Ohio Governor Mike DeWine recently announced several enhancements to the state's free Safer Ohio School Tip Line (1-844-SAFEROH) that will make it easier for Ohioans to report school safety concerns. In addition to calling and texting the tip line, Ohioans anywhere in the state can now report school safety information through a new smartphone app and online web form.

The new Safer Ohio School Tip Line smartphone app, available both on iOS and Android devices, and the online web form include pre-populated prompts to help users quickly upload information. The tip line will also be newly staffed by crisis response professionals who are trained to help individuals contemplating self-harm. 

School students, staff, parents, and community members associated with any school in Ohio are encouraged to report any school safety concerns to the tip line including, but not limited to:

• Bullying incidents;
• Withdrawn student behaviors;
• Verbal or written threats observed toward students, faculty, or schools;
• Hazing;
• Weapons/suspicious devices on or near school grounds;
• Gang-related activities;
• Unusual/suspicious behavior of students or staff;
• Self-harm or suicidal sentiments;

Those who report tips can choose to remain anonymous.

October is Substance Misuse Prevention Month and Youth Substance Use Prevention Month. To help communities spread awareness, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has published a Prevention Month Toolkit that includes sample social media messages, backgrounds, email signatures, and more. Also, read the latest Partners in Prevention blog from Capt. Christopher Jones, Pharm.D., Dr.P.H., M.P.H., Director, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.

For more ways to get involved, check out the following resources:

• “Talk. They Hear You.”^® ― Get informed, be prepared, and take action to prevent underage substance use.
• SAMHSA’s 20th Prevention Day ― Learn what’s new and innovative, on Jan. 29, 2024.
• National Prevention Week ― Showcase your community’s prevention work.
• Communities Talk to Prevent Alcohol and Other Drug Misuse ― Offers resources to plan local events.
• Voices of Youth ― Welcomes youth and young adults as agents of change.

Red Ribbon Week will be observed the week of Oct. 23-31. This annual observance highlights the importance of living a drug-free life. It also presents an opportunity for parents, educators, and communities to reinforce the drug-free messages they share with their children throughout the year. Access additional information and resources online. Follow the conversation on social media with the hashtag #DEARedRibbon.     

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will host its next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. The semi-annual event aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. Click HERE to download a free toolkit to help promote take back events in your community. Click HERE to locate participating take back locations near you and HERE for a list of permanent collection sites. In April, communities throughout the nation safely disposed of 663,725 pounds of unneeded medications at nearly 5,000 collection sites. Since its inception in 2010, National Prescription Take Back Day has removed more than 17 million pounds of unnecessary medications from communities across the country, according to the DEA.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is reminding Ohioans with disabilities that they can take advantage of many free employment services at the state’s OhioMeansJobs Centers and OhioMeansAccessibility.com. 

Every county in Ohio has an OhioMeansJobs Center. The centers offer free career planning, job training, and other employment services to Ohioans looking for work and to employers seeking workers. Individuals can use the public computers and phones at the centers to complete online training, prepare resumes, and search and apply for jobs. In addition, OhioMeansJobs Centers partner with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD), the state agency that helps Ohioans with disabilities receive individualized support to find a job and build a successful career.

OhioMeansJobs Centers provide reasonable accommodations so those with disabilities have equal access to services. Individuals can contact their local OhioMeansJobs Center to learn what types of assistance and equipment are available. 

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed an enormous strain on the nation’s mental healthcare system for our young people and we see that reality playing out in every community throughout Ohio. Across the country, children and youth are struggling with mental health needs at levels never before seen, and parents and caregivers of children with complex mental and behavioral needs face even more challenges getting their kids treatment.

In July 2022, Governor DeWine introduced OhioRISE, a specialized behavioral health program managed by Medicaid for people ages 20 or younger who have complex emotional, developmental, and psychological needs. He envisions a time when every Ohio child has the opportunity to achieve their potential, regardless of obstacles, because of programs like OhioRISE.

To give you a sense for the work underway that is shared across Ohio’s child-serving agencies, The Ohio Department of Medicaid encourages you to watch, “Shortage of mental health services for teens forces parents to take desperate measures,” a PBS News Hour story that ran nationally this month. It features OhioRISE and the work of one of its care management entities (CME). In late August, the PBS News Hour Team visited OhioRISE CME Positive Education Program (PEP) in northeast Ohio and interviewed PEP CEO Habeebah R. Grimes about OhioRISE. The news team spent the day talking to PEP staff to get a better understanding of the current youth mental health crisis, PEP’s role in addressing these needs in Northeast Ohio, and the significance of OhioRISE and what it means for Ohio’s children. They also spoke with the parents of OhioRISE members to get first-hand accounts of their experiences.

Today, OhioRISE serves more than 25,000 children, youth, and young adults. If you know someone who is at a loss to help a child or young person that is suffering from complex behavioral or mental health illness, share this 10-minute PBS story about OhioRISE’s unique supports. Then, point them to the OhioRISE website to learn more about the program. 

Have you heard about the Convoke Study? People diagnosed with schizophrenia talk  about their struggles with motivation and finding enjoyment in things. These are common negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Standard treatment for schizophrenia involves a combination of medication and therapy. The Convoke Study, sponsored by Click Therapeutics, Inc., will examine two mobile applications (apps) to see if they can support people with moderate to severe negative schizophrenia symptoms. These apps are investigational prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs) that are downloaded onto your smartphone. This study will evaluate whether an app can be part of a schizophrenia treatment plan. The results of this study could help other people who experience negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

Study sponsors are looking for people who:
• are at least 18 years of age
• have a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia
• have been on a stable dose of antipsychotic medication for at least 12 weeks
before the study treatment period
• own a smartphone compatible with Android 10 or greater, or iOS 14 or greater

To participate in the study, you must be available to use a mobile app for up to 22 weeks. The study also includes four study center assessment visits and three phone calls. An Institutional Review Board (IRB) has approved this study. An IRB protects the rights, safety, and well-being of the participants. Click the button below to watch an informational video with more information.

The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities will host the next Crisis Academy on Ohio’s Crisis System Landscape: Connect and Respond webinar on Oct. 18 from 9:00 a.m.-noon. The webinar will cover Ohio’s Crisis Systems Landscape Analysis and focus on the first two principles of building Ohio’s Crisis Services System: Connect and Respond. Speakers for this session will include Kris Vilamaa, Owner and CEO of HealthCare Perspective, and Michelle Allison-Smith, Crisis System Administrator at OhioMHAS. Additionally, this session will highlight two Ohio programs that are running a mobile crisis program and a behavioral health urgent care center. CEUs have been requested for Ohio social workers, counselors, SUD treatment and prevention professionals. Questions? Please email Shelby Embrey at sembrey@oachbha.org.