Ohio Governor Mike DeWine will introduce his executive budget proposal for state fiscal years 2026-2027 today during a 4:00 p.m. press conference at the Ohio Statehouse. The Governor will be joined by Office of Budget and Management Director Kimberly Murnieks. The press conference will be broadcast live on The Ohio Channel.

OhioMHAS Stakeholder Webinar | Feb. 6 at 2:00 p.m.
Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director LeeAnne Cornyn will provide an overview of the Governor’s budget recommendations and their impact on Ohio’s behavioral health services system via Teams during a stakeholder webinar on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 2:00 p.m. Click HERE to join the webinar (Meeting ID: 252 628 801 951 | Passcode: Jh6EH29Q.) The presentation will be recorded and made available on the OhioMHAS budget webpage.

OhioMHAS Office of Community and Family Resiliency staff joined national experts, state leaders, and local innovators in problem gambling prevention, intervention, treatment, recovery, research, administration, and responsible gambling for the 2025 Ohio Problem Gambling Conference on Jan. 29-30 at the Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center. OhioMHAS Chief Advisor Tia Marcel Moretti (pictured at right) joined Ohio Lottery Director Michelle Gillcrist and Ohio Casino Control Commission Executive Director Matthew T. Schuler at the final day of the conference for the State of the State panel session moderated by Problem Gambling Network of Ohio Executive Director Derek Longmeier.

The three agency leaders discussed state policies, regulations, and supports for problem and responsible gambling efforts, as well as insights into emerging issues and trends and collaborative efforts between regulators, operators, and community service providers. OhioMHAS Chief of Problem Gambling Services & Special Projects Manager Stacey Frohnapfel-Hasson joined Ohio Lottery Commission’s Deputy Director of Responsible Gambling Jimmie Hicks III and Ohio Casino Control Commission’s Director of Problem Gambling Services Michael Buzzelli for a panel further discussing their respective agency's outreach efforts and special projects.

OhioMHAS Deputy Director of Innovation Nikki Reiss (pictured, left) joined Governor’s Office of Appalachia Director John Carey, Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Stephen D. Dackin, and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff for a panel moderated by Reem Aly, Executive Director of the Ohio School-Based Health Alliance, during the 2025 Annual School-Based Health Care Conference on Jan. 30, at the Quest Conference Center. Panelists discussed the work their agencies are doing to support school-based health care and ensure Ohio’s children are healthy and ready to learn. Deputy Director Reiss focused on the telehealth partnership with Hazel Health, the creation of the School-Based Healthcare 101 toolkit, the School-Based Center of Excellence for Prevention and Early Intervention at Miami University, Sources of Strength, the Ohio Healthy Youth Environments Survey (OHYES!), and the SOAR Network and Study.

The OneOhio Recovery Foundation announced it has awarded $780,000 in grants to support six projects across the state to help combat substance misuse by supporting prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts across Ohio. The new 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.

The Ohio Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Prevention and Promotion announced that it has awarded $260,000 to 26 communities statewide to further expand the reach and impact of SAMHSA's "Talk. They Hear You." campaign between Jan. 1-June 30, 2025. Click HERE and select the “Grantees” tab to view a  list of funding recipients.

In the coming weeks and months, you may hear “Talk. They Hear You.” messages across various platforms, including TV, radio, streaming services, and popular podcast channels. Additionally, digital marketing efforts such as email campaigns and social media ads will deliver timely and relevant messages to parents, ensuring they have the right information at the right time to engage in meaningful conversations with their children.

The NCAA has released results from its latest research on Trends in NCAA Student-Athlete Gambling and Sports Betting Behaviors. This report, from a survey conducted by the NCAA since 2004, marks the NCAA's first collection of data on student-athlete gambling behaviors since the Supreme Court's 2018 ruling.

OhioMHAS, in collaboration with the National Organization for Victim Advocacy (NOVA), is offering the following three-day trainings in February:

Feb. 4-6 (Mason) in partnership with the Mental Health and Recovery Board Serving Warren and Clinton Counties

Feb. 11-13 (Dayton) in partnership with the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Clark, Greene, and Madison Counties

These free trainings, funded through SAMHSA’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Grant, will take place between February and August 2025, in counties across Ohio. Trainings are geared toward mental health professionals, victim advocates, law enforcement personnel, and others who confront human crisis in their work. Instructors explain the impact of trauma on individuals and groups, explore crisis intervention theory, and prepare participants to offer trauma-informed advocacy to individuals impacted by disaster.

For more information, including additional training dates/locations and instructions on how to register, visit the NOVA Crisis Response Team Trainings website.

The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF) in partnership with OhioMHAS will host listening sessions for older Ohioans on Feb. 7 in Mahoning County (Austintown) and Feb. 24 in Clark County (Springfield). Input gleaned from these sessions will help shape vital resources and messaging statewide. Interested individuals may also register by calling the OSPF office at 614.429.1528 Ext. 103. Questions? Email Daniel.Bennett@Ohiospf.org.

The Ohio Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Prevention and Promotion invites those working in youth vaping prevention to join its Feb. 12 ECHO session, Youth as an Equity Deserving Community: Marketing Tactics That Prey on Youth Vulnerability. This session will explore how vape advertising targets youth and influences their decisions to (or not to) use. Participants will discuss the elements of an effective counter message to communicate the dangers of vaping effectively to both youth and adults. Sessions are interactive and are a great place to share your successes or “workshop” your ideas with subject matter experts and colleagues. CEs for Prevention, Social Work, Health Education, Nursing, and Psychology will be available. 

Ohio Recovery Housing will host its 2025 Annual Conference on March 25-27 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Columbus – Dublin. This year's theme is "Building a Legacy of Hope: Connecting Lives, Collaborating for Change." Click HERE to view the conference agenda and HERE to register.

Conference Awards Dinner
ORH will hold its Conference Awards Dinner on March 26 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Aimee Shadwick, Director of RecoveryOhio, will accept the Recovery Housing Hero award on behalf of Governor Mike DeWine. Cost is $65. Click HERE to reserve your dinner ticket. 

Pre-Conference Workshop
Michael King from The Communities Project, will lead a pre-conference workshop for peer supporters. Building Leadership in Recovery Housing is a chance for peers to get training on the skills it takes to be a leader in the recovery community. The session will be held on March 25 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. at the conference hotel. Cost is $25. Register HERE.

The Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County will host the 16th Annual Pat Risser RSVP Conference on March 26 from 8:45 a.m.-4:00 p.m. at the John C. Myers Convocation Center in Ashland. This hybrid conference will provide critical information for parents, families, community members, and those who access and/or provide services in the mental health care system. Attendees will hear from cutting-edge speakers with lived experience who challenge traditional views of mental health care and psychiatric medications. Attendees will also obtain information to help them make more informed decisions about mental health care/medications for themselves and/or their loved ones. Brooke Siem, author of May Cause Side Effects, will deliver keynote remarks.

The Criminal Justice Coordinating Center of Excellence (CJCCOE), in partnership with NAMI Ohio, will host the 2025 Ohio Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) Conference on April 9 from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. at the Quest Conference Center in Columbus. In addition to the Ohio CIT Awards ceremony, the agenda will feature a morning keynote panel, and a range of breakout sessions. Cost is $40 and includes lunch.