1. Ohio Youth Advisory Board
Thursday, January 16, 2014
at Quest Business Center:
8405 Pulsar Place, Columbus OH 43240

2. OHIO YAB Mission
• We exist to be the knowledgeable statewide
voice that influences policies and practices
that effect all youth who have or will
experience out of home care.

3. 2014 Ohio YAB Officers
• Allissa Mitchell, President, Stark County
• Dominique Jefferson, Vice President, Cuyahoga County
• Charles Scott, Media Spokesperson, Franklin County
• Destiny Hayes, Treasurer, Lucas County
• Dorothy Dodson, Parliamentarian, Lorain County
• Jessika Cowart, Co-Secretary, Allen County
• Elisa Aguilar, Co-Secretary, Lucas County

4. OHIO YAB Officers Retreat

5. OYAB Moving Forward in 2014:
Outreach and Policy
Three Focus Areas:
1. Youth voice on
discussions of Foster
Care to 21
2. Outreach strategies for
counties that don’t have
a local Youth Advisory
Board
3. YAB promotion and
involvement in
conferences this year.

6. OYAB Moving Forward in 2014:
Housing
Focus Areas:
1. Kick-off for youth taskforce
on housing in Cincinnati
2. Exploring transitional
housing partnerships
3. DC trip: Planning ahead for
conversations with HUD
4. Reviewing outputs from JFS
Housing taskforce: Is there
an existing list of Housing
Best Practices in Ohio?
5. If not, make one.

7. OYAB Moving Forward in 2014:
Education
Three Focus Areas:
1. Supporting Ohio Reach
Campus Liaison training
2. Promoting Best Practices for
Custodial Agencies to Support
Youth’s Educational Success
3. Educational Mentoring Model:
(a.) middle school mentee,
(b.) high school/college advisor,
(c.) adult mentor

8. OYAB Moving Forward in 2014:
Youth Voice in Court
Upcoming Opportunities:
1. Legal Symposium being
planned for 2015
2. Multiple law school
presentations in 2014
3. Ohio judges meet twice a
year, in June and December
4. Expanding pilot of youth
developed discharge form

9. OYAB Moving Forward in 2014:
Independent Living
Moving forward in 2014:
1. Compile and share youth
input about IL
challenges, Best Practices
and recommendations
for the future
2. Is ODJFS pursuing the
creation of a statewide IL
curriculum? If so, how
can we ensure youth
input?

10. OYAB Moving Forward in
2014:Workforce
Inviting input:
1. Find out more about the
Summit County Career
Club.
2. Asking Lucas County for
more details about how
their IDA program, in the
hopes that other
counties will follow their
example.

11. Morning Brainstorming Topics
1. Telling Our Story: How has being part of a youth advisory
board benefitted you? What are your ideas for OHIO YAB
Outreach in 2014? ~ facilitated by OHIO YAB Co-Secretary
Jessika Cowart
2. Your Current /Future College Experience: What has been most
helpful? What were your biggest challenges? What do you
recommend to support current/former foster youth pursuing
post-secondary education? ~ facilitated by OHIO YAB Media
Spokesperson, Charles Scott
3. Foster Care to 21: Welcoming your thoughts, insights and
suggestions ~ facilitated by OHIO YAB President Allissa Mitchell
and Vice President Dominique Jefferson
4. Youth Voice in Court: What things do you wish their
judge/CASA/GAL would have asked or done? ~ facilitated by
OHIO YAB Parliamentarian Dorothy Dodson

12. New and Good:
Because the challenge of the moment
is the opportunity of the future

13. Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Feb. 8, Kick-off for Foster Youth Advisory Committee on
Ending Youth Homelessness in Cincinnati
April 17, Ohio Youth Advisory Board Quarterly Meeting
April 27 – May 1, Three Days On the Hill
June 12, SW Connecting the Dots Conference
Late June, Purple Project Conference
July 17, Ohio Youth Advisory Board Quarterly Meeting
July 25, Teening Up for Success Conference
Oct. 16, Ohio Youth Advisory Board Quarterly Meeting
Oct. 17, Connecting the Dots and Ohio Reach Conference