Governor DeWine’s Ohio START Program Receives National Certification

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced this week that Ohio Sobriety Treatment and Reducing Trauma (Ohio START), the program that helps stabilize families struggling with substance use, is the first in the nation to receive national certification from Children and Family Futures (CFF).

“We launched Ohio START when I was attorney general, and since then, hundreds of families have benefited from access to both treatment and recovery,” Governor DeWine said. “Many families have found hope and healing through Ohio START, and I congratulate our partners at the Public Children Services Association of Ohio and across the state for this recognition.”

Then-Attorney General DeWine began Ohio START in 2017 as a pilot program to provide recovery services for parents who have substance use disorder and specialized treatment for children who have been impacted by parental drug use. The program continued to grow under Governor DeWine’s leadership to expand to 53 counties. Administered by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio (PCSAO), Ohio START has supported more than 2,300 children.

“Certification marks a monumental milestone, showcasing the Ohio START program’s commitment to excellence in its approach, training, and support for families experiencing substance use disorders and child maltreatment,” said Kara Wente, director of the Ohio Department of Children and Youth. “As the first nationally certified program of its kind, it signifies a dedication to the highest standards and commitment to transforming the lives of those in need.”

Ohio START is a collaboration among child protective services, peer mentors, the courts, and behavioral health and treatment providers who work closely to help parents achieve sobriety and children to heal from any trauma they may have experienced.

“Research has shown that mothers who participate in START achieve sobriety at nearly twice the rate of mothers treated without START and that children in families served by START were half as likely to be placed in the custody of children services,” said Fawn Gadel, Ohio START director at PCSAO.

The program’s progress has been supported by the National START Training and Technical Assistance Program at CFF, which currently operates in eight states. Tina Willauer, CFF program director and model purveyor said, “We are so proud of the team at PCSAO for meeting or exceeding the State Infrastructure Requirements of the National START Model Certification is a noteworthy accomplishment acknowledging that the state possesses the infrastructure to oversee model delivery with full fidelity.”