November 29th, 2010
Now that Thanksgiving is over we are entering the Christmas season; while for most people this time of year is exciting and joyful, it can also be very stressful dealing with the holidays and our families, shopping, parties etc. Whilst this time of year can be stressful for anyone of us, it can be especially stressful for individuals experiencing, or in recovery from an addiction and/or mental illness. If you recognize that you or someone you care about is being affected by the stress that often accompanies the holidays, you can work to minimize it. Things that you can do or suggest to others that may help are:
- Have a positive attitude, and enjoy the holidays as much as possible.
- Try not to worry about things you can’t control.
- Ask for help when you need it.
- Take a walk, play, do something that will help you leave the stress behind for at least a few moments.
- If you drink alcoholic beverages, drink in moderation.
- Eat well, but don’t overdo it and feel guilty later.
- Talk to your friends and/or family; let them know how you feel.
- Keep It Simple – you can’t be everything too everyone.
- If you try but can’t get any relief from your stress, get help. if you need help in identifying where to go to get help, go to our directory of Boards and click on your county and contact your local alcohol, drug addiction and/or mental health board..
I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season!
Have a great week.
Cheri L. Walter
Chief Executive Officer
Posted in CEO Minutes |
November 24th, 2010
The Social Security Administration (SSA) announces its newly designed –
www.socialsecurity.gov — Website. According to the SSA, the new Website is easier
to navigate, more attractive and more accessible to all visitors, including people with
visual or other physical disabilities. One of the most popular Internet services
offered by SSA is the online benefits application, where visitors can apply for
retirement, spouse’s and disability benefits via the Internet. This service — found at
www.socialsecurity.gov/applyforbenefits – allows people to conduct business with
SSA at a time that is convenient to them and from the comfort of their own home.
Tags: Changes, Social Securty, SSA
Posted in Publications, Up to the Minute |
November 24th, 2010
Governor Ted Strickland issued a proclamation officially recognizing Nov. 21-27 as
Family Week in Ohio. The governor urges Ohioans to take time during Thanksgiving
week to honor the importance of families and to recommit to enhance and extend all
of the connections that strengthen and enrich families.
Tags: Family, Ted Strickland, week
Posted in Publications, Up to the Minute |
November 24th, 2010
Community-based, well-publicized environmental interventions can significantly reduce drinking and intoxication at off-campus locations, according to the National Institutes of Health. Universities that instituted interventions saw a significant decrease in students getting drunk off-campus, compared to sites where no intervention occurred. Examples of interventions include: a crackdown on nuisance parties and sales of alcohol to minors; enforcement of “social host” ordinances; checkpoints to identify drunk drivers; and heavy use of media to publicize the campaign. Nearly as significant was that they saw no concurrent increase in drinking at non-targeted settings such as parks, beaches, or residence halls, as some have traditionally feared that more rigorous alcohol control measures would merely drive college student drinking to other, presumably more dangerous, settings. The study results give college administrators and surrounding communities some degree of optimism that student drinking is amenable to a combination of well -chosen, evidence-based universal prevention strategies. To learn more, visit: http://www.nih.gov/news/index.html.
Tags: College, drinking, drunk, MADD, off campus, on campus
Posted in Publications, Up to the Minute |
November 22nd, 2010
The latest issue of SAMHSA News entitled, What You Need to Know About Health Reform provides a wealth of information about what’s included in the Affordable Care Act. This edition includes a timeline, information about healthcare.gov, and an overview of health homes. To read more, click here.
Posted in Health Care Reform |
November 22nd, 2010
Thursday, November 25th is Thanksgiving and I very much hope that you and your family have much to be thankful for. Unfortunately, for many, this past year has been extremely stressful and full of worry about job security, healthcare security, and for some even food security. This stress and worry are hard enough for someone in good health to handle, but for those individuals dealing with a mental illness and/or addiction this stress can be unbearable. So if you are lucky enough to have much to be thankful for this season, please take a moment and help someone in need!
