OhioMHAS NewsNow | New Funding Opportunities...Partners Spotlight 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline...RFP: Foundations in Community Coalition Development...PCSAO Executive Membership Meeting...Man Therapy Ohio Celebrates Anniversary...Upcoming Trainings...In the News

Ohio Department of Behavioral Health sent this bulletin at 03/10/2025 01:30 PM EDT

Monday, March 10, 2025

New OhioMHAS Funding Opportunities

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) is pleased to announce two new funding opportunities. See below for more information and stay up-to-date on the latest funding opportunities by visiting the OhioMHAS Funding Opportunities webpage.

EOI #74: CBHS Provider Crisis Response Grant
The OhioMHAS Office of Treatment Services, Bureau of Integrated Care is requesting expressions of interest from potential OhioMHAS-certified Community Behavioral Health Services (CBHS) providers who are interested in participating in the Crisis Response Grant to access funding for planning, developing, expanding or sustaining Mobile Crisis services (“Someone to respond”) and Crisis Stabilization services (“A safe place to go”). This opportunity will provide up to $250,000 for increased access to adult Crisis Stabilization and/or Mobile Crisis services. Funds must be used for developing infrastructure or sustaining Crisis Stabilization and/or Mobile Crisis services in your organization. Submit an expression of interest e-mail to: crisissystem@mha.ohio.gov by March 17 at 3:00 p.m.

Learn More and Apply

RFA #75: FASD Screening Tool Pilot
The OhioMHAS Office of Treatment Services is accepting proposals from qualified non-profit organizations or governmental entities to pilot a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Screener for individuals at risk of having FASD. FASD is an umbrella term used to describe the range of effects — physical, mental, behavioral and/or learning disabilities — with lifelong implications. Prenatal exposure to alcohol can damage the developing fetus and is the leading preventable cause of birth defects and intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities. The awardee will pilot the McCarthy-Ergun Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Screener, (Early Childhood Version) (School-Age and Adolescent Version) to individuals at risk of having an FASD. The awardee will receive an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Collect and report data for fidelity of tool, and train staff on the screener tool. The deadline to apply is March 21 at 3:00 p.m.

Learn More and Apply

Partners Throughout Ohio Spotlight Importance
of 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

According to the 2023 Ohio Suicide Report released by the Ohio Department of Health, 1,777 Ohioans died by suicide that year. Each of these tragedies leaves a lasting impact on family, friends, and the broader community, affecting thousands across the state.

Although suicide is preventable, it remains one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. To help increase awareness about the far-reaching impact of suicide, OhioMHAS partners throughout the state have ramped up prevention efforts by creating videos with impactful messages about the importance of suicide prevention and how the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is an invaluable resource.

The Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board and the Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County recently created public service announcements to reach Ohioans who may be struggling to let them know that “Life is Better With You in It,” and “Your Mental Health Matters and So Do You.” OhioMHAS also collaborated with the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSFP) on a video with the message that “There is Help, and There is Hope.” These videos encourage Ohioans who are experiencing a mental health or addiction crisis, and their family members to call or text 988, or chat 988Lifeline.org to reach a trained call specialist who can offer help and support.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched in Ohio and across the nation on July 16, 2022. Through January 2025, Ohio’s 19 call centers have been a lifeline to nearly 456,000 Ohioans. All calls, texts, and chats to 988 are free and confidential, and 988 is available 24/7.

We can all help to prevent suicide. Visit 988.ohio.gov for free resources and learn more about Ohio’s suicide prevention efforts. On this website, Ohioans can access the 988 Ohio Toolkit, which is continually updated with downloadable fact sheets, posters, logos, and social media shareables, and the OHIO988 Materials Generator, which allows anyone throughout the state to design personalized 988 materials that can be shared within their communities.

RFP: Foundations in Community Coalition Development

Prevention Action Alliance (PAA), in collaboration with OhioMHAS, invites community coalitions that are working to positively impact behavioral health within their communities to participate in a new funding opportunity called The Foundations in Community Coalition Development. Any applicant who receives a funding award under this opportunity will receive a $3,000 flexible learning stipend as an incentive to participate.

Based on the work of Dr. Frances Dunn Butterfoss and the book Ignite! Getting Your Community Coalition "Fired Up" for Change, up to 8 coalitions will participate in a three-month series of virtual learning opportunities by joining a learning community that will engage in a collaborative process with other Ohio community coalitions. These sessions are designed to enhance coalition infrastructure and capacity based on coalition best practices, regardless of each participating coalition’s primary problem of practice.

Applications must be submitted electronically to cbs@preventionactionalliance.org by 5:00 p.m. on March 13.

