>>> Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio Provides Free Books to Ohio Children From Birth to Age 5

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Ohio mails kids one free book each month until their 5th birthday. Any child in Ohio between birth to age 5 — regardless of their zip code — can enroll in the program for free at: OhioImaginationLibrary.org. Children enrolled in the program are mailed one new book each month that’s age appropriate. Newborns receive board books, while toddlers receive books with more complex storylines. The Imagination Library's collection is diverse, featuring several bilingual books, as well as books authored by Ohioans. This year, the collection includes There’s a Hole in the Log at the Bottom of the Lake by Ohio author and illustrator Loren Long. Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine (pictured at right) frequently travels across Ohio to encourage more families to sign their child(ren) up a free monthly book. This month, she has hosted 15 book readings across the state. Currently, 343,490 kids in Ohio are signed up for the Imagination Library. While the program is currently reaching 48 percent of eligible kids between birth and age 5, there are many families who have not yet signed up to receive books from the Imagination Library. Please support Ohio’s efforts in spreading the message about these free books to organizations you work with and families you serve. Informational flyers can be found at: OhioImaginationLibrary.org/supporters. Click HERE to see a list of books available.

>>> Survey for Ohioans Who Have Interacted with NAMI Ohio

NAMI Ohio has contracted with Ohio University to conduct a gap analysis that will inform NAMI’s organizational planning efforts for the next 12-24 months.  As a part of that effort, NAMI Ohio is asking Ohioans who’ve interacted with the organization to share their thoughts via a brief survey. NAMI Ohio welcomes feedback from individuals who have received NAMI services, as well as those who have partnered with NAMI in some way. Responses are anonymous and will be compiled by Ohio University.  The survey will be open through October 7. If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact Tracy Plouck at Ohio University: plouck@ohio.edu.

>>> Virtual Training on Grief, Loss & Clergy Self-Care – Sept. 29

The Ohio Council of Churches, with support from OhioMHAS and Cornerstone of Hope, will host a virtual training on Grief, Loss & Clergy Self-Care on Sept. 29. This instructional and restorative program will focus on the forms of grief and loss and provide helpful insights into grief, with particular emphasis on older adults. During the workshop, presenters will provide tools to assist participants in coping with the many bereavement issues that have been presented with throughout the pandemic, both for your congregation and yourself. Click the link for more information and to register.

>>> Final 2022 enCompass Training for Navigating Addiction – Nov. 1

Recovery Ohio, in partnership with the Addiction Policy Forum, will hold its final (virtual) statewide enCompass Training to help Ohio families and communities navigate addiction on Nov. 1 from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Click the link for more information and to register. The training is free and open to all adults who want to learn more about addiction and have the skills to respond. Attendees often include families, friends, caregivers, clergy, law enforcement, first responders, healthcare providers, employers, educators, community-based service providers, and anyone interested in learning how to respond to substance use/co-occurring disorders.

>>> NIDA Releases 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

This week, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) released its strategic plan for FY 2022-2026. Strategic planning is a process all NIH Institutes perform every five years, to take stock of the current state of research and set priorities that are ambitious but achievable to advance an Institute’s particular mission. Drug addiction and overdose deaths are among the most pressing health crises of our times. NIDA’s new plan reflects the agency’s commitment to advancing all aspects of addiction science in the service of improving public health. It corrals the breadth of research we support—from basic neuroscience and pharmacology to epidemiology and prevention to therapeutics development and implementation, to research on the delivery of addiction treatment and other services — while remaining flexible and responsive to scientific innovations as well as to the rapidly shifting drug use and addiction landscape. NIDA’s plan for the next five years also prioritizes research that is informed by people with lived experience of addiction in themselves or their families, to best meet the needs of those most directly impacted by NIDA’s science.  

NIDA’s 2022-2026 Strategic Plan has five priority scientific areas:

1. Understand Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior
2. Develop and Test Novel Prevention, Treatment, Harm Reduction, and Recovery Support Strategies
3. Accelerate Research on the Intersection of Substance Use, HIV, and Related Comorbidities
4. Improve the Implementation of Evidence-Based Strategies in Real-World Settings
5. Translate Research into Innovative Health Applications

>>> NIDA News: Heart Medication Shows Potential as Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder

A medication for heart problems and high blood pressure may also be effective for treating alcohol use disorder, according to a new study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and their colleagues. The study presents converging evidence from experiments in mice and rats, as well as a cohort study in humans, suggesting that the medication, spironolactone, may play a role in reducing alcohol drinking. The research was led by scientists at NIDA, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and the Yale School of Medicine. “Just like for any other medical condition, people with substance use disorders deserve to have a range of treatment options available to them, and this study is an exciting step in our effort to expand medications for people with alcohol use disorder, “ said Nora Volkow, M.D., director of NIDA. “In addition, we must address the stigma and other barriers that prevent many people with alcohol use disorder from accessing the treatments we already have available.” A report of the new findings is published in Molecular Psychiatry.

>>> Recording Available: The Intersection of Suicide and Substance Use

On Sept. 15, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and NIDA co-hosted a Facebook Live event on the intersection of suicide and substance use. NIMH Director Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., and NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow, M.D., led a discussion on common risk factors, populations at elevated risk, suicides by drug overdose, treatments, prevention, and resources for finding help. Click HERE to view a recording.

>>> Governor DeWine Announces Top “AAA” Credit Rating for Ohio

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Ohio Office of Budget and Management (OBM) Director Kimberly Murnieks announced this month that Fitch Ratings upgraded Ohio’s long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to “AAA” from “AA+” reflecting a material strengthening of the state’s financial resilience and budget management, particularly over the past two biennia. The rating action is Ohio’s first “AAA” rating with Fitch, which began rating Ohio’s credit in the 1990s and represents the highest rating for Ohio’s IDR by one of the three main rating agencies since 1979. The benefit of a higher credit rating allows Ohio to achieve a lower cost of borrowing which ultimately achieves success on behalf of all taxpayers.

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