In recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) is encouraging increased public awareness and usage of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

“We want all Ohioans to know they are not alone; there is always hope, and help is just a phone call, text, or chat conversation away,” said OhioMHAS Director LeeAnne Cornyn. “Just like 911 is synonymous with help for a police, fire, or medical emergency, our goal is to promote 988 as the go-to resource for immediate support during an emotional crisis.”  

Beginning in May, OhioMHAS is launching a public awareness campaign that includes radio, television, social media, and out-of-home messages in communities throughout Ohio, with a goal of making more people familiar with the potentially lifesaving resource.

Launched in July 2022, the easy-to-remember, three-digit number provides 24/7, free, and confidential support to anyone experiencing thoughts of suicide, a mental health or substance use crisis, or other severe emotional distress.

Ohio 988 is a direct connection to compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing mental health related distress, and functions as a front door to the community crisis system Ohio has been working hard to implement under Governor Mike DeWine’s leadership. Use of the service has increased as awareness has grown organically over time. In 2023, counselors at Ohio’s 19 call centers responded to nearly 163,000 contacts, which includes calls, texts, and chats.

In recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, help defeat stigma by taking the Pledge to End Stigma on the RecoveryOhio website.

Ohioans who sign the pledge will receive a nifty badge they can share on social media, as well as a certificate they can print and post so everyone will know they are working to Beat The Stigma. 

Click HERE to see a list of Mental Health Awareness Month events in Ohio and to download RecoveryOhio's 2024 Mental Health Awareness Month toolkit.  

Last week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony of the newly renovated Pediatric Psychiatric Unit at ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital in Toledo. He was joined by Tia Marcel Moretti, Chief Advisor and Deputy Director of the Office of Community & Family Resiliency at OhioMHAS.

With the aid of a $17 million grant from OhioMHAS, the hospital has nearly doubled the capacity of its inpatient pediatric psychiatric unit. The hospital now has the ability to treat about 1,300 children each year with severe mental health problems.

Funding for the project is part of the $84 million Pediatric Behavioral Health Initiative Governor DeWine announced in 2022 to increase access to care and expand capacity across the state so kids and their families can get services and supports for their behavioral health needs in or near their communities. Of the $17 million set aside for the hospital, about $5 million was used for the inpatient upgrades and the other $12 million will go toward enhancements at ProMedica for outpatient pediatric psychiatric services, according to a local news report. The outpatient center is set to open in January 2025.

Tia Marcel Moretti, Chief Advisor and Deputy Director of the Office of Community & Family Resiliency at OhioMHAS, provided opening remarks at the 2024 Ohio START Annual Summit on May 2. She celebrated the many accomplishments Ohio START has achieved since its launch seven years ago. More than 200 professionals,  including caseworkers, supervisors, behavioral health providers, and family peer mentors, were in attendance.

Ohio START, a collaborative effort involving child protective services, peer mentors, the judicial system, and behavioral health and treatment providers, is dedicated to supporting parents in attaining sobriety and aiding children in their healing process from any trauma they may have endured.

Initially launched as a pilot initiative under the leadership of then-Attorney General Mike DeWine, Ohio START has since helped more than 4,000 families across 53 counties. The program garnered national attention this year by becoming the first in the nation to receive certification from Children and Family Futures (CFF), marking a significant achievement in its mission to enhance family resilience and well-being.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio (NAMI Ohio) hosted its 2024 Statewide Conference on May 3-4 at the Nationwide Hotel & Conference Center in Lewis Center. The annual event brought together individuals, families, professionals, and advocates from across the state to focus on innovative ways we can all work together to improve the lives of Ohioans impacted by mental illness.

OhioMHAS Chief Advisor and Deputy Director of the Office of Community & Family Resiliency Tia Marcel Moretti (pictured above) provided brief remarks, thanking attendees for their ongoing advocacy and partnership efforts. She also highlighted the department's vision and opportunities heading into Governor DeWine's final biennial budget. 

The Chillicothe VA Medical Center hosted its annual Spring Fest on Saturday, May 4 to help usher in May as Mental Health Awareness Month. The free event featured live music, a classic car show, children's activities, a 2k Walk Run Roll, food, and an array of VA and community behavioral health resources. 

Pictured (l-r): Chillicothe VA Suicide Prevention Team members Samantha Blevins, Jason Mehringer-Smith, and Patrina Lee.

For more on what Ohio is doing to help military service members, veterans, and their families, visit: https://ohiocares.ohio.gov/. 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) this week announced details of its 2024 Art of Recovery project. This initiative highlights the impact of art on mental health and substance use recovery, showcasing how creative expression can serve as a pathway to solace, healing, and empowerment. The project solicits submissions, including artwork and a brief description of the artist’s inspiration, from artists with lived or living recovery experience.

“We invite people with lived experience to submit photographs, paintings, drawings, or mixed media artwork that is meaningful to them and their journey,” said Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the leader of SAMHSA. “While the process of creation has long been recognized as a therapeutic tool, it can also serve to inspire others. The Art of Recovery project works to raise the voices of people with lived experience and illustrate the possibilities in recovery, hope, and healing.”

Submissions are open May 7 to June 28, with categories for youth 13-17 and adults 18+. Artists may submit in two categories: painting, drawing or mixed media, and photography.

OhioMHAS is planning regional, introductory-level NOVA Crisis Response Team Trainings. The free trainings will take place between May and October 2024, in each of Ohio’s six regional psychiatric hospital areas (see map). These hands-on, practical trainings, designed by the National Organization for Victim Advocacy (NOVA) will be three days long and geared toward mental health professionals, victim advocates, law enforcement personnel, and others who confront human crisis in their work.

During the trainings, which are funded through SAMHSA’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Grant, instructors will explain the impact of trauma on individuals and groups, explore crisis intervention theory, and prepare participants to respond with appropriate psychological intervention. Participants who complete the three-day training will receive a NOVA Certificate and be offered the opportunity to sign up for the Ohio Crisis Response Team (OCRT), a highly qualified, all-volunteer mobilization group that may be deployed to respond to traumatic events in Ohio and other states. 

OhioMHAS is currently scheduling up to 12 trainings, which will each be open to 25 Ohio residents on a first come, first served basis.

• The Summit regional area’s training dates are confirmed for July 22-24, and Sept.30-Oct. 2, and will be held at the Montgomery County ADAMHS Board in Dayton.
• The Twin Valley regional area’s training dates are confirmed for June 5-7, and July 10-12, and will be held at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in Columbus.
• The Northcoast regional area’s training dates are confirmed for Aug. 27-29, and Oct. 8-10, and will be held at the ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County.
• The Appalachian regional area training dates are confirmed for June 11-13, and July 29-31, and will be held at Appalachian Behavioral Healthcare in Athens.
• The Heartland regional area training dates are confirmed for Sept. 24-26 and will be held at Heartland Behavioral Healthcare in Massillon.

If you are interested in registering to participate in a NOVA Crisis Response Team Training for your counties’ regional area, or if you would like more information about the NOVA Crisis Response Team Trainings, email maryann.sparks@mha.ohio.gov. We are in the process of applying for CEUs. If you have a professional license, please provide that information when you register.

OhioMHAS and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities are committed to building an inclusive and equitable 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for children and adults with I/DD, brain injury, and other cognitive disabilities. The agencies are teaming up to host a virtual town hall on May 16 from 10:30 a.m.-noon to gather input on how Ohio can build a system that is the most accessible, inclusive, and responsive to persons with disabilities.  The Town Hall meeting is supported by the Link Center, a Project of National Significance funded by the Administration for Community Living (ACL). SAMHSA has joined with ACL on this project to support The Link Center to host this critical policy academy. 

Relink.org will host The Not So "Social" Aspects of Social Media: It's Use in Child Exploitation webinar on May 22 at 2:00 p.m. Join Christi Bartman from Eyes Up Appalachia and Hannah Swift from Gracehaven as they discuss online exploitation and how individuals are using social media to groom and recruit youth into human trafficking. This webinar offers one continuing education credit hour for attendees. Questions? Email rsobitz@relink.org.