Latest News

07/01/2024

OPPA successfully brokers a deal on SB 60

As members are likely aware, OPPA originally took a position of active opposition to Senate Bill 60 – a bill that would create a new mid-level mental health profession - Certified Mental Health Assistant. There were significant concerns about the legislation, including training and education, lack of specificity, as well as patient and physician protections. We were asked to identify our top ten major concerns with the bill and our potential solutions to those issues. We are happy to report we were successful in working with the chair, sponsor and committee members to include all 10 items that we requested, which is a huge win for psychiatrists and individuals with mental illness.

06/05/2024

OPPA signs on to coalition proponent testimony on House Bill 452 - efforts to address violence against heathcare providers

House Bill 452 requires each hospital system, and each hospital that is not part of a hospital system, to establish a security plan for preventing workplace violence and managing aggressive behaviors. The hospital system or hospital making the plan must involve a team of health care employees who provide direct patient care. The bill also includes reporting requirements.

05/29/2024

OPPA sends Action Alert to members to take action to oppose Senate Bill 60

Please contact your legislators if you haven't already done so

OPPA (and other physician groups in Ohio) sent out a Call to Action in opposition of Senate Bill 60 that would establish licensure by the State Medical Board for a new allied practitioner: a certified mental health assistants (CMHAs). The legislation does not outline any education and training requirements for this new practitioner and would give them prescriptive authority. The Ohio Senate is poised to vote on this legislation in the coming weeks and OPPA needs your help. Please follow the instructions to send a letter to your Senator and Representative and urge them NOT to support SB 60. It will only take a few moments of your time, and it is critical that your legislators hear from you that while Ohio physicians understand and share the common goal of addressing the increased need for mental health care services across the state – this proposal is NOT the solution!

05/29/2024

New officers hit the ground running!

The 2024 officers of OPPA took office on May 8 and wasted no time taking action on several key issues, representing the organization in important meetings with stakeholders, appointing new committees and chairs, as well as advocating on several important pieces of legislation.

04/02/2024

In addressing maternal mortality, mental health often left out

As reported recently in Psychiatric News, Mental health conditions are the leading underlying cause of maternal mortality, yet mental health is often left out of national initiatives to improve maternal outcomes. Experts say much more needs to be done, including gathering data to better understand the significance of the problem.

04/02/2024

OSAM Network releases new OSAM-O-GRAM

The Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring (OSAM) Network has announced the release of its latest OSAM-O-Gram, Stimulant Use, Race, and Naloxone Awareness, now available on the OhioMHAS website. This brief discusses fentanyl-adulterated stimulants and highlights Naloxone awareness and experiences.

04/01/2024

April is National Minority Health Month

April is National Minority Health Month (NMHM), a time to raise awareness about health disparities that continue to affect people from racial and ethnic minority groups and encourage action through health education, early detection, and control of disease complications.

03/06/2024

SMBO launches sexual misconduct page

The State Medical Board of Ohio is committed to prioritizing the safe handling of sexual misconduct complaints to ensure the public is protected from dangerous providers. This month, the Medical Board published a new page on the SMBO website that highlights the importance of reporting sexual misconduct and explains the tools used to properly address the complaints.

02/28/2024

Supporting Mental Health of Black Children and Youth

Developing a Better Understanding

The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities released its February one-pager entitled “Supporting Mental Health of Black Children and Youth” provides facts on the mental health struggles that face the demographic. For African American children and adolescents coping with the risk or reality of serious emotional disturbances, the world we live in can be a particularly painful and dangerous place. Along with the normal developmental struggles and social/emotional turmoil of childhood and adolescence.

02/19/2024

February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Teen dating violence, also known as intimate partner violence or intimate relationship violence, is a serious problem in the U.S., affecting approximately 10% of all teenagers between the age of 12 to 18. It includes stalking, harassment, physical or sexual abuse. Throughout February, organizations and individuals nationwide are coming together to highlight the need to educate young people about dating violence, teach healthy relationship skills and prevent the devastating cycle of abuse. With their adult allies, youth activists achieved a major victory in 2005 and 2013 when the importance of addressing teen dating abuse was highlighted in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Both Chambers of Congress have declared the entire month of February to teen dating violence awareness and prevention.

02/17/2024

OPPA applauds Gov. DeWine's announcement of increased support for human trafficking survivors

Topic will be addressed at upcoming OPPA Annual Psychiatric Update

OPPA president, Alyse Stolting, MD, stated Governor DeWine's announcement of nearly $5 million in funding to enhance support for human trafficking survivors in Ohio is truly commendable. This substantial investment reflects the Governor's commitment to addressing the needs of survivors and combating the pervasive issue of human trafficking. The inclusion of mental health services in the funded programs is particularly praiseworthy, recognizing the critical role mental health plays in the recovery of survivors. The prioritization of evidence-based and survivor-informed programming ensures that the allocated funds will be utilized effectively, providing impactful services to those who need them the most.The upcoming OPPA meeting will also address human trafficking, providing a platform for discussions and collaborations that will contribute to the ongoing fight against human trafficking.

