>>> Thrive Peer Recovery Services Selected to Develop, Manage Statewide MRSS Call Center

The Ohio Department of Mental Health Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) today announced the selection of Thrive Peer Recovery Services as the vendor for the development and management of a statewide Call Center for Mobile Response Stabilization Services (MRSS), Ohio’s behavioral health system of care crisis response program for children, youth, young adults (under the age of 21) and their families.

Ohio’s MRSS programs are currently transitioning from a regional, federal grant funded initiative to a statewide implementation. Over half the state is currently positioned to provide this service by July 2022. As one of the new OhioRISE services, MRSS will be reimbursable through Medicaid. It is predicted that with such funding and a statewide promotion of the service, the MRSS network will expand statewide, and utilization will increase exponentially. Due to this expansion, it is crucial for Ohio to develop a Call Center that uses a “no wrong door” approach and is equipped with mechanisms and protocols in place to rapidly connect youth and young adults, families and caregivers to crisis care.

OhioMHAS released a Request for Proposals (RFP) in January seeking an Ohio-based company to develop and manage the new statewide MRSS Call Center. Thrive Peer Recovery Services has been providing a high standard of care since 2017 and has significant experience in operating hotlines and warmlines. Thrive Peer Recovery Services will receive nearly $800,000 for SFY22 and SFY23 ($121,017 for SFY22 and $678,012 for SFY23). The MRSS call center is not intended to take the place of local carelines, hotlines, or warmlines. Instead, it will be an essential supplement to those lines, ready to address active crisis needs and deploy immediate services specifically to youth, young adults, (0 -20 years of age) and their families. Having a “single point of access” number to initiate youth related MRSS services has become a national best practice. A single call center uses the “no wrong door” approach with mechanisms and protocols in place to rapidly connect youth and young adults, families or caregivers to crisis care. The MRSS Call Center is anticipated to launch in June 2022.

>>> March is Social Work Month

March is National Social Work Month -- a time to celebrate the dedication and contributions of social workers. This year’s theme is The Time is Right for Social Work. During Social Work Month, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) encourages you to take time to learn more about the many positive contributions of the profession, and use the items in its 2022 toolkit to celebrate all the social workers you know. The toolkit includes sample social media messages, a localizable press release, proclamation, promotional items, logos, and more. For more information on the toolkit, email media@socialworkers.org.

>>> March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month. According to Ohio for Responsible Gambling (ORG), problem gamblers are three times as likely to develop a dependency on alcohol or drugs, twice as likely to experience mood disorders (like depression), and 32 percent of individuals struggling with problem gambling consider suicide. Ohio has a large network of community-based services to help individuals and families impacted by problem gambling. Click HERE to find services in your area. Get Set Before You Bet is Ohio's nationally recognized prevention and awareness campaign. Click HERE to learn more about problem gambling in Ohio and to access resources. If you or someone you know needs help, please call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1.800.589.9966.

As part of this month’s awareness and education efforts, Prevention Action Alliance, in partnership with OhioMHAS and ORG, will host The Rapid Rise of E-Sports and Sports Gambling: A Look at Emerging Trends, Prevention Strategies, and Treatment Resources in 2022 training on the following dates: March 8, March 10 and March 23. Click the link for more information and to register for preferred date. Questions? Please email jsyphax@preventionactionalliance.org or call 614.540.9985, ext. 16.

>>> Evaluating the Broader Workforce Challenge Through Your Workplace Lens – March 25

The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA), in partnership with the Great Lakes Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (GL MHTTC), will host Evaluating the Broader Workforce Challenge Through Your Workplace Lens webinar on March 25 from 9:00 a.m.-noon. This webinar will feature a discussion about current workforce dynamics and explore how individual organizations can promote an attractive and productive workplace culture. Participants will be challenged to think how culture impacts recruitment and retention and leave with key takeaways to consider for their own organization. Continuing Education application has been submitted for 2.75 hours for Counselors, Social Workers, and Chemical Dependency Professionals.

>>> Upcoming Ohio Council, Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health COE Trainings

Registration is open now for three virtual trainings hosted by The Ohio Council of Behavioral Health and Family Services Providers in partnership with the Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Center of Excellence. These webinars are designed to help practitioners offer excellent care for youth and families using the latest best practices and organizational planning strategies. Click the links below to read the webinar's full description. 1.5 CEUs are available for each training. Registration is free. Questions about the content of these trainings should be directed to hernandez@theohiocouncil.org. Registration questions can be sent to Brenna Whiteside at whiteside@theohiocouncil.org.

March 16 | Building Person-Centered Collaboration Through Negotiation

March 22 | Effective Engagement of Youth and Families Through Telehealth

April 7 | Demonstrating Person-Centered Services Through Value-Based Contracting

>>> Great Lakes PTTC Announces Foundations in Prevention Intensive Training Course

The Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center has announced a new Foundations in Prevention Intensive Training course. This eight-session series offers a uniquely interactive online introduction to the foundations of substance misuse prevention. Participants examine the key concepts of substance misuse prevention and the Strategic Prevention Framework. Participants build basic knowledge and skills necessary to identify prevention priorities and develop a plan to implement and evaluate evidence-based interventions. This course offers structured, skill-based learning opportunities, readings, and learning assignments to complete between sessions, along with group activities and discussions to enhance application of the new skills. Sessions are scheduled for March 21, 24, 28, 31, and April 4, 7, 11 and 14. Click the link above for more information and to apply.