I hope your holiday is great, and that you and your family enjoy Thanksgiving!
Cheri L. Walter
Chief Executive Officer
Posted in CEO Minutes |
November 15th, 2010
If you are anything like me you have been reading constantly about the fact that neither Ohio nor America can continue to spend like we have in the past. In fact, Governor Elect Kasich has been very clear that Ohio will have to tighten its belt significantly, as we are facing as much as an eight billion dollar hole going into the 12-13 biennial budget. Additionally, Governor Elect Kasich has stated that he has no intentions of increasing the tax burden on either Ohioans or Ohio’s businesses.
Frankly, I believe that “skinnied” down government has begun and will continue to be the “new normal”. I also believe that we cannot allow this to throw those of us responsible for health and human services programs all into a tizzy. We have to work with the new administration, and figure out how in this new world of reduced government spending we can all work together to make sure that those most vulnerable Ohioans in need of treatment and social supports, are not forgotten and left behind. It really is our responsibility and, now more than ever, we need to rise to the occasion, put on our thinking caps and get busy, because there are better ways to do some things and we need to take the lead and figure out what they are. If our staff and our clients see us panic, they will do the same and we can’t allow that to happen. So let’s all get on that proverbial bus and figure out how to protect Ohio’s most needy and vulnerable citizens!
Have a great week!
Cheri L. Walter
Chief Executive Officer
Posted in CEO Minutes |
November 8th, 2010
 Thursday, November 11, 2010 is Veterans Day, a national holiday to honor all of the men and women who have served in the US armed forces. I have 3 brothers-in-law who served in either the navy or army, all of whom volunteered to serve their country. Each of them is to be honored and thanked for their service to their county as are all veterans. My family and I are lucky all of our loved ones completed their service in good health and moved forward with their lives. Unfortunately, not all veterans and their families have been as lucky. Still today, so many of America’s young men and women are serving in very dangerous situations and some will pay the ultimate sacrifice – giving their life in the service of their country. Veterans Day is a day when each one of us should take a moment to thank those that have served America.
So, to all of America’s service personnel, those that have served in the past and those that continue to serve our county today I want to publicly say THANK YOU!
Have a GREAT WEEK!
Cheri L. Walter
Chief Executive Officer
Posted in CEO Minutes |
November 4th, 2010
Offender Reentry and Justice Reinvestment
- Behavioral Health Pivotal In Successful Reentry – Ernie L. Moore
- Justice Reinvestment in Ohio – Thomas J. Strickrath
- United to Support Reentry – William M. Denihan
Tags: behavioral health, Ohio Ernie L. Moore, reentry, Thomas J. Strickrath, William M. Denihan
Posted in Newsletter, Publications |
November 3rd, 2010
The Republicans who will be the next leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives have vowed to make some changes to the health care law. They’ve stated that they will repeal parts of the law and through the appropriation process limit funding for other parts of the law. While it’s unclear exactly what this will mean, in the next several months we will undoubtedly see movement. For more on the House GOP plans, click here.
The Affordable Care Act leaves the states to do much of the implementation and with at least 10 states replacing Democratic Governor’s with Republicans and many state legislatures changing hands the landscape may look drastically different. With new leadership at the helm in many states, plans to implement provisions are likely to change. In the coming months and years states will be making decisions about developing insurance exchanges, eligibility and enrollment programs, insurance regulation authority and many more. To read more about the decisions new state leaders will be making, click here. In Ohio, Attorney General-elect Mike DeWine has stated that he will join the multi-state lawsuit challenging the individual mandate that will be heard in a federal court in Florida.
Also, the health care law was essentially rejected by three states. Voters in Oklahoma, Arizona, and Colorado all voted to reject the individual mandate included in the health reform law. In these states, voters approved constitutional changes that would make it illegal to require individuals to purchase insurance. These state regulations are superseded by the federal law, but the voters in these states have clearly expressed their opposition to the law. Read more on the votes in Oklahoma, Arizona and Colorado here.
Posted in Health Care Reform |
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