Today, The Ohio State University and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced a new research initiative to identify the root causes of the ongoing epidemic of persistent emotional distress, suicide, and drug overdose in the state of Ohio. Led by clinicians and researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine, in collaboration with several Ohio universities, the SOAR Study will investigate the role of biological, psychological, and social factors that underlie this epidemic.

“Ohio must be the model in helping our citizens overcome or adapt to mental health challenges so that they improve mental and physical health, complete an education, attain a good-paying job, support a family, and contribute to our communities,” said Governor DeWine. “We envision that the SOAR Study will jump-start future efforts to learn more about what Ohioans can do to better manage adversity and develop resilience."

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) is funding the statewide research project with an initial $20 million grant. Like other areas of the country, Ohio has seen a rise in mental illness, suicide, and deaths related to drug overdose over the past decade, and the COVID pandemic exacerbated these problems. This research investment demonstrates Ohio’s commitment to improving mental health.

SOAR will study Ohioans in their local communities, using an integrated “bring science to the people” approach. It will create a statewide medical research and development ecosystem to drive continued advances in mental health and substance use prevention science and treatment interventions. 

The SOAR Study has two parallel but connected projects:

• Focusing on breadth, the SOAR Wellness Discovery Survey will engage as many as 15,000 people across all 88 Ohio counties. Researchers want to uncover how strengths and skills may be related to overcoming adversity. Those strengths will inform researchers about which factors to focus on to develop new treatments. This portion is underway with more than 300,000 postcards mailed out to residents statewide.

• Focusing on depth, the SOAR Brain Health Study will comprehensively study as many as 3,600 Ohioans in family groups to examine the biological, psychological, and social factors that help explain that relationship, such as who does well with adversity, who does not, and why. Those discoveries will help researchers develop personalized treatments.

“SOAR is our effort to do for addiction, mental illness and mental health, what the Framingham Heart Study researchers did for heart disease and heart health,” said SOAR Study principal investigator K. Luan Phan, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Ohio State. Launched in 1948, the multigenerational heart study has enrolled more than 15,000 study participants over 75 years, resulting in major life-saving advancements about heart disease risk factors. 

Trova O'Heffernan
Trova O’Heffernan brings more than 20 years of leadership experience capitalizing on strategy and approach to advance mission through public crises, leadership turnover, resource constraints, and program growth. She joins OhioMHAS as Chief Operating Officer, with a deep background in government administration and community including key roles in executive management, operations, statewide community programs, and communications.

Her public service career in Washington state includes appointed positions with the administrations of three Secretaries of State charged with oversight of elections, corporations and charities filings, and management of the State Library, the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library, the State Archives, and several statewide community programs. Appointed Assistant Secretary of State in 2021 by Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, O’Heffernan led the agency’s core divisions through leadership turnover, organizational change, and significant program growth—including a 30-percent increase in budget resources. She served as principal advisor and directed operations during the global pandemic and led public affairs through an historically close governor’s race, resulting court cases, and its ensuing crisis.

Deeply passionate about workplace culture, O’Heffernan fostered employee development, mentorship, and engagement across core divisions and community programs that strengthened performance, increased commitment to mission, and improved public services in underserved communities.

A graduate of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University, O’Heffernan is a former television journalist and published author. She has written extensively about citizen activists and renowned leaders such as Billy Frank Jr., the fishing rights activist, and William Ruckleshaus, the first head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Where the Salmon Run, the Life and Legacy of Billy Frank Jr. is accessible nationwide and through the Smithsonian Libraries.

Raising a daughter who lives with disabilities, O’Heffernan is a strong advocate of health equity and the critical work of OhioMHAS. She lives in Delaware with her husband and two children.

Tia Marcel Moretti
Tia Marcel Moretti joins OhioMHAS as Chief Advisor and Deputy Director of Prevention Services, bringing 22 years’ experience working in the community-based mental health and addiction space. She is a licensed social worker and Ohio Certified Prevention Consultant. 

Prior to joining the OhioMHAS team, she was the Founder and CEO of The Ohio Institute of SUD Excellence, a nonprofit trade organization comprised of addiction providers who are committed to transparently reporting outcomes and collaborating to implement a standard of care in addiction treatment. She also served as former Associate Vice President of Behavioral Health Integration for CareSource.

Prior to joining CareSource, she worked for the Office of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine as Deputy Director of RecoveryOhio coordinating the $20 million investment in K-12 prevention education, managing mental health grants in all state departments, and tracking more than $200 million allocated for mental health and addiction services. She also served as Director of Substance Use and Social Services Policy for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, where she worked with organizations to identify solutions around the opioid crisis, co-authored the Drug Use Prevention Resource Guide, and implemented the first police-led youth drop-in center.

