This past Friday, several OhioMHAS staff traveled to Cleveland to celebrate the grand reopening of ORCA House, a residential facility from Signature Health serving adult men and women, which is now housed in a newly renovated, 24,000-square-foot space with 36 beds to treat individuals with mental health and substance use disorders.

One floor will have 16 beds, open to adults requiring a higher level of step-down care who are being discharged from crisis stabilization units or inpatient psychiatric hospitalization. A separate 20-bed residential floor will focus on individuals receiving treatment for substance use disorder, with an emphasis on IOP. Substance use disorder patients also have access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)/Medications of Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) and step-down care for endocarditis after discharge from the hospital. Additional services include behavioral health assessments, case management, peer support, psychiatry, primary care, infectious disease services, and individual and group mental health counseling with an emphasis on mental health day treatment groups.

The reopening of ORCA House and expansion of services is made possible through funding support from OhioMHAS American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and the Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County.

Top photo: ORCA House team members (past and present) prepare to cut the ribbon. Speakers included Scott Osiecki, CEO of the ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County (fifth from right); Jonathan Lee, CEO of Signature Health (third from right); and Rev. Dr. Gregory Walker (far right), board member of Signature Health.

Inset photo: (l-r) Michelle Allison-Smith, OhioMHAS Crisis Systems Administrator; J. Robert Fowler, Board Chair, ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County; Scott Osiecki; Kraig Knudsen, OhioMHAS Interim Assistant Director of Community Planning and Collaboration; Maggie Tolbert, Assistant Chief Clinical Officer, ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County; and Alicia Cody, OhioMHAS Northcoast Regional Liaison, at the ceremony.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (National Strategy) and Federal Action Plan (Action Plan).

The National Strategy is a bold, new 10-year, whole-of-society approach that provides concrete recommendations for addressing gaps in the suicide prevention field. It incorporates advances in the field, and is designed to guide, motivate, and promote a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention in communities across the country. 

The National Strategy focuses on the many factors associated with suicide, with the recognition that there is no single solution. It is accompanied by the first-ever Federal Action Plan, which identifies more than 200 actions across the Federal government to be taken over the next three years in support of those goals. 

Carrying out a comprehensive approach relies on collaboration from public and private sector partners, people with lived experience, and people in populations disproportionately affected by suicide and suicide attempts.

Resources for promoting the National Strategy and Action Plan, including a fact sheet, suggested social media copy, and more, are available at www.hhs.gov/nssp.   

Earlier this year, RecoveryOhio, OhioMHAS, and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation teamed up to release the updated Suicide Prevention Plan for 2024-2026 for Ohio. Click HERE to learn more about Ohio's efforts to prevent/reduce suicide deaths. 

Ohioans who are experiencing a mental health or addiction crisis or are in emotional distress can call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for free, 24/7, confidential support. To learn more about 988 and to access the 988 Ohio Toolkit, which includes downloadable fact sheets, posters, logos, and social media shareables, visit 988.ohio.gov.