Web Content Viewer
Actions

NewsNow - 07.06.2021

Governor DeWine Signs Anti-Hazing Law, Bills to Strengthen SUD Workforce, Ban Sale of DXM to Minors

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today signed Senate Bill 126 (Collin's Law) at a bill signing ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse. Co-sponsored by Sen. Stephanie Kunze (R-Hilliard) and Sen. Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), S.B. 126, Ohio's Anti-Hazing Act, increases criminal penalties for hazing, includes forced consumption of alcohol or a drug of abuse in the definition of hazing, and widens the scope of who can be punished for participating in or permitting hazing, among other provisions. Last week, Governor DeWine signed the following bills into law: House Bill 9: Sponsored by Rep. Kyle Koehler (R-Springfield), H.B. 9 prohibits retailers from selling cough medicine containing dextromethorphan to anyone younger than 18 without a prescription. While safe if used appropriately, misuse of it has increased in recent years among adolescents and young adults. Read the media release. House Bill 5: Sponsored by Rep. Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville), H.B. 5 creates two pathways to become a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor II. This type of counselor works with those who have substance use disorders and will help fill the shortage of these counselors in Ohio. Read the media release. Pictured: OhioMHAS Director Lori Criss participates in the HB 5 bill signing.

Crisis Services White Paper

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction (OhioMHAS) and its partners are working to develop a supported quality crisis response system to serve as a timely and appropriate alternative to arrest, incarceration, unnecessary hospitalization, or placement in a setting with insufficient resources to address the acute nature of the situation a person is experiencing. Ohio’s vision is for every Ohioan to have access to a visible and accessible crisis continuum of services and supports that are person-centered, quality driven, and focused on ensuring people are stabilized and thriving in the community. With that goal in mind, OhioMHAS is pleased to announce the release of the Crisis Services Whitepaper Report. This report is an effort to describe not only the vision, goals, and outcomes of Ohio’s desired continuum of crisis services, but also to share the current funding strategies, highlight efforts to support and expand local crisis services, offer options to achieve the stated vision and goals, and list next steps.
 

SFY 2022-23 Budget Overview Webinar Recording Available

On July 1, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director Lori Criss provided an overview of the Department’s SFY 2022-23 budget. For those who were unable to attend the live presentation, a recording is available on the OhioMHAS Budget web page.

Recovery Is Beautiful Summer Video Series

This week, the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) will premiere a new Recovery is Beautiful video series, featuring two recovery videos each month. The series will highlight the courage and strength of Ohio’s recovery community and provide viewers the opportunity to chat together throughout the summer. The Recovery Is Beautiful movement is working to provide individuals and families with hope and encouragement, while changing the conversation around mental illness and addiction. We want people to know that mental illness and addiction are chronic illnesses; treatment works and people can recover; and recovery is something to celebrate. Viewers who subscribe to OACBHA’s Youtube channel and post in the live chat during the video premieres will be eligible to win Recovery Is Beautiful merchandise. One winner will be selected from each premiere and will be announced live. The first video – Fahria’s Recovery Story – will air on Thursday, July 8 at 3:30 p.m. The live chat will begin at 3 p.m. Click HERE to watch a video trailer. Save this link to watch live.

Return to School Webinar Series – July 2021

The Readiness Projects, the Center for the Developing Adolescent, and Youth-Nex, are partnering to host a four-part Return to School webinar series throughout the month of July. The series will support any adults who work with adolescents to: more deeply understand the adolescent experience over the last 18 months through both science and hearing directly from young people; consider how we cannot just build back focused on our own systems, classrooms, or programs, but Build Forward Together; and reimagine what schools might look like this fall to most effectively support adolescent learning and development. All sessions begin at noon. Click the links below for more information and to register.
July 7 | Rebuilding with Adolescents in Mind #1: What Developmental Science Tells Us About Supporting Reentry
July 14 | Rebuilding with Adolescents in Mind #2: Everything Different? Act Different! – Building Forward Together
July 21 | Rebuilding with Adolescents in Mind #3: Designing Educational Experiences with Adolescents in Mind
July 28 | Rebuilding with Adolescents in Mind #4: Learning from the Experts – A Youth Led, Youth Panel

2021 Virtual Adolescent Health Summit Institute – July 26-29

The University of Minnesota Center for Adolescent Nursing is hosting the 2021 Virtual Adolescent Health Summit Institute on July 26-29. Participants will explore healthy youth development - what it means here and now. Building on four decades of research, speakers will explore how racial inequity, COVID-19, and mental health concerns are converging to affect young people's health and healthy development. The event will examine social determinants of healthy development, including structural and institutional racism, through the lens of schools, communities, and families. Attendees will reflect on how COVID-19 has and will continue to transform the landscape of adolescent development. They will delve into effective strategies and best practices for supporting adolescents' mental health and healthy development. Sessions will also examine the importance of engaging young people as problem solvers and powerful change agents in their families, peer groups, and communities. Click HERE for more information and to register.

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills (ASIST) Trainings

The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, in partnership with OhioMHAS and LivingWorks, will host free, in-person Applied Suicide Intervention Skills (ASIST) Trainings in Columbus and Akron. Participants will learn how to prevent suicide, by recognizing signs, providing a skilled intervention, and developing a safety plan to keep someone alive. Attendance is limited to 30 registrants per session. Click the links below for more information. July 22-23 | 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | Columbus Aug. 12-13 | 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | Akron

Save the Date: 2021 OhioMHAS Peer Recovery Support Conference – Aug. 24-25

OhioMHAS will host the 2021 Recovery Support Conference: Onward and Upward in Unity virtually on Aug. 24-25. The purpose of the conference, during this unprecedented time, will be to support Peer Recovery Supporters who wish to enhance their skills and obtain new knowledge. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges that exacerbate mental health symptoms, attribute to relapse of substance use, and compound the challenges of accessing services for
both mental health and addiction. While rendering services to those who are striving to achieve recovery, it is essential for peers to be united, educate and uplift one another, and move onward and upward in maintaining recovery. Embracing the many pathways to recovery is core to achieving success in this endeavor. Registration information will follow in NewsNow. For questions, please e-mail peerservices@mha.ohio.gov.

SUD 101 Training Series for Housing Operators

Ohio Recovery Housing has announced a new SUD 101 Training Series for housing operators. The training will provide basic information about substance use disorders, what services and supports are available for people with SUD, and how to connect people to appropriate services and supports. Trainings start Aug. 16 and conclude June 20, 2022. Click HERE for more information, a complete list of training dates, and registration links.

Nord Center FIRST Program Receives APA Award

The Nord Center’s First Episode Psychosis Program has been awarded this year's American Psychiatric Association's Silver Award. The FIRST Program of Lorain County is a comprehensive, outpatient, team-based program aimed at improving the mental health and quality of life for individuals who have experienced a first episode of psychosis. FIRST Lorain County is a partnership between The Nord Center and the Best Practices in Schizophrenia Treatment (BeST) Center at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED). The program is based on the idea that early intervention when someone is experiencing their first episode of psychosis can make a significant difference in the course of their treatment and their life. FIRST works with clients and families to help them continue on their life path, whether that be school or work, rather than be defined by or derailed by their diagnosis. This approach is thought to lead to: preventing increasing severity of the illness; less physical, mental, psychological, social and occupational disability; lower risk of relapse; fewer forensic complications; reduced family disruption and distress; reduced need for inpatient care; and lower health costs.

In the News

7.3.21 | Lima News (Column) Debunking common myths about addiction
Web Content Viewer
Actions
""

Stay updated

Subscribe to our NewsNow eNewsletter

Subscribe