NewsNow - 10.06.2022

>>> Governor DeWine, Director Criss Visit Mahoning Valley Campus of Care for Groundbreaking

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, First Lady Fran DeWine and Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director Lori Criss visited Mahoning County Wednesday where they joined county officials and leadership from the Mahoning County Mental Health & Recovery Board to break ground on a new addition at the Mahoning Valley Campus of Care in Austintown. They also toured a facility that will house a new program operated by the Cadence Care Network in its role as a regional care partner for OhioRISE, Ohio’s first integrated program to help children who have complex and serious behavioral health needs.

The new addition will be a greenhouse for Flying High Youngstown’s GROW (Gaining Real Opportunities for Work) Urban Farm. The farm employs persons who have barriers to employment to give them work experience to help develop skills to find gainful employment. The farm’s produce goes to the Mahoning Valley Mobile Market, restaurants, area food pantries, and farm co-ops. The greenhouse will provide produce for the mobile market and meals for children in Head Start. Construction should be completed by the end of January 2023.

The Campus of Care, which opened in 2020, is a newly-renovated, multi-faceted residential and workforce training center that houses numerous agencies, including: I Am Boundless, Inc., Compass Family & Community Services Alta Behavioral Healthcare, TWI (The Workshops, Inc.), Flying High, Inc., and the Cadence Care Network. The campus formerly was the Youngstown Developmental Center.

>>> Ohio Gambling Survey – Round Three Launches in Communities

The third Ohio Gambling Survey over the past 10 years has begun collecting survey responses from Ohio adults. Initially completed in 2012 and again in 2017, 2022 will mark the third statewide survey that collects data on how Ohioans view and engage in gambling. Sponsored by Ohio for Responsible Gambling (ORG) and conducted by CHRR at The Ohio State University, this data analysis will help the ORG partners – Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Ohio Casino Control Commission, Ohio Lottery Commission and Ohio State Racing Commission – to ensure the highest quality Problem Gambling Services system of care for individuals and families. A random sample of individuals in Ohio has been selected to be part of the study. Postcards are being mailed inviting possible participants to complete the survey on the web or to schedule an appointment for a phone interview. There will be a follow-up phone effort to collect as many survey responses as possible.

>>> Director Criss Attends MetroHealth BH Hospital Dedication, Tours Cuyahoga County Diversion Center

OhioMHAS Director Lori Criss traveled to Cuyahoga County this week where she provided remarks at the dedication ceremony for the new MetroHealth Behavioral Health Hospital in Cleveland Heights and toured the Cuyahoga County Diversion Center. The $42 million hospital project -- consisting of a new three-story, 79,000-square-foot building and 21,000 square feet of renovated space in the existing MetroHealth Cleveland Heights Medical Center -- will add 112 beds to serve an estimated 5,000 northeast Ohio patients a year. Along with short-term inpatient care for adults and seniors -- the adolescent unit will open next June -- the largest regional investment in behavioral health services in decades will also add 225 new jobs to the local economy. Click HERE to view more photos.

Later in the day, Director Criss and several members of the OhioMHAS leadership team joined Cuyahoga County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board Executive Director Scott Osiecki for a tour of the county’s Diversion Center. The Center is a first-of-its kind facility in Ohio, working with law enforcement to help individuals who are exhibiting signs and symptoms of a mental illness and/or addiction. These individuals receive the help, care and linkage to community resources they need in a treatment environment rather than going to the County jail. The Diversion Center has also expanded eligibility beyond law enforcement referrals to include calls from friends, family members and individuals in need of and wanting care for a mental illness and/or substance use disorder. The Center, which opened in 2021, is a 50-bed facility, with staff onsite 24/7. Services can include assessment, medical evaluation, case management, counseling, medications, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), withdrawal management (detox), NAMI educational groups, referral and linkage to other community services. The Center is supported by the ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County and managed by Oriana House. Click HERE to view more photos.

>>> Director Criss Visits Miami County

OhioMHAS Director Lori Criss and several senior leaders from the OhioMHAS team recently visited Miami County. The Director began her day with an interview with Clint Myers of WPTW in Piqua where she discussed mental illness and addiction as part of the Miami County Mornings radio program. Afterwards, she toured Safehaven Consumer Social Club, in Piqua. Safehaven offers support for those in recovery through the symptoms of mental illness and the life struggles and pain mental illness can cause. With the right combination of medication and counseling from other agencies, and having a strong support system like SafeHaven, members learn that hope is real and ongoing recovery is possible for a happier life again. Director Criss and staff joined leadership at the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services board office for a roundtable discussion on services which included law enforcement from Miami, Darke and Shelby counties as well as crisis, and hospital representatives. The OhioMHAS team also visited the West Central Juvenile Facility with Miami County Commissioners. The day ended with a tour of the new Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services board office which is slated to open in November. Click HERE to view more photos.

