Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director Lori Criss was presented the Phillips Medal for Public Service as part of the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine's 48th Annual Convocation and White Coat Ceremony on Aug. 18. The medal, which is the highest honor bestowed by the college, was given to Director Criss in recognition and appreciation for the three decades she has worked to make Ohio’s behavioral health services more visible, accessible and effective.

At the ceremony, a total of 256 first-year osteopathic medical students received white coats, which are symbolic of the tremendous responsibility that is incumbent on those who seek to enter the healing professions. After the medal presentation, Director Criss provided keynote remarks during which she challenged students to be an example of wellness and end the stigma around mental health. 

“Your generation can change this...Be intentional about learning how to help your patients feel safe, acknowledging their risk factors, their symptoms, and then giving them hope that through evidence-based practices you can help them prevent these conditions, you can help them treat them and you can help support their long-term recovery,” she said.

In addition to helping their patients, Director Criss reminded students to make their own mental health and wellness a priority and to look out for each other. She asked them to commit to five things: connect with others, spend time daily being still in mind and body, go outside, give back to their community and practice gratitude every day.

The CVS Health Foundation recently announced its Centering Youth Mental Health initiative, a multi-year philanthropic investment to improve adolescent and young adult mental health. In response to the continuing decline in mental health outcomes for young people ages 12 to 24, the Foundation intends to collaborate with community-based, multi-sector coalitions that are seeking to create sustainable, systems-level improvements in cities or counties. This five-year initiative will launch in October 2023 in up to four sites across the United States. City- or county-level coalitions will each be awarded a total of $1,000,000 to implement strategies that increase young people’s access to the evidence-based care, programs and conditions that promote positive mental health outcomes. See page 3 of the Call for Applications for details on the two-step application process. Questions? Email cvshealthfoundation@cvs.com. Applications are due Sept. 8 by 5:00 p.m.

OhioMHAS is seeking Requests For Information (RFI) to provide an opportunity for non-profit peer support organizations and providers to host a recovery-focused event with activities in observance of September as Recovery Month. Organizations may apply for up to $20,000 to host an event with activities focused on reducing overdose deaths, increasing access to addiction treatment, preventing youth alcohol and drug use, increasing recovery supports, and provide educational opportunities and training on promoting harm reduction practices. 

Please submit emails of interest by 3:00 p.m. on Aug. 28 to Peerservices@mha.ohio.gov. Responses to frequently asked questions will be posted on the OhioMHAS Funding Opportunities webpage.

In partnership with OhioMHAS, The Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center (GRC) serves as the State Opioid and Stimulant Response (SOS 3.0) evaluation team. GRC is pleased to announce GPRA training opportunities in September for SOS SOR grantees. These trainings are intended for staff who collect Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) for the SOS SOR grant and staff who enter SOS SOR GPRA data into the OhioMHAS iPortal. Each training will be offered virtually via Zoom.

Click the links below for more information and to register. If you have any questions, please contact GRC at SOSEval@osumc.edu

GPRA Data Collection: Learning how to complete the required GPRA interview – Dr. Margaret Baughman, Case Western Reserve University, will offer a comprehensive overview of the GPRA tool, including interview strategies, the importance of the GPRA, and other helpful tips. 
Sept. 7 — 10:30 a.m.-Noon | Register
Sept. 26 — 1:30-3:00 p.m. | Register

iPortal Data Entry: Learning how to enter a GPRA interview into iPortal – Professional staff from the GRC team will offer an orientation to the iPortal data management application, including tips on how to enter intake, follow-up, and discharge interviews, along with client locator data. There will be time for questions and answers in this short training.
Sept. 13 — 10:30-11:30 a.m. | Register
Oct. 6 — 11:00 a.m.-Noon | Register

In recognition of September as FASD Awareness and Prevention Month, the Ohio Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Steering Committee will present the Seventh Annual FASD Forum on Sept. 15 at the Renaissance Columbus Westerville-Polaris. This year’s theme is FASD is a Family and Community Matter. Denise Bothe, M.D., FAAP, Associate Professor, Case Western Reserve University and Rachel Tangen, Ph.D., Neuropsychologist, University Hospitals, Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Pediatrics, will provide keynote remarks. Click HERE to view the conference agenda. Registration, which is free for both in-person and virtual participants, closes Sept. 8. 

The Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Ottawa, Sandusky & Wyandot Counties, in partnership with Sandusky County Public Health, the Sandusky County Family & Children First Council and the Prevention Partnership of Sandusky County, will host the 2023 Northwest Ohio Mental Health and Wellness Conference on Sept. 21-22 at the Terra State Community College Neeley Center in Fremont.

Featured topics include: trauma informed care, suicide prevention, gambling prevention, PAX Tools, mental health self care, person-first language, and stigma reduction. Keynote presenters include: Danae Riggs of Soulbird Consulting; Andi Yates of Holistic Consulting; Phil Atkins, Harbor; and Stacey Frohnapfel-Hasson, OhioMHAS. The deadline to register is Sept. 8. Questions? Please email Jamie Belcher at jbelcher@scpublichealth.com.

The Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program (UMADAOP) of Dayton will host the 34th Annual UMADAOP Statewide Conference on Oct. 4-6 at the Marriott University of Dayton. This year's theme, "Upendo" (Love): Restoring Hope, Rebuilding Lives, and Strengthening Value in Our Communities, highlights the restorative power of hope and the value invested in that which we love.

Conference sessions continue the UMADAOP Federation's long tradition of working to ensure that communities of color benefit from culturally specific prevention, treatment, recovery, and mental health services. Keynote presenters include: Charde' Hollins, LCSW, Relevant Connects; Dr.Haner Hernandez, New England School of Addiction Studies; and, Angela Dawson, Executive Director, Ohio Commission on Minority Health.

A limited number of scholarships are available. Click HERE to apply. Interested in being a conference vendor? Click HERE to apply. Questions? Please call 937.276.2176.