SuperJobs Center Gets a New Name

Our SuperJobs Center officially gets a new name tomorrow.

The one-stop job center will be renamed OhioMeansJobs Cincinnati-Hamilton County. This is in line with an attempt by the state to re-brand all 88 one stops in Ohio with the OhioMeansJobs name, making it easier for employers and job seekers to identify their local center for job resources.

OhioMeansJobs is also the name of the State of Ohio’s job matching website. It allows job seekers to post their resumes and search tens of thousands of job openings. Employers can post job openings directly to OhioMeansJobs.com and can search for candidates by education, experience and other factors.

The local one-stop will also have a new website name: ohiomeansjobs.com/Hamilton.

The one-stop is the place to go for both employers looking for workers and the unemployed who are looking for jobs. We help with training, matching employers and potential employees, candidate screening, job fairs and more. In its first year under our direction, the one-stop found work for 665 local residents.

 

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Medicaid Expansion: More than 5,000 Applications so far

Our agency is processing about 200 more applications a day with the expansion of Medicaid.

If you will recall, the state extended Medicaid to cover people with incomes up to 138 percent of the poverty level – $15,856 for a single person or $32,499 for a family of four. The application period started Dec. 9.

Since that date, HCJFS has received 5,224 applications under the expanded program. Officials estimate that about 42,000 more Hamilton County residents will qualify for Medicaid under the expansion.

Online is still the best way to apply: www.benefits.ohio.gov .The best way to ensure a quick response it to fill out the application completely. If all the information is there, the computer cross-checks it with other federal data. If everything checks out, the card is issued immediately.

Giving to Our Children

We are often asked this time of year about donations of gifts for the children in our care, particularly foster children and those awaiting adoption. It is always touching to me to see the generosity of our community, especially during the holidays.

The agency has again established a partnership with Toys for Tots this year that will result in a donation of a few thousand toys to be delivered in mid-December. The U.S. Marine Corps Reserves provide an incredible service to our community and our children and we are extremely grateful for their generosity.

Because the Toys for Tots donation will cover most of the younger children on the agency’s caseload, we are encouraging other who want to donate to consider gifts for the teens in agency care. Those gifts could include gift cards to Walmart, Target, Kroger, Visa, MasterCard; household items such as irons, ironing boards, sheets, towels, etc.; and personal items such as jewelry, cologne, perfume, wallets, money clips, and purses.

If you want to donate, or know someone who does, please contact Brian Gregg at greggb@jfs.hamilton-co.org.

Thank you for thinking about our children!

Card Helps Local residents Save $675,000

Hamilton County residents have saved more than $675,000 with a discount card for prescription drugs that we introduced in January 2009.

That is a pretty hefty amount.

Yet, we are seeing usage drop. The card has been used to make more than 28,000 purchases since its inception. However, where we once had more than 800 users a month, now we are down to about half that.

It could be more people are insured and their prescriptions are covered. That would be a good thing. Still, I want to tell as many as possible about this great program.

The prescription drug discount cards are available under a program sponsored by the National Association of Counties (NACo). There is no cost to the taxpayer for the program.

The cards may be used by all county residents, regardless of age, income, or existing health coverage, and are accepted at most pharmacies throughout the county. More than 1,000 counties throughout the country participate in the program and a national network of more than 59,000 participating retail pharmacies will honor the NACo prescription discount card.

Among those who benefit from the program: 

• County residents who are uninsured.
• County residents who are insured but a drug may not be covered on their insurance plan. 
• County residents who must buy human drugs for their pets. 

The cards were originally at branches of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, YMCA branches, the Council on Aging of Southwest Ohio and many social service agencies, such as the FreeStore Foodbank and Talbert House. If you cannot find them feel free to call us at 946-1010 for a card. You can also visit www.HamiltonCountyRx.com for more information.