Governor DeWine’s State of the State Highlights & Budget Priorities

Governor DeWine outlined his vision for Ohio during his State of the State address to the Ohio General Assembly. He continued to prioritize significant investment in education and programs that support children, youth and families; building a community behavioral health system of care; economic, workforce, and infrastructure development; affordable housing; improving quality with Ohio nursing homes; public safety; and H2O Ohio Rivers. The Ohio Council applauded the Governor’s continued focus on fulfilling the promises of the past by investing in a community behavioral health system of care and efforts to support Ohio’s children and families. You can read the Ohio Council’s statement here.

While there are many interesting and new policy and investments noted during the Governor’s State of the State, we want to share a few highlights of particular interest to Ohio Council members.

Proposes the creation of a Department of Children and Youth. This new Department would consolidate programs from across 6 state agencies to reduce duplication, improve efficiency, and have a core mission and focus on serving children and youth. Programs that would be consolidated include: Early Intervention; Home Visiting; Ohio Children’s Trust Fund; Infant Vitality; Early Childhood Education and Preschool program, including licensing; Children’s Services; Ohio Family Children First Council; Ohio Fatherhood Commission; Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, and Strong Families, Safe Communities. The Department would be created on 7/1/2023 with identified programs transitioning under the Department by 1/1/25.
Full funding of the next phase of the Cupp-Patterson school funding formula with additional investments in literacy. The Governor also noted the importance of student wellness and success funding.
Expanded childcare subsidies; proposed removal of sales taxes on infant supplies and products; and a proposed $2,500 state child tax credit.
Increased funding for county children’s services; investments in foster care, and proposed Medicaid coverage for all adoptions (including private adoptions)
Building a community behavioral health system centered on four priorities: 1) Building a community care system that increases prevention efforts; 2) Offering better crisis response services and treatment options; 3) Growing the behavioral health workforce; and 4) Focusing on much-needed research and innovation.
Targeted investments in addressing stigma and suicide prevention; funding 9-8-8; increasing access to state hospitals and private psychiatric hospitals.
One-time investment to address the shortages of pediatric behavioral health workforce and to expand access to critical facilities (residential and PRTF).
Creation of the State of Ohio Action for Resiliency Network or “SOAR Network” to invest in a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive, multi-year research study across all of Ohio to understand the root causes of mental illness and substance use conditions, identify interventions that work, and rapidly disseminate learning and innovation.
New investments in development of affordable housing.
Appointment of a nursing home quality of life and quality of care task force and request that any nursing home rate rebasing discussion include a serious discussion of quality.

The specific policy and investment details will continue to emerge over the coming weeks. The Office of Budget and Management (OBM) released its Budget Blue Books, which offers a first look at the state budget investment by line item with some limited narrative regarding specific investments.

A few key highlights from the OBM Blue Book Budget Recommendations include:

Medicaid (page 440): The recommended budget invests in historic provider rate increases that will help address current healthcare workforce shortages by supporting higher wages and providing additional workforce supports. This increased support will ensure greater system stability and greater access to care for Medicaid recipients.

MHAS (page 446): The budget emphasizes the important role of prevention and early intervention. The department will invest over $20 million for allocations to ADAMHS Boards for local priorities in prevention early intervention, and suicide prevention. The recommended budget includes $20.5 million to improve community treatment and recovery supports for Ohioans living with severe mental illness and recommended funding levels of $16 million over the biennium for forensic centers. MHAS is investing $663 million, in conjunction with federal funds already appropriated, to grow opportunities in BH workforce to increase career awareness and adequately recruit, retain, and support modern practice. MHAS also recognized an agency goal for recovery homes to meet quality standards through national accreditation processes.

Insurance (page 380): The Department launched a campaign to help Ohioans understand their mental health and substance use disorder benefits in FY 2020 and builds on that work during the current biennium. During the FY 24-25 biennium, the budget will continue to build on educational and outreach efforts.

Department of Children and Youth (page 199): Highlights programs and funding that will transition to this new department. $46.1 million per year increased investment in early childhood programs; Recommends funding of $119.4 million across the biennium for Help Me Grow; Invests $11.3 million for early childhood mental health credentialing; Recommends funding supports for new and existing initiatives to prevent children from entering foster care and expedites finding of permanent homes.

Additionally, Executive Budget Facts Sheets have been released: