Behavioral Health: Developing a Better Understanding titled “Unleashing Workforce Productivity” focuses on the benefits of prevention and treatment for behavioral health and how it decreases absenteeism, disability rates and on-the-job accidents, while increasing job performance. More…

Six months after the passage of HB 93, often referred to as the “pill mill” legislation, Ohio has had some real victories in addressing the opiate epidemic, but the fight is far from over. What are the areas where we have made inroads? Where do we need to focus next? More….

“Recovery to Work” discusses the importance of work playing an integral role as part of a person’s recovery. Ohio has implemented a new paradigm, no longer is recovery about getting through treatment and then looking for opportunities in the workplace. Now we start with work as a component of recovery keeping individuals engaged and contributing members of their communities…MORE

“Justice Reinvestment in Ohio: Getting Smart on Crime” focuses on prison over population caused by the rise of individuals convicted of property and drug offenses, who receive short-term offenses and are subsequently released with no supervision….more

“Smoking Cessation: Great Strides & High Stakes” addresses smoking cessation programs and the valuable tools in aiding the recovery process of those afflicted with a mental illness or substance and/or other drug abuse…August 2011 Smoking Cessation

“Bath Salts: A New Drug Trend” addresses the recent emergence of substances being sold as “bath salts” that are used for no legitimate purpose, but manufactured solely for the purpose of substance abuse. July 2011 BathSalts

“Working to Recover” addresses the advantages in helping and encouraging individuals in recovery to gain employment as an aid to the recovery process. Individuals in recovery who work are more likely to achieve the recovery goals, giving them the ability to focus on their recovery. (more…)

April 2011

A Comprehensive Look at Behavioral Health Financing

There is no great mystery about how public alcohol, drug addiction and mental health systems should operate. An effective mental health system will include a fully-funded comprehensive continuum of care, in which state hospitals for the most severely ill are fully integrated with a spectrum of community based services, such as short-term inpatient facilities, crisis centers, Assertive Community Treatment teams, housing and job placement programs, and jail diversion. The key is a balance between adequate inpatient slots and a robust set of community services that keep people out of inpatient beds. A similar continuum of care is also required for treating addiction ranging from residential services to outpatient services and supports. According to New York’s Mental Health Commissioner Mike Hogan, there are three fundamentals that serve as the hallmarks of a healthy system serving people with alcohol, drug addiction and mental health needs: 1) a relatively localized structure – such as counties or community services boards – that can both coordinate and take responsibility for a patient’s care; 2) the financing array of state, federal and local funds has to align with that localized system of care; and 3) the funds have to be adequate enough to do the job and be sustainable over time. (more…)

March 2011

Ohio’s Opiate Epidemic

In Ohio, our opiate problem has reached epidemic proportions. Based on annual averages, four people died in Ohio died today from accidental overdose. That estimate will be the same again for tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that. If this epidemic is not addressed individuals throughout Ohio will continue to die needlessly. (more…)

February 2011

Youth and Young Adults in Transition

Transitioning from adolescence to adulthood is challenging. This transition can mean many things to many people leaving home, going to school or work, buying a house or starting a family. These transitions aren’t easy in the best of circumstances. And for individuals with serious mental health conditions or addictions, this transition can be even more challenging. The “transitional age” is defined differently by many groups and can range anywhere from 14 years old to 29 years old.

It is during these years that individuals, receiving public services and supports, make the transitions from adolescence
to adulthood and in many cases face some major challenges when it comes to aging out of child-serving systems and benefit programs and into adult serving programs. This often means that the youth will need to find new health care professionals for health and behavioral health services while navigating the complex world of benefits to determine if they are eligible in the adult programs. Moving through this transition can be challenging, and many youth in Ohio could use more help. (more…)