SafeHaven members, prospective members and their families are invited to a number of clinics, programs and outreach events over the coming months.

SafeHaven, with locations in Piqua, Sidney and Greenville, offers mental health consumers a consumer-operated center where they may participate in educational, social, and vocational supports in a safe environment toward mental health recovery.

Blood pressure clinics through Horizon Home Health will be held at each location.

• Miami County SafeHaven in Piqua will hold blood pressure clinics beginning at 2 PM August 11 and September 8, and plan to continue on the second Monday of each month.
• Darke County SafeHaven in Greenville will hold blood pressure clinics beginning at 2 PM August 14 and September 11, and plan to continue on the second Thursday of each month.
• Shelby County SafeHaven in Sidney will hold blood pressure clinics beginning at 2 PM August 25 and September 22, and plan to continue on the fourth Monday of each month.

Illegal Drug Dangers and Getting Help - August 28 at 1 PM at Miami County SafeHaven site
Lt. Frye from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department will be speaking on the Heroin/Drug epidemic in the Tri-County area. He will also be talking about the dangers of the drugs, the legal aspects, and some options for help.  All SafeHaven counties will be together for this presentation.

SafeHaven Family and Friends Outreach Picnic – September 18 from 11:30 AM - 3 PM at Fountain Park in Piqua
Current SafeHaven clients, interested consumers, and families of consumers from all counties welcome.  More details to come. 

Motivational Life Coach Presentation - September 25 at 1 PM at Miami County SafeHaven site
Life coach Jessica Riesenbeck will be delivering a mental health-tailored presentation from a motivational/life-coaching perspective. All SafeHaven counties will be together for this presentation.

IDDT Recovery Life Skills Program
SafeHaven will begin groups for this evidence-based practice sometime in Fall 2014. More information to come.

For more information on these and other SafeHaven programs, visit the website at www.safehaveninc.com or call 937-615-0126 in Piqua, 937-548-7233 in Greenville or 937-658-6930 in Sidney.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has opened public comments on Leading Change 2.0, it's strategic plan for 2015-2018.

"This strategic plan outlines work to increase the awareness and improve understanding about mental and substance use disorders, promote emotional health and wellness, and the prevention of substance abuse and mental illness, increase access to effective treatment, and support recovery. An important component of the plan is the prioritization of six Strategic Initiatives and the linkages between these initiatives and SAMHSA’s policy, programmatic, and financial planning. At its core, this plan offers a framework for planning around common categories of initiatives that enable cross-collaboration and organization of SAMHSA’s work."

The document can be downloaded from SAMHSA's website as a PDF file. Comments are to be posted to the website

Every year, the Ohio BOSCOC [Balance of State Continuum of Care] Steering Committee evaluates the performance of renewing Continuum of Care [CoC] projects and uses those results to determine ranking of CoC projects within HUD’s CoC Competition Project Priority Listing. This ranking involves, in part, placing projects into Tier 1 or Tier 2 funding categories. Moreover, these project evaluation results inform CoC project funding decisions, particularly when HUD requires cuts to overall CoC Program funding.

Out of 94 project rankings across the State of Ohio, Community Housing of Darke, Miami and Shelby Counties, Inc. for the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health ranked #11 out of 94 project rankings.

Spent the day at the Shelby County Fair honoring veterans and meeting and greeting. Plenty of action for the "stress dice"!

We are in the Merchant Building (Beige Building), sharing space with Family and Children First Council, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Shelby County Counseling Center and other family-oriented agencies and services.

The "stress dice" basket will be there all week - stop by and pick one up!

The Shelby County Counseling Center board approved and adopted a new management contract with Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley at its regular board meeting Wednesday, July 16.  The existing management contract between Darke County Recovery Services and the SCCC will officially terminate at midnight July 22, 2014, with GESMV assuming the management of the Center beginning July 23.

The management agreement specifies, in part, the intent of both agencies (SCCC and GESMV) to explore and work toward eventual merger and/or acquisition in the near future. The GESMV Board is in the process of due diligence regarding long-term management and operation of the Center.

