During Red Ribbon Week (Oct. 23-31) the Clark County Partners in Prevention Youth Council along with Jenna Leinasars, Communications Specialist for Springfield City Schools, created an informational video to teach youth and the community about the origins and meaning behind Red Ribbon Week. Students from five Clark County school districts worked together to produce the video, which was screened in all Clark County school districts. The video inspired several schools to brainstorm prevention-focused activities for Red Ribbon Week. Youth Council members also distributed 5,000 wristbands with the theme “Be Kind to Your Mind” and were special guests of a Facebook live event hosted by the Clark County Combined Health District.    

The Ohio Children of Incarcerated Parents Initiative (Ohio CIP), in partnership with OhioMHAS, is currently offering funding for community and/or faith-based organizations to implement the Creating Last Family Connection (CLFC) curriculum. Information about the project can be found in the RFP. The deadline to apply for funding is Nov. 24 at 5:00 p.m. Visit www.ohiocip.org, for more information about this initiative. 

The Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) announced that applications are being accepted for federal emergency shelter and supportive services for domestic violence victims and their dependents starting today. Eligible applicants include community-based, non-profit organizations who provide emergency shelter and/or supportive services for victims of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence and their dependents.

Funding will support the establishment, maintenance, and expansion of programs and projects that:

• prevent incidents of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence.
• provide immediate shelter, supportive services, and access to community-based programs for victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence and their dependents.
• provide specialized services for children exposed to family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, underserved populations, and victims who are members of racial and ethnic minority populations.

A voluntary Bidders Training webinar will take place Nov. 9 at 10:00 a.m. The training will provide information helpful for both the application preparation and review process. Click HERE to register. The deadline to submit an application is Dec. 7 at 5:00 p.m.

There are more than 525 Purple Star Schools in Ohio – a statewide coalition for military families and PreK-12 students, and the local educators whom support these frontline, hero families. In five years, more than 40 states have joined in replicating Ohio’s model framework of Purple Star – a nationwide network now exists to exchange best practices and new ideas with local educators.

The Purple Star Award recognizes schools that display a major and purposeful commitment to PreK-12 students and families connected to our nation’s military in Ohio.  The Purple Star Schools Advisory Board, formed by the Ohio Departments of Education, Higher Education, Veterans Services, and the Adjutant General (Ohio’s Army and Air National Guard) in 2016-2017, helps decide a school’s eligibility for the award.

Applications for this upcoming Class of Purple Star Schools will be accepted from Nov. 1-Dec. 15. If you have questions about the application process, or your school’s status as an Purple Star School, please email PurpleStar@education.ohio.gov.

The Ohio Mental Health Network for School Success (OMHNSS) is sponsoring a Community of Practice (CoP)  opportunity focused on Organizational Wellness to Increase Student Wellbeing. Members of this CoP will come together to exchange ideas, insights, best practices, and experiences related to physical, mental, and emotional health, as well as work-life balance, stress management, and other wellness-related topics. This community serves as a platform for individuals to learn, support one another, and work collectively to improve well-being, both personally and within their broader communities, organizations, or schools. Sessions will be held on the second Tuesday of each month from 2:30-3:30 p.m. 

Upcoming dates/topics include (click links to register):

Nov. 14 | Wellness for All: 8 Dimensions of Wellness for Ourselves and Students
Dec. 12 | What You Can Do for Self-Care Over the Holidays
Jan. 9 | The Organizational Wellness Roadmap: Prioritizing Realistically
Feb. 13 | Wellness Assessment: Options, Examples, Ideas
March 12 | Creating the Wellness Plan: Organizational to Individual
April 9 | Organizational Wellness: Begin with the End in Mind — the Student
May 14 | Wellness Sustainability" The Summer and Next Year

For questions and/or ideas, please contact Sabrina Scott at spetrelliscott@gmail.com.

Prevention Action Alliance is hosting a webinar on Nov. 1 and again on Nov. 6 that delves into the multifaceted relationship between artifical intelligence (AI) and drug prevention efforts targeting today’s youth. Speaker Andy Duran will discuss the positive impact of AI on drug prevention, challenges posed by AI, strategies for navigating the digital landscape, and case study review. There will be opportunities for open dialogue and Q&A. Please note that the content is the same on both days. Click the links below to register. 

Nov. 1 | 1:00-2:00 p.m. Register
Nov. 6 | 1:00-2:00 p.m. Register

In partnership with The Ohio State University College of Social Work and OhioMHAS, the Ohio Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Prevention and Promotion will present the 2023 Ohio Prevention Conference (OPC) on Nov. 16 at the Hilton Polaris from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. 

This year’s theme, Leveraging the Power of Partnerships to Address Social Determinants of Health will explore opportunities for Prevention Practitioners and interested others to explore the social determinants of health framework and the Community Collective Impact Model for Change initiative, which is focused on reducing health inequities across Ohio’s communities. Attendees will learn how to engage in community-based processes to plan and implement mental, emotional, and behavioral health initiatives in partnership with community residents and stakeholders.

Prevention Action Alliance’s G.A.P. Network is hosting a Creating a Loss Responsive Community virtual workshop on Nov. 9 from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m., featuring Litsa Williams, MA, LCSW-C, from “What’s Your Grief.” This workshop will equip participants with the knowledge and tools to create and contribute to a Loss-Responsive Community. It will focus on understanding the impact of grief and loss on individuals and communities, exploring strategies for fostering need-response grief literacy, empathy, and support, and providing practical steps for implementing these concepts in your local community. CEUs will be provided.

The Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, in partnership with OhioMHAS and the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, has announced 2024 training dates for its two-part Developing Competency in Mental Health Treatment for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals: Approaches and Considerations for Culturally Afformative Care training. All sessions are virtual via Zoom. ASL interpreters and Zoom captioning will be provided. Each training provides 6.5 free CEUs for Psychologists, Social Workers, and Counselors. Questions? Please email Rachel Leffel at rleffel@chsc.org.

Part 1 | Jan. 26 and April 15
Part 2 | Feb. 26 and May 17