Last month, Governor DeWine announced that the state intends to commit $85 million in federal ARPA Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) COVID-related funds to expand, enhance, and strengthen Ohio’s community behavioral health system through workforce education initiatives. These funds will be used to create scholarships, paid internships, and supervision opportunities, making it easier and more affordable for new professionals to start careers in mental health and substance use disorder treatment through academic degree programs for students in the last two years of an academic program. Additionally, this funding will create a statewide technical assistance center to navigate state and federal loan forgiveness programs. Funding will be distributed to universities/colleges for student assistance and directly to providers for supervision costs and recruitment/retention funds.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently approved this portion of the state’s ARPA HCBS plan. The Ohio Department of Medicaid and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) are working with the administration and the general assembly to allocate these funds and detail the plan for distribution, with the goal of having funds available as quickly as possible. Many details, including timelines and the process for requesting funds, are still under development. The Ohio Council will share new information with members as it becomes available.

In addition to the ARPA HCBS plan, OhioMHAS has been working on long-term solutions to meet behavioral health workforce needs. Earlier this month, OhioMHAS convened two workforce forums, one with providers and one with other stakeholders, to discuss workforce challenges and solutions to target key initiatives for state planning in recruitment and retention of behavioral health workers—specifically in community-based behavioral health. OhioMHAS shared plans for follow-up discussions to further explore innovative strategies, overcome barriers, and address challenges community behavioral health providers are experiencing.

Additionally, OhioMHAS has posted two requests for proposals related to workforce initiatives:

• RFP: Behavioral Health Careers Education and Careers Awareness Market Analysis
  The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) is seeking proposals from qualified contractors to conduct a market analysis for purposes of understanding current awareness of and perceptions of careers in behavioral health fields; identifying specific audiences to target for behavioral health workforce recruiting campaigns; determine effective communications channels and strategies for reaching those audiences; and deliver a comprehensive report with findings and recommendations for courses of action. Proposal Deadline: 2 p.m. on July 6.

• RFP: Behavioral Health Workforce Consultant
  OhioMHAS is seeking proposals from qualified contractors to serve as a behavioral health workforce consultant. The consultant will facilitate a behavioral health workforce advisory council; collect and compile data on Ohio’s behavioral health workforce; provide ongoing technical assistance to OhioMHAS through all project phases; prepare a “synthesis report;” prepare a final report containing findings and recommendations concerning behavioral health workforce initiatives at the state and local levels; and collaborate with OhioMHAS, the advisory council, and others to implement recommendations from the final report. Proposal Deadline: 2 p.m. on July 6.