At the direction of Governor DeWine, OhioMHAS awarded $6.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Belmont, Harrison, and Monroe Counties for construction of the facility.

“The need for the crisis services that will be offered at this new facility has never been greater, especially amid an ongoing national mental health crisis and especially in communities in Appalachian Ohio where, historically, there have been a lack of these types of resources,” said OhioMHAS Director LeeAnne Cornyn. “In the past, individuals and families experiencing mental health emergencies have had to travel out of the county, sometimes several hours, to find help. With the construction of this new facility, that will no longer be the case.”

The behavioral health urgent care center is scheduled to be completed in spring 2026. Once fully operational, the facility is expected to serve up to 1,500 individuals each year, both through in-person and telehealth services.

The project is made possible through a strategic partnership between the County of Summit ADM Board, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the State of Ohio. OhioMHAS contributed $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds toward construction of the facility. With approximately 17,000 square feet of residential space, patients will have access to individual and group counseling, cooking and gardening classes, peer support, and housing and employment services. The facility is anticipated to open next fall. 

About Dr. Fred Frese
Dr. Frese was known as a fierce advocate for the rights and dignity of individuals with mental illness and had delivered more than 2,000 presentations locally, nationally, and internationally in a career that spanned more than 40 years. He taught psychiatry at Northeast Ohio Medical University, served as a clinical assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University, served as a coordinator of the Summit County Recovery Project, and previously worked as director of Psychology at Western Reserve Psychiatric Hospital. Referred to as “a national treasure” by colleagues, Dr. Frese was also a consumer, diagnosed with schizophrenia as a young Marine Corps officer. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 77.

The Ohio Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Prevention and Promotion is currently accepting applications through Oct. 31 for two new advisory committees:

• Ohio Spanish-Speaking Prevention Advisory Committee
• Ohio Peer Recovery Specialist Training Advisory Committee

The Center invites professionals with substantial expertise and/or professional experience in these areas to consider applying. Each advisory committee will convene virtually, ensuring accessibility to members from all regions of Ohio.

Calling all innovators! Ohio Recovery Housing (ORH) invites you to participate in the 2024 Innovation Challenge. This is a unique opportunity to showcase your innovative ideas and solutions that can improve recovery housing in Ohio. Whether you're working on a new program, service model, or technology, this challenge is for you.  Finalists will all receive a cash prize and a three-to-four minute professional promo video about their innovation. 

Key Dates to Remember:

• Submission Deadline: Oct. 30
• Finalists Announced: Nov. 15
• Innovator of the Year: Announced at the 2025 Annual Conference in March

Oct. 6-12 is recognized as Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) to raise awareness about mental health and provide support and treatment options for mental health conditions. With early and consistent treatment, it’s possible to lead productive lives and live well with mental health conditions. This year, the World Federation for Mental Health, the founders of World Mental Health Day (Oct. 10), are recognizing the importance of prioritizing mental health in the workplace. The theme for Mental Illness Awareness Week is “My Mental Health at Work.” 

Click HERE to learn more and download NAMI's Mental Illness Awareness Week Toolkit and HERE to download SAMHSA's Mental Illness Awareness Week Toolkit.

Ohio Adult Allies is excited to announce the Ready to Start learning opportunity. This program is ideal for youth-serving organizations and schools who have the existing administrative support for youth-led programming, knowledge of the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), and infrastructure to implement a youth-led program. Participants are expected to attend all learning sessions. Upon completion of the program, organizations will have a program grounded in the Youth Empowerment Conceptual Framework (YECF) and a roadmap for working with youth to create community change. This learning opportunity is part of the Ohio Adult Allies Initiative and is funded by the OhioMHAS and administered by the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service at Ohio University.

Additional Information:

• Space is limited to 15 youth-serving organizations
• Apply for up $5,000 to cover: Staff time, substitute teacher contracts, and travel
• Prevention and CHES CEUs will be applied for
• Participants will be expected to complete work in between sessions

Ready to start? Visit the Ohio Adult Allies website for more information on this opportunity and application details. Interested organizations should apply and submit all requested materials by Wednesday, Oct. 23.

Not quite ready to start, but interested in exploring youth-led programs? Keep an eye out for our Ready to Explore programming starting in 2025. Save these dates for Ready to Explore: Jan. 24, Feb. 28, March 28, April 25, and May 30.

For questions about this opportunity, email: ohioadultallies@ohio.edu.

Registration ends Oct. 7 for the 2024 Midwest Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Summit, which will be held Oct. 17-18 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. This two-day, in-person summit presented by the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF), will bring together stakeholders from across the Midwest to discuss strategies for preventing suicide and promoting mental health. Don't miss this opportunity to network, learn from experts, and gain insights into the latest practices in suicide prevention and mental health.

The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) invites you to register for its upcoming Recovery Celebration on Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Dwell Community Church in Columbus.

This free event is designed for individuals in recovery and those living with mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Attendees will hear from featured speakers who share empowering and encouraging messages about navigating mental health and addiction recovery, participate in activities, and celebrate that recovery is beautiful. The deadline to register is Oct. 18.

Star Behavioral Health Providers (SBHP) will host a virtual Tier One: Introduction to Military Culture, Families and Deployment training on Nov. 8 from 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The training is free and will offer continuing education hours for Ohio counselors, social workers, psychologists, and chemical dependency counselors. SBHP's mission is to create an opportunity for licensed Ohio behavioral health providers to receive specific evidence-based training that will help them meet the needs of the state’s service members and their families. This training provides an introduction to military culture, information about the deployment cycle, and the effect of the deployment cycle on service members and their families. Questions? Email: Nicole.Laurenzi@osumc.edu. 

The Ohio State University Addiction Studies Institute (ASI) is seeking proposals for presentations at the 2025 Addiction Studies Conference to be held June 25-27. June 25 and 26 will be hybrid (in-person at the Fawcett Center and/or virtually via Zoom) and June 27 will be virtual only. For the past 33 years, ASI has provided clinicians, substance-use disorder advocates, and professionals with the most current best practices and insights that help attendees expand their skills, gain current knowledge to provide quality care, and learn new and developing in-the-field practices and methodologies. Click the link above for submission guidelines and the selection rubric. The deadline to submit a proposal is Feb. 5, 2025.