02/16/2024

Kennedy Forum issues report on Ensuring Coverage of Behavioral Health Emergency Services

In mid-December 2023, the Kennedy Forum released a new brief, “Ensuring Coverage of Behavioral Health Emergency Services.” Addressed in the brief are policy options that will insurance coverage for the full range of behavioral health emergency services, examine a case study from Washington State, and outline model legislation. Currently, commercial insurance doesn’t cover the full range of behavioral health emergency services, and the cost is unjustly offloaded onto public institutions. This not only burdens the taxpayer, but also leaves systems of care underfunded, understaffed, or altogether non-existent. The Kennedy Forum recognizes that people should have access to comprehensive health care whenever they need it, including moments of crisis. Furthermore, lack of available resources and insurance coverage should not stand in the way of our communities’ ability to provide emergency care from crisis call to crisis response. We urge policymakers to embrace our recommendations to build out and subsequently enforce coverage for the full continuum of behavioral health emergency care.

02/16/2024

APA draft guideline on the Prevention and Treatment of Delirium

APA seeks review and draft comments before the deadline of March 8

The draft guidance was developed following the APA guideline development process and was drafted on a systematic review of the available evidence conducted by the Pacific Northwest Evidence-based Practice Center. Guideline statements are based on the balance of possible benefits and harms of the recommended actions as discussed in the text. This document is a draft only and does not yet represent official APA policy.

02/08/2024

Registration now open for OPPA's Annual Psychiatric Update!

April 13-14, 2024, Marriott University, Columbus

Psychiatry has undergone notable expansion in recent years, characterized not only by innovative advancements in treatment interventions but also by an increased propensity for inclusion, engagement with the wider society, self-critique, introspection, and a conscientious reevaluation of conventional wisdom. The 2024 Annual Psychiatric Update by OPPA, “Re-imagining Mental Health: Innovations and Insights in Psychiatry” takes place in this context.

02/06/2024

HPIO releases latest brief on ACEs prevention strategies

A webinar on the topic will be held on Wed., Feb. 28, at 11:30 a.m.

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) has released a new publication titled “Strategies to Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Ohio: Promoting Positive Social Norms and Intervening to Lessen Harm.” Since 2020, HPIO has released a series of policy briefs on ACEs in Ohio. As part of its Ohio ACEs Impact Project, HPIO has outlined a comprehensive and strategic approach to preventing ACEs, elevating 12 key evidence-informed strategies. This latest brief examines the implementation status of four strategies to promote social norms that protect against violence and adversity and intervene to lessen immediate and long-term harm.

02/06/2024

RecoveryOhio releases Strategic Plan

RecoveryOhio recently offered a comprehensive roadmap designed to address the challenges and opportunities in Ohio’s recovery and mental health landscape. The three-year roadmap addresses community needs around addiction and mental health and will modernize interactions between the state and the public, and create a focus on the initiatives and deliver the greatest results to the greatest number of Ohioans.

11/29/2023

ODM recorded webinar on Direct Worker Relationships Rule Training

Rule goes into effect on January 1, 2024

The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) posted a recorded training for implementation of the forthcoming OAC rule 5160-44-32 Home and community based Medicaid waiver program provider and direct care worker relationships on the ODM resuming routine Medicaid eligibility operations webpage under “Appendix K Resources.” There, you will find the operational training for the extraordinary care instrument to support care coordinators’ determination of clients’ extraordinary care needs.

11/17/2023

New ODM behavioral health website and email for policy questions

Last month, the Ohio Department of Medicaid launched heir re-vamped website on October 6th to take advantage of features available through the new InnovateOhio platform. The behavioral health information can still be accessed on their former URL, or by searching under the “Resources for Providers” tab at www.medicaid.ohio.gov.The changes include a new Behavioral Health page, with information such as a provider search to make it easier for members to find information about BH services – and includes helpful resources that should support more effective linkages and care coordination across BH providers and stakeholders.

11/15/2023

Act Now! Support behavioral health integration and collaborative care

Encourage your federal senators and representatives to support this important legislation

APA supports legislation to incentivize primary care to integrate behavioral health into their practices to increase access to needed MH and SUD services. The Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) is an evidence-based delivery model supported by over 100 research studies and 51 organizations across the physician, employer, payer, mental health and patient spectrum that increases access to mental health and SUD services, patient outcomes and saves money. Encourage your federal senators and representatives to support this important legislation!

11/03/2023

OPPA provides proponent testimony on HB 249 - Involuntary Treatment for Mental Illness

Doug Smith, MD, Chair of OPPA's Integrated Care Committee, provided written proponent testimony on HB 249, which would improve the likelihood that individuals with mental illness receive prompt clinical evaluations to help determine the need for additional mental health services, by adding a fifth criterion to OhioMHAS' Application for Emergency Admission.

10/03/2023

CJ CCoE September 2023 Ohio CIT training report released

The Criminal Justice Coordinating Center of Excellence's prepares and releases biannually reports in September and March. The CJ CCoE has been tracking Ohio CIT training information since its inception in 2000, when it was first implemented in two counties. We have now reached 80% historic participation across all of Ohio's law enforcement agencies! New to this edition: details on a point-in-time count conducted in 2022 (page 9), which determined the number of CIT trained officers still active in Ohio. This project showed that across Ohio, 72% of CIT trained officers are still active in the field. In the coming months, this will be broken down by CIT program and a detailed version of the information revealed in this study will be provided to CIT Program Coordinators.

08/23/2023

Medical Board issues Annual Report

The State Medical Board of Ohio has released its Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2023 which includes data on licensure activity, treatment and compliance, fiscal report, communications and outreach activities and more.