Together with OhioMHAS and The Ohio Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Prevention and Promotion, The Ohio State University College of Social Work hosted the 2023 Ohio Prevention Conference (OPC) on Nov. 16. 

Around 400 prevention professionals from throughout Ohio converged in Columbus for this annual opportunity to network and enhance knowledge, skills and attitudes about prevention science and collective impact principles. Participants explored social and structural determinants of health as they apply to Ohio’s Community Collective Impact Model for Change initiative. Conference attendees learned how communities throughout Ohio have engaged in community-based processes to plan and implement substance use disorder (SUD) prevention and mental health promotion through intentional coordination and collaboration.

Pictured above: OhioMHAS Deputy Director for Prevention Services Bobbie Boyer provides welcome remarks. Inset: Members of the OhioMHAS prevention team pose for a photo together before the start of the conference.  

Duane Piccirilli, Executive Director of the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board, was awarded the Outstanding Leadership Award (Community Service) by the Ohio Educational Service Center Association (OESCA) at its Ohio School Board Association’s Capital Conference in Columbus. The award is presented to a community leader who has personally rendered a specific leadership service which has significantly benefited all of the local school districts in the county school system, or educational service center office, or both. The OESCA noted that Piccirilli worked to form a partnership with the ESC of Eastern Ohio that includes financial support for wellness initiatives, promotion of ESC programs to other like-minded organizations in the region and relationship-building with service providers who make a difference locally. He was also recognized for his leadership to align efforts throughout the region to increase effectiveness and efficiency for beneficiaries.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), recently released the results of the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The report shows how people living in the United States reported about their experience with mental health, substance use, and treatment related behaviors in 2022. The report is accompanied by a high-level brief that includes infographics.

The NSDUH report provides nationally representative data on the self-reported use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs; substance use disorders; mental health conditions; suicidal thoughts and behaviors; and substance use and mental health treatment among the civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 12 or older in the United States. NSDUH estimates allow researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and the general public to better understand and improve the nation’s behavioral health.

The 2022 NSDUH report includes the following key finding: Among people aged 12 or older in 2022, 59.8 percent (or 168.7 million people) used tobacco products, vaped nicotine, used alcohol, or used an illicit drug in the past month (also defined as “current use”), including 48.7 percent (or 137.4 million people) who drank alcohol, 18.1 percent (or 50.9 million people) who used tobacco products, 8.3 percent (or 23.5 million people) who vaped nicotine, and 16.5 percent (or 46.6 million people) who used an illicit drug.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recently launched Alcohol and Your Brain, a virtual reality module to engage and educate young audiences about how alcohol affects the brain. Designed for Oculus Quest, Quest 2, or Meta Quest Pro headsets, this activity takes users on a virtual rollercoaster ride through the brain, with stops to describe alcohol’s harmful effects on the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus, and cerebellum.

Ohio Recovery Housing (ORH) will hold an Intro to Recovery Housing webinar on Nov. 20 from 11:00 a.m.-noon. Join ORH Executive Director Danielle Gray and discover what recovery housing is, basic requirements for running a recovery home, and sharing resources to get people started. This free webinar is designed for individuals who are new to recovery housing and who are interested in starting recovery homes but is open to anyone.

Join Prevention Action Alliance’s The G.A.P. Network  for the Navigating Uncertain Times: Strategies to Maintain Mental Wellness webinar on Nov. 28 from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. This webinar will explore essential strategies to maintain mental wellness and providing tools designed to give grounding and support during times of grief, change, and instability. Navigating life’s uncertainties can be challenging, and this webinar aims to offer concrete strategies that can be immediately applied to maintain mental wellness. The presenter will share practical insights, mindfulness techniques, and coping mechanisms to help you build resilience in the face of life’s storms. Whether you’re dealing with personal loss, community grief, societal upheaval, or other life uncertainty, this webinar will provide a first step towards nurturing your mental well-being during challenging times. Prevention CEUs will be provided.

The SFY 2023 OhioMHAS Crisis Academy Series will continue on Dec. 8 from 9:00-11:30 a.m. with Ohio’s Crisis System Landscape —Stabilize & Thrive. This webinar will cover Ohio’s Crisis Systems Landscape Analysis and focus on the second two principles of building Ohio’s Crisis Services System: Stabilize and Thrive. Speakers for this session will include Kris Vilamaa, Owner and CEO of HealthCare Perspective, and Michelle Allison-Smith, OhioMHAS Crisis System Administrator. This session will highlight three Ohio programs that focus on crisis intervention with observation, crisis residential services, and crisis residential-RESPITE.

