OhioMHAS NewsNow | Heat-Related Illness Brochure...BRIDGE Day...MHFA Collaborative Trains 15K+ Ohioans...SUD 1115 Waiver Annual Forum...New Human Trafficking Resource...Upcoming Trainings...In the News

Ohio Department of Behavioral Health sent this bulletin at 07/18/2023 06:14 PM EDT

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

2023 Heat-Related Illness Brochure Available

With hot, summer temperatures settling in, OhioMHAS Medical Director Justin Trevino this week announced the availability of the 2023 Heat-Related Illness in Individuals Using Psychiatric Medication brochure. This publication defines heat-related illness, and includes signs, symptoms and tips to prevent heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. It also includes a list of common psychotropic medications that may impair an individual's heat response as well as steps to take in the event of a heat-related illness or emergency.

Download Brochure

BRIDGE Day to Focus on Outreach in All 88 Ohio Counties

The Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC) and the Ohio Department of Public Safety will collaborate with other state, local, and private entities on a statewide community outreach day on July 19. Called BRIDGE Day, the event is happening in conjunction with National Deflection Week, which aims to deflect those with substance abuse disorder away from the criminal justice system and into treatment services. The purpose of BRIDGE Day is to solely focus on outreach by initiating a proactive approach, encouraging law enforcement agencies with deflection teams to focus on outreach through door knocks, pop-up informational tents, or social media contacts.

This one-day event is part of Ohio’s Operation BRIDGE (Bridging Recovery & Interdiction Data Gathering Enforcement) program, which combines the resources of law enforcement and substance use treatment in a coordinated effort. Deflection teams, also known as Quick Response Teams (QRTs), are made up of first responders and mental health professionals who help those with substance use disorder get into treatment.

Many events are happening statewide on BRIDGE Day. In Fairfield County, Project F.O.R.T. (Fairfield County Overdose Response Team) will be at Maple Street United Methodist Church at 438 E. Wheeling Street in Lancaster with an information booth and food for those in need. In Gallia County, Mount Carmel Baptist Church on State Route 554 will welcome the community to the “BRIDGE Day Bidwell Party.” There will be free food and other family fun, along with information about treatment and recovery providers in the area. Check with your local law enforcement or outreach center for BRIDGE Day events in your area.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Collaborative Trains More Than 15,000 Ohioans

The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Collaborative, led by Mental Health America of Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio, has now trained more than 15,000 people in MHFA, reaching diverse groups such as educators, minorities, first responders, veterans, and faith leaders. The training has helped to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and encourage help-seeking behavior among participants.

The Collaborative is a coalition of MHFA instructors, host organizations and advocates that offer MHFA training to vulnerable communities throughout Ohio. MHFA is a research-based program that teaches people how to identify and assist mental health issues and crises.

For more information, please visit www.ohiomhfa.org. Questions? Please email Janet Gora, Statewide MHFA Director at jgora@mhankyswoh.org.

Ohio’s SUD 1115 Waiver Annual Public Forum — Aug. 15

The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) will hold the annual public forum for Ohio’s Substance Use Disorder (SUD) 1115 Demonstration Waiver during the Aug. 15 meeting of the waiver’s Stakeholder Advisory Committee. The meeting will be held at 1:00 p.m.

Any interested party may attend the Aug. 15 meeting via the August 15 SAC Meeting Link. Meeting information is also available on Ohio’s SUD 1115 webpage.

The public forum will begin immediately following the regular agenda of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee. During the public forum, any interested party is invited to offer comments on any aspect of Ohio’s SUD 1115 waiver. Written comments may also be submitted before or after the public forum.

Instructions to provide verbal comments during the public forum:

Select the “Raise Hand” button at the top of the Teams screen. A purple line will appear under the icon.
Once your name is called, unmute yourself by pressing the “Mic” button. The slash on the icon will disappear indicating you are unmuted.
Once you have spoken, place yourself back on mute by pressing the “Mic” button again. A slash on the icon will reappear indicating you are muted.
Remove your “Raise Hand” by following Steps 1 above again. The purple line under the icon will disappear.

Instructions to provide written comments before or after the public forum:

Written comments or questions may be sent via email to MCD_SUD1115@medicaid.ohio.gov.

Any questions regarding this communication may be submitted to BH-Enroll@medicaid.ohio.gov.

AG Yost Launches New Services Directory for Survivors of Human Trafficking

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost this week announced that his Human Trafficking Commission has launched a directory of Ohio-based services and resources for victims of human trafficking.

The Human Trafficking Victim Services Directory is a searchable database of agencies and programs offering emergency, transitional, residential and other services to victims and survivors. It can be searched by county, or by using the categories of service as keywords:

24 Hour Response Line
Emergency Response
Case Management Victim Advocacy
Trauma Specific Therapy
Residential Programs for Adults
Residential Programs for Youth
Substance Use Treatment
Drop-In Center
Survivor Peer Support
Shelter and Short-Term Housing for Adults
Temporary Emergency Housing in Non-Shelter Setting

Agencies that appear in the database have submitted a rigorous self-assessment to the AG’s Human Trafficking Commission. The commission’s Victim Services Committee, in turn, has determined that these agencies’ programs and services meet the Ohio’s Standards of Service for Trafficked Persons, which outlines expectations in 14 unique categories, from ethics to emergency response.

Agencies that want to appear in the directory are encouraged to read the Standards of Service booklet, then complete and submit the assessment. Organizations with additional questions may contact Yost’s Human Trafficking Initiative at HTI@OhioAGO.gov.

Essentials of Victim Advocacy — Aug. 7-11

The Victim Assistance Program of Summit County will host an Essentials of Victim Advocacy training both in-person and virtually on Aug. 7-11. This training is nationally-approved to help individuals become a comprehensive National Credentialed Advocate. Participants who complete the 40+ hour hybrid learning course will learn best practices and trauma-informed tools, including use of the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) crisis intervention model, to assist individuals impacted by victimization or traumatic events. In addition, participants will increase their knowledge about best practice, trauma-informed services, the judicial system, victims’ rights, and a host of other related topics (i.e., compassion fatigue, cultural humility, human trafficking, and more).

For more information, contact Dana Zedak, dzedak@victimassistanceprogram.org or Dr. Evelyn Williams, ewilliams@victimassistanceprogram.org.

Register

Light After Loss 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, is pleased to announce that registration for its Annual Postvention Convention is now open.

The Annual Light After Loss PostVention Convention, scheduled for Aug. 11 at the Kent State UNiversity Stark Conference Center (virtual option also available) is a unique event 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.

This year's Convention will feature: keynote presentations from Dr. Melinda Moore, Ph.D., Eastern Kentucky University, and Maureen Pollard, MSW, from Ontario, Canada; training for community members to become volunteers with Light After Loss; updates on postvention efforts in Ohio from Molly Mottram, Chief of Staff of Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation; and breakout sessions focused on supporting young survivors of suicide loss, suicide loss and counselor supervision, suicide survivors in therapy panel discussion, LGBTQ+ community needs, and postvention in K-12 schools.

Questions? Contact Em Ribnik, Light After Loss Training, CE & Certification Coordinator at training@lightafterlossstark.org or 330.990.6963.

Register