Mark McDaniel, Executive Director of the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services, which plans, funds, monitors and evaluates behavioral health and addictions services in Shelby, Miami and Darke counties, said, “The Board is pleased that Shelby County Counseling Center and Goodwill Easter Seals were able to reach this agreement. We believe Goodwill Easter Seals’ experience and reach will provide long-term stability for Shelby County Counseling’s core mission, as well as create new opportunities to serve the behavioral health needs of Shelby County and the region.”

“This will be a great opportunity for both parties, Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley and the Shelby County Counseling Center, to work together to expand and improve behavioral health services in Shelby County and surrounding areas,” said Steve Kopecky, GESMV Vice President of Program Services, who will assume the overall management responsibility for the SCCC.  Other key personnel from GESMV will also assist in the day-to-day management of the Center.

Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley has more than 40 programs and services and 27 retail locations, across a 23-county service area in west-central Ohio.  Its mission is to empower people with disabilities and other needs to achieve independence and enhance their lives.

A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks states by the number of painkiller prescriptions per capita, and Ohio ranks 12th, with 100 per 100 people, according to the 2012 data in the report. Alabama (143), Tennessee (143) and West Virginia (138) are the three highest-prescribing states, while Hawaii (52), California (57), New York (60), Minnesota (62) and New Jersey (63) were the lowest.

According to the CDC: "Health issues that cause people pain don't vary much from place to place—not enough to explain why, in 2012, health care providers in the highest-prescribing state wrote almost 3 times as many opioid painkiller prescriptions per person as those in the lowest prescribing state in the US. Or why there are twice as many painkiller prescriptions per person in the US as in Canada. Data suggest that where health care providers practice influences how they prescribe. Higher prescribing of painkillers is associated with more overdose deaths."

The report offers recommendations for states to address the high numbers of prescription painkillers. Many of those recommendations are reflected in Ohio's recent or pending legislative actions to curb prescription drug availability and abuse. The CDC report identifies states that have taken action and seen significant results. For instance, in 2010, Florida regulated pain clinics and stopped health care providers from dispensing prescription painkillers from their offices. By 2012, Florida showed a 50% decrease in overdose deaths from oxycodone. New York in 2012 required prescribers to check a statewide prescription drug monitoring database before prescribing, and in 2013 saw a 75 percent drop in patients who were seeing multiple prescribers for the same drugs, greatly reducing risk of overdose.

The CDC report may also be downloaded as a PDF document here.

WHIO-TV's Northern Bureau Chief Steve Baker reports on a summer program for kids in Darke County, "Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs."

Watch the video...

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) is seeking input on the behavioral health system in Ohio through an online survey. The survey is open to mental health or addiction services recipients and family members, behavioral health professionals, advocates, law enforcement and local government personnel, and concerned citizens. The survey is an opportunity to share thoughts and ideas about addressing the needs of Ohioans with mental health and/or substance abuse challenges in communities throughout Ohio.

The Tri-County Board used local input to craft a three-year strategic plan for 2014-2016. The plan identifies local priorities and guides the Board in addressing behavioral health needs in Darke, Miami and Shelby counties.

Information gathered through this survey may be used to inform funding decisions in FY 15. This information will also be helpful in planning for the FY 16-17 biennium. All surveys must be completed by Wednesday, July 30, 2014.

Tri-County Board Executive Director Mark McDaniel (second from right) works with members of the Darke County team at the Ohio Judicial Symposium on Opiates June 30 in Columbus.

Teams from Darke, Miami and Shelby county attended, along with teams from 83 of 88 counties. About 900 people attended the one-day symposium.

Teams comprised Alcohol and Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services boards, judges and court officers, law enforcement, and treatment providers. The purpose of the conference is to present the science of addiction and recovery, the changing laws and priorities in the state, and to coordinate local efforts to effectively address opiate-related issues through the courts.