>>> Prevention & Wellness Academy Application Deadline Extended to Oct. 11

The Prevention & Wellness Academy of Ohio is a project of the K-12 School-Based Initiative at Prevention Action Alliance (PAA), in partnership with the Education Development Center, and Miami University’s Center for School-Based Mental Health Programs and is generously funded by the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, LLC. PAA is offering five select school districts the chance to receive student-targeted support over the next three years (2022-2025) in the following Ohio counties: Adams, Ashtabula, Clark, Jackson, Lucas, Mahoning, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, or Scioto. Share this opportunity with your school district connections and partners and assist in contributing to the greater success of our youth and their healthy life achievements. More information can be found at https://preventionactionalliance.org/connect/the-prevention-action-alliance-school-based-initiative/. The deadline to apply has been extended to Oct. 11.

>>> Creating Local Behavioral Health Career Ladders to Support Workforce Development – Oct. 19

The Communities Of Practice RCORP Consortium, which includes, Ashtabula, Fairfield, Sandusky, and Seneca counties, is hosting a virtual, one-hour Creating Local Behavioral Health Career Ladders to Support Workforce Development lunch and learn opportunity on Oct. 19 at noon. Representatives from each of the four Ohio communities will detail how they identified local behavioral health workforce needs and created career ladders that help address those needs and support their workforces. Participants will be provided resources to replicate the process in their own communities. This program is open to substance use disorder prevention, recovery, and treatment professionals in Ohio and others who play a role in behavioral health staffing or career development planning. Ohio RCORP grantees are highly encouraged to attend. Continuing Education credits are available. Click the link above for more information and to register in advance.

>>> Understanding and Treating Generational Trauma – Oct. 21

The Lake-Geauga Training Committee will host an in-person Break the Cycle: Understanding and Treating Generational Trauma training on Oct. 21 from 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Auburn Career Center in Concord. The training will be led by trauma expert Amber Stiles-Bodnar, M.S.Ed, LPCC-S, LCDC III. Cost is $60 and includes 6 CEs. Click the link above for more information and to register. Questions? Please email jvittek@shinc.org.

>>> Updates to the DSM-5-TR Webinar – Nov. 3

The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) is hosting an Updates to the DSM-5-TR webinar on Nov. 3 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. Participants will review changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. At the end of the webinar, participants will have an opportunity for questions and answers. This webinar is open to clinicians throughout Ohio. Application has been made for two hours of continuing education for Ohio social workers, counselors, and chemical dependency professionals. Click the link for more information and to register.

>>> AMSR-SUD Provider Training (Dayton) – Dec. 2

The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation is hosting an Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk (AMSR) for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment Providers training at the Montgomery County ADAMHS Board in Dayton on Dec. 2. This one-day, in-person workshop is designed to train licensed Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment providers in learning how to recognize and assess suicide risk, plan for client safety, and manage the ongoing care of at-risk patients/clients. Click the link for more information and to register.

In the News

10.6.22 | Youngstown Vindicator DeWine heaps praise on Valley’s Campus of Care

10.6.22 | Cincinnati Enquirer Deaths of 16 from possible fentanyl poisoning prompt Hamilton County public health alert

10.5.22 | Court News Ohio Continuous progress, Treatment Courts among Chief Justice’s achievements

10.5.22 | WOIO-TV Huron County officials share ‘urgent message’ following spike in overdoses

10.5.22 | WKBN-TV Gov. DeWine in town for Austintown groundbreaking

10.4.22 | Toledo Blade Lucas County seeks to contract, improve medical services for jail

10.4.22 | WTAM-AM 1100 Dr. Drew Pinsky keynote speaker at LCADA Way Fall Gala on Oct. 27

10.4.22 | BGSU BGSU Firelands students humanize addiction recovery

10.4.22 | Fremont News-Messenger Ottawa County Drug court grads return as mentors

10.4.22 | Cincinnati Enquirer Joe Burrow launches nonprofit focused on food insecurity, mental health in Ohio, Louisiana

10.4.22 | WTOL-TV Hispanic Heritage Month mental health forum seeks to improve care in Latino communities