Author: Tara Britton (Tara Britton)

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A first look at health and human services in Governor Mike DeWine’s budget

Gov. Mike DeWine introduces first state budget, proclaiming “For too long, we’ve tinkered at the margins” Last Friday, Governor Mike DeWine introduced the details of his first state budget, after previewing several initiatives during the first half of March. Overall, the 2020-2021 budget is framed as an investment in Ohio’s future. DeWine stated that “for...

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The Ohio budget process

An odd-numbered year in Ohio means the state budget bill has been introduced. Every two years, the governor releases budget recommendations and the General Assembly takes the first half of the year to consider the proposal and develop its own versions of a budget for the state. By June 30, the General Assembly must present...

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Many questions remain about maternal mortality in Ohio, so what are next steps?

We are reading and seeing personal stories from across the nation of women suffering from complications of pregnancy and families who have lost mothers, babies or both. Back in April, The Center for Community Solutions began to review existing maternal mortality and morbidity data in Ohio. The most recent data available from the Ohio Department...

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Election Day is coming; what three questions are we asking candidates about behavioral health?

This year, as we head towards Election Day, The Center for Community Solutions is posing 18 questions for the upcoming 2018 election. These questions are based on the research that Community Solutions conducted and compiled over the past several years on our six policy priority areas. We pose three questions for each priority area. We...

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A Declining OWF Caseload Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story

While Ohio’s economy has certainly been on the upswing since the end of the Great Recession, many Ohioans are still struggling to provide even the most basic necessities for their families like personal hygiene items, clothes, cleaning products and diapers. For very low-income families, Ohio Works First (OWF), Ohio’s cash assistance program under the federal...

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Advocacy Tips for HHS Leaders at Capacity Clinic

Last Thursday, The Center for Community Solutions hosted its first ever Advocacy Capacity Clinic. The Clinic offered an opportunity for health and human services leaders in the region to learn the ins and outs of advocacy, and then get specific questions answered about how their organizations could become more involved in the advocacy process. A...

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Putting the “Mother” Back into Maternal and Infant Health

April 30, 2018 In the United States, women are dying from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth at a higher rate than other industrialized nations, and the rate is increasing. Understanding this issue is complex; even just understanding the terminology describing deaths and complications related to pregnancy and childbirth is quite an undertaking. It’s important...

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House-Passed Version of State Budget Includes $170 Million to Address Opiate Crisis and Behavioral Health Needs in the State

The Ohio House of Representatives passed its version of the state budget in early May and, as had been discussed for weeks, included a significant investment in behavioral health-related services to address the growing needs around the state’s opiate crisis and individuals living with mental illness. The funding totals $170.6 million over the biennium, spread...

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Governor’s Last Budget Introduced, Heads to Ohio House

Governor Kasich introduced his last two-year budget proposal this week. The governor’s proposals run the gamut from revivals of previous tax proposals to advancing strategies to increase value and quality in health and human services. Many of the details of the budget proposal are still unknown. Further analysis of these proposals is forthcoming, as we...