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 Monday, June 12, 2023

Governor DeWine, Lt. Governor Husted Discuss Social Media Parental Notification Act, Mental Health Priorities

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted were joined by Tony Coder of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Director Lori Criss today to discuss the Social Media Parental Notification Act and other mental health priorities in the state budget.

“The evidence is building that social media platforms can have a negative impact on kids’ mental health and well-being,” said Governor DeWine. “In addition, social media platforms can expose kids to predators who want to exploit them. If teens must get parental consent when they see an R-rated movie because of exposure to inappropriate content, it only makes sense that parents give kids permission to have social media accounts.”

The Social Media Parental Notification Act, included in the Executive Version of the State Operating Budget and championed by Lt. Governor Husted, aims to help protect Ohio’s children from dangers online that can lead to mental health issues. The act would require certain online companies to obtain verifiable parental or legal guardian consent to contractual terms of service before permitting kids under the age of 16 to use their platforms.

Under the proposal, companies must:

• Create a method to determine whether the user is a child under the age of 16
• Obtain verifiable parental/legal guardian consent if the user is under the age of 16
• Send written confirmation of the consent to the parent or legal guardian

This May, the U.S. Surgeon General doubled down on his warning with the release of an updated Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. 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 called 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.

Helpful Resources

• Nationwide Children’s On Our Sleeves website features how-to guides on having conversations with children about using social media wisely, protecting privacy, and minimizing risks for kids with mental health disorders. 

• The National Center of Excellence on Social Media and Mental Wellbeing recently debuted a Q&A portal for parents looking for advice about their child’s relationship with technology. 

PTSD Screening Day — June 27

In recognition of June as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month, the National Center for PTSD is sponsoring a PTSD Screening Day on June 27.  Self-screening promotes taking the first step in seeking PTSD treatment. The self-screen takes only a few minutes to complete and can help you discover if your feelings and behaviors may be related to PTSD. All screening responses are private — they are not collected or shared.

NIH, FDA Leaders Call for More Research, Lower Barriers to Improve Drug-Checking Tools Amid Overdose Epidemic

In a new Commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine, leaders at the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Food and Drug Administration highlight the urgent need to address current gaps in the research, development, and implementation of fentanyl test strips and other rapid drug-detecting tools that could help prevent overdose deaths. These tools have the potential to save lives and to serve as an important part of harm reduction toolkits but often remain inaccessible because of gaps in research and various other barriers, including state or legal prohibitions. This call to action encourages new collaborations among researchers and agencies to ensure the effectiveness of fentanyl test strips and promote the development of additional drug-checking technologies. It also encourages the reduction of barriers that inhibit use of these technologies where not prohibited by law.

SFY 2024 Peer Recovery Supporter Training Opportunities

The OhioMHAS Bureau of Recovery Supports has announced additional 40-hour Peer Recovery Supporter (PRS) trainings and 4-hour Peer Supporter Supervision trainings for State Fiscal Year 2024 (July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024). Click the links below for more information, training calendar, and registration information. Questions? Please email peerservices@mha.ohio.gov.

40-Hour PRS Training Information | Registration
4-Hour Supervision Training Information | Registration

Light After Loss Annual Postvention Convention — Aug. 11

Light After Loss, a non-profit organization providing trauma focused support for suicide loss survivors and other traumatic loss survivors in Stark County, will host its Annual Postvention Convention on Aug. 11 from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at the Kent State University at Stark Conference Center.  This training, which is available in-person and virtually, is dedicated to assisting mental health clinicians to appropriately identify trauma and grief in and provide therapeutic support to suicide loss survivors. The Postvention Convention is open to licensed mental health clinicians, students, and community members interested in learning more about supporting those that have lost someone to suicide.  Questions? Contact Em Ribnik, Light After Loss Training, CE & Certification Coordinator at training@lightafterlossstark.org or call 330.990.6963.

In the News...

DeWine wants social media companies to get parental consent before kids can sign up
Columbus Dispatch, June 12, 2023

DeWine, Husted discuss the Social Media Parental Notification Act
WDTN-TV, June 12, 2023

How does trauma spill from one generation to the next?
The Washington Post, June 12, 2023

Suicide rates in the Black community are on the rise. An Ohio barbershop is stepping up.
Statehouse News Bureau, June 12, 2023

More working age Ohioans dying, HPIO research shows
Dayton Daily News, June 12, 2023

Why 16 should be the minimum age for social media
The Wall Street Journal, June 10, 2023

Surgeon general: 'Kids can't afford to wait' on mental health
WDTN-TV, June 8, 2023

'Keep them alive': More states legalize fentanyl test strips to combat surging opioid deaths
The Washington Post, June 8, 2023

Local organizations promote awareness for children's mental health
Marietta Times, June 8, 2023

Lorain commission approves apartments for people experiencing homelessness
WEWS-TV, June 8, 2023

STRIVE program for mental health treatment expands beyond military members
WKRC-TV, June 7, 2023

Professional exchange program offers visitors a view of how social programs could work
Port Clinton News-Herald, June 7, 2023

Cleveland hires strategist to coordinate city's emergency crisis care response
WKSU 89.7, June 6, 2023

This civilian mobile team responds to mental health crises once handled by police
Columbus Dispatch, May 22, 2023

Got News?

If you would like to submit a news item or training for consideration for publication in OhioMHAS NewsNow, please email content to Eric.Wandersleben@mha.ohio.gov. 

Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services

Mike DeWine, Governor | Lori Criss, Director