Youth suicide prevention grants awarded; Paint Valley ADAMH to receive $50K
Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Bruce Vanderhoff, M.D., MBA, Friday announced that the Public Health Fund of Ohio (PHFO) has awarded a total of $350,000 to seven suicide prevention coalitions across Ohio.
The coalitions in Cuyahoga, Darke, Hamilton, Highland/Pike, Licking, Logan and Lucas counties each received $50,000. They will use the funding for suicide prevention strategies and approaches aimed at helping youth and young adults ages 10 to 24 years.
(Editor’s note: The Highland/Pike recipient is the Paint Valley ADAMH Board, with the funding to be used for the Pike County Suicide Prevention Coalition and the Highland County Suicide Prevention Coalition)
The Public Health Fund of Ohio was created in July 2020 to support ODH’s mission of advancing the health and wellbeing of all Ohioans and also to support ODH’s State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP).
“The Ohio Department of Health is pleased to see these grants awarded and that our state’s young people will have more opportunities to get the help they need,” said ODH Director Bruce Vanderhoff, M.D., MBA, chairman of the PHFO board. “ODH is looking forward to the fund being used to advance other important programs that will improve the health of Ohioans.”
The seven coalitions will be eligible for a second grant of up to $50,000 in late 2024. Twenty-seven coalitions were eligible to apply for funding based on data measures from ODH.
Coalitions are encouraged to use strategies and approaches promoted in the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation’s Plan and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Suicide Prevention Resource for Action.
These resources underscore the importance of strengthening economic supports, lessening harms and preventing future risk, improving access and delivery of suicide care, identifying and supporting those at risk, creating protective environments, teaching coping and problem-solving skills and promoting healthy connections.
“Our youth represent Ohio’s future, and we want to see that those who are in crisis can get the help they need to go on to live healthy, productive lives,” said Kara Wente, Director of the Ohio Department of Children and Youth. “These grants will ensure that more young people get that help.”
PHFO is a supporting organization of Greater Cincinnati Foundation and managed by the HealthPath Foundation.
For more information about PHFO, visit https://www.publichealthfundohio.org/.