Register today to join the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) for its 2023 Recovery is Beautiful Recovery Celebration on Dec. 12 from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Dwell Community Church in Columbus. Participants will hear keynote remarks from Nathan Harmon and Glenda Lezeau, and participate in a variety of activities to celebrate that recovery is beautiful.

Star Behavioral Health Providers (SBHP) has announced two upcoming Tier 1 training opportunities for community members and providers. The trainings are 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 Ohio behavioral health providers to receive evidence-based training that will help them meet the needs of the state’s service members and their families. Tier One trainings provide an introduction to military culture, information about the deployment cycle and the effect of the deployment cycle on service members and their families. Click the links below to register.

SBHP is an initiative in Ohio developed through a collaboration with the Ohio National Guard, Ohio Department of Veterans Services, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, The Ohio State University, American Red Cross, OhioCares, the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University and the Center for Deployment Psychology.

Jan. 9, 2024 | Tier 1 Virtual Training (8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.)
Feb. 23, 2024 | Tier 1 In-Person Training - Columbus  (8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.)

Please be advised that 2023 Ohio Adult Allies Summit, originally scheduled for Dec. 8, has been postponed. Summit planners are currently exploring a new date in late January 2024. The Summit is supported by Prevention Action Alliance, the Ohio Youth-Led Prevention Network, OhioMHAS and the Ohio University Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service. Stay tuned to NewsNow for updates. Questions? Please email adonaldson@preventionactionalliance.org.

Ohio for Responsible Gambling (ORG) and the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio (PGNO) this week announced that this will once again partner to host the 2024 Ohio Problem Gambling Conference. A two-day, virtual pre-conference will take place Feb. 1-2 while the in-person portion of the conference will be held Feb. 15-16 at the Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center in Lewis Center. 

Continuing Education Units for the conference and pre-conference will provide a total of 18.75 CEUs through the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board, Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage & Family Therapist Board, and International Gambling Counselor Certification Board. Registration options include Full Conference (includes virtual and in-person), Virtual Pre-Conference and Single Day. To register, visit the registration page on the PGNO website or visit PGNOhio.org/events.

Conference Scholarships
Click HERE for recovery schoalrship information. The Ohio Coaching & Mentoring Network (OCAM), funded by OhioMHAS and administered by PreventionFIRST! to increase the capacity of Ohio’s prevention workforce, will also provide 10 scholarships for prevention professionals with an OCPSA, OCPS, or an OCPC working in Ohio. For more information about the scholarships, contact Christi Valentini-Lackner at cvalentini-lackner@prevention-first.org.

Nominations Sought: 2024 PGNO Awards of Excellence 
PGNO is currently accepting nominations for its Awards of Excellence which recognize individuals who have demonstrated significant contributions through innovation, advocacy, dedication and impact on the Ohio problem gambling service system and /or responsible gambling field. The awards will be presented during at the in-person conference on Feb. 15-16. Click the link above for more information or to submit nominations by Nov. 29.

Exhibitor Info
Limited tabling is available for nonprofit entities at $200 and corporate entities at $350. Contact Cecilia Burford, PGNO Engagement Coordinator, at CBurford@PGNOhio.org.

The OACBHA Foundation, in partnership with OhioMHAS, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, and the Ohio Department of Health, will host Ohio’s 2024 Mental Health and Addiction Conference: Building the Systems of Care on June 3-4, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus.

OACBHA is pleased to continue to expand on the successes of our 13 prior Opiate Conferences and we are excited to announce that this year's conference will shift to a broader focus and will address both mental health and addiction topics. Based on attendee feedback, this 14th annual, two-day conference will focus on efforts related to mental health. opiate and other addiction prevention, education, intervention, treatment, recovery, family supports, community engagement, and more. The conference will highlight Governor Mike DeWine’s investment in the mental health & wellbeing of Ohioans.

Call for Presentations
OACBHA is requesting presentations from all categories of professionals, individuals in recovery, and family members. OACBHA is seeking a variety of presentation proposals for this event. If you have questions about the conference or the call for proposals, please contact Shelby Embrey at sembrey@oacbha.org. The deadline to submit a proposal is Dec. 18 at 5:00 p.m.