New Governor Launches RecoveryOhio Initiative
Gov. Mike DeWine's executive order describes Ohio as "facing the worst drug epidemic in my lifetime [and] losing 13 or 14 people a day from accidental drug overdoses. Every county in Ohio and every city, town and village – urban and rural – is affected."
Mike DeWine, sworn in Jan. 14 as Ohio's new governor, signed an executive order creating the Governor’s RecoveryOhio Initiative. His order describes Ohio as "facing the worst drug epidemic in my lifetime [and] losing 13 or 14 people a day from accidental drug overdoses. Every county in Ohio and every city, town and village – urban and rural – is affected. The human toll, the increased crime, and the economic and societal damages caused by this epidemic are devastating," it says.
The initiative aims to:
- Advance and coordinate substance abuse and mental health prevention, treatment, and recovery support services at the local, state and federal levels
- Engage private-sector partners to align efforts to do the most good for Ohioans struggling with a mental illness or substance use disorder and their families
- Initiate and guide enhancements to the behavioral health system to improve patients' experience during treatment and treatment outcomes
He also appointed a director of the initiative to oversee and implement those activities.