Network Overview
Mission: To be Ohio’s statewide coordinating hub on older adults’ mental health and substance abuse issues and informational needs.
The Older Ohioans Behavioral Health Network was created in December 2005 following the first Older Ohioans Behavioral Health Policy Institute. Its role is to provide leadership for this multi-disciplinary effort to positively impact the behavioral health of older Ohioans.
Policy Institute participants created an initial roadmap for the Network by reaching consensus on 10 priorities for Ohio.
A Statewide Steering Committee has been created to provide guidance to the Network. Its charter defines its role more fully. One subcommittee has also been formed to help carry out the work: Public Relations.
Over the past six years, OACBHA and the Network have been able to distribute $200,000 through six rounds of mini-grants to Ohio’s Area Agencies on Aging and the County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Boards to expand innovative programs to assist Older Ohioans across the state. As a result of the grants, Evidence-Based and Promising Practices Tool-kits were developed to highlight Ohio’s best practices and five regional trainings were conducted in various areas of the state to assist communities in planning activities for future programming and services for older Ohioans.
