NewsNow - 12.13.2022

Dec. 13, 2022

>>> Governor DeWine Applauds Brown County for National Certification of START Program

Last week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine applauded Brown County’s Ohio Sobriety Treatment and Reducing Trauma (START) program for becoming the country’s first certified START program. Ohio START is an affiliate of the national START model that helps parents achieve recovery, improve parental capacity, and keep children in the home when it is safe and possible. “We brought Ohio START to southern Ohio in 2017 when I was Attorney General,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “Since then, many agencies have worked together to keep kids in their homes, prevent child abuse, and get parents treatment so they can be the parents their children need.” As Attorney General, now-Governor DeWine launched Ohio START as a pilot project and it has now expanded to 54 counties. The Public Children Services Association of Ohio administers Ohio START with funding from the Ohio Departments of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS).

“Last year, nearly 3,400 Ohio children were removed from their home due at least in part to parental substance abuse,” said ODJFS Director Matt Damschroder. “Research has shown that mothers who participate in START achieve sobriety at nearly twice the rate of mothers treated without START and that children in families served by START were half as likely to be placed in children services custody.”

“Ohio START plays a vital role in stabilizing families harmed by parental drug use so that both children and parents can recover and find healing and hope. We applaud our partners in Brown County for leading the nation in becoming the first local entity to earn national certification,” added OhioMHAS Director Lori Criss.

Children and Family Futures provides the START model nationwide and notes Brown County’s achievement is significant because full application of the model; engaging substance use and mental health treatment providers; the judicial system; other relevant agencies; and a parent mentor, leads to positive outcomes for the families served.

>>> Governor DeWine Announces Fifth Round of Wellness Support for First Responder Agencies

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced today that 72 local first responder agencies will receive a total of $28 million to help support the wellness and staffing needs of Ohio's first responders. The grants represent the fifth round of the Ohio First Responder Recruitment, Retention, and Resilience Program. To date, Governor DeWine has awarded $49 million to 219 Ohio agencies as part of this program, which aims to address burnout caused by understaffing and overall job stress.

>>> June 2022 OSAM Drug Trend Report Available

The Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring (OSAM) Network has announced the release of its latest Drug Trend Report: Surveillance of Drug Abuse Trends in the State of Ohio: January – June 2022. The OSAM Network conducts focus groups and individual qualitative interviews with active and recovering drug users and community professionals (treatment providers, law enforcement officials, etc.) to produce epidemiological descriptions of local substance abuse trends. Qualitative findings are supplemented with available statistical data such as coroner’s reports and crime laboratory data. Mass media sources such as local newspapers are also monitored for information related to substance abuse trends. Once integrated, these valuable sources provide the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) with a real-time method of providing accurate epidemiological descriptions that policymakers need to plan appropriate prevention and intervention strategies. Should you have trouble downloading the document or have any comments/questions, please contact OSAM Principal Investigator R. Thomas Sherba, Ph.D., M.P.H., L.P.C.C., C.P.M. at r.sherba@mha.ohio.gov.

>>> Coping With Holiday Stress Resources

The Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County and the Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board have released Coping with the Holidays resource booklets. The booklets offer tips on reducing extra stresses during the holiday season and contact information for local help resources. Click HERE to view the Cuyahoga County booklet and HERE to view the Trumbull County booklet.

>>> Behavioral Health Provider Network Management (PNM) Refresher Training – Dec. 14

The Ohio Department of Medicaid is hosting a Provider Network Management (PNM) Refresher Training on Dec. 14 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Training topics include: eligibility rule and guideline reminders; workflows; changing provider types and/or adding specialties; initiating a new provider application; completing updates; and who to contact to resolve issues. Absorb, the Learning Management System (LMS), is where you will sign up for this virtual session. If you do not have an account in the LMS, it’s important that you create one to ensure you have access to all training sessions, answer forms, and a variety of PNM resources. Access the Job Aid and follow the steps to create your account and register for training. To learn more about the PNM module and Centralized Credentialing, visit the PNM and Centralized Credentialing page on the Next Generation website. If you are experiencing any technical issues accessing the PNM module or have specific questions, please contact Medicaid’s Integrated Helpdesk (IHD) at 800.686.1516 or email IHD@medicaid.ohio.gov. The IHD is open Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

>>> 2023 ORH Annual Conference – March 8-9

Earlybird registration is open for the 2023 Ohio Recovery Housing Annual Conference slated for March 8-9 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Columbus-Dublin. The conference provides an opportunity to network with others in the Ohio recovery housing community, learn best practices, and gain information about innovative programs and services that can benefit residents of recovery housing. Click the link for more information and to register. Questions? Please call 614.453.5133 or email info@ohiorecoveryhousing.org.

>>> Ohio Program for Campus Safety and Mental Health (OPCSMH) Sixth Biennial Conference – May 18, 2023

Save the Date! The Ohio Program for Campus Safety and Mental Health (OPCSMH) will host its Sixth Biennial Conference ”Reimagining Campus-CommUNITY Partnerships” on May 18, 2023. Calls for presentations and additional conference details will be available January 2023. Visit https://www.neomed.edu/csmh/ for updates. Questions? Please email jzavala@neomed.edu.

In the News

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12.12.22 | Columbus Dispatch Columbus bans sales of flavored tobacco products including menthol cigarettes

12.12.22 | The New York Times (Editorial) What comes next for the war on drugs? The beginning of the end.

12.11.22 | CBS News 60 Minutes: Resources for adolescent and family mental health support

12.11.22 | Columbus Dispatch (Editorial) Warm, welcoming $59M crisis center will be gamechanger for Columbus

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12.11.22 | Elyria Chronicle-Telegram Lorain County Recovery Drug Court recertified, named model “Mentor Court”

12.9.22 | WCPO-TV The holidays stress people out. Here’s how to overcome the season.

12.9.22 | The News-Herald Lake County ADAMHS Board, Crossroads Health add virtual reality training simulator

12.9.22 | The Washington Post As student mental health needs soar, schools turn to telehealth