Source: Ohio Department of Health “Directions” publication
As part of the Kasich Administration’s continued effort to help Ohioans with mental illness, state officials unveiled a comprehensive suicide prevention initiative on April 14. Supported by a $2 million investment included in Gov. John Kasich’s State Fiscal Year 2016-17 biennial budget, Ohio’s initiative brings the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) together with a variety of stakeholders to focus on a shared goal of reducing suicides through workforce development, expanded resources for survivors of loss, a collaborative approach to crisis hotlines and text support, research, awareness, and stigma reduction.
To guide the development of this initiative, officials from OhioMHAS, ODH, and ODM convened a Suicide Prevention Advisory Committee composed of staff from various state agencies and health care, professional, and trade organizations.