Promotional Toolkit Available

RecoveryOhio has developed a new toolkit to help businesses and organizations become champions of this important cause in communities throughout Ohio. The toolkit includes a logo, informational flyer, social media messages, graphics, and other assets designed to promote awareness of the program.

“The goal of this alert is to give us an extra chance to save someone’s life,” said Governor DeWine. “The research shows us that people who have recently experienced a non-fatal overdose are at a higher risk to overdose again in the near future, and that they often have regular interactions with the healthcare system – including pharmacists and prescribers. This new alert system will be a valuable tool allowing our healthcare providers the opportunity to educate and offer treatment and prevention options to these individuals before a tragedy occurs.”

The data provided to OARRS is being reported by Ohio hospitals via the Ohio Department of Health because of a rule change announced by Governor DeWine earlier this year.  Using this data, the OARRS system will now flag for prescribers and pharmacists any patient who experienced a non-fatal drug overdose and was discharged from an Ohio emergency department on or after April 8, 2024. The alerts will only be available for OARRS users who are prescribers and pharmacists.

Among Ohioans who died in 2022 from an unintentional drug overdose, at least 32% experienced a prior non-fatal overdose. Among the same population, 26% received a prescription for a controlled substance from a healthcare provider within 60 days of their death. These interactions with the healthcare system reinforce the need to ensure high-risk patients have access to interventions such as overdose reversal medications (e.g., naloxone) and medication for opioid use disorder.

OhioMHAS Chief Advisor Tia Marcel Moretti (pictured, inset) provided keynote remarks at the Mahoning County Family and Children First Council  (FCFC) Annual Meeting held last week in Youngstown. She spoke about Mahoning County’s resilience, collaboration, and commitment to coming together to overcome crises.

Attendees also heard from Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board Executive Director Duane Piccirilli and Mahoning County Public Health Commissioner Ryan Tekac. FCFC Administrator Rachilla Basista rounded out the meeting with a year-end report, highlighting the community collaborations that help bring family services and the importance of working with statewide FCFC coordinators to brainstorm ideas, share resources, provide assistance, and work together on identifying issues.

Established in 1995, the MCFCFC was founded to create a strong collaborative council structure to promote, maintain, and facilitate community collaborations of multi-system services to children and families in Mahoning County.

(Pictured top, l-r): Bill Whitacre, Superintendent, Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities/MCFCFC Vice-Chair; Ryan Tekac, Mahoning County Health Commissioner/MCFCFC Chair; Tia Marcel Moretti, Chief Advisor, OhioMHAS; Duane Piccirilli, Executive Director, Mahoning County Mental Health & Recovery Board; Rachilla Basista, MCFCFC Administrator; and Rick Tvaroch, Executive Director, Mahoning County Children Services.

the OneOhio Recovery Foundation announced it has awarded more than $1.9 million in grants to support 17 projects across the state to help combat substance misuse by supporting prevention, treatment and recovery efforts across Ohio.

These 17 new grant awards are part of more than $51 million allocated for the 2024 Regional Grant Cycle and were selected from 1,442 funding requests totaling $581 million from organizations statewide. Grantees were chosen in a collaborative process that included input from the OneOhio Regions, Expert Panel, Grant Oversight Committee and Board of Directors. Click the button below to read the full media announcement and view a list of grantees.

The SAMHSA Program to Advance Recovery Knowledge (SPARK) has released two recovery fact sheets designed to empower individuals navigating mental health and substance use services and expand the adoption of recovery-oriented services and supports in state, local and community behavioral health settings.

Housing Supports Recovery and Well-Being: Definitions and Shared Values summarizes the role that housing plays in supporting recovery for recovery and housing leaders.

Countering Discrimination and Improving Recovery Supports Across Court, Corrections, and Reentry Settings highlights and addresses public misconceptions and misperceptions linking mental health and substance use conditions with crime rather than recognizing systemic barriers to accessing needed care.

After declining significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, substance use among adolescents has continued to hold steady at lowered levels for the fourth year in a row, according to the latest results from the Monitoring the Future Survey, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These recent data continue to document stable and declining trends in the use of most drugs among young people.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has announced the launch of the Together for Families network. The network is intended to be a portal where families, and local organizations that serve families, can access resources provided by federal, state, and local agencies and national and local non-profit organizations. If your organization is a public agency or non-profit and provides resources or services at no cost to families and/or services to community organizations, you can email togetherforfamilies@dea.gov and express interest in joining the network.

Ohio Adult Allies has announced the launch of two new programs in the new year — Ready to Explore and the Youth-Led Prevention Evaluation Advisory Committee.

Ready to Explore Sessions
Are you a youth-serving professional looking to explore (or re-explore) your interest in Ohio’s youth-led programs? Beginning Jan. 24, 2025, Ohio Adult Allies will host Ready to Explore sessions to help participants learn how to build the foundation needed for a successful, youth-led program. For more details and registration, visit the Ready to Explore page on the Ohio Adult Allies website.

Evaluate Youth-Led/Engaged Prevention Initiatives with Ohio Adult Allies
Are you working with youth engaged in prevention in their schools, communities, or on the regional or state level? Ohio Adult Allies is looking for individuals with experience in the youth-led prevention field and/or experience with evaluating programs or creating evaluation tools. If you’re interested in joining, check out the Evaluation Advisory Group page to learn more and access the application. The deadline to apply is Jan. 3, 2025. 

The Ohio Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Prevention and Promotion invites Ohio's experienced behavioral health prevention professionals to join us for our first Advanced Prevention Practice ECHO session, Harnessing AI in Prevention: Practical Tools and Applications for Modern Practice, on Jan.17. This session will highlight practical tools that participants can use to integrate AI technology into prevention efforts across various settings. Presenters will explore adaptable AI applications and considerations for the field, including training, ease of use, and sector-specific challenges in effectively supporting AI-driven prevention strategies.

The Ohio Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Prevention and Promotion invites those working in adult low-risk drinking to join us for our upcoming ECHO session, Shaping Attitudes: Crafting Effective Messaging for Low-Risk Drinking on Jan. 22. This session will explore the importance of effective messaging in promoting low-risk drinking behaviors. Participants will gain insights into the current landscape of alcohol communication, identify key target audiences, and develop strategies for creating compelling and impactful messages.

The Ohio Substance Use Disorders Center of Excellence (SUD-COE) has added more than 150 new training events and learning opportunities to its web calendar. These career development opportunities are offered as a mix of virtual and in-person events. Content areas range from core competencies in SUD treatment to new and emerging topics pertinent to the learning needs and professional development of SUD service providers and community stakeholders. Trainings are free and include approved CEUs.