Mahoning County’s first responders now have a central rallying point to gather and to heal from the stress and strain of their jobs. On Tuesday, the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board observed National First Responders Day with a dedication ceremony for the Clarence R. Smith Jr. Family Mahoning County First Responder Wellness Center. Board members were joined by representatives from the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), Mahoning County Commissioners, the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office, the Mahoning Probate Judge and Mahoning County Prosecutor, and other county and local leaders and first responders from various departments throughout the county. Also in attendance was Youngstown State University President Bill Johnson and  U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Salem.

Situated on 4-acres in Boardman Township, the Wellness Center aims to provide mental health support, stress management programs, and wellness initiatives tailored to the unique challenges faced by law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, dispatchers, and their families. The space will provide shared resources and programs focused on the well-being of first responders throughout the region, and serve as a training facility for the Board's twice-yearly Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trainings. The property was donated by the family of Clarence R. Smith, a longtime supporter of first responders, and partially renovated with opioid settlement funds. 

Read more about the opening in The Youngstown Vindicator. 

Pictured inset (Top photo, l-r): DBH Deputy Director of Treatment Services Staci Swenson, Mahoning County MHRB Executive Director Duane Piccirilli, DBH Regional Liaison Alicia Cody, City of Hermitage Police Chief Adam Piccirillo, and City of Hermitage Fire Marshal Michael Wadlow. (Bottom photo): The Wellness Center features ample space for programs and trainings. 

At the Zepf Center (photo at right), the group learned how the agency supports staff in obtaining certifications and advancing within the behavioral health field. They also heard about programs such as Fatherhood Connections, HOPE, and MOMs, which empower participants to earn peer support and other certifications that help them achieve their employment goals. Zepf also shared a powerful Individualized Placement and Support (IPS) success story that resonated deeply with the group. 

During the Harbor visit (top photo), the group met with the IPS team to hear firsthand why they are passionate about their work and the difference it makes. They also spoke with an individual who, after receiving IPS services, earned their peer support certification and shared the life-changing impact of that journey. The visit concluded with a tour of Harbor’s new urgent care, ambulatory care, and MAT facilities.  

The visits served as a powerful reminder of the importance of collaboration, innovation, and person-centered support in helping Ohioans achieve recovery and meaningful employment. The work of Harbor and the Zepf Center exemplifies the impact that’s possible when we invest in people and their potential. 

DBH Deputy Director of Treatment Services Staci Swenson (pictured, speaking) presented Rivera with a proclamation from Governor Mike DeWine. Rivera, who lives with bipolar disorder, described her work as a form of "self-directed art therapy that allows her to express emotions and find balance." She added that her paintings aim to raise awareness about mental health issues and the unique challenges it creates for those affected and their loved ones. She said that during a mental health crisis, flowers — a traditional gesture of care — are rarely offered. In contrast, physical illnesses are often met with an abundance of floral support. The flowers in this exhibition symbolize this disparity. 

Fresh A.I.R. is a project of Southeast Healthcare. The gallery is located at 131 N. High St. in downtown Columbus. The exhibition runs through Dec. 31.

The OneOhio Recovery Foundation recently hosted an Impact Academy webinar on Grant Implementation Readiness to help organizations prepare for Regional Grant Cycle 2, which will invest up to $45.7 million in community-based prevention, treatment, and recovery projects.

During the session, participants walked through the Ohio Substance Use Disorders Center of Excellence Implementation Readiness Checklist, a tool to help assess whether an organization has the systems, staffing, partnerships, and planning capacity needed to successfully carry out a grant-funded project.

Speakers shared insights on common readiness gaps, strategies to strengthen implementation capacity, and tips for aligning project proposals with funder expectations. Whether you’re a first-time applicant or a seasoned grantee, the discussion offers clear guidance to help you apply with confidence and position your project for lasting impact. 

Click HERE to view supporting documents and HERE to watch a recording of the webinar.

Eagle Healthworks addiction specialists have expanded their outpatient medication-assisted treatment programs to a new location in Cambridge. The new clinic, located at 126 N. 9th St., serves Guernsey, Noble, Coshocton, Tuscarawas, and Muskingum counties.

The Cambridge clinic opened in June providing outpatient addiction services for adults and adolescents. Eagle Healthworks offers individualized counseling, case management, intensive outpatient, nursing, medication management, MAT, full taper to zero program, and lab services at all four locations including Bridgeport (Belmont County), Byesville (Guernsey County), and Thornville (Perry County).

For more information about Eagle Healthworks’ Cambridge location, contact Tracey Eagleeye at 740.781.0808 or tracey@eaglehealthworks.com.

As a part of its Executive Capacity Building training series, Ohio Citizen Advocates for Addiction Recovery (OCAAR) will host a free, Zoom-based Nonprofit 101: Start-Up/Governance webinar on Nov. 5 from 9:00 a.m.-Noon. The session will review how to become a legal, non-profit entity and achieve 501(C)3 status and provide guidance on training a founding board of directors. 

Seats are still available for the 2025 Ohio Forensic Mental Health Conference on Nov. 7 at The Ohioan Hotel and Event Center (formerly the Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center) in Lewis Center. Hosted by DBH with support from Northeast Ohio Medical University, the conference will feature expert-led sessions, real-world case studies, and cross-discipline discussions focused on reimagining how forensic mental health services are delivered. Under the theme "Forging New Paths," attendees will explore new approaches to diversion, treatment, crisis response, community reintegration, and system-level collaboration. Whether you're a clinician, administrator, law enforcement officer, legal professional, policymaker, or advocate, this event offers valuable insights and practical strategies that can be applied across settings. Click HERE to view the agenda. 

The Ohio Youth-Led Collective, a statewide initiative working to develop and sustain an inclusive, coordinated infrastructure to advance youth-led prevention efforts across Ohio, is excited to invite youth leaders and their adult advisors to the 2025 Youth Leadership Training scheduled for Dec. 5-7 at Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky. 

This fun and impactful weekend event is designed to help youth leaders and supporting adults work together to create meaningful initiatives that will create community-level change to reduce substance use and suicide among youth and young adults. Whether you have attended similar trainings or events in the past, are just getting started, or are new to youth-led prevention, this weekend will be an excellent opportunity for youth and their adult advisors to expand their leadership skills and create real change.

Thanks to funding from the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health, most costs are covered and selected groups will only pay $75 per room.

The Fairfield County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (ADAMH) Board is hosting an in-person Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Workshop on Dec. 11 from 9:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. This training will provide attendees with an experiential and evidence-based introduction to trauma-sensitive mindfulness. Facilitated by Cenell Boch, Ph.D., this session integrates principles from Dr. David Treleaven's Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness, explores behavioral health stigma, and highlights how providers can navigate secondary trauma and community trauma. Through guided practices, reflection, and discussion, participants will gain tools to support resilience, ethical decision-making, and stigma reduction.

The Governor's Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force has announced details of a Human Trafficking Prevention Month webinar series scheduled for January 2026. Click the links below for more information and to register. All sessions run from 10:00 a.m.-Noon. Questions? Contact the office of the State Anti-Trafficking Director.

Jan. 8 | Data in Action: Using National and State Human Trafficking Data
Jan. 15 | Serving Child and Youth Survivors
Jan. 22 | Supporting Survivors: Nonprofit Strategic Planning and Sustainability

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Addiction Studies Institute (ASI) is seeking proposals for presentations at the 2026 Addiction Studies Institute Conference to be held Aug. 5-7, 2026. For the past 35 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. The deadline to submit proposals is Jan. 25, 2026. Questions? Email Tamara.Buhrts@osumc.edu.