OhioMHAS NewsNow | OACFA Conference...OhioMHAS Honored by OCDCA...Veterans Needs Assessment Survey...Spanish Language Resources...Upcoming Trainings...In the News

Ohio Department of Behavioral Health sent this bulletin at 10/17/2023 04:50 PM EDT

Tuesday, October 17, 2023

OhioMHAS Director Criss Speaks at Ohio Adult Care Facilities Association Conference

Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director Lori Criss provided remarks today at the Ohio Adult Care Facilities Association (OACFA) Conference. Director Criss provided an update on Ohio's behavioral health priorities, focusing on "real results for Ohioans." She discussed investments in the latest state budget that support Class 2 and 3 residential services for Ohioans with serious mental illness, specifically highlighting Ohio's Enhancing Quality Grants, Residential State Supplement, and Access to Wellness initiatives. She also discussed the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and Ohio's commitment to expanding the state's crisis network, as well as workforce efforts underway and other research and innovation initiatives.

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OhioMHAS Honored as 'Partner of the Year' by Ohio Community Development Corporation Association for Programming Efforts to Reach Older Adults

The Ohio Community Development Corporation Association (OCDCA) — a statewide membership organization of nearly 300 locally based rural and urban nonprofits that work to rebuild neighborhoods through initiatives such as economic development, affordable housing, financial education, and local food access — presented its "Partner of the Year" award to OhioMHAS at the organization's 39th Annual Conference held earlier this month in Columbus. The award recognizes a partner that has provided support to a local CDC.

The St. Mary Development Corporation nominated OhioMHAS for the department's role with two projects focused on serving older adult popoulations in the Miami Valley region:

1) Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services funded a prevention specialist position that provides mental health programs to the 1,000+ St. Mary residents in the Dayton area. These programs have significantly reduced the negative impact of issues such as loneliness, anxiety, and depression, that often are found in senior populations. Digital signage was used to educate residents about programs and resources and provide positive mental health messages.

2) The Older Adult Behavioral Health & Wellness Project (guided and funded by the Office of Prevention Services at OhioMHAS) focuses on empowering older adults to make healthy lifestyle choices and to navigate their health care continuum through educational tools, guidance, and support. The project includes the importance of medication compliance and lifestyle choices regarding the use of medication and alcohol. The project is allowing St. Mary to work with other partners to organize, develop, implement, and evaluate the framework for the state and local infrastructure needed to roll out the program to all 88 counties in Ohio, including other affordable housing communities.

OhioMHAS Medical Director Dr. Justin Trevino and Deputy Director for Prevention Services Bobbie Boyer (pictured above) accepted the award on behalf of OhioMHAS. They were joined by Terry Vandenburg from St. Mary’s CDC and OCDCA Board leadership and staff.

2023 Veterans Needs Assessment Survey

The Ohio State Battelle Center at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs in partnership with Endeavors and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum are conducting an Ohio Veteran Needs Assessment that will help identify the issues facing military-connected communities in the region, contributing to the development of programs and services to meet those needs. This survey is brief, anonymous, and open to all Ohio veterans & their family members. The survey is open through Nov. 6.

Take Survey

Mental Health America — Spanish Language Resources

Mental Health America has released several new Spanish-language resources to enhance mental health support for Spanish-speaking communities. Click the links below to view and download the latest resources.

Culture, Community, and Connection: 2023 BIPOC Mental Health Toolkit
Selfies, Socials, and Screens: Navigating Virtual Spaces for Youth
Spanish-Language Mental Health Resources Hub

Self-Determination and Informed Decision Making — Oct. 24

The Center for Disability Empowerment, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities and Ohio Family Network, will host a virtual Self-Determination and Informed Decision Making webinar on Oct. 24 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. The session will discuss practical tips that encourage conversations to empower a person with I/DD to make informed decisions for their life.

Register

OSPF Upcoming Suicide Prevention Trainings

The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation has released its latest schedule of suicide prevention trainings. Click the links below for more information and to register. Questions? Please email austin.lucas@ohiospf.org.

Nov. 17 | Convo CALM (Counseling on Access to Lethal Means)
Dec. 1 | Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS)

Introduction to Military Culture, Families, and Deployment — Nov. 30

Star Behavioral Health Providers is hosting a Tier One: Introduction to Military Culture, Families, and Deployment virtual training on Nov. 30 from 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The training is free and will offer continuing education hours for Ohio counselors, social workers, psychologists, and chemical dependency counselors. The mission of this program is to create an opportunity for licensed Ohio behavioral health providers to receive specific evidence-based training that will help them meet the needs of the state’s service members and their families. Providers receiving the training will then be listed on a comprehensive provider registry that will identify them as having completed this training in military issues. Questions? Please email ohioadmin@starproviders.org.

Register

OACBHA 2023 "Recovery is Beautiful" Celebration — Dec. 12

The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) will hold its 2023 Recovery is Beautiful Recovery Celebration on Dec. 12 from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at Dwell Community Church in Columbus. In addition to activities celebrating recovery, the day will feature keynote presentations from Nathan Harmon and Glenda Lezeau who will share personal stories of their lived experiences. Nathan is an international speaker and the founder of Your Life Speaks. His message comes from his personal struggles and his desire to help others. In his past he battled divorced parents, suicidal thoughts, alcohol and drug addiction, bulimia, and jail. Glenda started her own company Rising from Bipolar, a platform featuring inspiring messages about mental health based on her story.

Register

A Closer Look at the Farm: Mental Health, Wellness, and Risk — Dec. 12

The Great Lakes Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Regional Center (ROTA-R) will host its Fall Seminar "A Closer Look at the Farm: Mental Health, Wellness, and Risk" on Dec. 12 from 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. During this session participants will identify unique stressors, risks, and factors supporting farmers, family, rural life and agriculture workers. The webinar is co-sponsored by the Ohio Youth Resilience Collaborative at The Ohio State University. The session is free, but registration is required. Questions? Please email Kelly Cabral, ROTA-R Project Director, at cabral.48@osu.edu.

Register

2024 ORH Annual Conference — March 20-21

Ohio Recovery Housing will hold its 2024 Annual Conference on March 20-21 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Columbus-Dublin. This year's conference theme, is "Every Person, Every Family, Every Community." Earlybird registration is now open. Cost is $185 for ORH Associate Members and $350 for Non-Associates. Conference planners are also accepting workshop proposals through Nov. 30.

Earlybird Registration