The number of Ohioans dying from unintentional drug overdoses dropped 5% in 2022 as the national number climbed slightly at 1%, according to the Ohio Department of Health’s 2022 Ohio Unintentional Drug Overdose Report released today. Ohio’s 4,915 unintentional drug overdose deaths in 2022 follows the state’s record total 5,174 unintentional drug overdose deaths in 2021.

“While the numbers headed in the right direction last year, they are no cause for celebration,” said ODH Director Bruce Vanderhoff, M.D., MBA. “Tragically, thousands of Ohioans are still dying from substance use disorders. I urge Ohioans to do what they can to prevent these deaths, from learning how to use naloxone to knowing where to turn for help for you or a loved one in need.”

Other highlights from the report include:

• In 2022, illicit fentanyl or fentanyl analogs were involved in 81% of unintentional drug overdose deaths in Ohio, often in combination with other drugs.
• From 2021 to 2022, unintentional drug overdose deaths involving heroin had the largest decrease (-43%), followed by deaths involving benzodiazepines (-16%).
• From 2021 to 2022, unintentional drug overdose deaths involving stimulant drug categories had the largest increases.

In 2022, Black non-Hispanic males continued to have the highest rate of unintentional drug overdose deaths in Ohio compared with other sex and race/ethnicity groups.

“Combatting the overdose crisis is a priority for Governor DeWine,” said RecoveryOhio Director Aimee Shadwick. "Ohio's reduced overdose rates in 2022 signal a step forward in our battle against substance use. However, the fight is far from over. Each life lost reminds us of the urgency to unite, implement change, and save those in the grip of this crisis."

On Wednesday, OhioMHAS Director LeeAnne Cornyn provided testimony before members of the Senate Health Committee. As part of the confirmation hearing, she provided an overview of her professional background, including her time as an educator, lawyer, and as director of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's Children's Inititiative where she served as the primary architect for several programs designed to help children impacted by parental substance use. She also laid out her vision as the new Director at OhioMHAS. Click HERE to watch a recording of Director
Cornyn's confirmation hearing on The Ohio Channel.

Join the OhioMHAS Wellness Workforce team on Dec.21 at noon for an informational session on the new Welcome Back Campaign, which seeks to incentivize seasoned professionals to return to the behavioral health field in Ohio communities. Through dedicated funding, OhioMHAS is supporting Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) in spearheading recruitment initiatives and offering hiring incentives. These funds aim to directly benefit returning behavioral health professionals, ensuring their valued presence in Ohio's wellness workforce. This opportunity is for CBHCs regulated by OhioMHAS that provide Medicaid-covered behavioral health home- and community-based services (Provider types 84 and 95).

More information on the Welcome Back Campaign can be found HERE. The site includes guidance documents and marketing materials to get your started. For a step-by-step guide on how to apply for this funding please refer to the GFMS Welcome Back Guidebook HERE.

OhioMHAS, in collaboration with Magnolia Clubhouse, is pleased to offer the opportunity to Ohio organizations to participate in a two-day Clubhouse Technical Assistance program, with cohorts in January and February 2024. This training, taking place in Cleveland, will give organizations the opportunity to work alongside the clubhouse team at Magnolia Clubhouse, observing and practicing Clubhouse engagement techniques in various work unit settings, and receive a “clubhouse readiness assessment” to prepare the organization to apply for future OhioMHAS clubhouse funding opportunities. 

To learn more and apply, please visit: https://forms.office.com/g/MQtWt0aw21. For questions, please e-mail peerservices@mha.ohio.gov.

Congratulations to the more than 70 state employees completing the rigorous Governor's Leadership Academy, and especially to our three OhioMHAS staff: Data Analytics Manager Luke Werhan from the Office of Quality, Planning, and Research; Chief Legislative Officer Vanessa McMahon from the Office of Behavioral Health Policy; and Youth Program Manager Alaina Deighan from the Bureau of Children, Youth, and Families. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine provided the keynote address at this event, held on Dec. 4, to the second cohort of participants in the initiative he began last year to attract strong public service leaders. 

Pictured (l-r): Luke Werhan, Vanessa McMahon, Governor Mike DeWine, Alaina Deighan, and OhioMHAS Director LeeAnne Cornyn.

This week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik released official program guidelines for the new $150 million Welcome Home Ohio program, which was developed to improve access to affordable housing across the state. The program will provide $100 million in grants over the course of the biennium for landbanks to purchase, rehabilitate, or build qualifying residential properties for income-eligible Ohioans. Additionally, $50 million in nonrefundable tax credits will be made available to landbanks and eligible developers over the biennium for qualifying rehabs and new construction once a property is sold.

The Welcome Home Ohio program was created in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly in the biennium budget bill, House Bill 33. The Ohio Department of Development will administer the program, and will begin accepting applications for both the grants and tax credit on Jan 9, 2024. The application period for the grants will close at 11:59 p.m. Feb. 9, with rolling applications accepted from Feb. 12 to May 31, as funds are available. Tax credit applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are expended. 

Development staff will host a webinar at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 18 to present the guidelines in detail and allow interested parties to ask questions. 

Ohio Recovery Housing (ORH) is updating its measures of the National Standards and is soliciting feedback from stakeholders, including operators, local behavioral health authorities, people in recovery, family members, and community members. ORH will host a virtual information session detailing the updates on Dec.18 at 2:00 p.m. All are welcome to review the draft measures, join the virtual session, and provide comments by visiting the ORH website. Comments are due by Dec. 31.

The percentage of adolescents reporting they used any illicit substances in 2023 continued to hold steady below the pre-pandemic levels reported in 2020, with 10.9 percent of eighth graders, 19.8 percent of 10^th graders, and 31.2 percent of 12^th graders reporting any illicit drug use in the past year, according to the latest results from the Monitoring the Future survey. Reported use for almost all substances decreased dramatically between 2020 and 2021, after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and related changes like school closures and social distancing. In 2022, most reported substance use among adolescents held steady at these lowered levels, and these latest data show that this trend has continued into 2023.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of School and Adolescent Health (DASH) released a new school mental health action guide to help school and district leaders build on what they are already doing to promote students’ mental health and find new strategies to fill in gaps. The action guide describes six, in-school strategies that are proven to promote and support mental health and well-being. For each strategy, the guide also describes approaches, or specific ways to put the strategy into action, and examples of evidence-based policies, programs, and practices. This action guide is a direct response to recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey findings, which show that adolescent mental health has been worsening for more than a decade, and that key indicators of poor mental health have reached alarming levels.

The Ohio Children of Incarcerated Parents initiative will host its second annual summit on April 16-17 at the Embassy Suites Columbus – Dublin. The theme is "Cultivating Strong Family and Community Connections: Sowing Seeds to Harvest Hope." Early bird registration is now open. Cost is $75 through March 1. A limited number of scholarships is available. Click HERE for more information and to apply for a scholarship.  

Mark your calendar for the 2024 Ohio Prevention Conference hosted by Prevention Action Alliance, in partnership with OhioMHAS. The conference will take place June 5-6 at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus. More details will be available soon. Click HERE to sign up for email updates.