OhioMHAS Announces $820,000 in Behavioral Health Workforce Mini-Grants

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) announced yesterday that it has awarded more than $820,000 in mini-grants aimed at strengthening Ohio’s behavioral health workforce. This new investment will support 10 projects focused on increasing career awareness, supporting recruitment and retention, and enhancing contemporary practice for Ohio mental health and addiction professionals. 

Selected projects address the following priorities:

• Building new and/or expanding existing partnerships between community and regional entities, such as regional Workforce Development Boards; county Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Boards; and local Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) to elevate the awareness of behavioral health workforce needs.
• Providing connections to competitive career opportunities, such as establishing local job boards, creating hiring events, or job fairs for behavioral health career opportunities.

“The health and success of Ohio’s families and communities depend on a robust and knowledgeable behavioral healthcare workforce,” said OhioMHAS Director LeeAnne Cornyn. “These grants are just another example of our commitment to supporting our community partners to strengthen and grow their workforce, amid increased demand for services.”

Funded projects include:

• 5 Star Salon Academy – $150,000 (Montgomery County)
  • Host targeted workshops, training programs, career fairs, and job boards to raise awareness and promote entry into the behavioral health workforce, focusing on career pathways in wellness and behavioral health.
• Catalyst Life Services – $55,000 (Richland County)
  • Provide CEU-approved trainings that support the ongoing education and professional growth of the behavioral health workforce.
• Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board – $108,920
  • Convene strategic planning sessions that focus on the needs of workforce development in the areas of treatment, prevention, outreach, and recovery supports; determine the focus of a pilot program and future workforce strategies.
• Hancock County Board of ADAMHS – $50,000
  • Expand the relationship with Raise the Bar, a local community-driven workforce development initiative, to pilot a Work Advance Program targeting entry level positions and formalize a plan to recognize students who obtain a Mental Health Technician Certification to engage them in the field.
• Mental Health and Addiction Advocacy Coalition – $98,625 (Cuyahoga County and SW Ohio)
  • Expand the online Behavioral Health Career Pathways Interactive Tool and Southwest Ohio Regional Behavioral Health Workforce Coalition Toolkit.
• Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Lucas County – $19,458
  • Develop a job hosting board, managed by the Thomas M. Wernet Center, dedicated to peer support positions.
• MHRS Board of Allen, Auglaize, and Hardin Counties – $125,425
  • Educate those with job opportunities on how to recruit and serve people interested in the behavioral health field and offer one-time scholarships to those employed by Community Behavioral Health Centers to enhance their skillsets.
• Paint Valley ADAMH Board – $65,000 (Fayette, Highland, Pickaway, Pike, and Ross Counties)
  • Offer educational and training opportunities that will lead to behavioral health certifications or maintaining certifications and licensures.
• Project Lift – $79,950 (Cuyahoga County)
  • Implement a workforce development initiative that focuses on recruiting, retaining, and upskilling behavioral health professionals.
• Shawnee Mental Health Center – $68,412 (Scioto County)
  • Partner with local agencies to create an online job board and organize job fairs to promote behavioral health career opportunities and expand partnerships with schools and community organizations to provide career path activities for high school and post-secondary students.

The selected projects demonstrate the department’s dedication to improving the recruitment and retention of the “wellness workforce” and efforts to pursue partnerships with Ohio’s community behavioral health care providers, local community leaders, and educational institutions to create more pathways for Ohioans to pursue these careers.

Click HERE to learn more about other OhioMHAS-led efforts to create more pathways for Ohioans to pursue careers in behavioral health care.