View RFP

PCSAO Executive Membership Meeting

On Friday, OhioMHAS Chief Advisor Tia Marcel Moretti (pictured above, middle) joined Ohio Department of Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran, Ohio Department of Children and Youth Assistant Director Jeff Van Deusen, and Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities Deputy Director of the Division of Policy and Strategic Direction Steven Beha for a panel session led by Angela Sausser at the Public Children Services Association of Ohio's Executive Membership Meeting to share budget priorities related to children and families. Chief Advisor Moretti highlighted the expansion of Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS), as well as the proposal to make resiliency-focused prevention curricula available free to Ohio's public schools. She also discussed the Maternal Opiate Medical Support program (MOMS), and the agency's work to grow Family Peer Support.

More Photos

Celebrating Man Therapy Ohio's First Year

The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF) is celebrating a successful first year of Man Therapy Ohio. With the support of funding from OhioMHAS, Man Therapy Ohio completed 30,235 online assessments, reaching men across the state with mental health resources. Additionally, OSPF reports that it has built a strong network of 258 Man Therapy Ohio partners, all working together to break the stigma surrounding mental health and provide support to those in need.

"Thanks to the support of our dedicated partners and community, we have made significant efforts in promoting mental health and suicide prevention," the organization said in a recent newsletter story. To learn more about Man Therapy Ohio, click the button below.

Visit ManTherapy.Org

Upcoming NOVA Crisis Response Team Trainings

Earlier this year, OhioMHAS announced that it is partnering with the National Organization for Victim Advocacy (NOVA) to host regional NOVA Community Crisis Response Team trainings in communities throughout Ohio. See below for a list of upcoming trainings. Click HERE to see the full schedule of confirmed training dates and locations.

In-Person Basic Trainings:
April 15-17 | Portsmouth
April 29-May 1 | Tiffin

Virtual Basic Refresher Trainings:
March 12 | 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
April 9 | 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
May 14 | 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

To register for a training, visit https://novatraining.learnupon.com/store and scroll to find either the Basic, Basic Refresher, or Advanced Course. Once you have created your account and registered for the course, you will be given the option to select a session date and location. Upon checkout, use these coupon codes to cover training cost.

For Basic Trainings, use code: OMHAS2025-B
For Basic Refresher Trainings, use code: OMHAS2025-R
For the Advanced Trainings, use code: OMHAS2025-A

If you have problems registering or finding a session, please contact Suzanne Jones by email at suzannejones@trynova.org or text at 501.514.3152.

EFT Tapping for Stress, Anxiety Relief — March 27

Carve Your Own Path, Inc., is hosting an EFT Tapping for Stress, Anxiety Relief webinar on March 27 from 4:00-7:15 p.m. Evidence-based Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), commonly called "Tapping," is a self-regulation tool that offers rapid results and easy application. Gently tapping acupuncture meridian points on the face and upper body helps ground a person, establishes calmness, and re-engages the thinking brain. This skill-building course is designed in a straightforward manner to enable the immediate use of Functional Tapping (FT), an abbreviated form of EFT. Questions? Call 330.426.7885 Ext. 2 or email Amanda Kostura at amanda@cyopinc.org.

Learn More and Register

Call for Proposals: 2025 Peer Recovery Summit — July 21-22

OhioPRO is currently accepting presentation proposals for the 2025 Peer Recovery Summit, which will be held on July 21-22 at the Hilton Columbus – Polaris. This year's theme is The Power of Hope: Transforming Lives & Communities.

The deadline to submit a proposal is March 31. For more information, visit the OhioPRO website.

Submit Presentation Proposal

Grief Through Different Lenses — April 9

The Ohio Youth Resilience Collaborative and Great Lakes Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Regional Center are hosting a free, virtual Grief Through Different Lenses: Survivors and Communities seminar on April 9 from 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. During this session, participants will identify the main social and structural contexts of drug overdose
death bereavement and learn about the real-world impacts of a Minnesota school-based program called Growing Through Grief. Questions? Email cabral.48@osu.edu.

Register

2025 Addiction Studies Institute — June 25-27

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center will host its 2025 Addiction Studies Institute on June 25-27 at the OSU Fawcett Center in Columbus. The Institute convenes leading experts from across the country to provide attendees with the tools and knowledge needed to serve those struggling with addiction. Participant registration will be available soon.

Exhibitors and Sponsors Sought
The planning committee is currently seeking exhibitors and sponsors to display goods and services, in-person, on June 25-26. Click HERE to view the exhibitor and sponsor application and guidelines. Questions? Email Tamara.Buhrts@osumc.edu.