Weekly COVID-19 Fact Sheet or Behavioral Health Available

Please see this week’s updated Behavioral Health COVID-19 updates. This week, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) notes that while phase 1B has begun, phase 1A of the vaccination plan is still open, with an acknowledgement that vaccinating congregate care facilities and high-risk healthcare providers will take more time. Continue collaborating with local health departments as they work hard to distribute the vaccine.

Eighth Annual TIC Summit Call for Proposals Now Open

The Ohio Departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) and Developmental Disabilities (DoDD) are now accepting proposals for the Eighth Annual Trauma-Informed Care Summit scheduled for May 18-19. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Summit will once again be virtual. The Summit aims to move our systems beyond trauma informed to trauma competent with specific focus on Trauma-Informed Care in a Pandemic. Click HERE to submit a workshop proposal. The deadline to submit a proposal is Feb. 15.

Six New Counties Added to Ohio START Initiative

Ohio START (Sobriety, Treatment and Reducing Trauma) announced today that six new counties have been selected to join the program, bringing to 52 the number of counties participating. Ohio START is an evidence-based intervention program that helps families struggling with both substance abuse and child maltreatment by creating teams of caseworkers, family peer mentors and behavioral health providers to support them. Counties selected to join Ohio START are Columbiana, Coshocton, Greene, Guernsey, Huron and Miami. Ohio START began in 2017 as a pilot project created by then Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. It operated in 17 counties in the first year, adding 15 additional counties in 2018 and another 14 counties in 2019. The Ohio START program is housed at and led by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio (PCSAO).

OhioMHAS Peer Support Work Highlighted in January Human Trafficking Spotlight

The Governor's Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force is releasing weekly spotlights throughout the month of January for Human Trafficking Awareness Month. These spotlights are intended to share new resources, initiatives, and information to aid in the state's anti-trafficking response efforts. This week, the Task Force highlighted peer support efforts supported by OhioMHAS. Click HERE to read.

New Tip Sheet for LGBTQ+ Youth: How to Help Yourself or a Friend

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation and the Child Mind Institute have partnered to develop and release a new tip sheet that provides guidance for LGBTQ+ youth on how to take care of their mental health.

In the News

1.26.21 | Forbes National standards for mental health in the workplace: a catalyst for commitment
1.26.21 | Xenia Gazette FPD to participate in crisis training
1.26.21 | Loveland Magazine Mary Makley Wolff to lead statewide suicide prevention effort
1.26.21 | Youngstown Vindicator (Opinion) COVID causes more struggles with addiction
1.25.21 | Lorain Morning Journal Lorain County Urban League recognized for suicide prevention efforts by MHARS Board, statewide award
1.25.21 | Dayton Daily News Crisis counselor working with Kettering police on mental health calls, training
1.25.21 | Cleveland.com Bay Village League of Women Voters reaches out to community on addiction
1.25.21 | WHIO-TV Law enforcement sees staggering increase in mental health, substance abuse calls in 2020
1.25.21 | NPR Experts express concerns over mental health of some kids in the pandemic
1.25.21 | WXIX-TV How massage aides in addiction recovery
1.25.21 | The People’s Defender (Opinion) The life you save may be your child’s
1.25.21 | WKRC-TV Local nonprofit sending Narcan to anyone who needs it
1.22.21 | WKRC-TV Ohio Governor seeks to pardon thousands who have been rehabilitated