Director Criss Participates in Panel on Reducing Absenteeism, Improving Student Success
Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director Lori Criss today joined Ohio State Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria, Haslam Sports Group CEO and Cleveland Browns owner Dee Haslam, and Proving Ground Director Dave Hersh for a panel discussion on efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism among students in grades K-12. The
Cleveland Power of Sport Summit panel, which was moderated by Christopher Quinn, editor and vice president of The Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com, was part of a wide range of events taking place in downtown Cleveland as part of the 2021 NFL Draft. Panelists discussed the
Get 2 School, Stay in the Game partnership with the Cleveland Browns, as well as the importance of promoting good mental health and making help more visible to Ohio’s families as part of overall student success. Supt. DeMaria thanked Director Criss for her support and announced a goal to cut absenteeism in half over a period of 10 years. He noted that the Ohio Department of Education has forged partnerships with
Browns Give Back, the
Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University and Ohio schools to increase student attendance, close equity gaps and support whole child success. Click
HERE to watch a recording of today’s panel presentation.
At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits Available to Recovery Housing Operators
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) is pleased to announce that at-home COVID-19 testing kits will be available for residents, staff, and operators of level 1, 2 and 3 Recovery Residences beginning May 11. The kits, which will be distributed by OhioMHAS in partnership with the Ohio Department of Insurance and county Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services boards, will be provided at no cost to Recovery Residences for baseline testing purposes only. Baseline testing will help screen individuals for COVID-19 who may be asymptomatic or have been unable to obtain off-site testing for various reasons. County boards are developing a process to notify operators and begin distribution. Reach out to your local board for instructions. If you have questions about how to access COVID-19 testing or other resources, please contact OhioMHAS at
COVID19Housing@mha.ohio.gov. If you have questions specific to these testing kits and the eligibility, distribution and reporting please contact Kaitlin Waggoner at
Kaitlin.waggoner@mha.ohio.gov or call 614.208.9777.
Bridging Faith and Science to Combat the Overdose Crisis – May 4
As part of an ongoing Bridging Faith and Science digital series, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is hosting Bridging Faith and Science to Combat the Overdose Crisis webinar on May 4 from 3-4 p.m. The virtual presentation will be moderated by CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaking with Bishop Vashti
McKenzie of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and Dr. David Satcher, 16th Surgeon General of the United States. The discussion will focus on cultural, racial and ethnic disparities regarding the addiction and overdose crisis.
Click
HERE to RSVP for the live virtual event.
May is Older Americans Month
OhioMHAS is pleased to join with the Ohio Department of Aging in celebrating older Ohioans during Older Americans Month in May. The 2021 theme for Older Americans Month, established by the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL), is “Communities of Strength.” According to ACL’s website, “Older adults have built resilience and strength over their lives through successes, failures, joys, and difficulties. Their stories and contributions help to support and inspire others. This OAM, we will celebrate the strength of older adults and the Aging Network, with special emphasis on the power of connection and engagement in building strong communities.” OhioMHAS will host a lunch and learn series on Tuesday’s from noon-1 p.m. throughout May. For more information about the lunch and learn series, please email Adreana.Tartt@mha.ohio.gov. Visit the Ohio Department of Aging website and contact your area agency on aging to learn about Older Americans Month activities in your community.
OCHLA Webinar Series Focuses on Implementation of “Promotoras de Salud” Resources
The Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs (OCHLA), in partnership with the National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network, is sponsoring a free, four-part 2021 Promotoras de Salud webinar series. The “Promotoras de Salud” model seeks to increase engagement of trusted leaders to promote and support health education, prevention efforts and access to health services. The webinar series explores program implementation, benefits to the Latino community, funding opportunities, and how to address behavioral health using the model. The series launched March 31 (recordings of previous sessions are available on the OCHLA website) and concludes June 30. The next webinar is scheduled for May 26. Click the link for more information and to register.
30th Annual Addiction Studies Institute – June 18-19
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has announced it will host the
30th Annual Addiction Studies Institute (ASI) virtually on June 18-19. The conference is the largest of its kind in the Midwest, offering participants up to 11.25 continuing education hours. Renowned psychologist and author
Dr. Tian Dayton will provide keynote remarks. Click
HERE to learn more about other featured presenters and to register online.
