Ohio Governor Mike DeWine recently announced that Ohio Sobriety Treatment and Reducing Trauma (Ohio START), the program that helps stabilize families struggling with substance use, is the first in the nation to receive national certification from Children and Family Futures (CFF).

“We launched Ohio START when I was attorney general, and since then, hundreds of families have benefited from access to both treatment and recovery,” Governor DeWine said. “Many families have found hope and healing through Ohio START, and I congratulate our partners at the Public Children Services Association of Ohio and across the state for this recognition.”

Then-Attorney General DeWine began Ohio START in 2017 as a pilot program to provide recovery services for parents who have substance use disorder and specialized treatment for children who have been impacted by parental drug use. The program continued to grow under Governor DeWine’s leadership to expand to 53 counties. Administered by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio (PCSAO), Ohio START has supported more than 2,300 children.

“Certification marks a monumental milestone, showcasing the Ohio START program's commitment to excellence in its approach, training, and support for families experiencing substance use disorders and child maltreatment,” said Kara Wente, director of the Ohio Department of Children and Youth. “As the first nationally certified program of its kind, it signifies a dedication to the highest standards and commitment to transforming the lives of those in need."

Ohio START is a collaboration among child protective services, peer mentors, the courts, and behavioral health and treatment providers who work closely to help parents achieve sobriety and children to heal from any trauma they may have experienced.

“Research has shown that mothers who participate in START achieve sobriety at nearly twice the rate of mothers treated without START and that children in families served by START were half as likely to be placed in the custody of children services,” said Fawn Gadel, Ohio START director at PCSAO.

The program’s progress has been supported by the National START Training and Technical Assistance Program at CFF, which currently operates in eight states. Tina Willauer, CFF program director and model purveyor said, “We are so proud of the team at PCSAO for meeting or exceeding the State Infrastructure Requirements of the National START Model Certification is a noteworthy accomplishment acknowledging that the state possesses the infrastructure to oversee model delivery with full fidelity.”

Presentation materials from the Behavioral Health Workforce Roadmap overview webinar held Dec. 7 are now available on the OhioMHAS website. Click HERE to view the PowerPoint slide presentation and HERE to watch a recording of the webinar.

Click HERE to learn more about the Welcome Back Campaign, HERE for more information about the Wellness Workforce Technical Assistance Center, and HERE for more information about the Great Minds Fellowship.

Questions? Please email workforce@mha.ohio.gov.

The Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals (OCDP) Board is encouraging licensees/certificate holders, and stakeholders to submit comments regarding the proposed Winter 23-24 Rules Package by Dec. 19. The proposed rule revisions, rescinded, and new rules can be found on ocdp.ohio.gov under the About Us > Forms and Publications > Rules Comment Period.

Comments and questions on the proposed rules can be directed to the Board at rules@ocdp.ohio.gov. Please cc: CSIPublicComments@governor.ohio.gov. 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released an advisory that outlines recommendations for implementation of low barrier models of care to significantly expand access to lifesaving treatment for individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs).

The advisory emphasizes the importance of low barrier care in overcoming substantial gaps in access to SUD treatment and engaging more people in care. Despite robust evidence showing the effectiveness of SUD treatment, fewer than 10 percent of individuals who need care receive it. Barriers such as lack of treatment availability, strict program requirements, stigma, and discrimination have resulted in treatment gaps, especially among marginalized communities.

Low barrier models of care minimize restrictions and requirements that may limit access to treatment and other interventions. They provide services in a welcoming, nonjudgmental manner that meets people where they are.

The advisory describes key principles of low barrier care, including person-centeredness, harm reduction, flexibility, cultural responsiveness, and trauma-informed approaches. It also outlines essential components like same-day treatment availability, integrating services across settings, telehealth options, individualized care, and peer support.

The rise in child suicides in the U.S. since 2010 was fueled in part by the nation’s opioid crisis, which previous studies found increased rates of child neglect and altered household living arrangements, according to a new RAND Corporation study. The analysis links the rise is child suicides to the reformulation of prescription opioids to discourage misuse, which led to a steep rise in the use of illicit opioids such as heroin and may have contributed to the growth of illicit opioid markets. Geographic areas that were more exposed to the effects of reformulation because they had higher pre-existing rates of prescription OxyContin misuse experienced sharper growth in child suicide rates than other regions of the nation. The findings are published by the journal Demography.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released a new report titled Foundation Work for Exploring Incompetence to Stand Trial Evaluations and Competence Restoration for People with Serious Mental Illness/Serious Emotional Disturbance. This report for policy makers and criminal justice and behavioral health professionals provides an overview of the status of the fields of competence to stand trial, incompetence to stand trial, and competence restoration for adults and youth in the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems. 

The Great Lakes Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Regional Center has announced several upcoming trainings. Click the links below for more information and to register.

Dec. 12 | A Closer Look at the Farm — Mental Health, Wellness & Risk
Dec. 14 | Know Your Resources: Rural Health Information Hubs
Jan. 8 | Public Health Vending Machines
Jan. 23-24 | Early Warning Signs and Suicide Prevention Best Practices in Children, Youth
Jan. 31 | Recovery Oriented Systems of Care
Feb. 5 | Psychoactive Substances Research
Feb. 12 | Know Your Reseources: Great Lakes Technology Transfer Center

The P.E.E.R. Center will host Emotional CPR (eCPR) certification classes twice in December. eCPR is an educational program that teaches people how to assist others through an emotional crisis by three simple steps: C (Connecting), P (emPowering), and R (Revitalizing). Click the links below for more information and to register. Questions? Please email info@thepeercenter.org. 

Dec. 14-15 | Register
Dec. 18-19 | Register

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 System 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.