As in previous years, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) is hosting an information booth inside the Bricker Marketplace Building. Department staff will be on hand to greet visitors, answer questions, and distribute a variety of information related to programs and services, including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The booth also includes an interactive quiz for visitors to test their knowledge of the 988 Lifeline, and youth can create an origami fortune teller with mental health tips. Attendees can also leave a note of gratitude or encouragement for a 988 call center specialist, a member of the behavioral health workforce, or someone on their recovery journey.

On Friday, July 25, OhioMHAS is proud to join with colleagues at RecoveryOhio and the Ohio Department of Insurance to sponsor the Fourth Annual Mental Health Day at the Fair. The day aims to help Ohioans connect with state mental health resources and support. Staff and volunteers will greet visitors at the Cardinal Gate and distribute bags with a variety of mental health-focused resources. Fairgoers will have an opportunity to meet the Columbus Police Department therapy dogs at the OhioMHAS booth from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

A full list of Fair events and attractions with times and locations can be found at https://www.ohiostatefair.com/events.

The Summit featured dynamic keynotes from Ken Nwadike Jr. and Dr. Ashley Stewart, whose powerful messages emphasized the far-reaching impact of hope, compassion, and community. Participants engaged in two full days of learning, networking, and purposeful conversation designed to strengthen peer-led services and support systems across Ohio. Along with learning opportunities, a special tribute honored Founding OhioPRO Board Member Joey Supina, recognizing his legacy and contributions to the peer movement.

OhioMHAS Director LeeAnne Cornyn (pictured) welcomed the crowd and thanked them for sharing their lived experiences to help others. This year's theme, "The Power of Hope: Transforming Lives and Communities," echoed throughout the sessions, which included presentations from OhioMHAS staffers Olivia Winegardner, Traci Brown, Marlaina Tucci, Milan Karna, Beth Knack, and Jose Flores. 

"OhioPRO is honored to continue offering high-quality, professional educational opportunities for Ohio’s recovery community,” said OhioPRO Executive Director, Michael Krause. “We believe peers deserve access to the same caliber of training, support, and development as any other professionals in the behavioral health field, because the work they do is both vital and transformative.”

OhioMHAS is pleased to announce the selection of Kent Hess, MHA, FACHE, as the Chief of Hospital Services. 

Hess will oversee all regional psychiatric hospitals, supervising the Central Office team of Operations, Nursing, Clinical Services, and Quality. Each RPH CEO will directly report to Hess as well. He brings a servant leadership approach to OhioMHAS, with an emphasis on teamwork and focus on objective metrics and quality. He will report to John Kennedy, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of the department. Hess will assume his new role on July 28.

"I am very excited to join the team at OhioMHAS, and look forward to working with so many dedicated people to address the mental health and addiction needs in our state," he said.

Hess served as a Captain in the Army Medical Services Corps at Fort Knox before moving to Clearfield, PA, where he assumed the CEO role at Clearfield Hospital. In 2004, he joined The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, where he held several leadership positions, including Executive Director, COO, and Interim CEO at various facilities, including OSU East, Harding Hospital, and University Hospital. Most recently, he served as CEO of Sun Behavioral Hospital, a private psychiatric hospital in Columbus.

The Ohio Substance Use Disorders Center of Excellence (SUD COE) has released a new Clinical QuickNote — Treating Opioid Use Disorder During Pregnancy and the Post-Partum Period. This newest addition to the QuickNote series is designed to provide clinicians with a concise, evidence-based approach to Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Opioid use and OUD continue to be public health issues that negatively impact individuals, families, and communities. Women of reproductive age are not exempt from experiencing OUD, and when it occurs, the results can be devastating for both mother and baby. Pregnancy may serve as a unique opportunity that motivates women with OUD to engage in treatment they previously had not considered. This resource emphasizes the need for identification and treatment of OUD in pregnant and postpartum women and provides resources and principles to help behavioral health professionals provide evidence-based, collaborative treatment for the benefit of both mother and child.

Be sure to visit the SUD COE website for a list of upcoming free trainings in August, and a wealth of other resources.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched Free Mind, a new campaign that takes a creative, youth-focused approach to address the critical link between mental health and substance use. Launched July 21, the campaign offers a range of engaging tools — fact sheets, social media graphics, video PSAs, an interactive graphic novel, and a forthcoming card game — to help youth and their caregivers understand how mental health challenges can increase the risk of substance misuse and overdose.

A recent study published in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities analyzed data from 100,000 young adults and found that owning a smartphone before age 13 is linked to poorer mental health outcomes, including suicidal thoughts, aggression, dissociation, and hallucinations. This research, part of the Global Mind Project with more than two million participants worldwide, highlights complex factors such as early social media exposure, cyberbullying, disrupted sleep, and family issues influencing these associations. While technology’s role is significant, experts caution it is not the sole cause of the teen mental health crisis, with some dubbing this cohort “Generation Rumination.” These findings underscore the need for nuanced public health strategies addressing youth digital environments.

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. Registrants must complete the NOVA Basic Training prior to registering for the ADVANCED training. These three-day, in-person trainings are available on the following dates on a first-come, first-served basis to Ohio residents:

In-Person ADVANCED Trainings
July 29 - 31 | Athens | 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Aug. 12 - 14 | Archbold | 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Aug. 26 - 28 | Cleveland | 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

To register for a training, visit https://novatraining.learnupon.com/store and scroll to find the 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 this coupon code to cover training cost: 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.

This year’s 988 Day message is: "Compassionate Help. Anytime. Anywhere." This theme conveys the heart of what 988 is all about – empathy, accessibility, and reliability through the more than 15,000 call center specialists working across the national Lifeline network. The goal of 988 Day is to raise awareness, understanding, and support of the Lifeline through a variety of fun and creative activities spearheaded by communities, organizations, businesses, crisis contact centers, and people across the country. During the workshops, SAMHSA will explain 988 Day and then create breakout rooms for participants to brainstorm ideas with others.