A recipient of the Columbus Public Health Spirit of Public Health Award, she developed a highly credentialed alcohol and drug prevention team in Ohio and managed the Columbus Comprehensive Harm Reduction Program. She was named CEO of Kids CareAlliance in the CareSource bid for a specialty Medicaid Plan to serve multi-system youth. Moretti also owns and operates The Moretti Group, where she and her team provide contract services and grant writing in the Intellectual/Developmental Disability and harm reduction space.

She is the mother of four children and as a survivor of multi-system involvement and homelessness, she is incredibly passionate about systems coordination and resiliency.

Ohio schools can now apply for a share of $6.7 million in safety grants that will be awarded for the 2024 academic year, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced this week. The funding, approved as part of House Bill 33, can be used for safety planning, training and classroom programs for public and private schools, charter schools, educational service centers, STEM schools and schools operated by county boards of developmental disabilities. 

Every school district is eligible for a grant of $2,500 or $4.50 per student, whichever amount is greater until the funds are exhausted. This year’s grants will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, making prompt submission of applications a key consideration. No applications will be considered after May 17.

Applications are now being accepted through the Ohio Grants Portal. Select “Funding Opportunities,” then select “Ohio Attorney General’s FY24 School Safety Grant.” Please direct questions to SchoolSafetyGrants@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), thas announced a new model to test approaches for addressing the behavioral and physical health, as well as health-related social needs, of people with Medicaid and Medicare. The Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) Model’s goal is to improve the overall quality of care and outcomes for adults with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorder by connecting them with the physical, behavioral, and social supports needed to manage their care. The model will also promote health information technology (health IT) capacity building through infrastructure payments and other activities.

With his 50 years in the field, it’s hard to surprise Terry Russell but that’s what folks in Fostoria did this week with dedication of the Terry Russell Home for people with mental illness. The surprise dedication ceremony celebrated the anticipated Feb. 1 opening of the 16-person renovated group home at 529 W. Lytle Street in Fostoria.  

“I was shocked. I had no idea,” said Russell who thought he was attending an open house but was surprised with a ribbon-cutting and plaque naming the building for him. Russell, who retired two years ago as executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio, was clearly moved by the namesake honor of a home for those whose cause he has championed his entire adult life. “Of all the awards I’ve received, this is probably the most significant,” said Russell who in retirement heads the Terry Russell Housing Initiative for NAMI Ohio. 

Russell has long advocated for more housing for those with mental illness, arguing that medications, counseling and treatment alone don’t work “unless you have food in your belly, a pillow to lay your head on, and a roof over your head.” 

The newly renovated 15-unit, 16-bed group home will provide apartment-style living to people recovering from mental illness. Each room has a bedroom, living room with wall-mounted flat-screen television, kitchen and bathroom. The single-floor plan has a large public area with a kitchen, seating area, couches and television for residents to eat, learn, and interact. It will be staffed 24 hours a day. New residents must be referred by mental health agencies in an 11-county area around Fostoria.

Housing is “the most mentally stabilizing thing you can do for a human being,” explained Precia Stuby, executive director of the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services. “It’s step one. In our county, we struggle with affordable, available housing.” 

Mircea Handru, executive director of the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Ottawa, Sandusky & Wyandot Counties, said mental health housing “is very much needed” in the multi-county area of northwest Ohio. “We all have to do our part.” 

Scott Boone is the president and CEO of New Housing Ohio, the owner and operator of the Terry Russell Home. His non-profit organization, based in Lebanon, Ohio, has 50 facilities housing more than 500 people across the state. New Housing Ohio serves those with mental illness and developmental disabilities. Boone’s organization bought the building, which has been vacant for about four years and did a complete renovation. “It’s hard to address your mental health or addiction if you don’t have a roof over year head,” he said. 

As part of the ongoing Prevention Exchange series, the Ohio Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Prevention and Promotion will host Affinity for Workforce Inclusion: Ohio’s BIPOC Prevention Skills Training on Jan. 25 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. This session will explore the value of facilitating culturally relevant affinity groups for Ohio’s Prevention workforce. Register once for the entire series using the button below.

There's still time to register for the 2024 Ohio Problem Gambling Conference hosted by the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio and Ohio for Responsible Gambling. A two-day, virtual pre-conference will be held Feb. 1-2. The in-person portion of the conference will be held Feb. 15-16 at Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center in Lewis Center. Click HERE for more information and to register. Questions? Please email CBurford@PGNOhio.org.

The Ohio Children's Alliance has announced several upcoming webinars. Click the links below for more information and to register. Questions? Please email admin@ohiochildrensalliance.org.

Feb. 16 | Examining the Concepts of Gender and Gender Expression in Young Children
Feb. 27 | Cultivating Affirming Home Environments for LGBTQIA+ Youth
March 6-8 | Introduction to Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
March 12 | Using Brain Science to Guide Your Interventions: Applying Concepts to Ourselves and Our Staff (Part 1)
May 14 | Using Brain Science to Guide Your Interventions: Applying Concepts to Working with Families (Part 2)