Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director Lori Criss traveled to Wayne County last week to attend a community open house for the new Judy Wortham Wood Transitional Living Facility located at 2243 Noble Drive in Wooster.

Operated by OneEighty, "Judy's Place" is a home for individuals in early recovery who want to maintain sobriety while learning life skills. The facility is named in honor of Judy Wortham Wood (pictured above with Director Criss) who retired last summer after serving as Executive Director of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Wayne and Holmes Counties since 2008. The project was supported by capital funding from OhioMHAS in collaboration with the Wayne-Holmes Board, Federal Home Loan Banks, Commercial and Savings Bank, Noble Foundation, Wayne County Community Foundation, and the Laura B. Frick Charitable Trust in collaboration with PNC Bank. 

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are preventable birth defects with wide-ranging impacts. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 20 children have FASD. Closer to home, more than 1,100 babies are born in Ohio annually with FASD. The State of Ohio has created a multi-agency Steering Committee to reduce FASD birth defects. Toolkits and other materials for partners, stakeholders and the public have been developed to increase awareness of FASD and help decrease its prevalence in Ohio. Click HERE to learn more about FASD.

To request free toolkits and other materials, please click the button below and email the completed request form to: MH-SOT-FASD@mha.ohio.gov. Note: Quantities are limited. Requests will be processed in the order in which they are received. 

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) recently released the 2023 update to the NIMH Strategic Plan for Research to keep pace with evolving scientific approaches and research priorities. The Strategic Plan, originally published in 2020, guides NIMH grantees, potential grant applicants, and staff in the design and implementation of future research.

Most notably, the updated Strategic Plan emphasizes NIMH’s commitment to funding research that aims to reduce mental health disparities and promote health equity. In addition, NIMH updated the title of Goal 4 to “Advance Mental Health Services to Strengthen Public Health” to better align with the research objectives outlined in that goal.

NIMH also developed a companion Progress Report, highlighting significant accomplishments made during fiscal year 2022. And we encourage you to visit the Progress pages, where we feature NIMH-supported research that is advancing each of the four goals of the Strategic Plan.

Summit ESC and Peg’s Foundation recently announced plans to partner on the development of a county-wide system of Behavioral Health and Wellness Coordinators (BHWC) for proactive prevention and early intervention for middle school and high school students in Summit County. Coventry Local Schools and Tallmadge City Schools will be the first districts to pilot this program, set to take place during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years.

The partnership aims to address the disconnect between schools and mental health and wellness services in Summit County. By equipping local school districts with the necessary awareness, staffing, and training, the program intends to bridge the gap in mental health service delivery, ensuring students receive the support they need. 

With the new program, Coventry and Tallmadge schools will soon have a Student Assistance Program (SAP), which includes BHWCs developing and maintaining ongoing district-wide student assistance programs with referral processes providing services to at-risk youth and their families. The partnership aims to replicate this program across Summit County after the pilot phase.

Thrive Peer Recovery Services and CHESS Health have teamed up to expand access to the Connections App supporting Ohioans with Substance Use Disorder. The project is supported by federal State Opioid and Stimulant Response (SOS 3.0, formerly SOR) grant funds awarded by OhioMHAS. 

The Connections App — a smartphone app available at no cost to patients/clients throughout Ohio — is part of the CHESS Health technology platform, eRecovery. The easy-to-use smartphone app with 24/7 peer support helps individuals reduce isolation, gain motivation, build confidence, and adhere to their treatment and recovery plan. With the Connections App, individuals in recovery will be able to receive support 24/7 from certified peer support specialists in conjunction with treatment.

The Connections App can: 

• Strengthen patient recovery between visits
• Provide 24/7 support to patients without the need to add extra staff
• Increase patient retention and reduce the risk of relapse
• Improve outcomes in their recovery

Specialized programs on the app include:

• Family: Pregnancy, Parenting & Beyond
• LGBTQIA+
• Teen Seen
• Mind Matters
• Nicotine Cessation

The app is also offered in Spanish. Conexiones offers culturally appropriate content and peer support from native Spanish speakers; strategies to support special or high-risk populations, such as those with co-occurring mental health disorders, pregnant women, parents, and caregivers; and support for individuals in need of occupational and social support, including immigration.

For more information on how to connect clients, patients, or peers to the Connections App please contact Montana Banner, Project Manager with Thrive Peer Recovery Services by calling 216.220.8774 ext. 731, or email mbanner@thrivepeersupport.com. 

The Ohio Department of Insurance Mental Health Insurance Assistance Office (MHIA) is holding educational webinars in May. The webinars are geared to helping consumers and healthcare professionals in the state understand how to identify and navigate mental health and substance use disorder benefits in health insurance plans for treatment access.

During the webinars, MHIA office staff will give an overview of the office's information and services, explain the regulation of mental health and substance use disorder insurance benefits, help participants understand how to determine those benefits in their health insurance plan, and detail how to file an insurance complaint with the department and appeal a denied health insurance claim or a reduced payment for a benefit or service. Click the links below for more information and to register. 

May 23 | Consumer Tips for Understanding Mental Health Insurance Benefits
May 25 | Understanding Mental Health Insurance Benefits for Healthcare Professionals

MHIA office staff are available at 855.438.6442 (855.GET.MHIA) and getmhia@insurance.ohio.gov to answer questions about the webinars and mental health and substance use disorder insurance benefits.

Star Behavioral Health Providers will hold its next Tier I: Introduction to Military Culture and Deployment on June 29 from 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. This free, virtual training provides an introduction to military culture, information about the deployment cycle and the effect of the deployment cycle on service members and their families.  

The Star Behavioral Health Providers initiative was developed through a collaboration with the Ohio National Guard, Ohio Department of Veterans Services, OhioMHAS, The Ohio State University, American Red Cross, OhioCares, the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University and the Center for Deployment Psychology.

The mission of the program is to create an opportunity for licensed Ohio behavioral health providers to receive specific evidence-based training that will help them meet the needs of the state’s service members and their families. Providers receiving the training will then be listed on a comprehensive provider registry that will identify them as having completed this training in military issues. The registry will serve as a valuable resource for service members, families, and referring professionals in and outside the military.

Recovery Resources has announced dates for its Fall 2023 Clinical Supervision training series. The series is designed to meet the criteria set out by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board for counselors and social workers seeking to gain or maintain their supervisory designation. Participating in all four courses will meet the Board’s educational requirement for counselors seeking their supervisory designation. A discount is provided for participating in all four courses. However, these are stand alone courses and participation in all four courses is not required. Cost is $100 per course, which includes 6 Supervision CEUs per course. Register for all four courses and save $50. Traiings are held from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Upcoming training dates include:

Aug. 18 | Assessment, Evaluation & Remediation: Tools for Effective Clinical Supervision

Sept. 15 | Attending to Counselor Development w/in the Clinical Supervision Relationship

Oct. 20 | Management & Administrative Aspects of Clinical Supervision

Nov. 17 | Legal, Ethical & Professional Responsibilities Related to Clinical Supervision