month 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 senior services, counseling, parenting support, transportation, and food scarcity issues.”

Elaine Schweller-Snyder, CSSMV development coordinator for the northern counties, 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.

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. Our licensed social workers and registered nurses conducted assessments, educated families on their options, coordinated community resources, and provided care management for seniors.

In 2017, CSSMV became a Single-Entry Point for Ohio Benefits and Long Term Supports, enabling us to field calls from individuals seeking available options for elderly family members and linking those individuals to services.

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.

CSSMV offered professional mental health counseling 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. We also provided educational workshops for parents with a special emphasis on trauma informed care training.

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 conducted driver training programs for area agencies that provide transportation for seniors or disabled individuals. In the past year, our Mobility Manager has also taken the lead in developing new Human Service Coordinated Transportation Plans for Shelby, Darke and Champaign Counties. In partnership with the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, CSSMV participated in the interviewing process of Regional Planner II and will be providing a satellite office for Regional Planner II in our Sidney office.

Our newest program – FoodSource – began delivering 40-boxes of staple foods once a month to clients in Darke and Miami Counties. We have just started bringing this service into Shelby County. We need to thank our partners in this endeavor – Shared Harvest Food Bank, New Path Outreach, the Bethany Center, and the West Ohio Food Bank. As we work to expand our list of volunteers for making deliveries, we expect this program to grow significantly.

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.