NewsNow - 10.27.2021

SAMHSA Releases 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on Tuesday released findings from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The data suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the nation’s well-being. Americans responding to the NSDUH survey reported that the coronavirus outbreak adversely impacted their mental health, including by exacerbating use of alcohol or drugs among people who had used drugs in the past year. Several changes to the 2020 NSDUH prevent its findings from being directly comparable to recent past-year surveys, as explained below.

Based on data collected nationally from October to December 2020, it is estimated that 25.9 million past-year users of alcohol and 10.9 million past-year users of drugs other than alcohol reported they were using these substances “a little more or much more” than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic began. During that same time period, youths ages 12 to 17 who had a past-year major depressive episode (MDE) reported they were more likely than those without a past-year MDE to feel that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected their mental health “quite a bit or a lot.” Adults 18 or older who had any mental illness (AMI) or serious mental illness (SMI) in the past year were more likely than adults without mental illness to report that the pandemic negatively affected their mental health “quite a bit or a lot.”

The 2020 data also estimate that 4.9 percent of adults aged 18 or older had serious thoughts of suicide, 1.3 percent made a suicide plan, and 0.5 percent attempted suicide in the past year. These findings vary by race and ethnicity, with people of mixed ethnicity reporting higher rates of serious thoughts of suicide. Among people of mixed ethnicity 18 or older, 11 percent had serious thoughts of suicide, 3.3 percent made a suicide plan and 1.2 percent attempted suicide in the past year. Among Whites 18 or older, 5.3 percent had serious thoughts of suicide, 1.4 percent made a suicide plan, and 0.5 percent attempted suicide in the past year. Among Hispanics or Latinos 18 or older, 4.2 percent had serious thoughts of suicide, 1.2 percent made a suicide plan and 0.6 percent attempted suicide in the past year. Among adolescents 12 to 17, 12 percent had serious thoughts of suicide, 5.3 percent made a suicide plan, and 2.5 percent attempted suicide in the past year. Click HERE for information on how to join a stakeholder briefing hosted by SAMHSA on Oct. 28 at 2:15 p.m.

HHS Secretary Becerra Announces New Overdose Prevention Strategy

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra today announced the release of the new HHS Overdose Prevention Strategy, designed to increase access to the full range of care and services for individuals who use substances that cause overdose, and their families. This new strategy focuses on the multiple substances involved in overdose and the diverse treatment approaches for substance use disorder. The new strategy prioritizes four key target areas — primary prevention, harm reduction, evidence-based treatment, and recovery support — and places an emphasis on meeting the needs of underserved populations, using best available data and evidence to inform policy and actions, integrating substance use disorder services into other types of health care and social services, and reducing stigma.

BH Workforce Webinar Presentation, Slides Available Online

Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director Lori Criss recently presented findings from a behavioral health workforce study the department completed this year in partnership with Ohio’s Office of Workforce Transformation, Innovate Ohio, and Deloitte. This study took a deeper look at the impact and factors affecting the supply and demand of the behavioral health workforce in Ohio. Click HERE to watch a recording of the webinar and to view presentation slides. Specific reports from the Deloitte study can also be accessed at https://data.ohio.gov/ (search for “workforce supply and demand”).

OhioRISE Transition Grants

The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) this week announced the intent to award $25 million in grants to expedite readiness and support the transition to OhioRISE. ODM’s grants are being made to catalyze our collective work to serve the urgent needs of children who will be eligible for OhioRISE next year. Two new types of Medicaid providers, Care Management Entities (CMEs) and Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) providers, will be offered grant opportunities to support workforce and organizational development so they can serve future OhioRISE enrollees. These Transition Grants will ensure a strong start for OhioRISE, which is a key component of Governor DeWine’s efforts to better serve the needs of multi-system youth and is vitally important to the overall success of implementing Ohio Medicaid’s Next Generation of Managed Care.

ODM designed the OhioRISE Transition Program, including this grant opportunity, to support the following goals:

Prepare for a successful OhioRISE go-live with the rest of the Next Generation of Managed Care Program
Promote Governor DeWine’s Children’s Initiative and recognize the Administration’s extensive work to better serve Multi-System Youth
Assist the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) and local Public Children Services Agencies (PCSAs) with implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA)
Recognize and build on the extensive work of OhioRISE’s Advisory Council and Workgroups

The OhioRISE Transition Program is comprised of the following elements:

OhioRISE Transition Grants will be administered by the OhioRISE managed care plan, Aetna Better Health of Ohio (Aetna). ODM and Aetna will communicate about the grant processes and timelines in the coming months. Following grantmaking activities, Aetna will actively support the grantees in their start-up work. While building relationships with CME and MRSS providers, Aetna will assist with building the System of Care across the state. ODM and Aetna are deeply committed to providing resources to develop the workforce and infrastructure that is needed to successfully launch the OhioRISE program.

