Leadership from the mental health system, including Private and Public Psychiatric Inpatient Hospitals, Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMH) Boards and Community Behavioral Health Organizations, are invited to attend a one-day conference Nov. 16, 2012, in Columbus to receive information on the status of Ohio Public and Private Inpatient Psychiatric Services.

Space is limited. Cost of the conference is $20. CEUs have been applied for.

The conference is sponsored by the Ohio Department of Mental Health, the Ohio Hospital Association, the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities and the Ohio Council of Behavioral Health and Family Services Providers.

Registration Booklet

Register here online

On Sept. 25, Ohio Medicaid and Ohio Department of Mental Health officials announced a plan to take a look at how antipsychotic drugs are being prescribed to children, especially those in foster care. The state will spend a million dollars over the next three years to evaluate and improve how doctors are prescribing antipsychotic medications to children on Medicaid. 
  
"A comprehensive review of pharmacy claims data from 16 states found that while children in foster care represent only three percent of children covered by Medicaid, they were prescribed antipsychotic medications at nearly nine times the rate of other children receiving Medicaid," said Jennifer Justice, with the Office of Families and Children at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services

The medical director of Ohio Medicaid, Dr. Mary Applegate, said across the country there's been an increase in the use of mental health drugs without necessarily a corresponding increase in mental health diagnoses. "We wonder what that means," Applegate said, adding the project will utilize a panel of state and national experts to support the development of best practices and clinical guidelines for safe and effective use of psychiatric medications to treat youth.

Individuals in a health crisis related to substance abuse or psychosis often have nowhere to turn other than the emergency room. In that environment, it is difficult for clinicians to rapidly discern a primary diagnosis and determine the appropriate course of care, and the wait times and noise of an emergency room may not be the environment most conducive to treatment for an escalating brain disorder.

Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH) Director Tracy Plouck announced today that the department will partner with the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County to establish a 72-hour observation approach to augment crisis services. The state will provide $1.8 million to develop short-term treatment units to stabilize individuals who are in psychiatric or substance abuse crisis and transition them to community services upon discharge.

Read the press release for more information.
Read the article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Physical health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease are common for people with serious and persistent mental illness. These conditions, often exacerbated by medications taken to treat mental illness, are preventable when care providers treat the whole person instead of a particular illness. Ohio Medicaid has teamed with ODMH to improve care coordination by creating "health homes" that will break down the silos that exist between physical and behavioral health care benefits, funding and treatment. Visit the ODMH webpage on this topic.

A phased-in addition of the Health Home service began Oct. 1 in five counties for Medicaid beneficiaries who meet the state's definition of serious and persistent mental illness or serious emotional disturbance. The first counties to offer the benefit are Adams, Butler, Scioto, Lawrence and Lucas. View the list of community behavioral health centers that will Implement the service in those counties.

The Ohio Departments of Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services have launched a website - www.adamh.ohio.gov dedicated to the planned consolidation of Ohio's cabinet-level behavioral health services agencies. The website features news and information related to each agency and to the plan for consolidation by July 1, 2013. An email has also been estabished to receive questions via consolidationquestions@mh.ohio.gov. Frequently Asked Questions will be posted. Both Departments are committed to making this a smooth and transparent process, and value input from consumers, family members, county boards, providers and other stakeholders. A name for the new agency has not been determined.

More than 100 Adult Care Facilities (ACFs), which house people with various disabilities throughout the state, recently were awarded funds from a grant administered by the Ohio Department of Mental Health. Grant monies will be used to make critical repairs to maintain and improve the habitability and safety of their facilities, which provide room, board and personal care for individuals who reside in the community, but need assistance with daily living. Residents may have a variety of disabilities, including mental illness. Eligible ACF owners applied for amounts ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 for each eligible facility. ODMH identified four categories for funding requests for projects to preserve the longevity of the facility: structural defects, heating and plumbing defects, electrical hazards and safety features. Among the applicants, 115 have met all the requirements and will be receiving funding for one or more of their identified priorities. Read the press release to learn more and see a list of recipients. ODMH will maintain all eligible repair projects that were not funded on a prioritized waiting list, in case additional projects can be accepted. >

In consultation with stakeholders, the Kasich Administration has identified specific "hot spots" where targeted budget adjustments are needed. These include investments in housing for Ohioans with mental illness and in community services that encourage local innovation and collaboration. Read the summary of Target Hot Spots addressed through Gov. Kasich's Mid-Biennium Review (MBR), which was announced March 14. View a list of MBR language changes related to behavioral health.