On Thursday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and DBH Interim Director Tia Marcel Moretti participated in a fireside chat at Daybreak's 50th Anniversary Champions for Youth Luncheon. The annual fundraising event was held at Top of the Market in Dayton.  

Daybreak Dayton provides essential services, support, and resources for homeless youth and young adults in the Miami Valley. The program was established in 1975 in Dayton as an emergency shelter and has since grown to include outreach, prevention, transitional housing, life-skills and employment education, and other follow-up services for vulnerable youth. 

Last Friday, DBH partnered with Northeast Ohio Medical University to host the 2025 Ohio Forensic Mental Health Conference. The event — the first in-person forensic conference since 2019 — drew a record crowd of more than 300 clinicians, administrators, law enforcement officers, legal professionals, policymakers, and advocates.

Themed "Forging New Paths: Advancing Forensic Mental Health Services Through Innovation and System Collaboration," the conference featured expert-led sessions, real-world case studies, and cross-discipline discussions aimed at reimagining how forensic mental health services are delivered. Attendees explored innovative approaches to diversion, treatment, crisis response, community reintegration, and system-level collaboration.

DBH Chief Medical Officer John Kennedy, M.D., (pictured, inset) welcomed attendees followed by a keynote session on "Rethinking Competency: Advancing Justice Through Alternatives to Restoration" from The Hon. Stephen Leifman, Associate Administrative Judge Miami-Dade County Court-Criminal Division (retired). 

2025 Howard H. Sokolov Forensic Mental Health Leadership Awards
DBH also recognized Stephen Noffsinger, M.D., and Central Clinic’s Southern Ohio Forensic Evaluation Services (SOFES) with the Howard H. Sokolov Forensic Mental Health Leadership Award.

Named in memory of Dr. Howard Sokolov, a renowned forensic psychiatrist and commissioner of the former Ohio Department of Mental Health, the award honors an individual or program involved in a direct practice, program, policy-making and/or planning role that influences forensic mental health services by consistently reflecting a commitment to excellence, recognition of dignity and worth of the individuals served, the security and safety of the community, and dedication to providing quality forensic mental health services. The awards were presented by DBH Director of Forensic Services Lisa Gordish, Psy.D. 

Stephen Noffsinger, M.D.
Dr. Noffsinger has been a champion of Forensic Psychiatry for 30 years, from his early work and leadership at Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare to shaping the next generation of specialists through the University Hospitals/Case School of Medicine Forensic Fellowship and chairing the Ohio Psychiatric Physician's Association (OPPA) Forensic subcommittee.

Southern Ohio Forensic Evaluation Services 
SOFES is one of 10 certified Forensic Centers in Ohio that provides comprehensive forensic evaluations for the state’s criminal court systems. SOFES has demonstrated innovative leadership and measurable impact, particularly through the implementation of Jail-Based Competency Restoration (JBCR) and Hybrid JBCR (JBCR-HS) programs.

Faith organizations are invited to apply for $1,000 mini grants to bring behavioral health prevention to members of their congregations in 2026.The grants are funded by DBH and administered by PreventionFIRST! Training and technical assistance will be provided to grantees. 

Click HERE to view the application and HERE for a W-9. The deadline to submit an application is COB on Dec. 1. Questions? Contact Amanda Conn Starner at 513.751.8000 ext. 13 or email aconnstartner@prevention-first.org.  

Informational Webinar 
A Zoom-based informational webinar for interested applicants will be held on Nov. 17 from Noon-1:00 p.m.Click HERE to register for the webinar. 

This week, DBH staff attended the launch event for The Center for Appalachian Innovation at Marietta College. This new Center will support the Appalachian region through research, opportunities for engagement, and outreach -- establishing Marietta College as a thought leader in the region, a partner in innovation, and a driver of economic growth. As DBH continues to collaborate with stakeholders to identify and strengthen resources and opportunities within the Appalachian region, the department looks forward to connecting with the Center to advance shared goals for the region. 

Pictured (l-r): Deputy Director of Treatment Services Staci Swenson; Program Administrator Macin Taylor; and Senior Policy Analyst Julia Jackels.

The Problem Gambling Network of Ohio (PGNO) is accepting nominations for its 2026 awards. The PGNO Impact Award honors individuals whose recent work has advanced problem gambling prevention, treatment, recovery, or responsible gambling in Ohio. The PGNO Award of Excellence honors individuals whose lifelong dedication and leadership have strengthened Ohio's problem gambling field.

