SFY 2021-22 Problem Gambling Annual Report and Services Plan Approved

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services is pleased to announce the release of the SFY 2021-22 Ohio Problem Gambling Services Annual Report & Plan. This report highlights the work of Ohio’s behavioral health system of care to ensure that Ohioans who choose to gamble are aware of how to be responsible about their choices, how to prevention problems with gambling, and how to access help for those who need it. The Ohio for Responsible Gambling collaboration that supports this array of strategies includes OhioMHAS and state partners the Ohio Casino Control Commission and the Ohio Lottery Commission. Gambling Disorder can have devastating life consequences that often co-occur with other behavioral and physical health issues and elevate the rate of suicide. Read HERE to learn more about Ohio’s nationally-recognized efforts in prevention, treatment and recovery for problem gambling. Or call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966.

Rise and Thrive Campus-Community Partnership Grant Sites Announced

OhioMHAS is pleased to announce the recipients of the Rise and Thrive Campus-Community Partnerships competitive funding opportunity. OhioMHAS partnered with PreventionFIRST!, Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE), Prevention Action Alliance, the Ohio Program for Campus Safety and Mental Health and the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery to select 12 campus community partnerships across Ohio. These grantees will receive a $50,000 grant award to collaboratively plan and implement behavior and/or mental wellness initiatives. In addition, grantees will receive training, technical assistance, professional development and networking opportunities at no cost. This funding opportunity is from Sept. 1, 2021 – Sept. 30, 2022. Funding for the Rise and Thrive Initiative comes from the Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Funds and is intended to provide critical mental and behavioral health services to students.

Awarded campus-community partnerships:

• Case Western Reserve University - The Briermost Foundation
• Cincinnati State - Mental Health America of Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio
• Lakeland Community College - Lake County ADAMHS Board
• Marietta College - Building Bridges to Careers (BB2C)
• Miami University - TriHealth at Miami Student Health Services
• Oberlin College and Conservatory - Lorain County Urban League
• Ohio University - Athens City County Health Department
• Shawnee State University - Ohio Department of Natural Resources
• Stark State College - OhioGuidestone
• The Ohio State University at Mansfield - Galion City Health Department
• University of Cincinnati - PreventionFIRST!
• University of Rio Grande - Gallia, Jackson, Meigs ADAMH Board.

Ohioans Bike Across State for Suicide Prevention Awareness

More Ohioans are joining the effort to eliminate the stigma surrounding suicide and prevent more lives from being lost. Last year, Devin Gonzales and Sam Woodward made it their mission to raise awareness around suicide prevention by riding their bikes across Ohio. This year, Gonzales and Woodward will be joined by four others as they ride from Cleveland to Cincinnati, starting Sept. 17, covering over 300 miles in a four-day stretch. Gonzales, Woodward, and company will start their bike ride on the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland and making stops at Columbus and Xenia before ending at the Queen City Sign in Cincinnati. Click HERE to read a media release on the ride from the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation.

NAMI Delaware and Morrow Counties to Host NAMIFest and Mental Health Awareness 5K – Oct. 9

NAMI Delaware and Morrow Counties, and its partners, will host its annual NAMIFest and Mental Health Awareness 5K on Oct. 9 at the Polaris Mall parking lot. A variety of free activities are planned throughout the day, including the awareness walk from 8-10 a.m., a health fair, food, music, demonstrations,  entertainment, giant inflatables, yoga, line dancing, and more. For more information and to register, visit notaloneohio.org or call 740.815.1767.

Save the Date: Franklin County ACEs, PACEs and Addiction Summit – Oct. 19

Franklin County Public Health will host the Franklin County ACEs, PACEs and Addiction Summit on Oct. 19 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. DR. Roy Wade Jr., MD, PhD, MPH, MSHP will provide keynote remarks. The Summit will explore the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the development of addiction, as well as the protective and compensatory experiences (PACEs) that can mitigate the effects of trauma. Click HERE for more information.

Updated: 2021 Ohio AAP (Virtual) Annual Meeting & Keynote – Oct. 29

The Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (Ohio AAP) has updated the keynote presentation, “Stories from a Year Lost: Picking up the Pieces from the COVID-19 Pandemic for Ohio’s Children in Crisis,” for its 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting fundraiser luncheon on Oct. 29 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Ohio AAP has assembled a multi-disciplinary panel of medical and lived experience experts, including teens, to discuss de-escalation techniques and being prepared to help children and families during a challenging mental health crisis. Participants will leave with proven, quick and easy tools and techniques to use with children and adolescents in a crisis. Click HERE for more information and to register.

In the News

9.17.21 | PRNewswire Emerging trends in problem gambling prevention highlight National Responsible Gaming Education Week

9.17.21 | East Liverpool Review Suicide Prevention Coalition, CERT honored for service

9.17.21 | Springfield News-Sun Opioid distributors sign $808M settlement with Ohio

9.16.21 | GrayTV Will feds shut down addiction treatment experiment post-pandemic?

9.16.21 | Newswise For one group in child welfare, trauma is especially common

9.16.21 | Lima News Emergency responders recognized for work on opioids

9.16.21 | WLIO-TV Opioid crisis increases during pandemic

9.15.21 | WDTN-TV ‘Let’s Chalk About Mental Health’: Raising awareness for suicide prevention

9.15.21 | WKYC-TV You are not alone: talking about suicide

9.15.21 | Perry County Tribune Never Alone Ohio hosts first community walk

9.11.21 | Sandusky Artisans Sandusky Artisans Recovery Community Center holds grand opening, Recovery Walk