Join us on June 28th for 

Ohio’s 2022 Recovery Celebration: Growing Stronger Together! 

Date: Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Time: 11:30 AM - 5:30 PM (gates open at 10:30 AM)

Location: KEMBA Live! 405 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215 

Cost: Free! There is no charge to attend, but you must register

The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Mental Health, Addiction Services, Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Boards from throughout Ohio, and Peg's Foundation, will be hosting Ohio’s 2022 Recovery Celebration: Growing Stronger Together on Tuesday, June 28th at KEMBA Live!, an outdoor concert venue in downtown Columbus. 

We will be celebrating, connecting, and strengthening recovery with empowering speakers, activities, food, and entertainment throughout the day! 

Ohio PRO, Ohio Citizen Advocates for Addiction Recovery, NAMI Ohio, and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation will also be participating in the event, providing resources for individuals and family members in attendance.  

The event is free to attend, but individuals must register in advance. 

• Attendees must be 18 years of age or older. 
• There is no smoking in the indoor or outdoor event spaces.
• Safety protocols posted at the event venue must be followed at all times.
• The following items are prohibited from being brought into the event venue: weapons of any kind, illegal substances, drug paraphernalia, alcohol, any other items prohibited by the venue.
• No alcohol will be served at the event. Alcoholic beverages are advertised on signage at the event venue that cannot be removed by the event coordinator.
• Additional details are included in the registration portal. 

Registration is now open for Ohio's 2022 Opiate & Other Drugs Conference: Helping People Recover. The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities Foundation, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, will host Ohio‘s 2022 Opiate and Other Drugs Conference on June 6-7, 2022 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus, Ohio. This will be Ohio‘s 12th Opiate Conference. This two-day conference will focus on opiates, stimulants, and other substance use disorders, specifically on efforts related to prevention, education, intervention, treatment, recovery, family supports, community engagement, and more.

Understanding Harm Reduction 

The May edition of our Developing a Better Understanding series is now available. This month’s one-pager entitled “Understanding Harm Reduction” provides insight and information about the strategies and ideas aimed at reducing the negative consequences associated with drug use.  

According to SAMHSA, Harm reduction approaches have proven to prevent death, injury, disease, overdose, and prevent substance misuse or disorder. Harm reduction is an effective approach to addressing the public health epidemic involving substance use as well as infectious disease and other harms associated with drug use.

You can read the one-pager and learn more about harm reduction here. 

$85M Investment to Grow Ohio’s Behavioral Healthcare Workforce announced by Governor DeWine   

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, joined by Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director Lori Criss and Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Randy Gardner and various leaders of Ohio’s behavioral healthcare and higher education communities announced a plan to increase the number of behavioral healthcare providers to meet growing demand.

The planned investment of $85 million of federal funds gives the state an opportunity to make education more attainable and affordable for students committed to behavioral healthcare careers. The funding will be dedicated to enhancing paid internship and scholarship opportunities for students working to achieve behavioral health certifications and degrees at Ohio’s two- and four-year colleges and universities and other educational career development settings. It will also help remove financial barriers from obtaining licenses, certifications, and exams necessary for employment in these careers; support providers in their ability to supervise and offer internships and work experiences; and establish a Technical Assistance Center to help students navigate the federal and state funding opportunities available to them. This investment will also fund recruitment and retention bonuses for students who commit to employment with Ohio’s community mental health and addiction centers which provide care, treatment, and services to Ohio’s Medicaid-eligible population.

The Administration is working collaboratively across state agencies to achieve full approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the expenditure of these home and community based care American Rescue Plan Act funds as well as with the General Assembly on the most effective way to make the federal funding quickly available. Additional details of the plan will be shared in the coming weeks.