As a reminder to providers, Aetna released its CME Request for Applications (RFA) on Oct. 18; the RFA is available on Aetna’s website and applications are due by Dec. 8. CMEs will be selected in January 2022 and will need to establish their contracts with Aetna to access Transition Grant funding. Questions about the CME application process can be directed to CMEapplication@AETNA.com

Click HERE for an overview of this announcement. More information about the OhioRISE program can be found on the OhioRISE page of the Ohio Medicaid Managed Care Procurement website. If you or your stakeholders have questions, please email OhioRISE@medicaid.gov.

Problem Gambling Prevention Funding Opportunity

Prevention Action Alliance has announced the availability of funds for the prevention of problem gambling. Education and Skill-Building to Prevent Problem Gambling: A Community Coalitions Project provides funds to plan for or enhance existing problem gambling prevention efforts across Ohio. Up to $15,000 per year, per organization may be requested and funds could potentially be renewed a second-year contingent upon outcomes and availability of funding. Community coalitions, ADAMH boards, OhioMHAS-certified providers, or groups affiliated with public health districts or educational institutions may all apply. Click the link to view the RFP, supporting documents, and project timeline.

SPCA Presents: Veterans as a Coalition Sector – Nov. 8

The Statewide Prevention Coalition Association (SPCA) will host “Veterans as a Coalition Sector” at 1 p.m. on Nov. 8 to explore how coalitions can connect with and better serve veterans in communities throughout Ohio . This virtual event will include guests from the Ohio National Guard, OhioMHAS, and Prevention Action Alliance as well as representatives from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs and Ohio coalitions already engaged in this work. The event will feature State Rep. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville) who will talk about her work as a legislator and service member involved in local coalition efforts. You do not have to be a SPCA member to attend. Click HERE for more information and to register.

Reminder: Statewide enCompass Training to Combat Substance Use Disorder – Nov. 9

RecoveryOhio, Addiction Policy Forum, and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) are teaming up to host a free, statewide enCompass training on Nov. 9 to help those affected by addiction. The program, called enCompass, is a comprehensive resource for navigating substance use disorder. Funded by OhioMHAS, enCompass is a resource for family members who are trying to navigate the complex world of addiction while helping loved ones achieve recovery. The EnCompass program has already been helping families around Ohio since April 2021 by holding individual county trainings. On Nov. 9, enCompass will have its first statewide, 8-hour virtual training session. Participants will learn from six main subject areas, the signs and symptoms of addiction, how to start the conversation, getting an assessment and treatment options, how to set healthy boundaries, and how to access recovery support about the medications to treat addiction. Attendees for the trainings can include families, friends, caregivers, clergy, law enforcement, first responders, healthcare providers, employers, educators, community-based service providers, and anyone else interested in learning how to respond to substance use/co-occurring disorders. All participants will receive a certificate at the completion of the course.

Rise and Thrive Webinar: Campus Cultural Competency – Nov. 10

The Rise and Thrive Campus-Community Partnerships webinar series will continue on Nov. 10 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. with Campus Cultural Competency: Creating Understanding and Supports for Student Wellness. This webinar will help participants understand the importance of culturally relevant service delivery and implementing enhanced student wellness tactics for engaging with underserved student populations. Click HERE for more information and details on upcoming Rise and Thrive educational opportunities.

SPCA Advocacy Boot Camp – Nov. 15

SPCA has announced plans to host an Advocacy Boot Camp on Nov. 15 from 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. The Boot Camp is a five-session learning collaborative focused on advocacy. Advocacy Boot Camp will take participants through the "ins and outs" of advocacy from the basics to planning your own legislative strategy. Seats are limited but open to any Ohioan interested in learning more about advocacy.

In the News

10.27.21 | WCMH-TV Suicide prevention group teams up with Bengals to Kick the Stigma

10.27.21 | Tiffin Advertiser-Tribune enCompass training Nov. 9 to teach about battling addiction

10.26.21 | Hamilton Journal-News Butler County finalizing plans for emergency mental health crisis center

10.26.21 | TODAY How to take a mental health day to really reap the benefits

10.26.21 | WLWT-TV Ohio AG warns about cannabis products that look like popular snack brands ahead of Halloween

10.26.21 | USA Today 911 operators not prepared to handle mental health crisis calls

10.26.21 | Cleveland.com ‘Like we were hit by a tsunami’: Trumbull County official testifies in opioid trial how scourge hit her community

10.26.21 | WDTN-TV Mental health resources providing lifeline for local vetetrans in crisis

10.26.21 | Columbus Dispatch Federal prosecutors target Ohio drug traffickers on the ‘dark web’

10.26.21 | WBNS-TV Columbus first responders get training to help manage stress

10.25.21 | WOIO-TV New phone rule for dialing local calls creates space for future crisis emergency number