>>> Upcoming AMSR Trainings & Training of Trainer Session

Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk (AMSR) has trained more than 80,000 health and behavioral health care professionals in strategies for providing compassionate care to those at risk of suicide. AMSR offers one-day and half-day trainings in the latest research-informed suicide risk assessment and risk formulation designed for health and behavioral health care professionals working in a variety of settings. Authorized expert trainers teach professionals essential skills through videos, live demonstrations, and paired and written practice. Open enrollment trainings allow individual professionals to enroll themselves in a simple process. Trainings cost $160, including trainer fee, materials shipped to you, and continuing education credits. Trainings are held online and last a full day. Trainings of Trainers are three-day events. Registration closes two weeks before the event date.

AMSR-Outpatient Training | March 2022

AMSR-Outpatient Training | April 2022

AMSR-Outpatient Training of Trainers | April & May 2022

AMSR-SUD Training | May 2022

AMSR-Outpatient Training | May 2022

AMSR-Outpatient Training | July 2022

>>> MAX Peer Recovery Supporter Workforce Development Workshop– April 7-8

The P.E.E.R. Center is partnering with the Catholic Diocese of Greater Cleveland to host a MAX Peer Recovery Supporter Workforce Development workshop on April 7-8 at the Whitehall branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. This workshop focuses on advancing Peer Recovery Support skills for multiple workplace settings. Space is limited. Click the link the register. Questions? Please contact Jackie Doodley at jdoodley@thepeercenter.org or call 614.453.4831.

>>> CADCA Forum ON-DEMAND

Interested in refreshing your memory with all the  information provided from Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) 32nd Annual National Leadership Forum? Weren't able to attend this year's Forum in person? Register for Forum ON-DEMAND today. Forum ON-DEMAND registration includes unlimited access to more than 35 sessions, plenaries and partner content from the 2022 National Leadership Forum. Contact events@cadca.org with questions.

>>> OACBHA Announces Launch of Redesigned Website

The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) has announced the launch of a redesigned website. Over the last several months, OACBHA said it has prioritized modernizing the look of its website, while bolstering the organization’s ability to provide relevant, useful information. In addition to contact information for local ADAMH Boards, information on upcoming conferences, and timely publications on mental health and substance use disorders, OACBHA has added new features to stay better connected with members, partners, and community members.

>>> Updated Rethinking Drinking Resources from NIAAA

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has announced the availability of updated Rethinking Drinking: Alcohol and Your Health resources. The materials provide evidence-based information about alcohol and health along with tips, tools, and resources for those who want to cut down on or quit drinking. Topics include: what counts as a “standard” drink; U.S. guidelines for drinking; why women face higher risks for alcohol-related consequences; short- and long-term consequences of alcohol misuse; strategies for cutting down or quitting drinking; and help resources.

>>> Join NIDA for NDAFW 2022 and Share Your Why

Please join the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for the 2022 National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® (NDAFW) observance, to be held March 21-27, and register your event or activity. It’s simple and ensures your event will be featured on the NDAFW map. For NDAFW 2022, NIDA is excited to offer event planners resources and activities that promote positive mental health and drug use prevention among youth and promote conversations around skill-building, and expressing personal motivations for adopting healthy behaviors for the mind and body.

Activities include:

• Join NIDA in Crafting #MyWhyNDAFW Short Videos

In this activity, youths are encouraged to use their authentic voices to share their why or motivation for preventing drug use and supporting positive mental health.

• Share your #MyWhyNDAFW with this placard.

Print, fill it out, and if you would like, share your motivation for joining the conversation on social media using #NDAFW or #MyWhyNDAFW.

• Explore the Nurturing My Mental & Emotional Health and Stressed Out? activities to help students find strategies to cope with stress and support their mental health.
• Share the Is This Legit? Accessing Valid and Reliable Health Information activity to help students in grades nine through 12 learn to access valid and reliable health information.
• Start a conversation using answers to teens’ 10 frequently asked questions about drugs and health.
• Take the National Drug & Alcohol IQ Challenge. Test students’ knowledge about drugs and alcohol with this short, interactive quiz. Take the Kahoot! quiz with a class or encourage youth to play individually.

In the News

3.2.22 | WCPO-TV Barriers to mental health care for adults who may pose a danger still pervade

3.1.22 | Tiffin Advertiser-Tribune Ohio’s place in the youth mental health crisis

3.1.22 | The White House Fact Sheet: Addressing the Addiction and the Overdose Epidemic

3.1.22 | The White House Fact Sheet: National Strategy to Address Our National Mental Health Crisis

3.1.22 | WRGT-TV Experts warn global crises are impacting youths’ mental health in unprecedented ways

3.1.22 | Education Week Peer help for mental health: ‘We learn the red flags to watch for’

2.28.22 | WBNS-TV Vaping could have harsher impact on men’s hearts than women’s, Ohio State study finds

2.28.22 | Springfield News-Sun Mental health board announces new director for treatment, prevention services