Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's RecoveryOhio initiative has announced the release of its 2024-27 Strategic Plan, which has been crafted through collaboration, compassion, and dedication to fostering thriving communities. This strategic roadmap for the next three years embodies our shared vision for supporting those affected by substance use disorders and other mental health challenges.

At the heart of this plan is a fundamental belief: Every Ohioan deserves the opportunity to live up to their God-given potential. The Plan covers prevention, access to treatment, empowering communities, fostering collaboration, and advocating for all Ohioans. Together we will pave the way for a brighter, more hopeful future where mental wellness and recovery are possible for all.

This week, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director LeeAnne Cornyn and other members of the Central Office executive leadership team visited Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare (TVBH) in Columbus. The visit provided an opportunity to sit down with hospital leadership and staff, as well as tour the new hospital under construction on land just north of the existing hospital. 

TVBH serves residents from 15 Central Ohio counties. The new hospital is anticipated to open this summer. The existing TVBH facility, built in 1977, will be demolished and turned to green space once construction is complete.

The new 270,000 square-foot facility will feature 208 beds arranged in eight patient units (26 beds per unit). The majority of patient rooms will be private, single-occupancy rooms with a small number of double-occupancy rooms per unit. The bright, spacious environment will promote patient wellness while also optimizing safety, security, and visibility. Each room will be designed to meet the most rigorous requirements for behavioral health patient care. The design approach incorporates the best aspects of an On-Unit Treatment Concept while providing limited, but enhanced, off-unit experiences such as a basketball court. The new facility will also have a dedicated admissions space with holding bays, exam rooms, and a processing area.

Inset Photo: TVBH Chief Operating Officer David Blahnik shows Director Cornyn and central office staff the view of one of the patients units from the observation area in the new behavioral healthcare hospital.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Drug Dropoff Day, held last weekend at the Allen County Fairgrounds, resulted in the collection and proper disposal of 601 pounds of unused or expired prescription medications and 36 gallons of sharp containers.

“Responsibly disposing of unused medication helps safeguard our communities from prescription-drug misuse,” Yost said. “Proper disposal is a crucial step to ensure that these medications don’t become a gateway to addiction.”

The combined efforts of the Attorney General’s six Drug Dropoff Days have led to the safe disposal of more than 2,500 pounds of drugs since the program’s inception in July 2021.

The Allen County event was made possible through partnerships with the Allen County Sheriff’s Office, Allen County Homeland Security and Emergency Management, WLIO television, and Ohio Sea Grant, a Great Lakes research program based at Ohio State University. Allen County was chosen based on research conducted by Yost’s Scientific Committee on Opioid Prevention and Education (SCOPE), which revealed that Allen County experienced a 27 percent increase in overdoses from 2021 to 2022, making it a critical location for the initiative.

AG Yost’s collaboration with Ohio Sea Grant aims to highlight the potential threat of discarded drugs entering groundwater and lakes, rivers, and streams. Traces of pharmaceuticals have been detected in drinking water, and continuous exposure to low levels of these contaminants can have detrimental effects on aquatic life.

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) is seeking applicants for its Spring 2024 Agility Grants. NCPG’s Agility Grant initiative offers funding to nonprofits, empowering them to implement and expand problem gambling prevention programs in their communities. The program is generously funded by the NFL through the NFL Foundation. 

NCPG offers open office hours — 30-minute, one-on-one consultations to address any questions regarding grant eligibility, strategic priorities, application fields, or other grant-related questions. Click HERE to schedule a consultation. 

To assist interested applicants, NCPG will host a free Basics of Program Evaluation webinar on Feb. 1. During this webinar, participants will learn the essentials of program evaluation and the important role evaluation can play in grant applications, program implementation and program improvement. The webinar is free, however, advanced registration is required. 

The deadline to apply for funding is Feb. 28.

Snap is accepting applications for its inaugural Council for Digital Well-Being, an 18-month pilot program for young people aged 13-16. This is an opportunity for youth to share their ideas directly with Snap on how to continue to make Snapchat a safer, healthier, and more enjoyable place for creativity and connection. Interested teens should complete and submit this online application by close of business (5:00 p.m. PT) on Friday, March 22. 

Social media has been fully integrated into the lives of most adolescents in the U.S., raising concerns among parents, physicians, public health officials, and others about its effect on mental and physical health. A National Academies committee released a detailed report exploring that effect with reccomendations for policymakers, regulators, industry, and others in an effort to maximize the good and minimize the bad. Focus areas include platform design, transparency and accountability, digital media literacy among young people and adults, online harassment, and supporting researchers.

Ohio Citizen Advocates for Addiction Recovery (OCAAR) has announced details for its 2024 Nonprofit Capacity Building Series. This online training series is catered to leaders of Recovery Community Organizations. Covered topics include: governance, outcomes measures, fundraising, budgeting, operations, strategic planning, marketing, and more. Trainings will occur on the first and third Wednesdays of each month beginning Feb. 7, and ending June 19, with one bonus session on March 27. Two (2) CEUs will be offered for each session, but you must register for each session individually. Questions? Please email OCAAR Executive Director Molly O'Neill at moneill@oca-ohio.org. 

OACBHA, OhioMHAS and the Ohio Departments of Health and Rehabilitation and Correction will host Ohio's 2024 Mental Health & Addiction Conference: Building the Systems of Care on June 3-4 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus. The conference will focus on efforts related to mental health, opiate and other addiction prevention, education, intervention, treatment, recovery, family supports, community engagement, and highlight Governor Mike DeWine’s investment in the mental health and wellbeing of Ohioans. Sponsor and exhibitor registration is now open. Click HERE for more information. Attendee registration will be available soon. Questions about the conference? Please email Shelbey Embrey at sembrey@oacbha.org.