The awards will be presented during the 2026 Ohio Problem Gambling Conference scheduled to take place on Feb. 11-12 at the Ohioan Hotel and Event Center. The deadline to submit a nomination is Dec. 12. Questions? Email info@PGNOhio.org. 

This week, the Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board announced the retirement of Executive Director Helen Jones-Kelley. Jones-Kelley has led policy development, funding, and strategic programming for the county's public behavioral health system since 2011. She has provided oversight for federal and state behavioral health programs at the local level and developed partnerships with hospitals, law enforcement, the court system, social services, and other key stakeholders.   

“Helen’s exemplary leadership and expertise will be difficult to replace,” said Victor McCarley, Psy.D., the chair of the ADAMHS Board of Trustees. “But, with every change, new horizons unfold. Helen leaves a very strong foundation for ADAMHS to continue to thrive; Montgomery County ADAMHS has become a strong organizational model.”

Her last day with Montgomery County ADAMHS will be Feb. 5, 2026.

“This is the most significant show of support among so many organizations in my 30-year career,” said John Aller, Executive Director of Stark County Mental Health and Addiction Recovery.

The organizations involved are The Sisters of Charity Foundation, North Canton Medical Foundation, Aultman Health System, the Timken Foundation of Canton, the City of Canton, the United Way of Greater Stark County, and Stark County Mental Health and Addiction Recovery.

The initiative began with a shared vision: remove barriers that prevent residents from getting the help they need and reverse the burdens of navigating various systems to the providers rather than those seeking help. Through the "Unite Us" platform, service providers can now coordinate referrals in real time — whether it’s food assistance, housing, transportation, or mental health care, ConnectWell will provide more comprehensive support.

This kind of support addresses the social drivers of health, which are the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age. These affect a wide range of a person’s quality of life and programs that address multiple drivers (such as transportation, food security, housing, and more) report up to 79% improvement in health and social outcomes.

“The challenges faced by community members when accessing vital health care and non-medical services are complex, but our commitment to the residents of Stark County is unwavering,” said Anju Mader, M.D., Chief Health Integration Officer and Director of ConnectWell CIE of East Central Ohio.

Research shows that reducing barriers for just 10% of Stark County residents could save over $19 million annually in health care costs. Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio serves as the system’s administrator, and the focus now is on expanding partnerships to maximize impact.

The official Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) website — MentalHealthFirstAid.org — has been recently redesigned to provide a better user experience. The new site features an intuitive layout and several new tools to make information and resources more accessible. Key features include improved navigation, a 24/7 MHFA chatbot, inspiring stories and resources, enhanced accessibility and translation, and improved crisis support. These changes are designed to make it easier for people to learn about, teach, and take action for mental health, helping to ensure the lessons from MHFA last a lifetime.

Multiethnic Advocates for Cultural Competence, (MACC) Inc. is hosting two free, virtual trainings. Click the links below for more information and to register. Questions? Email shenry@maccinc.net. 

Nov. 18 | Trauma-Responsive Care: Impacts and Supports for Immigrants and New American Citizens
Nov. 19 | Substance Use Disorder for Families Impacted by Addiction

BrightView Health will present Exhausted: Addressing Compassion Fatigue for Addiction Treatment Professionals on Nov. 19 from Noon-1:00 p.m. Led by BrightView Behavioral Health Director Katie Spencer, this session seeks to help participants understand the difference between compassion fatigue and burnout, learn to recognize warning signs, and learn ways to care for oneself and coworkers. Questions? Email info@brightviewhealth.com. 

The Ohio Campus Community Partnership Initiative will host a Mapping the Mental Health Journey: Creating Effective Levels of Care for Campus Communities webinar on Dec. 5 from Noon-1:00 p.m. Join Dr. Patricia Hampshire (Rhodes State College) and Rebecca Young (Miami University) as they explore how campuses can develop a structured, compassionate “levels of care” model — ensuring students receive the right support at the right time from the right resource. Questions? Email julie@prevention-first.org. 

The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) will host Ohio’s 2026 Mental Health and Addiction Conference: Inspiring a Stronger Tomorrow on June 1-2 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus. The 16th annual, two-day conference will focus on efforts related to mental health and addiction prevention, education, intervention, treatment, recovery, family supports, community engagement, and more. The conference will help advance the resources and knowledge essential for communities to provide support to those in need.

Conference planners are currently accepting workshop proposals from interested presenters. The deadline to submit a proposal is Jan. 9, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Questions? Email Shelby Stutzman at sstutzman@oacbha.org.