In recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Nationwide Foundation President Chad Jester, in partnership with the Ohio Opioid Education Alliance, officially unveiled the next round of Beat the Stigma public service announcements in Dayton Wednesday. The new PSAs focus on reducing stigma associated with mental health treatment.

The Beat the Stigma campaign, launched in 2022, initially focused on the disease of addiction. Early measures indicate that this program which appeared on broadcast television, streaming services, radio, outdoor advertising and digital and social media, was seen by 91% of all Ohioans. During the Ohio State Fair, 4,372 people visited the Beat the Stigma booth and over 1,500 played the Beat the Stigma game.

Earlier in the day, Governor DeWine, RecoveryOhio Director Aimee Shadwick and Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director Lori Criss toured the Miracle Clubhouse, part of the continuum of mental health care he is working to strengthen across the state. The Clubhouse is run by Goodwill Easterseals of Miami Valley. View more photos. 

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced $3 million in funding for 44 local law enforcement agencies to help their drug task forces enforce the state’s drug laws and combat illegal drug activity. Grants from the 2023 Ohio Drug Law Enforcement Fund will support drug task forces that impact 42 counties on issues of drug trafficking, pharmaceutical diversion, and other organized criminal activity associated with the drug trade. The program, which is administered through the Office of Criminal Justice Services, is also intended to help local agencies enhance the safety of Ohioans through multi-jurisdictional task forces. 

Funds can be used by agencies to investigate drug trafficking organizations and disrupt the drug supply through intelligence gathering, information sharing, and multi-agency coordination. Grants can also be used to support local work to help drug overdose victims and their families through education, support, and treatment options.

The Ohio Drug Law Enforcement Fund is part of the Drug Interdiction, Disruption, and Reduction Plan that is funded through Ohio's operating budget. Click the link below to see a list of funding recipients. 

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) is pleased to announce the release of Community Funding documents for state fiscal year 2024. The following documents can be accessed on the OhioMHAS website HERE:

1. Cover memo for the Allocations Guidelines
2. Cover memo for the Grant Information for Applicants (GIFA)
3. SFY24 Allocation Guidelines
4. Attachment 1 – details allocation awards to the 50 ADAMHS Boards
5. SFY 2024 Grant Information for Applicants (GIFA) by County
6. Table B – listing of federal awards
7. FIS 040-Budget template

Please look carefully through the documents and spreadsheets and contact your program lead with programmatic questions and Mei King at Mei.King@mha.ohio.gov with any fiscal-related questions. 

On Tuesday, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. While social media may offer some benefits, there are ample indicators that social media can also pose a risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. Social media use by young people is nearly universal, with up to 95% of young people ages 13-17 reporting using a social media platform and more than a third saying they use social media “almost constantly.”

With adolescence and childhood representing a critical stage in brain development that can make young people more vulnerable to harms from social media, the Surgeon General is issuing a call for urgent action by policymakers, technology companies, researchers, families, and young people alike to gain a better understanding of the full impact of social media use, maximize the benefits and minimize the harms of social media platforms, and create safer, healthier online environments to protect children. 

“The most common question parents ask me is, ‘is social media safe for my kids’. The answer is that we don't have enough evidence to say it's safe, and in fact, there is growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm to young people’s mental health,” said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. “Children are exposed to harmful content on social media, ranging from violent and sexual content, to bullying and harassment. And for too many children, social media use is compromising their sleep and valuable in-person time with family and friends. We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis – one that we must urgently address.”

The Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy, recently made history by declaring a loneliness epidemic. Feelings of loneliness are on the rise, especially among young people, which can lead to serious health risks.

The latest episode of The Partnership to End Addiction's  Heart of the Matter podcast is an extended version of Elizabeth Vargas’ conversation with Dr. Vivek Murthy for her news show “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” on NewsNation. They discuss his decision to declare the loneliness epidemic, the importance of rebuilding connections, and how we can make small changes in our daily lives to improve our mental health. Dr. Murthy also talks about his own personal experience with loneliness and shame, and why it’s so important to discuss these struggles openly. 

Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas is available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and drugfree.org.

The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities Foundation, in partnership with OhioMHAS and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, will host Ohio’s 2023 Opiate and Other Drugs Conference: Leading the Way Together on June 5-6 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus. This will be Ohio’s 13th Opiate Conference. This year's conference will focus on opiates, stimulants, and other substance use disorders, specifically on efforts related to prevention, education, intervention, treatment, recovery, family supports, community engagement, and more. Registration closes Friday, May 26.

Ohio Peer Recovery Organizations (PRO) will host the 2023 Peer Recovery Summit: Ohioans Thriving in Recovery on Aug. 16-17 at the Marriott Columbus OSU, 3100 Olentangy River Road, Columbus. The summit will serve as a place where certified peer supporters can gather to network, learn, and grow in a space dedicated to their advancement. 

This year's summit will feature Paolo del Vecchio, M.S.W. as the keynote speaker. Mr. del Vecchio is the Director of the Office of Recovery and the Director of the Office of Management, Technology and Operations for SAMHSA. A self-identified mental health consumer, trauma survivor, and person in recovery from addictions, Paolo has been involved for more than 40 years in behavioral health as a consumer, family member, provider, advocate, and policy maker.

Cost is $50. Registration is limited to 400 attendees. Attendees will receive continuing education credits (CEUs). Please email Michael Krause, at mkrause@ohio-pro.com or Uele Boxill at uboxill@ohio-pro.com with questions.