>>> Public Comment Opportunity on Ohio Revised Code Chapter 340

On March 4, 2022, OhioMHAS convened the 340 Review Stakeholder Workgroup to identify sections within Ohio Revised Code (R.C.) Chapter 340 in need of review, identify specific challenges, explore potential solutions, and produce a summary report of the challenges, potential solutions, and future policy considerations for the Administration and General Assembly. Workgroup meeting agendas, meeting recordings, meeting minutes, and other related information is available at this link: https://mha.ohio.gov/community-partners/advisory-groups/340-workgroup.

OhioMHAS invites members of the public to share their insights on R.C. Chapter 340 at a Teams meeting on Wednesday, June 22, from 10:00 a.m.–noon. This meeting is not a 340 Review Stakeholder Workgroup meeting, but rather an opportunity for individuals who are not Workgroup members to share their perspectives on this chapter. If you are not a Workgroup member and wish to share your insights verbally at this public comment opportunity, please RSVP by submitting the following information to 340ReviewWorkgroup@mha.ohio.gov no later than Friday, June 17, at 5:00 pm:

1. Your name, address, phone number, and email address.
2. If you represent a particular government entity or organization, the name of that entity or organization.
3. If known when RSVPing, the sections of R.C. Chapter 340 you plan to provide comments on.

It is the Department’s intention to provide five minutes for each individual sharing comments. Depending on the number of RSVPs received, this time limit may be extended or reduced. Click HERE to join the Teams meeting (Audio only: 614.721.2872, ID: 68060408#). OhioMHAS also invites members of the public to submit written comments at any time regarding R.C. Chapter 340 at 340ReviewWorkgroup@mha.ohio.gov.

>>> OhioMHAS 988 Stakeholder Update Webinar Recording, Community Toolkit, Other Resources Available

OhioMHAS provided a stakeholder update on Ohio’s 988 planning and implementation process last week. You can watch a recording HERE and view the slides HERE. The department also shared a Community Toolkit to help with 988 messaging and communication planning; those resources are listed below.

• Ohio 988 Fact Sheet
• Ohio 988 FAQ
• When to Call 911/When to Call 988
• Local Partner Toolkit (SAMHSA)
• 988 Key Messages (SAMHSA)
• Ohio’s 988 Lifeline Providers Map

>>> OhioMHAS’ Pandemic-Related Efforts Featured in SAMHSA Technical Assistance Journal

Ohio’s Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) Regular Services Program (RSP) grant was recently featured in The Dialogue, a quarterly technical assistance journal on disaster behavioral health produced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC). The article, Help Where You Are, and Hope When You Need It: Meeting the Diverse Needs of Ohio’s Residents in a Pandemic, was authored by OhioMHAS staff members Christine Sielski, M.S.W., assistant chief for the Bureau of Grants Administration. The program targeted outreach and referral services for Ohioans with physical, intellectual/cognitive, and mental health issues and/ or substance use disorders. Click the link above and refer to pages 22-24 for a recap of this important work.

>>> 2022 Juneteenth Ohio Festival – June 18-19

The 25th Annual Juneteenth Ohio Festival will be held June 18-19 at Genoa Park, 303 West Broad St., in downtown Columbus. The festival benefits Juneteenth Ohio literacy initiatives and features concerts, a classic car show and more. This event provides an enjoyable family weekend of cultural discovery and events promoting cultural unity, enrichment, and ethnic diversity. Admission is free each day until 3 p.m. – arrive early and enjoy music, food, and more. Click HERE to view a complete schedule of festival events.  Click HERE for a list of other Juneteenth celebrations throughout Ohio.

>>> Stronger Together: Children’s Mental Health and Resiliency Virtual Conference – June 28-29

Registration is now open for the Stronger Together: Children’s Mental Health and Resiliency Virtual Conference hosted by the Governor’s Children’s Initiative, Ohio Department of Education and OhioMHAS on June 28-29. Sessions will provide opportunities for teachers, administrators and community partners to learn about best practices and resources for the implementation of mental health and resiliency supports for children, directly from those implementing programming in Ohio’s schools. Attendees will gain information about accessing funding, utilizing data in decision-making, engaging parents and caregivers, and leveraging partnerships to provide tiered interventions and supports for all children. Keynotes include Rob Vincent from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and a Student Voice Panel. CEU’s are pending. Review the daily schedule and frequently asked questions page for additional information about the conference.

>>> School Safety Funding Opportunities

There are many grant programs currently accepting applications for school safety-related funding opportunities. Please visit the Ohio School Safety Center website for the most up-to-date list. An additional resource is the Grants Finder Tool that the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse team announced on SchoolSafety.gov.

Current opportunities include: https://www.bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/o-bja-2022-171282

• COPS Hiring Program (Initial Document Deadline: June 9) – This program supports law enforcement agencies to hire and/or rehire additional career law enforcement officers in an effort to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts, including funding for school resource officers.
• Preventing School Violence: BJA’s STOP School Violence Program (Deadline: June 14) – Through this opportunity, the Bureau of Justice Assistance seeks applications for funding to prevent violence in a K-12 school setting. This program supports and assists county, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions in improving efforts to reduce violent crime in and around schools.
• Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (Deadline: June 16) – This opportunity provides funding to prevent and reduce violent crime in communities by supporting comprehensive, evidence-based violence intervention and prevention programs, including efforts to address gang and gun violence, based on partnerships among community residents, local government agencies, victim service providers, community-based organizations, law enforcement, hospitals, researchers, and other community stakeholders.
• Human Trafficking Youth Prevention Education Demonstration Program (Deadline: June 17) – This program provides funding to local educational agencies to develop and implement programs to prevent human trafficking victimization through the provision of skills-based human trafficking training and education for school staff and students as specified in the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2018.
• School Violence Prevention Program (Deadline: June 21) – This program offers schools the opportunity to improve security on school grounds through the implementation of evidence-based school safety programs and technology.

Ongoing opportunities:

• Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief
• Project to Support America’s Families and Educators (Project SAFE)
• School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) 

On Monday, OhioMHAS Director Lori Criss provided an update on current state priorities and efforts to assist recovery to attendees of Ohio’s 2022 Opiate and Other Drugs Conference hosted by the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities, in partnership with OhioMHAS and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Click HERE to view Director Criss’ PowerPoint slides and HERE for other presentations and handouts. The conference returned this year to an in-person format at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Columbus.  

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